Elven Continent – ANDORA
Inside the throne room was a sight that would silence even the proudest of kings. If any human were present at this moment, they would instantly recognise the four legendary figures seated here. These were the same breath-taking beings who had appeared on this day a hundred years ago, heralding the age of magic.
The dragon lord Zatharion - with scales hidden beneath a cloak enchanted to suppress his overwhelming aura.
Queen Althea – Sovereign of the elves, her emerald gaze sharp enough to cut through steel.
Varkon, the vampire lord – draped in Shadows that moved as if they were alive.
King Brokk, the dwarven king sturdy as a mountain and twice as stubborn.
Tension rippled through the air as Brokk slammed his hammer against the floor. "Old Zach!" Brokk growled, his thick beard bristling. "To what do we owe this abrupt meeting? Speak quickly, I left in the middle of reforging an ancestral artifact.
Zatharion didn't even flinch as the old dwarf kept shooting him dagger-filled glares. His golden eyes were fixed forward, burning with urgency.
"It has been exactly a hundred years since we came to this planet", he began, his voice deep and rumbling like distant thunder. "Yet still no signs of the so called Human Hero"
Silence fell within the hall. Even the lanterns overhead shimmered, as if reacting to the heaviness of his words.
"With each passing moment, the protective veil shielding this planet continues to weaken", he continued. It's only a matter of time before – HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED finds this place.
A shudder ran through the hall. Even the dragon lord – one of the most powerful beings in the universe stiffened at the mention of that monster.
Humanity had always wondered why this foreigners fled to earth. That day, when the portals opened in haste, these mighty beings sought refuge here of all places and they had never bothered to conquer them or make them their slaves, even though they were more powerful than them.
The truth was simpler and far more terrifying.
They were fleeing.
Something or someone out there made this mighty beings spoken of in legends to cower in fear. And out of all the worlds in the known universe, they chose earth.
Why Earth? For one reason only, humanity was their last hope.
The Elven queen crosses her arms, her long silver hair flowing behind her like a river of moonlight. "Even though we have maintained little contact with the humans this past decades, I have been keeping tabs on their so called human mages. Their talents have grown, even faster than we expected....but no one among them possesses the divine abilities a human hero should posses.
Her lips tightened as she spoke, ' I was beginning to wonder whether the prophecy was false'.
Zatharion turned to the old vampire, so far he hasn't spoken a single world since this entire conversation started.
"Varkon, you were there on that day, weren't you? On the day the prophecy was foretold. So what do you think?
All eyes shifted to the pale figure leaning lowly against a column.
The old vampire lifted his gaze slowly, his crimson eyes glowed faintly under the Shadow of his hood. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Finally he sighed.
"The prophecy must be true", he said quietly. After all, we have tested every method we could come up with over the decades. His voice turning cold as he said, " without the human champion.....we stand no chance".
A grim heaviness filled the room.
"If we send our own champions against that thing, it will only be another massacre, just like the last time and the times before that.
Brokk clenched his fists as scenes of his fallen comrades flashed before his eyes.
Varkon continued, "what we can do now is to prepare our own champions, training and strengthening them, hoping that when the time comes...the human champion will appear".
Without saying another word he vanished- his body dissolving into a cloud of black mist that sank into the floor.
The three remaining leaders exchanged grim looks. The future of their five races, No, the future of everything that lives and breathes in the known universe depended on a single unknown human.
And time was running out.