TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO...

The corpses of thousands of shallows littered the valley behind the two warriors.

The last of the warlocks, the commanders of the shallow army had retreated into a tall cave that had been cut into a cliff.

The two warriors readied themselves and entered the darkness.

One was clad in shiny white armour, stained with the blood of his enemies, with a red cape bearing the coat of arms of Kimar. His name was Regil Kim, a tall man with many scars marking the countless tragedies he faced, but stood with the aura of a respectful king.

Beside him, as if to counter the majestic look of his commander, a knight clad in black, with large wings of a similar colour protruding from his back, hunched forward. He was called Gamiese Karr, a champion who united the human race with the prideful draconians, and like his master, bore the evidence of a painful past. But he was not one who bore a dignified appearance, but rather that of one unable to ease their sorrows.

But in their hearts, they were alike, for neither showed anxiety. Instead, both felt an unexpected clarity. At last, the war was about to draw to a close. The last of their opponents was the warlock of sorcery, a respectful commander, but a weak combatant, who had retreated into the cave, covered in many fatal wounds.

After hours of traversing the dark labyrinth, the two warriors reached a door and entered the room beyond.

It was a small place, but the cave curved upwards to form tall walls and a high roof. It was, in contrast to the darkness outside, very well lit, with a large cauldron in the centre, and standing just behind it, the hooded figure of the last warlock.

In the moments it took for the warriors' eyes to adjust to the light, the sorcerer had already begun casting his magic. He cast many spells of light and fire at the warriors, further illuminating the room, but his plan to use this anatomical weakness quickly failed. The warriors had used mana to shield their eyes and defended against the onslaught easily.

The flame-gunner Regil Kim immediately began his counter, and the warlock ducked behind the cauldron, rolling it over to cover him. It was a strange move, but was executed with reason, as from the ceiling, thousands of flaming arrows rained down over the warriors. The star-striker Gamiese Karr lifted his mighty wings to block the attack, shielding his master as the flame-gunner targeted the cauldron, ripping through the thick metal and clay.

But the confident warriors had underestimated the ingenuity of the warlock, who had used the few moments he had gained to unleash another attack. In full force, he flew forward, aiming a gleaming dagger at the heart of Regil Kim. It seemed that time stopped in the tension of the moment, and the flame-gunner braced himself for death, but it never came. The star-striker, Gamiese Karr, had dived before his master, taking the dagger through his chest, and had used the confusion of the moment to return the attack with his own sword.

The flame-gunner kneeled before his fallen friend and cried. The battle was over, and the last of the warlocks had fallen, but it was far from a victory. Although the humans had won the war, they had suffered immensely, in such a way that it'd take his entire life for them to ever recover from the damage.

Still weeping in sorrow for his fallen friend, Regil Kim closed the star-striker's eyes and, noting that the cave would soon crumble, prepared to carry the black knight out. In his grief, he had not noticed the subtle movements of the near-dead warlock, who picked up one of the arrows that littered the ground and lunged towards the flame-gunner.

***

Regil Kim left the cave, to meet up with what remained of the army that had attacked the valley. He explained the events that took place in the cave, and after resting for a few hours, rode home with his men.