Primordial Breaker

The throne room was lit by the moon's light shining down through the hole in the ceiling. Two soft noises broke the silence, the first belonging to the figures donned in dark tattered robes drawing on the cracked stone floor with black chalk. The other noise was a soft tapping coming from the throne.

The queen slowly tapped the arm of her chair, softly biting her other hand. She watched the robed figures, her eyes glowing a dull cyan colour.

"To think, it's finally happening." 

Anxiously she glanced up to the ceiling, hundreds of ravens perched on the rafters of the throne room. Their feathers, pitch black. Each bird had sharp glowing purple eyes all staring down at what was happening.

A few more minutes passed by and the figures finished drawing the symbol. A large pentagram, with strange runes written alongside it spread across the floor of the throne room.

Covering her face for a moment, the queen couldn't help but smile.

"I was starting to think it wouldn't happen. I spent so long gathering what it said I needed, I almost thought that creature had given me an impossible task… But not anymore. Bring them!"

With a snap of her fingers, four robed figures entered the room carrying small wooden boxes. Reaching the five points of the pentagram, the figures that had drawn the pentagram opened these boxes. From these boxes, four objects were placed onto four of the five points.

A black heart darker in colour than any shadow, a leaf still green even after having been plucked from its branch a long time ago, a piece of coral its surface covered in beads of water as if it had just been taken from the ocean and lastly a cracked crystal so small it could comfortably fit in a palm.

Her breath began to tremble as she rose from her throne. Each step was careful and precise as she slowly approached the fifth point of the pentagram, the only point vacant of an item.

"A thousand years of rest…"

Putting her palms together it was as if the shadows in the room grew more intense. As she separated her palms, a vial of golden light appeared between her hands. Reaching the fifth point of the pentagram, she pulled out the stopper on the vial. The golden light flowed out guided by her hands it floated into the centre of the pentagram.

"I seek your aid."

Casting the empty vial aside, she held her arm out. From out of her shadow a tome emerged floating up to her hand. Without needing to take action, the lock on the tome opened, its pages fluttering. The writing on the pages glowed with a cyan light and suddenly the black chalk caught alight. 

Cyan fire burning where the chalk had been moments ago.

"My kingdom, my people are in danger. War wages and I fear that should either side win, the neutrality I have fought so hard to obtain would be cast aside. I seek, Leander, he who bore the title of Hero in an older age."

The light of the moon grew stronger clashing with the growing shadows, converging with the golden light at the centre of the pentagram. 

As the three elements clashed. The darkness, the pale light of the moon and the radiant golden light began to spin, condensing, growing smaller and then disappearing.

An imperceptible change occurred in the space above the centre of the pentagram, the only way one could tell being the cyan flame as it was sucked into the empty space, and disappeared. 

"Heed my call! I brought everything you said I would need! The heart of a Divine Beast, a leaf from the Tree of Life, coral from the Great Reef, the inert core of an Aegis Series and… The essence of the Goddess. That is half our pact made, answer!"

Breathing heavily, she started at the strange event.

The colour of the room began to fade, the light of the moon, of the braziers on the walls it all faded in shades of grey. The only colour was that of the cyan flame and the dull cyan within her own eyes.

After a few moments, the space before her opened like an eyelid. An eye comprised completely of cyan colour stared back at her. Its cold gaze caused a sense of dread and impending doom to roll down her body forcing her to avert her gaze to the ground.

"Please… I need him, without him… I will lose everything."

Biting her lip, she looked up to the eye.

"He is the only one who can save this world."

The eye studied her for a few moments, the black heart, green leaf, piece of coral and inert core of an Aegis Series twisted and elongated as they were sucked in towards the eye disappearing akin to the cyan flames.

The cyan flames burned brightly, growing larger and larger. The hooded figures did not move from the fire, as their queen showed no sign of fear, neither did they. The cyan flame crawled across the cold grey stone of the throne room towards the centre of the pentagram. As it reached the centre it covered it until no stone could be seen.

The eye spoke, its words forcing their meaning into the minds of all in the vicinity.

THE FIRST PACT

IS ANSWERED

The eye shut, the cyan fire immediately died and colour returned to the room.

Her breath trembling, the queen took a staggered step forward.

At the centre of the pentagram where the eye had been moments ago, where the fire had burnt strongest. Now, a man's body lay.

Averting her gaze for a moment, she flicked her wrist. The shadows moved from the ground wrapping around the man, dissipating a second later. He was now clothed. A few moments later, the man began to stir, his eyes opening he immediately sat up.

His skin was pale, his hair a dull grey, and his eyes glowed cyan the same as her own. His face barely bore an expression, although she could see a faint sense of confusion in his brow. 

Turning her gaze to the robed figures, she held her hand up.

"Leave us." She demanded.

Silently the hooded figures left the room. As the door slammed shut she looked upwards to the ravens.

"That goes for you as well."

The ravens all chirped simultaneously and then flew up and away exiting via the hole in the ceiling.

Returning her gaze to the man she had just summoned. She suddenly found herself lost for words. Silence hung between them, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon that hung above them.

'This… Reminds me of a story, of a knight meeting a princess.'

The man slightly tilted his head, rolling his eyes he looked around the room. Spotting the door, he began walking towards it. Leaving the queen woman dumbstruck for a moment until she called out to him.

"H- hey wait! Where are you going!?"

Stopping at the door, he looked over his shoulder at her. His voice carried with it an air of somebody who was not concerned in the slightest with whatever she was about to say.

"What? You weren't saying anything, just strangely staring at me."

Hurt by his words, she frowned. Shaking her head she gestured to their surroundings.

"Do you know where you are?"

He gave his surroundings another glance.

"An old church? It looks like it could fall down any day now."

Dryly smiling, she looked up at the hole in the ceiling, and at the walls that had their own cracks and marks of disrepair. 

"It is true, with the war against the other kingdoms. My home truly has fallen into disrepair… But that is why I have summoned you. You are Leander, it is during your life… It is said you strove for peace. That you would protect the innocent no matter the cost. The Demon King and the Goddess. They all strive to destroy all I hold dear. Centuries of war against each other. It just isn't enough for them. I just wish to-"

Seeing that Leander had made his way half-way through the door. The woman ran over to him and pulled him back into the room.

"Stop!"

Now standing in the middle of the throne room, panting from the effort it took to pull him away from the door. She spoke again.

"I am-"

Clearing her throat she stood up to her full height putting a hand on her chest.

"I am Melaine, Lich Queen of the Undead Kingdom. I brought you back from death to help me… Will you?"

Sternly, Leander shook his head. 

"No."

Almost flinching from his stern denial, Melaine rubbed the side of her head.

"I- I can offer you anything within my kingdom! Money, power… Even women."

Again, Leander shook his head.

"No. Thank you."

Melaine recoiled again, running out of things to say, a subtle smile appeared on her lips.

"Ah, I see, I see. So you aren't a fan of those… If it is your preference, I can also offer you men-"

Leander's glare turned from stern annoyance into pure annoyance. Raising his hand, Melaine held her hands up before he could act on his intentions.

"I'm only joking."

Turning away, Leander glared at Melaine.

"You brought me back from the dead just to fight again. There's nothing you could offer me."

Walking away from the Lich Queen, the Hero left the throne room.

Melaine frowned, rubbing her arm as the door swung shut. Not knowing what her next step would be, she simply returned to her throne and sat on its steps. Resting her head in her hands.