The Crest of Darkness [ON HIATUS]

Prologue | Prophecy

 Up north in a distant castle, hundreds of years ago, a lone king sat upon his throne. His crown of colored stones gave him away as the only man alive who could see the future. The king was awaiting news of the capture of the evil thing that plagued his city. Any moment now, they would come, and after they came, he could finally get some rest. It had been a long time since he had slept through the night because of this dark entity.

Just as expected, several soldiers burst into the hall. The prisoner was sent to the dungeons. A heavy magical guard was set up to keep constant watch. The evil laughter echoed down the hall as he was carried away, but the king knew his spellcasters were more than enough to handle him in prison.

Now for the object in question. The prisoner had made it, but its powers had almost gotten out of control. The king motioned for it to be brought to him, so he could decide the object's fate. A soldier held it in front of him so he could examine it.

The object was attached to a leather band so it could be carried around one's neck. It was a bronze looking circle with ornate designs within it. A line ran down it vertically, flowing out at the top and bottom. Two other curls connected to the flowing bits of the middle line. In the very center, a black bead stared like an eye back at the king. He felt the evil power emanating from this black spot, creating an icy coldness as if it were stealing the warmth right out of the air.

The king sat back in his throne and reached out for the object. As his hand clasped around the crest, he fell instantly into a vision...