subjects. Allan was more into stories of adventure and exploration while Elis read books of war and history.
From a very young age, Allan studied maps but he was less interested in the mainland than in the coasts and the blank and intriguing portrayals of what the maps depicted the east and west of. Not only did he have interest in the undiscovered land, there was also something about the Ranicus area that he felt drawn to, he felt a connection to the area for some reason whenever he looked at a map. It always seemed like the Ranicus area would be significant in his life. He would often speculate in his free time on the races that inhabited those lands, he frequently asked Wilmot during lessons on geography on the possibilities of another land mass on the other side of Stunt Sea. However, Wilmot never gave him a straight answer, leading to Allan speculating even more and throughout his childhood his passion for discovery would remain everlasting. Elis had a keen interest in warfare, he to enjoyed interesting maps but was more focused on weaponry and siege mechanics. Since the first time he had seen the blueprints of a siege engine he began think of all kinds of weapons and siege equipment he could create. These characteristics will catapult the princes into the future and their interests would never change, nobody knows at this point but these interests and rifts would greatly change not just the fate of Hetheil but of the entire world of Paradon.
Chapter 3: Coming of Age
Years later, the two princes were awaiting their twenty fifth birthday, signifying their beginnings as young adults. Their birthdays aren’t far, in just a month, the Humans will see these two strong princes leap into adulthood. On the last day of the week, the boys are sleeping in, tired after a long week of intense lessons and training, especially for Elis, constantly attending multiple lessons when the time comes. They no longer share a room, at the age of seventeen the boys were given separate rooms in the palace to stay in. Their birthdays will also be an important time for them, not just in age, but there will be a coronation where Henriet and the people of Hetheil will decide by majority which of the two princes will be next in line to the thrown after Henriet’s resign. Following the festivities, the people would gather in the town square from all corners of the kingdoms. Henriet did not have to go through this as he was the only blood relative to the previous king, he proved to be a great king, but soon in some years’ time his reign will end and one of his equally strong sons must step up and be crowned as the next king. The coronation was not the declaration of who should be king but rather a decision made by the people for who to take over from Henriet when the time arises.
The boys have grown to be tall young men, skills and training had improved over the years, a change from when they once were. Handsome young men at that, the kingdom loved them but Allan was loved a lot more compared to his brother. Allan had that bright energy about him, one that burned with passion, an aura that made the people and his father love him. He greatly appreciated that, he loved his father and brother more than anything else. He has shown his capability over the years and the kingdom has paid attention to it, even the king of Diamonheim, Charles Silverton recognises Allan as someone of great worth like his father. Elis has also shown that he has great intelligence and great skills but ultimately, Allan’s popularity shadowed him. He has always been the neglected one, his own father has showed more love to his brother rather than to him. He then finds refuge in the mentorship of Lumbre Redwood, who has brought out the negativity inside Elis. Unlike his brother, he has grown up differently, he has always been the least respected, least loved and at the age of fifteen these reasons had led him to take up the offer to be taught by the infamous and illusive Lumbre and since then his them. He has walked on a different path with a goal to control the kingdom no matter what.
The princes haven’t had a chance to demonstrate the skills they have mastered over the years, only the knowledge in speeches and in help when it comes to major decisions, particularly Allan has shown more of these than Elis earning him his father’s love. They have yet to see combat and have never contributed to any battles, though they would make fine warriors with the training they have had. Henriet has given the princes experience in the army, the routines of soldiers, the discipline, and the tough lifestyle but fortunately no battles and they preferred it to stay that way. In some of the time they had spent in the army, they had learned the rules and formations of an army and because of their status as princes they were given high commanding positions in the Kingdom of Hetheil’s army. However, their father had instructed them to live life just as the regular foot soldiers did. Elis has changed significantly since being taught under Lumbre, he has become hot tempered, his speech has become louder and faster and he has gotten into disagreements with his brother, who he still loves but gradually is moving away from.
Henriet was in the dining room eating a breakfast, his shiny crown and lush red cloak on him, calm and looking out into his beloved garden. Sipping his tea from a bronze cup on a quiet morning after a long week. His hair starting to turn white, his skin starting to wrinkle, his movement was beginning to slow and a once quick mind is reduced to a slower yet still efficient one. Over the years since his sons were fifteen, he has spent most of his time overseeing the wall that would dissect the north and the south, however Henriet is starting to get sick often, due to his age and his devotion to is people he has become worn out. Because of his hard efforts, everything seems to be going smoothly for this great wall at least. There were a few instances where beasts would be spotted near the construction of the wall but they didn’t attack, they just peered over the horizon and backed away. However, there was an attack, a group of seventeen Goblins repeatedly attacked the construction workers on the far eastern part of the wall, slowing progress there and causing casualties.
There were no troops stationed there yet and the workers were unable to defend themselves. Henriet led a small battalion of newly arrived men and saw off this Goblin threat. He had feared at the time that something was about to happen in the land of the beasts that would finally come back to bite the Humans after such a long time. He drove off this small Goblin group of raiders, killing five and sending the rest back over the horizon. Though this was a small skirmish, it gave a glimpse of the beast’s current state of desperation. It constantly played out in his mind, he worried the beasts would once again invade, neither did he want the beasts to continue fighting each other, peace is all he wanted. Suddenly a guard rushed into the dining room, his face was pale and he said to his king “Your majesty, your majesty! The Trolls have breached through points in the wall, they are now pouring across the border as we speak, and they have taken numerous positions just beyond the nearly finished fortifications”.
Henriet then put his cup down and asked this soldier “good soldier, where have the Trolls broken through?” “Sire, they have broken through all major points in the wall, the central, eastern and western, they are more numerous than the sands of the river banks, entire populations are coming in, we tried with whatever soldiers we had, there are just too few of our men at the walls, we cannot stop them your majesty” said the panicking soldier. Henriet’s face suddenly grows with worry, he stands up and just as he does, he coughs frantically and even coughs up some of the hot tea he just drank. Since he had returned from the wall, he has been having frequent coughing fits. His soldier rushed to help him, he sat him down and said “thank you good soldier, I need to lead the troops there and force the Trolls back” stammered the king before coughing as he thanked his soldier and stated what he had to do.
“Sire, you cannot go in such a state, you are ill and you have only just returned from the east wall, you mustn’t go, send someone you trust to lead the troops to the wall and see off these ghastly Trolls” said the soldier slowly yet furiously. “No but I must, there are no generals stationed here. And I cannot trust the leadership quality of the regular officers here to lead what men we have here to the wall” said Henriet as he held his head. “Sire, I have it, the princes!” s
aid the soldier. “I cannot put my sons in danger, just go and ready the soldiers at the south gate, I will be there to lead the men” said Henriet, slowly. “Sire, in such a state, I must object to your decision, I am off to prepare the men, in the end you will choose wisely, we all depend on you” said the soldier before whisking out the palace and running to the southern gate. As the soldier left a servant shut the hall door behind him, Henriet sighed and thought for a moment before calling out to the servant “Please help me wake up my sons and hurry” said Henriet, in a calm and friendly manner. Some moments later Henriet watched his sons being lead down the stairs by the servant, who then darts into another room as the princes walked up to their father.
“What is it father?” asked Allan. Elis then went from behind his brother to next to where his father was. “The Trolls are invading from the south, not just warriors on a raid but the masses are migrating, they plan to settle in our lands, that will put the lives of people from all kingdoms and our old problems will ensue”