Heavenly King

News was quick to spread along the world's busy highways that danger was well on its way. Within Tor, villagers from smaller settlements completely incapable of defending themselves were evacuated to more densely-populated areas. As sightings of Demons increased, so too did public outcry regarding the situation reach its peak, and demands were levied against Gria and its government to ensure that each and every noble citizen of the country was protected against the Demonic threat. Though impossible to ensure, King Granda IV was forced to accept these demands, worrying for the morale and loyalty of his people.

Awareness of the developing situation was at an all-time high thanks to Dorma's efforts, who frequently used interpretations of the Goddess' holy scriptures in tandem with her own personal experiences as an ally of the hero to convincingly capture Demonkind as the invincible beasts of war they truly were. Restrictions on goods travelling in and out of the country--luxury items, mostly, were implemented by the Merchant's Guild, and subsidies were offered for deliveries of long-lasting provisions, such as those commodified by the people of Fleecia, who frequently relied on such things to survive the country's harsh winters.

The climate of technology, too, was about to change dramatically. Societies of alchemists and sorcerers were petitioned to develop magical items that would aid in the repelling of Demons on a large scale. Domestic and economic research was diverted towards the development of weapons and improved metallurgical techniques in an effort to arm soldiers more efficiently. Within a week, Tor had undergone great changes in its parliament to shift power towards those who advocated for more aggressive economic strategies, including a tax hike in order to fund the coming war, to the opposition of many, especially those who had been evacuated from their homes and lacked fresh livelihoods of their own.

Word quickly spread to the Lunar Dominion that Tor appeared to be arming itself for conflict, but confident in the strength of their alliance, Shah Emir Bin-Amashiri entered diplomatic negotiations with its long-standing neighbour in order to discuss the most rational steps forward. While not singular worshippers of the Goddess of Light, the country had also suffered greatly from the appearance of Demons in the far past, and its stature as the world's greatest alchemical power, as well as a source of powerful alchemical reagents, allowed the Lunar Dominion to establish itself as a crucial point of interest for the upcoming conflict.

By the time two weeks had passed, hamlets along the northernmost borders of Tor had been devastated by numerous Demon attacks, and although unofficial, the country began operating as if it was in open conflict. Smaller skirmishes between singular Demons and troops of patrolling guardsmen routinely ended in massacres with few survivors to report the incidents. The sheer destructive power of Demonkind made it difficult to ensure intelligence was passed through the intended channels, with battles only known of by soldiers coming across the sights of gruesome conflicts that had ended in utter human defeat. At the request of Dorma, the most skilled practitioners of magic in the country were disallowed from travelling openly. With bombardments from high-level spells, it was possible to immobilise and eventually defeat Demons outright, but this was only if the sorcerers in question were allowed to cast their magic uninterrupted. With this in mind, several elite regiments were created specifically to support these mages. In total, 20 such 'Anti-Demon Leagues' were held as the country's most powerful tools against Demon attacks.

The first complications of the new Demon Age arose from an unlikely location--the quiet eastern peninsula of Branda. Its sole city, Shulm, was not especially large, but as it was devised to survive a siege from the native Elves, it was a defensible point and was thus not evacuated during the beginning of the country's efforts to reduce casualties. The surviving couriers of Shulm, of whom there existed a mere handful, spoke feverishly of a terrible, multi-headed Dragon that had seemingly appeared from within the city, bursting from the rooftop of its most auspicious estate before bathing the land in endless fire. As they fled from the peninsula, some survivors spoke of witnessing even more dragons approaching from the northern coast, smaller but still large enough to dwarf castles. An emergency meeting of Gria's council was immediately called following the news, during which the staggering amount of individuals who had gathered to witness the discussions were loud enough to impede any attempts at restoring order to the court.

"This news…" Amidst the commotion, King Granda IV stroked his long beard with a contemplative expression, "It appears, as legend dictates, that the first Heavenly King has emerged from chaos to usher darkness in."

"Tiamat…" Dorma, who had seen such events unfold before, muttered the name with a contemptible tone, "The Queen of Dragons…"

"If Dragons they are, then the time has come for dragonslaying." Resolute, the King spoke those words as if they were rational in the slightest, "They are powerful, perhaps, but unlike Demons, their scales are far from impenetrable. I would test the might of our forces against this threat."

From the opposing side of the council chambers, another councilwoman spoke up.

"What do you propose, your majesty?"

"Three of our finest Anti-Demon Leagues shall depart for Branda at once." He proclaimed, "In times of antiquity, Dragons were both our greatest enemies, and our greatest allies. It is time to test the implements of our modern world against these foul creatures which have remained primitive and underdeveloped. It will be a splendid opportunity to test the effectiveness of our most powerful sorcerers."

Craning his head, the King's gaze fell once more upon Dorma, "Lady Dorma, as this nation's premiere weaver of magic, I would ask that you lead our most competent soldiers to face these enemies. There is no doubt in my mind that even Demons cannot stand before you."

"Thank you, your majesty." Bowing, Dorma replied, "I would be honoured to make the first move against Demonkind. The felling of a Heavenly King would most certainly bolster the morale of Tor's people."

"Then I leave command of my men in your capable hands." Standing from his humble throne, every man and woman standing in that room bowed in his presence, "We shall reconvene once more, in a matter of hours, to discuss the effectiveness of our ongoing research into improved metallurgy. Dismissed!"

In a matter of days, the armies of Tor would march against the first bastion of assault levied by Demonkind--the first of the Four Heavenly Kings; Tiamat. As the council chambers emptied, Dorma once more held a hand close to her chest and allowed her thoughts to drift towards simpler times.

"To fight… and to emerge victorious…" She whispered, "...That is a destiny reserved for only one."

To the far north, where mountains bordered the passage into lands more fearsome than most, a single wagon travelled along those craggy plains. Upon its driver's seat idled a Rabbitkin woman, face obscured by a long straw hat which combatted the heat of the dazzling evening sun. Three of her limbs, silvered and articulate, gave the impression of a creature not entirely of this world. Beside her, the ever-shadowed form of Fusala fiddled with a circular, wrapped object in her hands.

"Don't go setting that off, now. I would prefer not to die today, if ever." Pale leaned away.

"Please do not worry. It is considered an incredible disgrace if an alchemist's bombs explode prematurely." Fusala explained, "I have synthesised quite the stockpile of anti-matter bombs, should we encounter another Demon. However, please bear in mind that the most efficient solution will always be to escape."

"How is it that you can create a bomb strong enough to kill a Demon?"

"I am the daughter of Yamora, a human alchemist renowned for her historical contributions towards alchemical theory." She replied, "Using the extraordinary capabilities of magic particles, it is possible to construct a contained singularity set to collapse upon the detonation of a fuse, eradicating all matter within a certain distance."

"P-" Pale paused, "Par-ti-cles?"

"Magical abilities involve the manipulation of small objects, called particles, which are invisible to the naked eye as a result of their size." Fusala continued, "These particles--separate from, for instance, the particles that make up you or I, are capable of following a wide variety of orders, and, working in tandem, can perform feats of incredible strength. However, magic particles only follow the orders of those whom they accept. Only humans and humanoid-variant species, such as Beastkin, are known to fall under this small umbrella of accepted individuals."

"Then, can you not use magic, Fusala?"

"No." She shook her head, "But, by isolating magic particles--under a microscope, for example, their small, metallic bodies may be influenced to perform certain actions by interfering with their 'purposes', therefore allowing alchemists such as myself to synthesise bombs and magical items."

"This is all a little confusing to me."

"Barion also replied with those exact words."

Towards the eastern Steppe, verdant grasslands and forests became more common as rivers and lakes rose in abundance closer to the coastline. It was there, within the complicated mesh of deltas and humid woodland, where the Wolfkin--practitioners of the forbidden Senpo, resided.