Prologue
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On a distant continent the end had begun. Birds peacefully flew over the fast plains Fenris stalked through the deep forests, dragon slept in the distant mountain peaks and Duneterrors swam through the wide sees of sand. Kings and Queen ruled from their castles and strongholds over their domains, banners raised high.

Yet this peace and tranquil was only facade the birds, were in search for a resting place after feasting upon a party of Dwarves, the Fenris were stalking a group made of Oni and Ogre, the dragon was about to be awoken by an Elven army, the duneterror was fleeing from raiding Demons and the Kings and Queen were busy forging alliances and raising armies eager to shed blood.

The continent Ibaran was coming to its end. The last days could be counted, instead of falling in despair and lamenting their imminent doom, they decided to fight. Everything rose to partake in a last battle for total victory. Ancient evils sealed away for eternity, legendary heroes entombed, believed to be dead for centuries and even ancient kingdoms rose from their graves and ashes to once again grasp for domination. Even Mother Nature, the benevolent and tamed, broke from her chains and unleashed her hordes onto the world to rule once again.

Nobody wanted to be left out each one wanted to be the one the declare themselves the victory, before they would be turned to nothing by the unavoidable destruction. Each alliance was just one of convenience, with the goal of defeating a stronger enemy before turning against each other on the first moment to do so. Fronts and alliances where forming this very moment, Demon kind allied with the Ogre and Oni and other monsters to oppose the alliance of Human, Elves, Dwarves and Beastkind. Heroes and Legends had risen from both sides, ready to answer age old questions of scholars in blood. Yet not all rose, some tombs stayed silent, their cover staying closed for eternity, hiding the remains of legends and stories or empty space. Hidden in the shadows of castles and alliances those were moving, who preferred to stay dead in order to achieve victory.

Deep in the vast forests of Ibaran nature was ruling with iron grip. Only the foolish and overconfident would travel in the green night, thinking that they could defeat the monsters lurking in the shadows. The Fenris wolves, hunters of the end, were not even close to the top of the food chain. Treants living trees and forests, ancient golems and even the green dragons weren’t free of fear after all they were just mere prey for the true apex lurking in the shadow. Monsters that kept themselves hidden until they had set their stage.

Nonetheless a group of Fenris wolves had found prey sneaking through the forest, a group of four. They were perfectly divided two men and two woman, two Oni and two Ogre, two fighters and two magicians. The tallest of the for was the male ogre, he was almost three meter in height his large and muscular frame with his green skin further enforced the typical ogre stereotype. He had big white horns sprouting from his head and arching backwards like a goat his teeth easily reached to his nose. To finalize his appearance he wore a typical barbarians outfit made of leather and fur and some scraps of metal, leaving his chest bare. On his back he wielded an iron club, which was even taller than he was.

Second tallest was the Oni man he was almost a head smaller than his friend. His long thin horns sprouting from his head and his teeth weren’t any less impressive. In contrast to his Ogre friends brutish appearance he wore a neatly arranged set od clothing that was a mix of a samurais armor and a yukata, he conveniently had no helmet and displayed his chest given him the appearance of a main character in a romance game.

The Ogre woman was the third tallest of the bunch she wore a plain witches garb one would call to short as it wrapped ever so tightly around her body, pronouncing every of her voluptuous curves. Her face was hidden beneath a big witches hat covering every feature of her face in shadow, only her two massive horns peaked through the hat identifying her as an Ogre. She wielded a staff with a large crystal ball in its tip.

The last member of the group and the smallest, just shy over two meters tall, was the Oni woman. Just like the Ogre witch she was only identifiable though her long thin horns. She was completely covered from head to toe in a templars armor. Her white surcoat had written magician on it and she wasn’t carrying any weapons on her body. Either her surcoat was telling the truth, or she was joking.

They moved quietly through the dark forest, making sure to not make any loud sound, but not particularly hiding their presence or being stealthy.

The Fenris wolves had found their prey in them quite a while ago. Since the moment they had found them they had been at work slowly and carefully encircling them and waiting until they had the perfect moment to ambush. They didn’t mind if it meant waiting for ours or even days, when the right moment appears they attack. And so it did after a while, without a sound or warning the wolves attacked, all at once. They planned on overwhelming them with power and numbers and didn’t want to give them any room to breath or organize themselves.

“Don’t use magic! I don’t want us to get discovered! Stay close!”

“Got it!”

The Ogre shouted to the magicians and stormed of to the next wolf, flattening it with his club. The others to jumped at the wolves and started to rip them apart, neither of the three used a weapon Only their bare fists and legs, breaking bones and tearing them apart. That's why they needed multiple strikes to take care of one Fenris wolf. Despite that small hurdle they had no problem defeating of the wolves. Only the Ogre witch got slightly hurt by one of the wolves. The wolf in a stroke of luck managed to lunge at her and tear into her shoulder, only to be promptly awarded with a caved in skull. Only after the battle did the Ogre witch inspect the damage the wolf had caused only, to see that the wound already had disappeared and even her clothes were repaired again.

They didn’t defeat all of the Fenris wolves, after around half of them were slaughtered by the group of four. This made the wolves realize that they were outmatched to the point of insignificance. In a desperate attempt they tried run away, tails tucked between their legs. They managed to escape as the group showed no intend of hunting the wolves down. After the wolves had left they to left the scene, although not in a hurry. They simply resumed their travel as if nothing had happened, leaving the corpses of the fallen behind. The group wasn’t interested in harvesting the wolves, who others would call dangerous beasts, neither were they interested in taking care of the corpses to hide that they are in the forest. An act of utter stupidity or deadly overconfidence, or maybe the absolute certainty of a true apex that has nothing to fear by acting carelessly.

Nobody, who stumbled upon them in the forest was willing enough to fight them. Each and every monster either decided to seek safety in running away or doing its beast to intimidate them hoping that it would scare the group away. To the monsters fortune the group wasn’t eager to challenge them and was contempt to tr avers the forest unbothered, not seeking a glorious fight. Oni and Ogre not eager to fight and show of their strength was something others would regard as strange or untypical, they didn’t even fight with each other. They were an unusual group in an unusual place.

Stopping dead in their tracks for just a heartbeat, suddenly the ogre had his club in his hand. The Oni unarmed till now had brandished a naginata and was at the rear of the party. Together with his comrade in arms he circled around the women, ready to strike any moment. In rapid successions the to women casted sigils, magic symbols, from their staffs, they suddenly had in their hands. Magic permeated itself in the ground they stood upon, in the air they breathed and in every fibre of their bodies. The ogre witch held on to her staff and formed a black sigil, yet did not release it. The Oni templar had discarded her staff and instead was now holding onto a katana and shield. Not even five seconds had passed from their first reaction to the now complete preparation for battle.

Only now did the enemy step out of the forests shadows. From all directions they came, surrounding the group of for and cutting of each route of escape. A group of men and woman of a multitude of species surrounded them. Despite their physical differences they wore all a similar brown cloak with a purple sigil engraved on it. Only a minority of them wielded a weapon, the majority held a wand or a staff in their hands. They were without a doubt a group of mages.

Neither side dared to make the first move. Not even a spell was cast, a movement made or a breath taken. Both sides quietly analyzed the other, assessing the enemies strength and calculating the best course of action. A mental war ensued without a muscle being moved or spell being flung. Both sides in the end had the same conclusion, they weren’t going to make the first move. Neither side underestimated the other and weren’t willing to risk their lives, in a conflict that had yet to form.

The silence went one neither side willing to make the first move, whatever it might be. However a move had to be made to resolve this situation in one way or another. The mages, where the first to cave in. From within their ranks a small group of five emerged. They wore the same brown coat with a the same sigil on it, only the color of it was different. The first to speak up was the magican whose cloak had the sigil in a light blue on it. He was an Talvinter, a creature of ice and snow, closely related to the ice elemental. His skin was glacier blue and slightly translucent, from his head antlers with eight ends sprouted like a crown. Furthermore his legs were anthropomorphic and similar in nature to that of a reindeer, with fur and hooves. Although derogatory one could describe the Talvinter as taller and leaner satyrs born of the glaciers ice. The moment he opened his mouth to speak, a mist of frozen air escaped from his lungs.

“Lay down your weapons and let us negotiate your silence, or perish in these woods. Don’t worry you will. You are standing for the complete might of the Tower of Annihilation. No matter, who you are you will die miserably, if you foolishly try to challenge us.”

The Talvinter didn’t usher a baseless threat. The Tower of Annihilation was a well known organization throughout Ibaran. The Tower was revered and feared for its strive to achieve one singular goal, the total Annihilation. It faded into obscurity, after rumors of its disbandment made their rounds, after they failed to achieve their goal. However, what the group of four encountered wasn’t a remain of this legendary organization, trying to use their reputation to appear stronger than they are. Instead it was their full unbroken force. The Talvinter was none other than the Royal Sage of Null, leader of the Tower. Further solidifying the fact that its downfall was a false rumor, were the four companions of the Royal Sage of Null, each one of them a leading member. This very organization, was now stalking through the forests of Ibaran once again pursuing their goals, motivated by the coming doom of the world.

Ibarans doom didn’t seem to matter anymore, for the group of four, since they had stumbled upon their own personal doom. They took it with confidence, and didn’t panic or flinch. It seemed as if they saw it more like a challenge than a threat.

“We accept your challenge! Let us meet in battle, for we are the twin nobility!”

The Ogre barbarian declared, with a loud and booming voice. His declaration of their intendtion send a murmur through the magicians, even the Royal Sage of Null was taken aback by this revelation.

The twin nobility, was the combined nobility of the Ogre and Oni. A nobility made up out of the strongest and most influential of the Ogre and Oni. The twin nobility only consisted out of four, two Oni and two Ogre. Unlike the many sapient species, found on Ibaran, the Oni and Ogre weren’t hostile or at war with each other. They were allies, who were not only close in appearance, but also close in strength, weaknesses and in goals. Due to their low numbers they united, two withstand all outside dangers. Their alliance even extended to the point of their nobility merging, resulting in the infamous twin nobility.

However the twin nobility was presumed to be lost, with the dawn of the last days of Ibaran. They hadn’t made an appearance, leaving the Oni and Ogre behind, who without leadership and desperate, allied with the Demons. The twin nobility was still of an immense importance in these last days. As long as they stayed dead Oni and Ogre would stay loyal to the Demons, due to the lack of their real leadership. The moment the twin nobility appeared on the great stage of the last war, they held the power to change everything once, by unifying the Oni and Ogre beneath their true flag.

Both sides readied their weapons, sigils lighting up, ready to be launched by the first move of the enemy. The first to make a move was the Molten Ruler, second in command of the Tower of annihilation. The burning Half Elemental took a step forward, the flames on her body burning calm and cold in a red flame. Despite her fiery appearance she wasn’t burning for a good fight.

“I do not know what you are up to in these woods, but neither of us will come out unscathed from this needless fight. Are you still capable of pursuing your plans after this fight? I know we wont, what about you? So lets settle this in peace.”

Before the Ogre king could answer the Oni templar, the Oni Queen stepped forth dismissing the sigil she had prepared. Her voice was warped through the helm she was wearing, giving it a metal sound.

“A reasonable point. Its better to be at full strength, during these times. I am inclined to agree to a peaceful end to this confrontation. Do you agree?”

The Oni Queen directed the questions at her companions turning around to see their answer. They approved of her words and put down their weapons and the Ogre Queen dismissed her magic. Seeing this the Tower of Annihilation followed suit and did the same. Still the tension wasn’t completely gone, weapons were only lowered not completely put away. Both sides still were hidden participants in the war of the end, with an unknown objective to the other. They could be potential friends or allies.

“The Twin nobility huh. I thought you weren’t around anymore. How comes that you aren't around with the Oni and Ogre.” (Royal Sage of Null)

“I too thought that the Tower of Annihilation was done for, but here we are.” (Oni King)

“We were to late. Before we could join up with our pears, they had already allied themselves with the demons. And so we wander around in search for a purpose.” (Ogre Queen)

“Why haven’t you joined up with the Ogre and Oni they would immediately follow you, even abandon the Demon.” (Molten Ruler)

“Then what? We don’t have a purpose and are collectively to weak to fight against the Demon and Human alliances alike.” (Oni Queen)

“The Demons are using the Oni and Ogre as their Vanguard in their battles and rearguards in their retreats. They are slowly decimating your kind, because they fear your strength. Anything would be better than subjecting yourselves to the Demon.” (Molten Ruler)

“If you lack the strength to achieve the total victory for your kind, why not join our cause.”(Royal Sage of Null)

“Haven’t you failed a long time ago?” (Oni Queen)

“No we haven’t. A long time ago we got the Annihilation into our hands. We succeed in our goal., yet we never found the right place our time to unleash Annihilation. And now the perfect time has come, the end is upon us, there is no better time to unleash the Sigil of Annihilation! (Royal Sage of Null)

“Then why didn’t you do it?” (Ogre Queen)

“The war is slow and the various forces are vast and wide outstretched. Our impact would be negligible. We can not unleash the Sigil of Annihilation with so little impact, we have standards. We want to unleash it in the final moments in the final battle, when victory is at hands grasp, when the last pages of our history are written!” (Royal Sage of Null)

“But why do you need us? Why us specifically?” (Ogre Queen)

“To be fair we only need allies. Who they are is unimportant, as long as they help us in creating the last battle field of this world. Oni and Ogre would be valuable allies, who can protect us and can move the Demons in a way none other can. Especially your protection would be the greatest boon of all. Are you willing to join us in this last endeavor?” (Molten Ruler)

The Twin nobility fell silent, without saying a word they conversed with each other, arguing whether to join the Tower of Annihilation in their efforts or taking another route. The argument didn’t last long until they came to an agreement. The Oni King spoke up.

“On our own we can only try to achieve victory and by each second that goes by our success dwindles. Your offer in the other hand allows us no victory, but we will be remembered as tho ones who assisted in the worlds end. So yes we agree to be your allies.” (Oni King)

“We are honored to welcome you as our first allies, in our grand scheme. As we have already said we will unleash the Sigil of Annihilation in the last battle and bring upon the ultimate End. That is our plan simple as that.” (Royal Sage of Null)

“What we currently need the most are a protector and helpers from the shadows. What can you offer us?” (Molten Ruler)

“Besides the obvious, moving our kind, for one single devastating move. We have connections, allies from the old days of discovery. I for one can call upon the Nobles of the Cards.” (Oni Queen)

“The Nobles of the Cards? Aren’t they completely on the side of humanity?” (Molten Ruler)

The discussion continued for a while, talking about some outlines of their alliance, before switching to small talk. It was decided that they would meet up in a hidden tower to further discuss and come up with a concrete plan. At the tower the Twin Nobility would become an instrumental part in the grand plan of the Tower of Annihilation.

This meeting by chance deep within the forests of Ibaran, would change the world in ways nobody would expect. Nobody could predict what would happened when the Sigil of Annihilation was unleashed. Even the tower of Annihilation, who possessed every single piece of information over the Sigil of Annihilation, was caught of guard, when it was unleashed. A fate that changed worlds. Those who unleashed this end were called Harbringers of the End, a name spoken with fear even by the gods.

Even eons latter these events would change and influence the course of worlds and those legends would never truly die.

The prologue of the story plays long before the main story and is more of an "irrelevant" backstory. The main story plays eons later. 

I wrote the prologue after ch 17. There is a notable difference in writing quality from the first chapters to the more recent. I will rewrite the early chapters sometime in the future. 

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