It was midday when Prince Seijuro Hyogo arrived in Vallagunia flanked by his entourage of bishops, soldiers and Norn The Cunning. The Prince had ridden many miles to deliver an important announcement to the denizens of Dresden.   

Dresden became a vassal state of the kingdom two years ago after its leader Queen Anne Octavia elected to surrender rather than lead her people into an unwinnable war.  

Since that day, the fertile farmland and their legendary fleet have ensured the kingdom’s garrisons fed and plied with mead and wine. The prince and his entourage came to see that the Kingdom was rewarded for their relentless hospitality.

Vallagunia was the greatest city in Ascar and held an unfathomable amount of people, supposedly all of Dresdens one million populace. The Arch bishop had no way to know that the girl who wished for nothing more than his agonizing demise was among those in attendance.

                                                                                          “Welcome to Vallagunia, your grace.”

A woman garbed in a dapper black suit with silver accents greeted the prince curtsying sh was flanked by some fifty attendants all garbed in identical attire. There greetings were smooth like clockwork, something they would have rehearsed till it was as natural as breathing.

                                                                                    “Thank you for such a wondrous display of hospitality.”

The prince dismounted from his wintry stallion, his vivacious crimson locks swaying in the gentle morning breeze, The prince’s eyes examined the throngs of Dresden citizens whose gaze was all centred on him?

They would all love a chance to talk with the famous Arch Bishop, but the several dozen armed soldiers made them more than a little reluctant.

                                                                “Who is your lovely companion?” the woman inquired.

                                                                “Norn, An Elder Sister” Seijuro said, striding forward

                                                                 “It’s a pleasure, Lady Norn.”  

Norn remained silent not bothering to acknowledge the woman’s existence unlike the prince she was tactless, lacked decorum and always made her genuine feelings clear.

                                                                “Don’t mind her it’s been a long journey”  

                                                                “Of course.” The woman bowed again.

                                                                “I’d hoped to be welcomed by Lady Anna personally”

                                                                “My lady sends her apologies as urgent business arose”  

                                                              “She’s arranged rooms for you and your entourage at her estate, so please enjoy Vallagunia.”

                                                              “That won’t be necessary, I’d like to give my address now if I may.”

                                                             “As you wish your grace, please follow me.”

The prince moved to a stage overlooking the cities enormous central square the citizens had come in droves packing the venue to the rafters from the blackened streets to the soaring rooftops they came to listen to the princes rousing address.  

                      “People of Dresden, I will not mince my words our world is a world at war, right now even as we speak those vile devils at the Eris Empire are scheming ways to desecrate your land, to murder your children and defile your women.”

“But do not fear, for the great Hyogo Kingdom is out there on the front lines fighting for you every day, and we’re on the cusp of ending this wretched war.”

                                                           “Your resources and help throughout these challenging times have been invaluable, but there remains yet another troublesome request that I must ask of you.”   

The prince grinned benignly as the citizens applauded voicing their support for the Arch Bishop for the truth of the Eris Wars and the kingdoms role as the aggressor was a fact known only to the upper brass of Dresden to the common public he was an amiable prince and the earnest Arch Bishop who was sanctimonious, benevolent and could do no wrong.

                                                                                      “Anything you need, we’re happy to oblige your grace”  

The attendant replied earnestly. A chorus formed from the public as they roared lead astray by the syrupy syllables that slithered along his tongue. His bullshit fell like endless rain upon the heads of the clueless public,  single look at Norn’s shit-eating grin would have told them everything they needed to know.

                                                                                               “Die for me” The prince said harshly.

The crowd’s roar gave way to an eerie silence as the prince’s words lingered in the air, confusing and suffocating the public. The attendant’s joyous face had twisted into one of bewilderment and panic.

                                                                                  “What are you talking about, your grace…” she stuttered

                                                                                 “Sol Nuclei” The prince snapped his fingers.

In less than a second a great wall of searing white light swept over the city the civilians had zero time to react and when the blast contacted anything living their body would immediately combust, their skin would fall off in strips and their bones would crumble into piles of white ash.

The bloodcurdling wails of men, woman, children and animals sang a chorus of suffering atop a melody of carnage.

In a heartbeat, the million souls who called the eternal metropolis home now lay among the dead.

When the dust settled, the ashes of the fallen had settled over every inch of the city, dyeing it a sickly pale.  

From this day forward Vallagunia would be known as the city of white sorrow, additionally it also coincided with the end of the Dresden Kingdom, for among the dead were the military and high-level mages and most crucially the nobility.

None were spared, and there were no survivors.