Chapter Text
It all began with a champion of the skies, descending down to rule the lands. His might was unrivaled, his skills sublime. None could ever hope to challenge him with blade or bow. He was the champion of the skies for a reason, but despite all the honor and glory, the champion was still alone, desiring to find a place to call his own, to have people underneath him that relied on his protection-
He desired to build a kingdom.
And so, the champion set out to find a place to call home- to create a civilization that would rival the very heavens in beauty.
Before he found a place to start his kingdom, the champion found a knight with golden armor and a blood red cloak. The magic flowing through the other’s veins and the wisdom they so openly shared fascinated the skyborne champion, who listened and learned more than all of his years in the skies had taught him. The knight taught the champion about magic and the arcane; about stars and jewels, loyalty and truth.
Enamored with the knight, the champion pleaded with him to join the champion’s cause; to create a kingdom unrivaled by any other. The knight was hesitant, warning the champion of a cruel king, whose madness spread like a disease, corrupting all it laid eyes on. The knight was once a member of that king’s royal guard, but had fled his homeland. The knight warned the champion that if he started a kingdom, it would get the tyrant’s attention, and lakes worth of blood would be shed in the violence that would follow.
This only motivated the champion more, urging the knight to stick by his side; to stand by him as they faced the tyrant together. With the champion’s might and the knight’s mind, it was inevitable that they’d be able to defeat the cruel king that the knight had feared for so long.
It took months- years even, but eventually the knight relented, and the two got to work, building a small settlement that welcomed and and all. The settlement turned into a thriving city, which then became the capital of a thriving nation.
But as the knight had predicted, this got the attention of the mad king, who, consumed by his desire to control the entire world, launched an attack, threatening to destroy the kingdom the champion had created. However, the champion, with the help of his knight and the allies he had made, managed to defend his homeland.
Which only enraged the mad tyrant more, resulting in an all out war, where both sides experienced heavy losses.
However, losses alone would not stop the cruel tyrant, who decided to consult the forbidden arts in a final attempt to destroy the champion’s kingdom.
If the mad king wasn’t meant to rule the world, he would destroy it.
And so, the tyrant transformed into a terrible being, one who’s gaze could wipe out entire cities, it’s magic lethal and unstable. The mad king lost his mind, all to bring ruin to the world.
The tyrant could no longer be killed, but during the darkest day, when all hope seemed lost, the knight found a different solution;
The tyrant could not be killed, but there were more ways to rid the world of that monster.
The knight called upon ancient powers, binding them to itself before heading out to stop the monster the mad king had become.
The fight lasted for days, with neither the monster nor the knight giving up. The magic of old was terrible in the tyrant’s claws, but it was equally as powerful when the knight used it for good.
For days, the fighting continued, until the knight was struck down. Injured, with no way to recover, the golden knight was forced to use its one last resort; a sealing spell, capable of containing the most powerful beings in existence, at the cost of the caster’s life.
The knight would never see his king or the kingdom he had called home again, but that was a price he was willing to pay, if it meant keeping everyone safe.
And so, with the tyrant looming over him, the knight preformed the spell, sealing the monster the mad king had become away, and slowly fading away with the other.
But not before he saw the champion one last time; warning his close friend with his final words.
‘None know for sure if the mad tyrant will be gone forever, but if he returns during the darkest day, I shall return as well, and seal him once more. I shall seal him a thousand times if it means protecting this kingdom’
And so, every year, during the darkest day, we light our lanterns, in honor of the knight’s sacrifice, and to ensure that the tyrant shall never return.
The end.
Avery had always had a strange fascination with the legend- It was a tragic story, not to mention it had a warning about a great evil that could one day come back- not to mention it was based on the blonde's very own ancestor.
How could the prince not be curious about how much of the story was real? How could he not obsessively research the real founding king and his knight? How could he NOT want to know everything about them and the war they fought in?
The king was, admittedly, very well documented; He was a historical figure that had actually existed, after all, but the knight was… difficult. With how many debated whether or not the legend had been based on real events (there were records of a war around the time the story should’ve happened, so that was likely) or not, some believed the knight hadn’t even been real- or had been a character that had been created by mixing traits of various historical figures into one.
The knight had been real and that was a hill Avery was willing to die on.
The prince sighed. He was currently taking a break from training and his studies, hiding away in a small, hidden courtyard that was frequently overlooked- both by other nobles and the staff working at the palace. Avery knew he should probably get back to training soon, the darkest day was coming up, and he’d been tasked with performing the most important ritual; Guarding the site of the final clash between the tyrant and the knight, for the entire duration of the night…
…It was boring, but extremely important,
....Or at least, it was important if the legend had any truth to it, because if the tyrant came back and no-one was there to alert the army, then the entire kingdom could easily fall.
For years, Avery had wanted to be the one to patrol the area, to keep an eye on things while the civilians celebrated and lit their lanterns, but every single year the duty had been taken up by one of his older brothers.
It made sense; Avery had only just hit adulthood, but he had wanted to be the one to do it for years now. And now, finally, it was his turn.
He wouldn’t disappoint- he was going to be the best dang guard on duty!