Prologue
Upon the northern continent lay the Nohzan Kingdom, which was surrounded by three other kingdoms: the Delfrent Kingdom to the north, the Salma Kingdom to the south, and the Holy Hilk Kingdom to the west.
The Nohzan Kingdom was currently in a battle for its very survival.
Just a few days prior, shortly after dawn, Saureah, the capital of the Nohzan Kingdom, found itself under siege by a horde of over 100,000 undead warriors. The only thing keeping them out was the sturdy wall surrounding the city.
The assault continued unabated, with each side both gaining and losing ground until, on the seventh day, a breach was made in the capital’s outer wall.
King Asparuh Nohzan Saureah, the commander in chief of the military, promptly issued the order for his soldiers to fall back to the inner wall and concentrate their forces.
Just inside the inner wall lay the old town district, the part of Saureah where the majority of the nobility and other wealthy citizens made their homes. Though generally known for being a quiet and tranquil place, its streets were now filled with refugees from the new town district.
The citizens looked up with apprehension at the massive inner wall that towered high into the sky, the sounds of brutal combat reverberating through from the other side.
Numerous citizens had packed themselves inside a grandiose building located at the center of the old town district—the Hilk church—to pray for salvation. The tension was palpable.
A man with delicately arranged black hair, wearing priestly robes and a gentle smile, spoke to the trembling congregants, not a hint of concern in his voice. The man was Palurumo Avaritia, better known by his title of Cardinal Liberalitas, one of the seven cardinals that served directly under the Hilk pontiff.
This high-ranking official of the Hilk faith speaking out to the fearful and weary masses elicited the image of a simple clergyman preaching his beliefs. Alas, it was just an image.
While he was outwardly speaking words of comfort, inside, Cardinal Palurumo was filled with a perverse pleasure. Gyahaha… Yes, yeeees. Gather here. Letting your fear run free in a desperate attempt to turn your minds away from your imminent demise. Alas, deep inside, you all know there is nothing you can do to escape the death that awaits you. I can feel your despair, and it feels…heavenly.
Being here, among these people, was absolute bliss.
That was, until the cardinal received a report that put a swift end to his glee.
A massive pillar of light had been spotted beyond the outer wall in the midst of the oncoming horde of undead. It shot high into the sky from a magical rune traced into the earth. The light enveloped the entire city, bringing silence to its streets. A moment later, a massive creature covered in fire and surrounded by a tornado of flame appeared. Itlooked both distinctly human and distinctly not at the same time.
The creature floated into the air, kept aloft by six massive, flaming wings. With its scarlet and gold armor, a shield in the shape of a massive wing, and an elegant, burgundy blade, the creature looked like a servant sent straight from the heavens—an angel.
The angel managed to look both heavenly and avenging at the same time, its appearance evoking respect and fear.
The angel could have been interpreted as an offering from the gods—a servant sent down to answer the prayers of their faithful followers and save them from the undead army.
However, those who saw the woman aflame knew that this wasn’t the case. They could feel it in their bones.
The men and women cowering in the church all turned to look up at the sky, bowing their heads in the direction of the angel and reciting prayers in unison.
All except for Cardinal Palurumo. He just stared in shock.
What is going on?! Why is an angel here?
He clenched his fists and shook his head vigorously in an attempt to get his trembling body under control, and to fight off the thoughts that flooded his mind.
Gods don’t even exist, much less angels! Just what is that…that thing?!
Cardinal Palurumo glared up at the floating angel. Fortunately for him, none of the surrounding people noticed the sudden change; so consumed were they with their prayers.
After a short time, the angel began shrinking before disappearing behind the wall.
And then, the city was silent…for a moment.
An instant later, a blast of flame roiled high into the air, accompanied by a massive crash from beyond the outer wall. A wave of panic washed over those inside.
Cardinal Palurumo grew visibly pale as he listened to the clash of battle. What’s going on out there? I can feel the presence of the undead beginning to fade!
He struggled to regulate his breathing as he gazed at the spot where the angel had vanished.
The countless undead soldiers and thousands of specter warriors—half-man, half-spider creatures who kept the undead in line—had been created by the pontiff and entrusted to Palurumo. They shared a connection with the cardinal, which he used to control them. His body shook uncontrollably as he felt that connection weakening.
How did that…thing kill off my specter warriors and undead soldiers so easily? Where did it even come from? Am I supposed to believe that it’s here to bring salvation? Preposterous!
The cardinal let out a low groan and shook his head, attempting to wipe the pained expression off his face. He stomped off in direction the angel had first been seen.
If it keeps up like this, the army will soon be too weak to continue the assault on the capital. I need to figure out who’s behind this and stop them, even if I have to do it myself.
The cardinal expertly weaved his way through the packed streets as he listened to the cacophony of destruction—the sounds of his plans falling to ruin. He clenched his jaw as his mind wandered to the other cardinals, wondering how well they were carrying out their own campaigns under the pontiff’s direction.
***
Saureah’s old town district looked like a war zone as refugees flooded in from the new district, their cries echoing through the narrow streets.
King Asparuh Nohzan Saureah and his advisors crowded into one of the towers of the castle, their heavy sighs filling the cramped space.
The undead had managed to breach the outer wall on the seventh day of the siege, plunging the capital into a rather dire state and putting the Nohzan Kingdom’s very survival at stake.
The king’s shoulders slumped, his face etched with worry as he leaned forward to look out one of the tower’s small, south-facing windows. Suddenly, a flash of light many times brighter than the sun itself appeared in the distance. He instinctively turned away and squinted his eyes, letting out a yelp of surprise.
“What was that just now?”
But none of his advisors in the room could answer that question. All they could do was squint with him, as they, too, looked out the window, some using their hands to shield their eyes.
Once the light faded, and darkness returned to the room, the soldiers and political officials immediately began talking over one another as they discussed their theories, craning their necks to determine the source of the light.
It seemed like the light had come from beyond the outer wall, but the soldiers charged with protecting the capital had been ordered to retreat the moment the wall had been breached. The sheer number of undead now flooding into the city made it practically useless to send any troops out to face them.
One by one, the people crowded in the room fell silent. Clearly, something was going on beyond the wall. But the source of that something was a mystery.
King Asparuh was acutely aware of the unease rippling through the room, but there was very little he could say or do to alleviate it.
He stood silently, deep wrinkles etched into his forehead as he continued looking out the window. Just then, the door flew open, and all eyes fell upon a young messenger standing in the doorway.
“It’s awful! The undead hordes beyond the wall, there’s…there’s…an angel!”
The general scolded the babbling messenger. “You’re speaking to the king, you idiot! Make a proper report!”
The messenger straightened her back and offered a salute.
“Apologies, sir! Here is my report! A single unknown knight was spotted beyond the southern section of the outer wall attacking the undead. Moments later, a creature that looked like an angel appeared and began wiping out huge swaths of the undead army.”
All eyes, including those of the king and general, were locked on the messenger as they silently processed the contents of her report.
The general was the first to speak. “What kind of report is that? You’re seriously telling us that an angel appeared on the battlefield?!”
A vein bulged in the general’s forehead as he unleashed his anger on the messenger. The young soldier let out a squeak and tensed up, but quickly readjusted her stance and confirmed the report.
“That is correct, sir! I witnessed the angel myself, along with a number of other citizens. When I left to make my report, this angel had already wiped out a full third of the undead soldiers.”
The expressions in the room ranged from unconvinced to hopeful.
King Asparuh returned his gaze to the window, closing his eyes and mulling everything over. “Perhaps the gods have come to save us, just as the cardinal said.”
The king let out a sigh as he considered what might be going on outside the city’s walls.
If the messenger’s report could be trusted, that meant that the Nohzan Kingdom might very well have been saved at the eleventh hour. He shook his head before anyone could notice the look of chagrin on his face, his thoughts turning to his two sons, whom he’d sent to seek reinforcements, and his young daughter, whom he’d sent to find refuge.
We can’t let our guard down just yet…
Another messenger appeared at the door.
“Many undead soldiers have made it through the breach in the outer wall and are advancing through the new town district!”
The king groaned and began shouting to his advisors.
“Hurry up the evacuation to the old town district! General, I want your defenders to reform their ranks and prepare to meet the undead army’s attack in the new district! If the first report can be believed, this is our chance to save the capital! Leave no enemy standing on our land!”
The general saluted and hurried about making preparations. The soldiers, advisors, and messengers all followed suit. The king turned his gaze back to the window, one fist clenched as he looked out across his lands.
Putting aside for the moment the question of what might have brought the angel here in the first place, he needed to seize this opportunity if he wanted to save the Nohzan Kingdom.
They had food stores in the old town district, of course, but the vast majority were located in the newer part of the city. If they let the undead roam free between the outer and inner walls, the citizens would soon be without food.
The king wished his men luck, and hoped that god would grant them good fortune, much as the angel had done.
His mind wandered to Riel, and he whispered a prayer for her safe return to the now-empty room. He had no idea when, or even if, he would ever see her again.
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