Chapter 1: The Fall of Cöthrom

Chapter 1: The Fall of Cöthrom

It was a fairly typical morning in Cöthrom. The cave city was dark—as it always is—and quiet. Very quiet. There was only the sound of a distant bell ringing to
mark the hour, and it was early. Always this is the time when Aeroth Ravenswing sets out on his rounds.

Aeroth has lived his entire life in Cöthrom. He knows the twisting tunnels like the back of his hands. He know the different levels… the statues… the smell of the cold
air… the whistle of the wind through the caves. There is a dark, haunting beauty about this place. One might consider it odd that a man such as he has never seen the twilight… never breathed open air. But Aeroth has found a home in the familiarity of Cöthrom . It calms him, as he inhales deeply, running his fingers along the side of a building. It is the same course he takes every day. Routine has been an ally all Aeroth’s life. It had been drilled into him during basic training. And on this morning, as always, his routine morning rounds take him to the General’s quarters.
Nodding to the guards on the way in, Ravenswing enters the establishment. It is rather small for the military leader of the Kaembran Empire, but it is richly decorated, celebrating the long life and career of a war legend. General Yvander Lux is sitting at his desk—as is customary. He does not look up from his paperwork, as he gestures Aeroth to come inside.

“Look at these. What do you make of them?” Asks the General, handing over several pieces of paper.

Yvander Lux is a human of about seventy years. His hair is salt and pepper colored, as is his heavy beard. He moves slowly, seemingly careful, but Aeroth is not fooled. Muscles bulge in this man’s arms. A sword is strapped to his waist. There are scars from years of battle all along his body. He has been bred for battle.

The papers are private memos meant for Lux’s eyes only. Aeroth is accustomed to having information such as this shared with him. Lux is, after all, virtually a father to him. Few secrets are kept between these two men.

The scribble speaks of an increase in concern in regards to the sound emulating from the caves below. Typically, in Cöthrom, one can hear the distant cries of whatever dwells in the dark maze below the city. It takes getting used to, but most in Cöthrom do not give it a second thought. It is a normal sound of this city’s life. However, these memos stress that the sounds are getting louder, and more violent. Unusually so.

Lux removes his spectacles. “I want to ask your opinion. Do you think it’s worth investigating? You know these caves better than anyone. I trust your judgment.”

“You are the general. You should trust your own instinct.” Replies Aeroth.

Lux rubs his eyes and sighs. “I am tired, Aeroth. I am an old man. And there are days when I wish I could step down and retire from all of this.” He waves his hand, gesturing around the room. “The burden of the safety of Kaembra is heavy on my shoulders. Were anything to happen to its people, I am held responsible. But look at me, Aeroth. You see a War hero. A legend. The leader of the empire. I see an old man, with no wife or children to speak of, as his last days draw to an end.”

This discussion greatly disturbs Aeroth. “You are General Lux. Like a father to me. You are more than all of that, and you always will be.”

“Am I?” Lux cracks his knuckles. “Would that I could step down. But my second in command, Lieutenant General Okra, is not yet ready for the burden I bear.”

At the sound of his name, a cloud passes over Aeroth’s face. “You may be giving that one too much credit.”

A light chuckle emits from the General’s lips. “I know you don’t like him. And I’ll agree, he does have much to learn. But I would trust him with my life.”

“Then I trust your judgment, General.” Aeroth nods in respectful submission. “I will head to the caves then. By your leave?”

Lux waves his calloused hands once more. “Of course.” Aeroth turns and goes to the door.

“Oh, Aeroth. One more thing. There are rumors of an assassination attempt. Tonight. On my life.”

Brows furrowed, Aeroth takes his hand from the doorknob and turns back to look at the man who had been his surrogate father. Over the years, assassination attempts had been commonplace, particularly as the rebel Causists gained leverage amongst the kingdoms. This bit of information would not seem out of the ordinary. And yet, never before had Lux mentioned one in particular to Aeroth before. It was worrisome.

“Then I will stay here. I will guard you.”

“I am not a religious man, Aeroth. But I do believe in fate. What is meant to be, will be. And I think you know me well enough to know I have a few tricks up my sleeve. That is all for now. Dismissed.”

Aeroth salutes the General—the man whom he has come to think of as a father—and leaves his quarters with a sinking feeling. He turns the corner and heads to The Cave City Tavern.

~


The interior of The Cave City Tavern is simple. Carved out of rock, as most of the structures are in Cöthrom, it is a meeting ground for those in the Liberist army as well as civilians. One man, in particular sits at the bar, in his usual chair. It’s early in the afternoon. But that’s never stopped Hiroko from getting a head start on his liquor.

He is of average build, with long brown hair and fair skin. Nothing particularly noteworthy about his physical attributes except a small tattoo on the side of his neck—the symbol of a dragon. He is dressed in Mastudiian fashion, yet he does not look like a native born. The sword at his belt is a katana, but the drink in his hand is a vodka tonic.

And then there are the headaches. They pound into his skull, at the tip of his temples, and the back of his neck. They are neverending, always from the night of drinking before. And the only way to control them is to drink some more. That’s why Hiroko is always the first to order in The Cave City Tavern each day. And always the last to leave.

There are several people inside, sitting at tables, when the door opens and in walks a young man, almost half Hiroko’s age. Good-looking, a little skiddish at times, but another regular. They call him “Tik”. Hiroko never knew why. A strange name for a seemingly ordinary fellow. He takes another sip.

“Good day, Hiroko.” Tik gestures to him, as he sits down at the bar beside him.

“Mmf.” Hiroko is a foot soldier. They offered him more when he arrived… much more. They said he was a legend in these parts. Word of his doings had spread all across Kaembra, and was beginning to be told to the Liberist children. The man who slew a dragon in Matsudai. Who won the love of Princess Tomoko and drove her wicked Causist brother into exile, freeing the land from tyranny. That’s what they say, anyway. Hiroko knows the story is much more involved. So it puzzles the military when he states he only desires the position of “foot soldier”.

“You?” Asks the puzzled officer. “But you could qualify for Lieutenant General. We could take you to Lux right now.”

Hiroko didn’t want to be taken to Lux. He wanted a job. And he wanted to stop being noticed. And he wanted to drink. A lot. And basically be left alone.

Now Tik… that was an odd one. To Hiroko’s knowledge, Tik held no job. What did he do for money? The boy was in this tavern almost as much as he was. And he was too young to be carrying the types of burdens that Hiroko had been carrying. But they never spoke. Just sipped their drinks in silence. And for that, Hiroko didn’t mind the company.

But on this day… on this particular day… a group of foot soldiers enter the bar. One takes notice of Hiroko, and whispers to his friends. The stares begin. One of the more headstrong ones starts asking for an autograph.

“It’s the Slayer!.... Do you see him? That’s him!”

The buzz around the bar begins. Great, thinks Hiroko. Time to find another bar. And this one was the closest to his quarters. Annoyed, he and Tik get up to leave, but are stopped by the mob of people, who refuse to go without an autograph. The fan frenzy is growing to the point of danger. A few blows are made, and a cat flight breaks out. Then, once again, the door opens.

In steps a man, tall and slender, with white pale skin, dark hair and a curled mustache. He is immaculately dressed, and seems to calmly consider what is going on. Making eye contact with the fellow who began the brawl, suddenly the fans decide to exit the bar. And it is not lost on Hiroko that the entrance of this new person & the end to the scramble were back to back. It was coincidental. But being trained by the Dragonborn, Hiroko did not believe in coincidences.

“Back to our drinks, then!” Tick says happily, as they seat themselves. The mysterious man makes no move to go talk with them, but instead heads to the fire to warm himself. His movements are graceful, like that of a cat.

There is something deeply disturbing about that one, Hiroko thinks… then he shrugs and orders another drink. Quite possible you’re getting to suspicious in your old age, you drunken fool, he thinks to himself.

The fire crackles. The bar is oddly quiet. And for the last time that afternoon, the door opens again. In walks Aeroth Ravenswing. He is a powerful presence—a tall, muscled man with a Great Battleax at his back. Few could wield it let alone wear it. Hiroko barely looks up to notice him, and then returns to his drink.

Slyly, the man with the curled mustache attaches a poster to the wall. On it are the words “Marco the Magnificent”, with a picture of himself doing prestidigitation. Magic wouldn’t be the right word… more like “sleight of hand”. Hiroko recognizes the man at last. He’s seen advertisements for his performances. He’s well known in the city of Cöthrom, and is said to be a master at his craft.

What’s he doing in a bar on this side of town, he wonders?

The bartender makes a grunt. “Can’t solicit here. It’s not allowed.”

Marco the Magnificent looks confused. “I didn’t put it up there.”

“Take it down.”

Aeroth engages in a quietly heated conversation with the famous illusionist. Marco sits eerily still and appears to be fending off accusations. Hiroko isn’t trying to eavesdrop, but he inadvertently hears, “… someone pretending to be who he is not… I know who you are…”

A note is slipped discretely in front of him at the bar. Hiroko looks up to see that it came from the bartender, who also makes his way past Aeroth and slips him something as well. The few people who were in the bar have now left. Even the bartender disappears. Four men remain. And something feels… odd.

“Did you receive a note?” It was a question directed at Hiroko, who had to shake his head free of the alcohol. The headache was returning, and it made it difficult to concentrate. Who was speaking to him? Ah… the warrior. Aeroth.

“Yes.” But what did it say? Hiroko opened his note up to read the words:

“Leave now. Cöthrom falls tonight.”

He shows the note to Aeroth, whose expression darkens. “I’m requesting all of you accompany me to General Lux’s quarters. We need to report this. Now.”

It takes some convincing, but soon the four men—once complete strangers—are now traveling together to the barracks. Indeed, it is hard not to notice that the city itself seems to be traveling in small groups. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Aeroth tries to hide his concern as he speeds his way back to Lux.

They are intercepted by a woman. She strides up to Aeroth with a clear purpose. She is a soldier herself. The men jokingly call her “Banger”, but her true name is Aurora Bengar. Her long red hair, usually tied in a tight braid behind her head, is actually cascading down her back. Her beauty is striking, but Aeroth is too troubled to notice. He is intent on moving past her, but she blocks his way.

“New orders.” She says matter-of-factly. “From the General. You are to report to Lieutenant General Okra’s quarters immediately. I am to take these men under my custody, and bring them to General Lux.”

It all seems odd, and Aeroth cannot hide his frustrations. But he is loyal to Lux, and cannot disobey a direct order. With a reluctant salute, he takes his leave and heads to Simeon Okra. Marco, Hiroko, and Tick follow the woman.

She takes them to Lux’s quarters. The guards let them pass. Marco and Hiroko enter the room, but before Tick can follow suit, she grabs his arm and whispers in his ear.

“I’m giving you one chance and one chance only. Run. Now.”

Puzzled, Tik stares at his would-be savior. “Why are you helping?”

“Because I’ve seen you around the city. And because I knew your mother.”

All he could do with stupidly blink. It was as if she was speaking a different language. But Aurora didn’t wait for the information to register. She pushed him away from the door.

“Go!”

He turned and ran, but not far. For as soon as he was sure she thought he was out of sight, Tik’s curiosity got the best of him. It always did. Keeping to the shadows, he backtracked and followed the beautiful red-haired woman from a safe distance. Perhaps it was foolishness on his own part. He had, after all, been given a chance to flee. Tik usually took every chance he could to stay out of danger. But this was different. She was different. And before he knew it, he was creeping silently into unknown trouble.

~

Aeroth enters Simeon’s quarters. The dark haired Lieutenant general is reciting his prayers. It was always odd to Aeroth that a man who practiced Liberist values was such a devout follower. Simeon glances at him, his green eyes glowing like that of a serpent.

I never liked him, Aeroth thought to himself. Forgive me, Yvander, but I will never bring myself to trust Simeon in the way you do.
“Are you alone?” Asks Lieutenant General Okra. His voice is high pitched, almost feminine. It grates on Aeroth’s ears. There was something too smooth, too artificial about it.

“Clearly.”

“Guards.” In response to the Okra’s subtle gesture, two guards overtake Aeroth. He manages to punch one, but not before the other overtakes him. He is struck hard on the lip, and he tastes blood. Anger rages inside of him.

“Traitor!”

Okra laughs. “I can only be a traitor if there is a country to betray. You are naïve, Aeroth. You thought the General’s love for you would shield you from a changing world. But the Age of Twilight has come to an end, and so has Lux’s reign.
How do you suppose the Causist Rebels infiltrated the city?”

Aeroth can do nothing but stand before the Lieutenant General and listen.

“You are a traitor.” He hisses under his breath. “And until my dying day I will hunt you down and make you pay for what you’ve done here.”

Okra merely laughs. “I look forward to it. Fortunately, you’ll have plenty of time to think to yourself as you’re rotting away in a prison cell. Take him.”

As the guards drag Aeroth away, he glares at his adversary. “I will find you, Okra. Mark my words. You’re a dead man.”

~

The scene in General Lux’s quarters is also heated. Not long have Hiroko and Marco the Magnificent been alone with the General when Lux begins accusing Hiroko of Tyrrany.

“I know who you are and what you’re doing here.”

Hiroko reflects the attacks, while Marco slowly backs into a corner by the door. This is the moment he’s been waiting for… the moment to make a name for himself. It is what all his training has been for. There’d certainly been much help along the way. All the contacts… all the spies set in various locations….. even the guard outside the door had whispered, “Now” to him prior to their entrance. All of it came down to this. And Marco knew there would never be another chance.

Marco was descended from a persecuted people. The Liberists had killed, tortured and even attempted genocide against races with any magic in their blood. And though it was not a job he would have picked for himself, Marco knew there was only one way to free his people… and that was to assassinate General Yvander Lux. He waited for the right moment, and then he casually lit a small fire on the tapestry by the door.

To his surprise, Lux whirled around and pointed his blade at Marco’s throat.

“I was waiting for you to do that.”

Suddenly the tables had turned. How Lux had known that Marco was the real agent sent to assassinate him would be a question that might never be answered. As if in a dream, the greatest war general of the modern era lunged at Marco the Magnificent, who decided it was time to do something unexpected.

He teleported.

Lux’s blade pierced through a cape. But no flesh was broken.

Hiroko watched in horror as Marco—appearing behind Lux— thrust his weapon through the old man’s back, close to the spine. Blood spilled, and a sickening silence filled the room. There was only the sound of him falling… falling forever, slow as the fall of the old moon. Lux collapses against the tapestry, crying out as the fire burns his face. The room is now filled with smoke, and Marco realizes he must have been set up, for there is no lock nor a door handle on the door they entered. There are no windows either.

It all happened so fast, Hiroko was stupefied. After all he had been through, was this really the day he was meant to die? He drew his sword, but amidst all the smoke, the liquor, and the panic, Hiroko could only stand and stare.

~

The door opened to Aeroth’s prison cell.

“Follow me! Now!” He had never been so happy in his life to see Banger. How she had opened the cell… what had happened to Lux… where Simeon was… all these questions came to the tip of his lips. Banger could see it, but shook her head.

“There is no time. There is—“

“Ruuuuuuunn!” Tick raced past them both, quick as lightening. In the back of Aeroth’s mind, he recognized that he was running away from the caves. Indeed, the rumbling sounds had increased. He’d been listening to them in his cell. What was happening?

“I have to get to Lux!”

“Then let’s go. Now. No time to talk.”

Following suit with Tik, Banger and Aeroth raced through the barracks. There were no guards to be seen. In fact, there were no people to be seen at all.

“Tyr help us.” He whispered under his breath, as they reached Lux’s quarters. The door was not just locked. It was absent of keyhole and handle. With a cry, Tik rammed his whole body against it, only to crumble to the floor beside them. Cursing, he watched as Aeroth took his fists and pounded the door open. Smoke billowed out at them. In a haze of confusion, Marco the Magnificent leapt out and yelled, “Run!”

But he didn’t get far. With reflexes faster than that of a jungle cat, Banger caught him and threw handcuffs on the two of them.

“You’re not going anywhere.” She spat at him. Marco could not hide his surprise as Aeroth ran into the quarters.

The scene before him was barely visible. Smoke filled the room. There, standing over the General, was Hiroko. Sword drawn. And laying still on the floor was the body of General Lux. Anger raged in Aeroth, as he confronted the Matsudiian.

“What have you done?!”

“I—“

Lux groaned as if in response. Leaving his vengeance for later, Aeroth inspected the man who had raised him from childhood.

“There is no time for that, Aeroth!” Said Banger. “We have got to get out of here. Now.”

In one movement, he’d lifted the General’s body onto his back. And slowly, the group made their way out of the barracks.

That was when they heard the baby’s cry.

Aeroth might have ignored it if Tik and Marco hadn’t reacted in response as well. There was an infant. And it was back towards the caves.

“Tyr’s balls!”

Setting Lux’s body down, Marco, Tick and he ran back to the cave entrance as fast as they could.

The three men came to a screeching halt. Because what was before them was like that out of a nightmare. The multiple cave entrances were filled… red dragons… black dragons… ogres… drow… all standing at the edge, as if being reborn into the world. A sense of triumph swept through Cöthrom, as the simultaneous feeling of dread shot into the hearts of Aeroth, Tik, and Hiroko.

Dragons. Drow. Demons. Witches. Wizards. All of the creatures of magic that had been contained during the War of 1,000 Nights… they had been sequestered for countless generations in the caves below Cöthrom. Yet here they were now, free and ready to re-emerge back into the world. What this meant for mankind was yet unthinkable.

But even more amazing was the infant baby lying on the cave floor between the men and the creatures of magic.

Tik, for all his fears, did not hesitate. For he feared if he did, then he would leave the infant right where it was and turn tail to flee. Tik had known little of family, and he had not known any kind of paternal sense for a moment in his life… until now.

“Great time to grow a conscience!” He muttered under his breath. “Legs, don’t fail me now!”

And arrow whizzed by him. One hit Marco in the shoulder. The magician cried out in pain, and Banger backed up, moving him to safety. Tik saw where it had come from. A drow… hair pale and white, eyes glistening with triumph. Its white teeth glistened against its smoky black skin. Clearly, he was enjoying this.

Aeroth responded with a surprise of his own. He sent a spear flying, which barely missed the drow. It dodged the attack, but changed its focus from Tick to Aeroth. The eyes narrowed, and it was without question he was committing the man to memory. But the time for vengeance would have to be later, as the party swept up the baby and fled

“The city is crumbling!” Banger cried.

Indeed, Aeroth watched in horror, but there was nothing he could do. The ancient statues of Tyr… the buildings.... the city he had loved and grown up in. All if it was being destroyed. And all he could do was return to Lux and try to get him out of there.

“I’m going to heal you, General....”

But the old man grabbed his hand and held it.

“No.”

“Please. I have to if I’m going to get you out of here.”

Lux, in obvious pain, shook his head. “No, I was never meant to get out of here. Cöthrom is my home, and it is here that I’ll stay. Leave me be, Aeroth. You are like a son to me. But listen to Marco. He knows my will.”

And with that, the greatest war general of the Age of Twilight let out a breath and died.

“Come on. We don’t have anymore time!” Banger urged. Aeroth shook his head. Part of him wanted to stay with Lux. Part of him wanted to mourn. But another part of him… a deeper part… wanted live. And he would forever feel guilty for it. Wiping back tears, he stood and said, “Let’s go then.”

Cöthrom fell around them as they flew through its city streets, past its broken temples and crumbling stalactites. Aeroth’s heart felt as if it were crumbling with it. Up, up, up through the outer tunnels, and into the light. But not just any light… broad daylight. Aeroth, who had lived his entire existence deep within the cave city, had only heard stories of the sun. They covered their eyes, blinded by the brightness.

For with the fall of Cöthrom, the Age of Twilight had come to an end.