Nero

1 Day after the Fall of The Border Keep

The elven king, Nerofix Hasrio Sander the 68th, stood at a giant glass window. He looked down upon his kingdom, elves walking through the cobbled streets. Nero was a handsome elf, with pepper black and white hair and icy blue eyes that pierced through the soul. He had longer ears than most elves, but not by much. The King towered over most, making him an even more dominating presence.

Nero looked down at the streets of his city, Valcrest, vendors shouting out wares, elves walking by with glances. He sneered at the sight of a bird beastman walking through the crowd. There wasn't much he could do about the beastmen, but that didn't mean he liked them.

In his eyes they were as inferior as humans and dwarves. They were like rats, heck some of them were rats. The elven race was far superior than any human, beastman, or mud dwelling dwarf. They had been the first ones to create bows and perfect archery. They were the first to crawl from the muddy cesspools of life and build cities. They had been the first to learn how to use the world’s greatest power. Magic.

He knew of magic and the old world. When magic was indeed real and it was the most powerful force of nature. He knew of the of the world before this one from his parents. They knew from their parents and so on.

It had been a great world, but then elves were forced back into the dark age. They had learned how to use magic in many ways. Magical lamps, magical transportation, magical weapons of mass destruction and their grandest achievement. The Vault, a storage facility that neutralized all deadly magical items inside it and preserved them.

Nero let out a sigh. Alas the Vault was long since lost. It had gone missing during the Great Catastrophe, when a foolish human swordsman had locked the magic away. Nero had often speculated on how he had done it and where. It had left the elven race back in caves, many of their buildings and machines were rendered useless, along with all their magic.

The royal family had kept records on that time. They had also preserved many blueprints and texts speaking of how to use magic. It had been a family tradition, on their sixteenth birthday, they were to try and bond with the magic. They learned this technique from the ancient scripts, the age of 16 was at the end of the body’s development. When the body was most susceptible to magic. Alas due to there being no more magic in the earth and atmosphere, they never were able to bond with and use it.

It was Nero’s daughter’s sixteenth birthday today, her name was Tessa Hasrio Sander. They would throw a massive ball in the day, that which was soon to start, and at the setting of the sun let their child try to bond with the nonexistent magic. It was done in private, with only the royal family and a handful of advisors there to witness it. Nero had done it, revealing that there still was no magic. He was now at the age of 49 and his body was unfit to learn magic. Below the age of sixteen, the body’s foundations were not set in stone. But after that time, the body’s foundation was solidified and it could no longer bond with magic.

Blood was also a key thing in the bonding of magic. For the more a bloodline has bonded with magic, the more powerful their children will get and the easier it was to bond.

Nero cursed at the Dark Swordsman, as that is what the stories in the archives called him. He supposedly was skilled in the forbidden arts, Black Magic. It was supposedly an evil, chaotic and perverted version of the world’s light magic. It was what formed the monsters that were now only alive in stories. But Nero would never know for sure, since magic was no longer in existence. Thankfully the Dark Swordsman had died long ago, while sealing the magic away. But his shadow still stretched across the entirety of Dragos.

The door to the Royal Throne Room opened behind Nero, a servant walked in, got on one knee and bowed deeply.

Nero did not look back, the servant was not worthy of his stare. Many in the past would call Nero a arrogant and harsh ruler (they were later put to death). It was not that he was arrogant, it was that they were inferior to him. Nero was not a harsh ruler to his people, only to those who dared oppose him. The only ones he viewed as worthy of staying in his presence were his family, the royal advisers and a select few nobles.

“My King, the party will be starting soon,” The servant said before scampering off.

Nero cut his gaze off from the window, adjusting the golden crown on his brow. He walked to the door and opened it. Regally marching down the hall and into the ballroom, he checked that everything was just right. It was his girl’s big day after all, everything had to be perfect.

After making sure everything was in perfect order, Nero went to the front of his family’s castle. There he waited for the nobles to arrive to the party.

Only ten minutes later, the first elf nobles arrived. Nero greeted them with happiness, “Welcome Lord Fher and Lady Fher!”

“Greetings, my King,” Said Lord Fher bowing to Nero. The gold inlaid carriage they had come in rolled off.

“If you follow my servants, they will lead you to the ballroom,” Nero said, motioning for one of the many servants standing by, to lead the Lady and Lord to the ballroom.

“Thank you, my King,” said the fine Lady Fher. They vanished around a corridor, following the servant to the ballroom.

Only moments later more Nobles arrived. Nero greeted them in a similar fashion, having them led to the ballroom. After about an hour the wave of nobles stopped and Nero headed to the ballroom himself.

It was a grand chamber, with a high ceiling held up by marble pillars. There was a double curving marble staircase on one end of the room and a giant stain glass painting at the other. Light flooded in from the many windows in the ceiling. Tables, with white cloths spread atop them, were scattered around near the giant stain glass window. Long tables covered in food on the right and left side of the dining area. At the other side of the room, the side with the staircase, was the dancing floor. It was cleared of tables, revealing a large area of polished marble with gold specks inside it. The gold inside the marble caused it to sparkle like something from a fairy tale.

Many nobles were seated with their children, a large amount of the children were young handsome men, while some nobles were already on the dance floor. They danced to a cheery tune, that the small orchestra atop the staircase, played. Their music was amplified around the room, letting all inside hear them play.

Nero sat in a throne, located between the two staircases. His wife and the queen sat next to him, in a less flashy throne that was slightly smaller. On the King’s other side was an even smaller throne for his only child, Tessa.

The music ended and the nobles stopped dancing, looking at their king.

Nero stood up, “I welcome you all! You have no idea how much it means to me and my wife for you to be here. It also means even more to my daughter. Now that is enough about me! I give you, my daughter and the Princess, Tessa Hasrio Sander!”

Nero clapped his hands and sat back down, the nobles clapping as well.

Tessa

Tessa took a deep breath, getting herself ready. She played with the many frills on her bright green dress. When she heard her father say the cue for her to walk out, she did. Her black hair flew behind her, revealing her long oblong pointed ears. Her deep blue eyes wide with happiness and sparkling with excitement.

She walked down the right side of the marble staircase, waving to the sea of elven nobles. Tessa sat down next to her father, on his right side.

He beamed down at her proudly, Tessa smiling back. The music had started back up and the nobles were now dancing again.

Though no one said it, Tessa knew the real reason for the ball. It was to parade her off to all the noble houses, hoping to catch the attention of some of the more wealthy houses. This was also a way for her to see all the young noble elves, to find likable and suitable husband candidates. It bothered her somewhat, but not enough for her to complain.

Like if on cue with Tessa's thought, a young noble elf approached her. He bowed low, and asked if she would like to dance with him. He had long blond hair and light brown skin. He had light hazel eyes. The noble boy was named, Kari Bander Zeno, belonging to a particularly wealthy noble house.

He held up a white gloved hand, and was on one knee. Tessa gracefully stepped down from her seat, glancing at her father. He had an approving look in his eyes and nodded slightly. Approving the dance. Tessa grabbed hold of the young noble boy's hand and let him rise. She walked off with him to the dance floor.

There they danced for a while, talking softly. Tessa eventually disengaged from him and moved on to another dancing partner. She did this agian and agian. Before she knew it, the ball was over and the nobles were leaving.

Tessa walked out with her father, leaving the ballroom and heading out to a secluded porch overlooking the city. It was time to see if she could bond with the lost magic of the world.

Nero

Nero stood tall, looking down at his petite- but still beautiful, daughter. She had his eyes and hair, but that was it. Tessa had her mother’s beauty and his soul piercing eyes.

They stood on a porch with his wife, overlooking the city. The sunset just starting, staining the sky gold and red colors. Only moments later the king’s most trusted advisors arrived. It was time to begin, Nero and his wife took a few steps back. Leaving their daughter at the marble rail. She looked at them, smiling with pride.

“On this day, my daughter, the Princess Tessa Hasrio Sander of Evrite, is now a lady. It is time to test the Bonding. Tessa you may begin when you feel ready,” Nero said, with his wife clutching his arm. They both beamed with pride, even if Tessa didn't bond with the nonexistent magic, she would still be viewed as a lady.

Tessa stood perfectly upright and closed her eyes. She stayed like that for a long time, focusing and clearing her mind. Then she exhaled and opened her eyes again, a little disappointment in them.

“I'm sorry father, it wou-” Tessa never got to finish her sentence, as a roaring wind filled the air. Rushing towards Tessa and lifting her a couple feet off the ground. A miniature cyclone of air picked up leaves and twigs and swirling them around her body. The quickly obstructed view of Tessa.

Everyone present squinted and shielded their eyes from flying debris. After a minute, the cyclone calmed down, gently setting Tessa back to the ground.

Nero brought his arm down from his eyes, jaw slack. Everyone else present was in the same state, hair wild and filled with twigs and leaves. Tessa stood there, even more surprised than them.

“Father I-” She fainted before getting to finish her sentence. Nero was about to rush to her when the door behind them slammed open.

Nero reflexively turned around, to see a sweating soldier. He was covered in blood and his armor was dented. A large rent in his breastplate.

“Your Highness! Fort Nadria of the Great Wall was attacked! It was a human dressed in royal clothes... They completely obliterated the keep with the help of an army of demons! I believe I am the sole survivor,” The soldier collapsed to his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

Silence fell upon everyone present. Nero’s wife was cradling the unconscious Tessa in her arms, staring wide eyed. Nero turned to his wife, both their stares wide, they knew what this was.

One thought ran through Nero’s mind, ‘By the gods. Magic has returned.’