The beginning of the end.
(December 1st, 1605)

Dear Journal,
                  As the snowflakes settles on to a land that burns with conflict, it sizzles while the smoke of disunity emits into the atmosphere, taken away by the wind as it spreads throughout the earth. This is life. The good and the bad are contagious.

                                                       - 𝓔𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓼 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓮
                                                                (1605)

    
"You know, Europe tells a tale in the winter." Baltazaar's tone was ominous as he stared outside the window of the king's chambers.

"We prepare in the fall and watch as the trees shed their leaves to join the earth and the air gains a wintry zest; the animals go to sleep and the sun hides its face. We watch as our land becomes a barren, white wasteland of glistening snowflakes under a cold sun. It is like a sweet fantasy and then a dark nightmare. The food and beverage feels a bit more filling in our bellies as the heat gains favor with our bodies but the animals have gone to sleep, the ponds have frozen over, the plants are frostbitten and the world is as cold as an abyss but as white as the heavens."

"Your thoughts are always so beautifully morbid." Zelda says from his bed.

"Hmph." He smiles, slightly turning his head towards her before returning his gaze to the cold outdoors.

"There was a story of a man who died in the winter." He continued, his eyes twinkling with delight as he suppressed a shiver due to his nakedness.

"A poor man who worked hard for his honest bread. He saved nuts in preparation for the winter all year round. Infact, he saved so many, he had to build a shed to store them in. He labored day and night for his family and for his kingdom but by the middle of winter, his village was pillaged and robbed by thieves; his children and wife killed and mutilated by murderers and his shed destroyed and robbed of its contents."

"Where are you going with this story, Baz?" Zelda asked, shivering as she draped her naked body with the thick, woolen sheet of royalty. It was hard to tell if it was the coldness of the air or that of his story that made her shudder.

"Well, no where really." He laughed a little, turning from the window to look at her. He had finished taking in the glory of his army of men preparing for battle.

"I was trying to explain that winter has always been a battlezone. A dreadful time where the strong conquer to survive and the weak perish and die. There has actually never been a better time for war."

Elias sat before the fire of the hearth, his golden irises reflecting its dancing flames.

Generating a small ball of fire in his palm, he tossed it into the burning firewood, watching as it blazed vigorously before returning to a somber ember that crackled with lively enthusiasm.

"How long are you going to stay there, Eli?" Syrus asked from the bed, staring at the stalactites that dotted the cavernous ceiling of their room.

He was shirtless, wearing only loose trousers as his mind wandered aimlessly, left in a slight daze after consuming Annora's recent concoction of enchanted blood.

This was a combination of special herbs as well the blood of animals, humans and fae that were enchanted by the enchantress herself. They would never have to worry about feeding again and they no longer had to rampage from for a proper feast once they had gotten accustomed to the after effects of its consumption ofcourse.

No longer in Aldavia, they had moved to the elf kingdom Aranthur located in Asphal along with the rest of Aldavia's population who had to seek asylum from their kinsfolk.

After the attack on the great elf kingdom six months ago, it had became public knowledge of the kingdom's weakened defense. This arose instances of invasions from several other clans of creatures who made great use of the opportunity.

Calen's barrier was oddly enough, no longer durable and after many tries, the barrier Annora had created was still being breached, marking Aldavia unsafe and eventually leading to the major evacuation of its people.

Though they did not lack the ability to defend their land, they had to prevent the dwindling numbers of their warriors as this had become the norm after every invasion.

The elf kingdom of Aranthur in Asphal was nothing like the flourishing, greenery of Aldavia as the elves there lived in a cavernous underground domain.

It was an entire different dominion; a whole new realm where walls were made from limestone, not wood and the sun was a rare luxury. Despite this, they were very kind to their brethren, letting them in with open arms and open hearts.

In spite of being surrounded by stone, the cold found its way below ground, leading to the elves placing enchanted fireplaces in the cavernous rooms while they collected the smoke for experimenting.

"It has been 6 months and we still have not spoken about Gen- her." Syrus said again, noticing that Elias had not answered.

"There is nothing to talk about. She is alive and she wishes for my death." Elias said, his voice heavy with shame.

He too, was without a shirt, his dark hair having grown tremendously since his last haircut. It cascaded with lustre over his shoulders like a cloak guarding one from frigidness. Though the cold did not affect them, he relished in the feeling of the heat against his pale skin.

"But we do not know why!" Syrus argued. "She could be under Odelina's influence. Why else would she be heading a war against the four kingdoms?"

"Because I let her die." Elias said it so lowly, it seemed to echo off the cavern walls.

Syrus was so taken back by the melancholic conviction in his statement that it made him get up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed.

"Elias..."

"It is true." Elias continued. "I failed her and so did this world."

"You did not." Syrus defended.

"They dragged her by her hair in her night gown."

"Stop it." Syrus said, his hands crackling with electric current.

This had been happening ever since Elias had seen her. His anger was not brazen nor violent, instead it took form in surges as it manifested in Syrus's power.

Syrus had to spend months trying to suppress it 10 times harder than normal as Elias's influence and anger grew stronger.

"Threw her down in the square before the townsfolk."

"I said to stop!" Syrus said louder, a spark reverberating over his body.

"They hit her."

"Stop it, Elias!" Syrus shouted again as his hands began to crackle.

"Then they ran a sword through her heart."

"Elias!" Syrus shouted, sparks engulfing his entire body and shooting onto the walls. It remained this way for a moment before Syrus returned to normal, his breath ragged from the electrical surge.

"Forgive me." Elias said after. "I cannot help it sometimes."

"F*cking hell." Syrus sighed, falling backwards onto the bed in his now charred trousers.

"You know, sometimes you scare me." Syrus admitted seriously.

"She is not the only reason I am like this." Elias confessed.

"What?" Syrus asked, rising again.

"Something is happening to Emma." He said ominously.

"What? What has happened? Why have you not said something?" Syrus fussed.

"I can feel her now. I know when she is happy and when she is sad; when she frustrated or afraid. Right now, she is lost... and cold. That is what I feel." He told him.

Frowning, Syrus was about to respond when Annora appeared at the door. The caverns did not really have doors but openings, marking it difficult to have complete privacy.

"What has happened, Syrus? I felt your energy. Is everything okay?" She asked them.

"Yes, everything is fine now. Just... the new normal." Syrus told her.

Walking inside, she looked to Elias who still sat cross-legged before the fireplace, staring into the hearth. She then turned to Syrus with a frown.

The expression she gave him meant she was asking if he was alright.

Shaking his head at her, Syrus heaved a heavy sigh as he stood up.

"I planned to come fetch you two anyways. Get dressed, it's time to go." She told them.

"Already? I thought we'd have atleast another day of quiet before anything else." Syrus complained.

"There is no quiet when there is war." Annora admonished.

"No," Syrus said, frowning as he looked at Elias, "you're wrong."

"Good of you to join us, Elias and Syrus." Calen greeted as they exited the cave's mouth.

Calen and the elders as well the Lord of Aranthur, Aredhel and several elven warriors had gathered before its entrance for a brief discussion in order to move forward with their plans.

Each person was dressed in woolen tunics made from sheep's wool, topped off with woolen capes and hoods lined with linen, woolen gloves and leather boots to combat the piercing weather.

Elias and Syrus's woolen clothing were decked out in all black, Elias's hood being up as his long hair escaped through the sides. Both had scabbards around their waists, their long cloaks hiding their swords as their extensive training had comprised of its use.

A light snow had begun to fall, accumulating slowing on to their heads and shoulders. It crunched under their feet as they headed over to join the group of men, Annora trailing shortly behind them in her navy cloak.

"Now that everyone is here, we are ready." Calen announced, water vapor emitting from his mouth as he spoke.

"Where are the warriors?" Syrus asked.

"They are at the training ground waiting for instruction on departure. We will meet with the trolls at the entrance of Garshank and join the rest of our allies in Citridel. There we will march towards Selvalley. I am told that what we seek awaits us there." Calen informed them.

"What we seek?" Syrus asked befuddled.

"War." Elias said as all eyes shot to him.

"Yes, war. The leader of the rebellion, Genevieve I believe has already destroyed multiple towns, cities and realms in the four kingdoms. I am told the half-fae and werewolf, King Baltazaar has already sent forces to defend Gandalwell and Asphal and is getting ready to march on Selvalley as well." Calen said, his tone exigent.

"What shall we do about him? He is neither enemy nor ally." said Arwen, half-elf now turned war general.

"He is an enemy to us." Syrus said. "Though we share a common enemy in Selvalley, he is not be underestimated nor befriended. His forces are to be defeated should we run into them on the battlefield."

"Syrus is right. Reports are that his army comprises of both human and werewolf, himself being a very powerful hybrid who singlehandedly defeated an army of ogres; ogres we struggled to fight." Calen told them.

"He has a special witch by his side. I would not say singlehandedly so carelessly." Syrus argued.

"It doesn't matter." Elias said, causing all eyes to fall on him. "They will all fall just the same."

"Are you sure this vampire is stable? The commander of this war was once his wife afterall. How do we know he will not betray us and flock to her side?" an elder questioned.

"The commander of this war is Odelina." Syrus corrected. "Or have we forgotten that? Dead people do not just awaken, walk out of their graves and cause mass destruction. Genevieve is nothing but a puppet of the gifted turned dread. We will annihilate all in our way."

"Syrus is right." Annora agreed. "What reason would she have to destroy the kingdoms? She is being used as a mask. Genevieve is but a pawn in the game Odelina is playing. She is a message to Elias sent to weaken him which means he is one of the vital pieces needed to win this fight. He will not be deterred, we will not be deterred."

"We will see." The elder retorted.

"I for one trust our vampire allies. A Veral, our treacherous warriors created by our Elf king himself has imprinted on Elias. This shows the pureness in his character as he has tamed such a vicious creature. We will cast away all doubts and stand by them to give them aid. Do we understand?" Calen asked, turning to his men.

"Yes, Lord Calen." the harmonized instinctively.

"Good. Let us go to our soldiers then." Calen ordered, stalking off through the snow.

The entrance to Aranthur's underground cavern kingdom was located on the top of a small cliff and the training ground was located below it, allowing them all to cast their gazes over the ocean of fighters they had gathered.

The training ground was a large expanse of land that was once void of snow used specifically for battle, training and large gatherings.

The soldiers could be seen locked into conversation as the group stood above, looking down at them.

"Warriors of the elf kingdoms!" A war general announced loudly, commanding the full attention of approximately 5000 soldiers. "I now present to you Lord Calen and Lord Aredhel of Aldavia and Aranthur respectively. Please bow before your leaders." He finished.

Falling to a knee, soldiers, elders, war generals, vampires and the witch showed their respect to the lords.

As Aredhel commanded them to stand, they began to announce their plans of travel to join with the trolls and then meet with their allies in Citridel. He divided them into groups and assigned war generals to each company in order to travel safe and effectively while limiting the loss of warriors.

Battles had broken out all over the kingdoms from not only Odelina's forces but from rogue groups who had grabbed hold of the opportunity to lash out and create chaos. It was no telling who or what they would come across in their travels but they could not wait on the enemy to make the first move. They had already taken the necessary magical precautions to prevent the early discovery of their plans but the unease was still evident in the air.

After disbanding the warriors, it was announced that Elias and Syrus were assigned to respective groups, meaning they would have to seperate for a while.

Syrus had tried to argue his way out of this, claiming that Elias was unstable but as the group was much too large and the generals too limited an amount, it was imperative that they each head a company.

Their were 20 generals including the trio, Calen and his elders as well as Aredhel and his elders. Each group containing 250 soldiers. They were already aware that the idea of all their soldiers making it to Citridel would be miraculous given the journey ahead but they had no choice but to separate.

A very smart tactic should the enemy attack on the way. This would mean their entire legion would not be destroyed.

"Listen to me, Annora. I cannot be away from him! He is not well!" Syrus said to her as they walked across the training ground to their groups.

"You're being dramatic." Annora told him even though she thought his words to be true.

"You know he's not." Syrus stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"I am fine, Syrus." Elias appeared behind them.

Calen called out to Annora, beckoning her over to her group. Excusing herself, she left the tension of the vampires staring match.

Dropping his hood, Elias walked over to Syrus, placing his hand on his shoulder and then cupping his cheek lovingly.

"Just come back to me, please." Syrus said, looking up at his master.

"I was about to say the same." Elias said, gazing into his eyes intently.

They stayed like that for a while, having an unspoken conversation with their eyes before Calen called out to Elias.

Kissing Syrus's forehead, Elias sped away from him to join his group.

Startled by Elias's sudden appearance, Calen's eyes widened for split second before returning to normal. Melonie the fairy flew over to him immediately, attacking his faces with tiny kisses as her fairy dust dissolved into the air. Taking her seat on his shoulders, they waited for instructions from the elf leader.

"This is the 9th company." Calen told Elias. "You are their leader and Melonie is the Veral assigned to your group. I've already converted the other Verals in the 20 companies into human size but she is a special case because she has imprinted on you. I believe she said she will transform when there is danger. Also...." Calen trailed off.

"Well if it isn't Elias Steele, vampire king." Damien's voice said as he made his way through the crowd of soldiers.

"He requested specifically to be in your group." Calen said.

"I wonder why?" Elias asked seriously.

"Cease all worry. I will be of more help now that I can transform on call thanks to your lovely witch. My pack has been divided into each company and currently there are a hundred of us so 5 werewolves are in each group. You will all be fine." Damien boasted.

During the past six months, he had explained through proving his worth and conviction by training extensively in order to join the fight against evil; his reason being that he did not want to die the worthless man he was born as.

He trained with Annora to turn on his own time without the aid of the full moon and had gained a pack by accident when he rampaged on the night of a lunar eclipse.

"Why aren't you leading a group with majority of your pack? I thought werewolves were stronger in numbers?" Elias asked him.

"It is to avoid losing too many of them." Damien said seriously. As they stared at each other, they each nodded, coming to a mutual understanding of wanting their subordinates to survive.

Annora had tried to convince Elias of creating more vampires for the war but he refused, arguing that he would not spread his curse any further. He could only imagine the pain Damien felt, separating from his pack and knowing that he will never see some of them again.

"I have to tend to my company now but just so you know, Syrus is leading the 8th company and Annora is leading the 10th. We have hypothesized that the first 10 companies will arrive first so keep that in mind. Take care Elias Steele, guide my people well." Calen said strongly.

"I will, Lord Calen. Thank you for everything."

Nodding at each other, Elias turned to his company who had been watching him intently.

"Greetings, everyone!" He said loudly. "Companies 1 to 8 have already dispersed so it is now our turn. Before we leave, I have a few things to say to you all."

Clearing his throat, he mustered up his remaining confidence, hesitance, fears and wishes into a single speech in order to address the soldiers.

"The road ahead will not be easy. Infact, we will have to fight many wars in order to get to Garshank and then Citridel to meet up with our allies. The goal of our separation is to limit loss and weed out as many enemy forces as possible in order to weaken our foes in Selvalley. It is sad to say that not all of our comrades will make it. As your leader, I will do my best to protect you. I will fight for you and fight alongside you. Thank you for joining us in this war towards peace. The gods have seen our plight so we will prevail. Let us set off on our journey." Elias commanded, turning as he dredged on towards the snow ridden forest, his company shortly behind him.

The goddess of luck was thought to be marching alongside the 9th company as halfway into their journey to Garshank, Elias had not encountered a single enemy.

He could feel Syrus's worry turn to anger in his consciousness which meant his companion was in the middle of battle.

Having faith in him, he tried to focus on getting his company towards their destination, preferably safely and without any casualties.

So far, a snowstorm seemed to be the only hinderance in their journey as it impeded their vision while they made their way through the cold. It was hard to ignore the violent winds as it threatened to take them away into its arms.

Melonie flew from Elias's shoulder, transforming into her full size and drawing her hidden golden sword.

Stopping, Elias commanded his company to halt as danger was now afoot.

"They're coming." Melonie announced.

Drawing the sword he had also become accustomed to using, a sterling silver blade that glistened white as snowflakes reflected from its surface, Elias assumed his fighting stance. He thought the idea of having his bane in his arms was poetic and powerful.

"Get ready!" Elias commanded just before the herd of Minotaurs broke through the trees.

———————————————————-

The winter war has begun!

Stay tuned for more as the story climaxes!

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