Tales of Atreia- Book 1- The Shadows Cometh- The Journeyman

Cold light from the skies of Asmodae enters a hidden temple in the barren city fortress of Beluslan. I have been studying the nature of Aether in this temple for a few years, rummaging through the damp and dark library of the Temple of Lumiel, the Lady of Wisdom and Protector of Mages. The temple stood since time immemorial, after the time of the great cataclysm, after the separation of our races, after the dark consumed us. Lady Lumiel is one of the five great Shedim Lords, Sorceress, protector of Asmodae and guardian of our people. Matron of Daevas like me.

I am Felyx Shadowsong, a Daeva, one of the immortal protectors of the Asmodians. I was once a raider from the outskirts of a small town of Ishalgen, I was one of the people who preys on the weak and steals money from the rich. I was an orphan, who lived off asking alms and stealing food from the taverns of Ishalgen. There was a time when I was trying to steal the purse of some fat guy on the streets of this small town. I did not know that a few pieces of gold kinah would cause me my life, and earn eternity.

I am skilled. My master told me that I am one of the gifted Asmodians, one of the few mortals who can manipulate Aether to a small degree.I could start fire and conjure ice through sheer concentration. My cantrip spells of course are nothing compared to the forces that can be manipulated by the immortal Daevas, who can call lightning and hail from the skies. These Sorcerers can make the ground shake and conjure portals to the capital. They fight the enemies together with the other school of Daeva magicians called the Spiritmasters, those who can command elementals spawn from the most basic elements of earth, fire, water, wind and magma. All under the protection of the great Lady Lumiel, the Shedim Lord I wish to serve.

It was a dark night, the only light illuminating the gray skies of Ishalgen are the dancing movement of the streams of Aether. Pulled in the middle of Atreia, an area called Reshanta, the core of our shattered world holds both of the planes in place. Now who does not know the story how our world was shattered into two?

During the time when the world of Atreia was still young, the Supreme Being Aion created the Balaur to be wardens of the young mortal race. In the beginning, these draconic beings followed the will of Aion and nurtured the growing race as mentors and protectors. However, as time passes, and with the eventual disappearance of Aion in his Tower of Eternity, the Balaurs decided to usurp the power of the supreme being. They started to enslave the human race, destroying towns after towns, corrupting others who joined their cause. They wreaked havoc and destruction in their path as they moved forward to assault the tower of Aion.

Aion, sensing the coming of the the Balaurs, selected twelve of his strongest and imbued them with his godly essence. These twelve became the Empyrean Lords and they protected the humans against the Balaurs. The Empyrean Lords were headed by the two of the most powerful of the group- Lord Israphel of the West, the Lord of Space and his partner, Siel, of the Eastern realms, the Lady of Time. From this group came five of what became our Shedim Lords- Asphel, Lord of Darkness and guardian of the North; the temperamental Zikel, Lord of Destruction; Marchutan, Lord of Fate; Triniel, Lady of Death and our Mistress of Magic, Lumiel, the Lady of Wisdom.

The other five became the hated Seraphim Lords lead by Ariel, Magister of the South and the

Lady of Light; Vaizel, Lord of Freedom; Nezekan, Lord of Justice; Yustiel, the Lady of Life and the wretched Mistress of Lies and Illusion- Kaisinel, the Lady of Illusion who withdrawn herself from her comrades because of her defeat in the hands of our Lady Lumiel. These beings became the gods of Elysea, home of the Elyos.

As the war against the Balaur continued, the Empyrean lords imbue the mortals with their powers awakening them to be Daevas, immortal soldiers against the assaults of the Balaur. The humans succeeded on driving the Balaurs out but with the constant skirmishes going on, the loses on both sides are increasing. The Empyrean Lords met and discussed talks of peace with the Balaurs, started by Israphel and supported by the Seraphims, they talked of coexisting with the dragons and this of course was opposed by our Shedim Lords, who wanted to defeat the enemies. With the vote from Siel, coerced by Israphel, the talks of peace pushed through.

With the Etheric Field turned off to give way to the passage of a dreadnought, the Balaur ship who carries the emissary who will attend the peace talks in the Tower of Eternity. When everybody gathered, the emissary fell dead to the floor (and we Asmodians knew who did it) and it sparked the hatred of the dragons. With rage and enmity, the Dreadnought and the Balaurs on it assaulted the Tower, shattering the physical manifestation of the God Aion.As the tower collapsed, the earth shook and the seas were divided. Mountains flatten and humans were swallowed the the great chasm.

The World of Atreia, split in the middle and started to drift away from each other. The Tower of Eternity who holds the planet together was no longer there. The Empyrean Lords were all alarmed, the planet is in the brink of destruction, the humans they swore to protect will be extinct. While the others think of what to do, Lady Siel sacrificed her essence to serve as an anchor, Lord Israphel did the same and they held the planet in place.

Our world was never the same after the Great Cataclysm. Those Atreians who were caught and forced to flee to the north became the Asmodians. In the cold and desolate region of the north we founded the city of Pandemonium, the capital. We adapt to the harsh climate of the lightless north and our bodies with it.

The Asmodians founded cities and expanded their territories. We were existing in peace knowing that we only are the ones who survived the chaos. Until the peace shattered with the coming of the Light.

Those who have survived and headed to the sunny south became the hated Elyos. They have founded cities too, and in Elysea, the Seraphim Lords rule their weak subjects. As light from the nearby star illumine the southern Atreia, the Elyos as they call themselves started to look ethereal. They are fair skinned compared to our dark shade, their fingers more human, compared to our claws. Their hairless bodies compared to our manes that protect us from the cold. They have attacked us and destroyed our towns, forcing us to create fortresses to protect ourselves.

The exploration lead us to the Core or Reshanta, here the world of Atreia is connected and is where the world is connected. The vain Elyos could try to invade us by going through the portals opening here in Asmodae. With the magic of Lumiel however, Primum Landing, the Asmodian Fortress in Reshanta was protected and the wretched Elyos and the Liar Kaisinel was driven from the place forever.

The Balaur territory of Gelkamaros and Inggison were also opened to us via portals connecting the planes. We have created the war fortress of Gelkamaros and we constructed gates to protect us from the Elyos menace. With the movement of the Balaur restricted outside the Etheric Field and the weak Elyos trapped in their blinding world, there are only a few menace on the list...or so we thought.

The Etheric field who we thought is strong enough to divide the worlds is also faltering. As I was chased by the guards of the fat man I robbed, I ran out of Ishalgen into the marshes, to the forests going to the big towns... I thought it was safe, and I was wrong.

As I am attuned to the movement of the Aether, I sensed a rift opening behind me, I ran and hid among the bushes and I saw a flicker of light. The air danced and spiraled, then a rift from Elysia opened and from it I saw a blinding figure. A Daeva fully clad in silver armor, wings as white as the snow in Beluslan, broadsword glimmering against the weak light of the dark sky.

It was a Gladiator, master fighters and followers of Nerzakan. I lay still, afraid to be seen and fearing for my life, I crouched in the underbrush. As they are trained, they are very keen in sniffing mortal Asmodians like me. With a few spells I know, I prepared an incantation from the sacred book of Lumiel. As I prepared the spells of Ice- I stepped out and focused all my will to the Gladiator in front of me.

I directed Aether from the surroundings and muttered the incantation. I traced a sigil in the air and shouted--- "Conglacio Aeris... Flaminis". The air around me gathered itself and froze. I directed it to the gladiator who I caught unaware, however I heard a shout behind him "Ignem Conglobo Provolo". I felt a heated gust of air gathered together as the aether around a woman ignited and formed into a ball of fire. It smashed through my puny ice spell and rebounded back to me... I do not have the power to defeat a sorceress, a Daeva follower of that wretched Seraphim Kaisinel. I was thrown back in the thicket and fell into the gap, a cliff on the other side of the path... I felt the heat brushed through me as I fell into the dark ravine, burning as I plummeted, I heard a whisper telling me to open my mind and embrace power and wisdom, and my memory ended there.

I woke up in the monastery of Marchutan in the care of the Clerics. I was told that a month has passed since they found me dead in front of the gates of the monastery. They prepped my corpse for cremation in the morning, seeing that half my body was burned. That night as the aether shimmered brightly against the dark skies of Asmodae, I woke up renewed, healed and oozing with power. On my back was a dark feathered wing, a symbol of the Shadow coming, my transition, my awakening into an eternity of struggle against the Sorcerers of that weak Seraphim Kaisinel. My journey began the next day. I need answers and the best way to get them is to seek for wisdom, seek Lady Lumiel.

I prepared myself for the travel to Beluslan. To the biggest temple of Lumiel. To study and learn the wisdom of the ages. To be strong and fight the light bathing Elyos and their sorcerers. The hated magicians of the weak Kaisinel.

The Gate opens... "Azphelumbra"- in the Shadow of Azphel... My journey begins...

-all rights reserved to cael parcia pinto, Felyx- SM, SOD-

pictures from the internet.