In a brutal contrast to the wastelands in the lower grounds, the Platform of Rokudaira, located 8 kilometers in the high grounds provided the kingdom of Landia with the most peaceful weather of all regions, due to its height the sandstorms and earthquakes couldn’t reach up there, not to mention that the rain and water up there was one of the most pure in the entire planet.

Their society was stable due to the huge investments in education, because they had a solid law which stated that those who had studies would earn greatest wares; and the higher the grade, the higher the wares. All this powered by the young Queen: Panmelis, and with the support of the King himself Anastasius, who found in this system a way to create a quite advanced society, ruled by them both along with their 2 daughters.

At that very moment both King and Queen received an Intel report coming from the Commonwealth in the south, their Fürer was up to something rare by that time…

Both their expressions changed suddenly and ordered their daughters to leave the room to let them discuss this incoming problem.

-This man doesn’t understand the gravity of this situation, does he? - After this comment, the King tossed the papers to the wide table in front of him, that made him upset, not only because of what that report said, but because those future actions would bring –in the best case- a ruin that could wipe the world out.

-We should give him a little more time; it will be nonsense to send him an ultimatum just after he declared this, he might suspect of Intel actions in his territory…

The Queen took the papers to study them a little closer and asked then.

-Are Esmalfania and Mudahash aware of this?

-I don’t know, since the only matter is to keep Madanbelle under control, any other-country-related-problems are none of our business…- The King stated. –Besides, the wastelands are useful to share information…

-Are you thinking…- The Queen said but suddenly was interrupted by his husband.

-That bastard of Rubik can be useful since he is in that trash pit…- The King then forced an evil smirk.

The Queen sighted with sadness, his only son was there in one of the most hostile places in the world, rotting along thousands like him, who decided to go and serve as the first shield for the free world.

-Should we send him a couple of Intel agents? -The King asked clearly determined.

-You probably shouldn’t, that could make things worse for him…- The Queen replied quietly.

-He is a traitor nothing else, if he won’t cooperate I will take him away!!!…- He answered effusively...

The Northern Empire of Esmalfania was just coming up from an insane rebellion from the insurgents; they managed to hide the events so well that even the other countries were not aware of this.

David Dullahan, the young and fierce emperor led his armies in the Battle of the Great Bridge, where he was victorious, which resulted in the massive execution of 15 thousand prisoners from the rebel army.

He and his men had no hesitation on this, and dropped all of their prisoners to the deep and dark cliffs at the bottom of the great mountains. As he stated days before the battle: “There will be no prison for traitors…”

During his departure, all the empire was at hands of his powerful Empress Emerald Merrow, a young 21 year old woman of extreme beauty, said to be the most beautiful woman over this world, whose beauty was only paired to his bravery on battle.

Since both regents were young still, they had nor sons nor daughters; which due to the current situation was maybe for the best.

The loyal former Commander of Esmalfania’s armies was not there at the moment, he was heavily injured during the rebellion as a result of an assassination attempt against the Empress. And after that and in the middle of the rebellion was sent to the wastelands as the new commander of the Occupation Troops in the northern region.

Empress Merrow was in charge of leading the rest of the army from the Capital City, and her work consisted basically; on driving away the rebel forces and to push them to the mountains in the south so the Emperor could destroy them once and for all.

Their awareness of the events in the wastelands were not as strong as that of Landia or the Commonwealth, or even Mudahash, they trusted their commander would take good control of the situation…

Their controlled regions were mainly located around the Great Lake of Bakkaara, in the northeastern region of the Wastelands, an unusually rich region in the middle of the barren desert.

Daves McDallen, the new Commander of the Occupation Troops was assigned to defend all the six cities occupied, with him being in the southern coast of the lake, in direct line of sight to Madanbelle.

-Commander! - A man appeared behind him in one of the restored command centers. –The incursors’ report has been filed!!!- The man saluted, left a bunch of paper sheets in the table and immediately left the room.

He was looking through a window, worried on how that brutal sandstorm was striking the prison with unpaired violence.

The man was alone in that room, while most of his men were down in the lake, whether fishing or having a relaxing time…

Daves just stared at that depressing landscape, and after a few seconds he pulled out from his pocked a slightly wasted picture where two people appeared.

-I wonder… How would things have been if not for this war? -He stared at the picture with some crushing feelings. He missed her a lot, ever since he was taken out of the country and sent to the wastelands.

He abandoned that room and headed to the lower levels while the first surveillance round started.

-Dullahan… I will make you pay for this…- He whispered in low voice as he took the stairs to the lower level…

And at last but not least, the powerful Kingdom of Mudahash of the Great Lakes, the peaceful kingdom located in the plains of eastern, protected by the mountains in the north and in the center and southern regions by the Three Great Lakes: Debrahim, Hidairan and Bok-Mantu; which supplied limitless water to the kingdom, and; powered by her Queen: Skyla Pic, a beautiful young maiden and a deeply believer of Goddess Zephirine of the High Skies.

Mudahash of The Great Lakes is the most religious countries of all, their army s powerful, almost rivaling with Al Maghrib’s in terms of technological advancement, which is translated by their believing that they can develop technology to reach the skies out of the planet and find their Goddess.

Guided by this believing, most of its tech resources were destined to the space research, and this led them to be the first nation in the entire planet to create an aerial armed force which was never deployed in battle yet it remained expectant.

Mudahash’s armed forces were destined to cover the positions below the base of the Great Bridge, just between Lakes Debrahim and Hidairan, a very vulnerable point in their territory since it is all a huge plain only surrounded by forests and a few hills.

Peter Banner, Supreme Commander of Mudahash Royal Forces was now leading the huge ground forces to the base of the Great Bridge; from time to time he ordered the rotation of plenty of his divisions into the Wastelands, retaking the ruins of the ancient cities of Barafor and Taidian, and having access to the eastern coast of Bakkaara.

The presence of the four armies was very concentrated around the whole wastelands, it was perfectly clear that they were very, very aware of what was going on inside Madanbelle, most of their populations were aware as well, but they had plenty of trust towards their leaders.

Despite the neutrality of the wastelands, some divisions of the four armies had certain authority to claim and control some territories, yet not the remaining highways or roads that allowed everyone to move towards any region of that devastated territory.

The things in Madanbelle were calming down quickly, and most of the guard squads were dismissed and hundreds of men were taking a long needed break.

The young prince Rubik was going out of the Dismiss Hall since the storm was about to end, the weather forecast said the storm was taking away high sky dark clouds and that day they would be having a nice sunbath across all the wastelands, something kind of unusual but not impossible.

Rubik placed his two handed sword and his shotgun into the weapon rack of his team and decided to go out. The first thing he did was to take a look in direction of his country. The massive superstructure that composed the Platform of Rokudaira could be seen with all detail despite the large distance from the center of the wastelands.

The skies over the platform were clear, and he could see his homeland rising even over the mountains, it was always believed that someone else than humans created that massive platform, and while looking at it from such a far distance, no wonders it was totally true…

The lowest level cells were quiet; the surveillance patrols had no incidents beyond seeing the huge blue skinned creature coming close to the gate of its cell, and in a third cell, another creature was talking in an unknown language, as if they were being teased by a far stronger force.

The surveillance squads took regular patrols into the lowest level, as they also left other squads to take care for exiled prisoners from the four countries. Despite these creatures, the prison was actually quite empty, because the four countries tend to punish the criminals of all kinds according to their laws most of which basically involved death penalty.

From time to time those three creatures saw many prisoners being sent to that same lowest level of prison where they were left to starve to death.

The red eyed monster, from the bottom of his cell, chained to a wall was breathing calmly as he watched with all clarity the patrols coming and going back and forth, watching every single one of those armed men.

He was studying them, only by looking at them, as an intelligent being, he could take any advantage no matter how small it was.

Stronger, smarter and extremely dangerous, this creature started having some flashbacks about its past, hundreds of years ago in that same planet when things were way too different as they are now.

-Humans think they are the most powerful species of this world; of this entire universe… They haven’t realized their victory in the Black World was nothing but an ungrateful causality, they don’t understand that the Ancient Guardian was the only one that was able to unify us all…- The creature kept breathing calmly as he remembered all those events now lost in time.

-Gisborn is dead… Fall-Veredith is gone… The Council of the Twelve is no more… There is no one left to face me… And that is enough…