Prologue

It was the year 1263 and the bloodiest and fiercest battle to ever take place on Gard soil was underway. This was not the first time that the opposing sides known as Deluge and Hakan had clashed. These sides had come up against each other for over three hundred years. The story that brought about the conflict goes thus:

Over a thousand years ago, the family line known as the Deluge clan had been placed over the sacred earth element – water. The Deluge name translated to mean water. It was their contention that water was the only purifying element in existence. All other elements were subject to be ruled by water. The Deluge bloodline passed through the generations, the responsibility to assure that all evil or wrongdoing was vanquished by the sacred element. Their number were scattered across the world and they carried with them the blessings of the gods as they wiped out evil and injustice. Among that number were such concepts as Satan worshipers, criminally insane persons, and any force that opposed the element of purification – the element sanctified by the Creator.

About the same time, another line of men came into being. That bloodline was known as the Hakan line. The Hakan name translated to mean fire. The gods had afforded to this line the purifying element of fire. Among their number a select few were made the gatekeepers between hell and earth. This clan maintained a balance between both worlds. Without this line the fires from hell would take over the world, and then death, mayhem, and discontent would ravage the earth. Just as the Deluge line was, so was the Hakan’s. They traveled across the globe on the wings of fire and challenged any evil or impure being.

It was only inevitable that the two bloodlines would cross and that a challenge for the right of power would ensue. But instead of taking their own teaching unto themselves, they took to warring ways, and the struggle for supremacy began. For three hundred years the challenge was met again and again with no victor in sight. The fight against evil across the land was forgotten as attention was now drawn to the never-ending battle. The world began to run rampant with evil, and the dastardly deeds of man grew ever more vile with each passing decade.

The Deluge line felt that fire and those who worshiped it, were the worst of all beings, for it was believed they sought to destroy purity by burning it all out of existence. The Hakan line thought the same about the Deluge line. Unknown to either side, they both were actually on the side of right, striving to reach the same goal. But fire and water were opposites; therefore, in their minds, this made them enemies or rivals for the survival of themselves and the right to maintain or gain the position of watch-guard over the earth. The creators had hoped both sides would work together, create a balance between the elements, and bring peace to the earth. But it did not come to pass.

It came about that man began to choose sides in the struggle, and over a two hundred year time span one fourth of the earth’s population of men had been killed in fierce battles between the two sides. This began to bring about an imbalance in the circle of life. Ferocious wars took place all over the globe as chaos ensued, and an uprising of great armies for both sides became the focus for all mankind. There was also a sacred law to be followed, as dictated by the Deluge and Hakan sides. Neither side was to mingle by way of blood, for it was feared that if such an event ever occurred then a curse of death would be placed upon the entire family line, and their position of power would be forfeit.

Now it was within one certain village in England that the fiercest struggles took place – these battles occurred nearly every day, for this was where the leaders of the opposing armies met to challenge each other. The name of the village was at that time called Gard, but later became known as Tremaine, which translated meant village encircled by stone. It was named thus for a very good reason, as one can now see.

So bloody and intense became the battles that soon even children took up arms. Blood flowed like water, and human bodies became the main course for scavengers from both the air and the land. The very ground became red, saturated with blood, and the earth cried out in agony and screamed for justice. One evening, the fountain located in the heart of the village began to run red, as if the earth was crying tears of blood. This fountain was later called Ruby Tears, which meant blood tears.

The gods heard the earth’s wailings, its lamentations, and its demands for atonement, and they acted upon that cry. The last battle on record was said to have taken place in the year 1263. Legend states that all but two who were locked in battle were turned to stone on the spot as the gods rained a curse of the ages upon them.

A magnificent wind blew up fast and furious and thunder rumbled across the sky as streaks of blinding white lightening struck the ground within the village. The clash of swords rang out across the land but was soon drowned out by the sounds of the gods’ anger. With a great flash of fiery red light, all men engaged in the mighty fight were instantly turned to stone. The village became a lifeless ghost town within a matter of seconds, and all that remained were pillars of gray stones strewn about the land. Thus the villages’ name, Tremaine, came to be.

But the gods were not through handing down their punishment, for the earth continued to cry out for justice, for atonement. The battle between the two sides had taken over the world of man, and the gods decided to make each side suffer by forcing them to live through hell on earth in order to see the error of their ways.

All that remained in human form upon the accursed land was each leader of the warring sides – Deluge of the element of water, and Hakan of the element of fire. As the area around them was laid to waste, they each lowered their sword long enough to peer around in order to discover that they were alone, but as soon as they faced each other again they took up their arms and continued their struggle. The same fierce storm immediately swept in, overtook them, and brought an abrupt halt to their battle. A great voice then rang out and echoed off the jagged, stone pillars around them. A curse was placed upon them both – them and their line. The gods, who had looked favorably upon both lines over the ages, was heart stricken to think of destroying them, so they opted for an alternate punishment.

How is this story known? It so happened that one young man who had never taken up with either side had hidden himself behind a large tree near the village and had seen and heard all that transpired that fateful day. He then ran back to spread the news to the townsfolk in the next village. That village was known as Draco. This man had heard the curse that befell both men and he also heard the riddle that had been spoken out of the mouth of the gods as thunder and lightening rang forth from the sky, and as fire and water fell from the heavens turning Gard into a wasteland.

Once the villagers heard the news, they ran to Gard to see the truth with their own eyes. As they looked upon a ghost village, they asked the man to once again repeat what the curse was, and he was only too pleased to relate the message for all to hear. He went on to recite the gods’ words:

The blood you have spilt has opened the earth’s heart. The one from water must trust the one created from fire. Water shall become like fire as the heart doth burn, but water must quench the thirst. And when that fire has taken upon itself, control, harmony among man, and mercy for an enemy, only then shall the challenge be appeased and the curse lifted.

The news of the great disaster and of the curse upon the Deluge and Hakan lines spread across the globe like a wildfire, and over time, warring parties laid down their arms in the struggle of which side was to reign. The village of Draco then had a responsibility to keep the story alive and to be ever watchful for the resulting outpour of the curse – for the gods had released into their midst a great, green dragon which was destined to seek out the answer to the riddle that held it captive by a magical, binding spell. And the village also had to bear witness to the other cursed man who, within two year’s time, succumbed to insanity and was buried in a small cemetery near Gard, henceforth called Tremaine. In that cemetery, a large mausoleum was erected in which Deluges’ remains were placed, and over that same building, the dragon rested. Throughout the many years to follow, the two sides were never separated even in death or by way of the curse.

From the year 1263 until the present day, the townspeople of Draco were destined to keep the truth behind the horror, alive. Throughout those years the villagers looked on helplessly as the dragon swooped down upon their village and rained fire upon the land. For hundreds of years they watched and waited for the riddle to be solved and for the curse to be lifted. But with every passing decade, hope dimmed until it was all but forgotten. It was believed that the curse would never be lifted, for over time when the two warring sides did find the chance to meet, no peace came from it. Usually the Deluge side found fault in the coming together and so the curse continued…that is, until one day there arose one whose capacity for love was great – and in that truth there was renewed hope.