Return of the King

Chapter 1: Return of the King

The world of Euphor, a planet home to hundreds of different races, had been ravaged by war ever since the appearance of Artz. These Artz, often compared to magic from fantasy, was the fuel to the flames which brought the destruction of millions of lives. However, after centuries of conflict a group of individuals finally brought peace. Known as the Council of Gods, these individuals unified the world and finally brought about a utopia. Governing the world from their castle in the sky the council and their servants meet to finalize the laws of the world. Yet it seemed their work was not done. In a blinding flash of light, the castle and all within vanished...

Darkness, it devoured all things from light to the hearts of men, and it warped the world around it. Time always felt distorted either too long or too short. The latter was true for the figure that sat alone in the room. He sat at a table surrounded by several chairs in utter silence. The round wooden table before him was as still as he was. Time seemed to stand still for everything in the room, and then slowly life began to fill the dim lit room once more. The figure slowly started to move struggling against himself like he was frozen solid. His tan skin nearly hidden by the black robes that hugged him. As he continued to move about the hood that covered his head slipped down revealing the long elf ears and short snow-white hair. Eventually his entire body was free and his breathing, rapid and hysterical at first, started to slow. He gasped as if he had come back from the dead gripping his chest just to be sure.

"I'm...alive?" He breathed out looking at his hand in disbelief. As if on queue to his words the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard coming from beyond the far door adjacent to him. His red eyes glaring at the door preparing for whatever might come from it. Anticipation rose when the footsteps, now just outside the door, came to a sudden stop. The male slowly began to rise from his seat when the door swung open. In the same moment the elf sprung up his hand outstretched and pulsating with a dark energy. In the door way stood a female shorter than the male by about a foot. Her hair was split all the way down her back, with the right side being white and the left being black. In her hand was a crystal-like structure emitting a light bright enough to light up the room. Her purple eyes bore a hole into the male as both figures froze in place. The female's mouth was wide with shock and her expression was one to match.

"Um..." The male started.

"You're finally awake. We didn't think you would ever come back to us." The female started stepping forward. The male didn't lower his hand confusion on his face. The female seeing this stopped.

"You don't remember?" She asked. At her words, triggered on command, images flashed through the males' mind. The rapid flash was enough for him to clutch his head stepping back. A moment of silence came over the room as the female watched the male.

"No I remember...just not.... everything, Hikari." The male said locking eyes with the female once more. Hikari, hearing her name, relaxed and lowered the light just a bit.

"If you would allow me the honor, I can help you and fill you in, Sir Relfon." Hikari said bowing slightly to show respect.

Beyond the door laid a spiraling stone stair case which seemed to dive infinitely into the darkness below. Their only light source was the crystal in Hikari's hand which seemed to bounce with each step Hikari took. The echoing clap from their steps filled the silence that exists between them. Moss covered the stone walls in splotches showing the age of how long it had been. Relfon's eyes catch this detail as he continued to move along.

"How long have I been asleep?" His eyes never left the walls, each instance of moss making him more and more curious. Yet at Hikari's silence Relfon turned to her, ready to ask again, only to find she had come to a stop before a door. Her small figure turned to Relfon, her eyes catching his.