Kingdom of Zarias: The Steep Price of Revenge

By Frank Hyden

As the people of Zarias recover from the epic battle at the end of Book #1 the common thread running through their lives is revenge.

Serena Summers is determined to get revenge on the man who killed her husband and her parents and brothers.

Dustin Summers wants revenge on the corrupt government official who accused him of treason and tried to get him killed.

Galren wants revenge on the woman who attacked him and set back his plans for world domination by nearly a year. He also wants revenge on the unknown person who sapped him of some of his immense power.

Tiana Highsmith wants revenge on her former lover who changed her life forever with a crime of shocking violence.

The rest of the world is seeking to unify in the face of coming danger. In this second book in the epic fantasy series Kingdom of Zarias the Star Crusaders emerge from the shadows. Zach Summers progresses towards his goal of being the most powerful wizard in the land and we also see Xavien and his friends continue their search for pieces of the Dewester Set. This book expands beyond the borders of the title nation and into other Realms.

This is Book #2 in the Kingdom of Zarias series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Hyden
• Release date: Jul 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005055349

Frank Hyden

Frank Hyden has spent his entire life reading and watching every book, movie, and TV show he can in his relentless pursuit of knowledge. He considers open-mindedness and empathy to be among the most important traits one should strive for. A lifelong sports fan, Frank enjoys following the ups and downs of a game and season.

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Timeline

WE'RE IN THE YEAR 1057 of the Third Era of the Modern Age. The attack on Kingsberry, the capital of the country of Zarias, on December 10 3E 1056 by the evil necromancers Novah and Rosalie has been repelled. The world knows of the dangers Zarias faced but none outside of the country truly knows just how close Zarias came to falling that day. The Third Era almost ended and the world was nearly thrust into turmoil like it had been previously.

TIMELINE

Significant events have taken place throughout the nearly six millennia of the Modern Era.

FIRST ERA

The First Era began when Ferris Dominiceus ascended to the role that became known as High Wizard when he fought and defeated the Demon King Theloshagorath Gorobrahmagus at the site of what would become Kingsberry. That day would be known as Day Zero and would go down in history as the day the world started. Ferris was only able to save approximately 20 of each race and it became their job to repopulate the world. The majority of the planet was ruined and destroyed and became uninhabitable after the battle between Ferris and Theolshagorath. Only the ten countries that remained were left and were assigned to each race.

Drziong- Leipert

Fliyr- Fllighan

Kolftac- Nefiel

Levalin- Merglin

Rexadal- Goretigan

Surhameret- Velen

Unal- Zatine

Urobi- Woldfer

Vhaharen- Wvarden

Zarias- Humans

The First Era ends on 1E 2844 during the Battle of Graywood in the country of Unal when Ferris sacrificed himself to kill the near-unstoppable Anunnaki leader Enlil.

1E 0- Ferris Dominiceus kills Theloshagorath Gorobrahmagus at the Battle of Fort Wayne.

1E March 11, 91- Ferris Dominiceus founds the neutral country Cooperantur in the ocean west of Zarias. Its intent was to allow for a place where all nations could send representatives that would work together to make the world a better place by ruling as fairly as possible and as dictated by the citizens.

1E November 1, 187- Ferris Dominiceus finishes creating the Carnelian Tower.

1E May 29, 332- Ferris Dominiceus imbues his friends Tyrone and Mary Graves with Psionic abilities that can be passed down to their descendants, thus making them the progenitors of all Psionics in history.

1E February 18, 1072- Mt. Argen erupts and destroys the city of Greenbark, burying it under 50 feet of ash and lava. The city of Candlewick would eventually be built in its place.

1E November 9, 1521- Waldorf Blanton unsuccessfully challenges Ferris Dominiceus to a magical duel for the ownership of Cooperantur and loses an eye in the ensuing battle.

1E August 30, 1890- The rogue wizard Stalago Glimer publishes his seminal journal The Planes of Reality, detailing the many different Planes of existence that he's traveled to.

1E March 11, 2091- Waldorf Blanton destroys Cooperantur by creating a massive whirlpool underneath it that sucks the entire country down into the ocean, killing over 50,000 of its inhabitants. The whirlpool becomes permanent and is named Blanton's Portal after Waldorf is cast into it by Ferris Dominiceus and is never seen again.

1E March 11, 2191- Ferris Dominiceus creates the Hanging Bridges of Cooperantur. Those brave enough can sail to the permanent portal and emerge on a free-floating bridge above the waters at the site where Cooperantur vanished into the sea. The connecting bridges are suspended above the raging waters of Blanton's Portal and are dedicated to the memories of those who died that day.

1E May 29, 2844- The Battle of Graywood begins as the Anunnaki leader Enlil travels from the AnKi Realm to Unal to enslave all of its inhabitants.

1E May 30, 2844- The First Era ends when Ferris Dominiceus sacrifices himself to kill Anunnaki leader Enlil.

SECOND ERA

The Second Era began when Tedrick Blockthorn became the second High Wizard of Zarias and created the High Wizard's Council along with representatives of the remaining 9 countries. Ferris Dominiceus is considered the first High Wizard of each country and after his death, each country had its own High Wizards. The original Council was as follows-

High Wizard of Zarias- Tedrick Blockthorn

High Wizard of Levalin- Klent Bartholomew

High Wizard of Vhaharen- Colog Ashay

High Wizard of Kolftac- Cesar Goode

High Wizard of Unal- Prant Thogner

High Wizard of Drziong- Drig Atathlon

High Wizard of Rexadal- Gleeg Sunmer

High Wizard of Surhameret- Yan Red Bloom

High Wizard of Fliyr- Micks Flataven

High Wizard of Urobi- Del Ubo

The Second Era ended on 2E 1955 when King Elivo Tanimount of Zarias declared it over after winning the War of the Kings and unifying the entire country under his rule, the first such time in the Modern Era that Zarias was ruled under a single banner.

2E June 4, 0- The Second Era begins when Tedrick Blockthorn becomes the second High Wizard of Zarias, the first Velen to do so, and forms the High Wizards Council.

2E October 28, 44- Antony Dewester finishes creating the Dewester Set, his signature Mythic Item, and the most powerful item ever created.

2E November 29, 288- Hilms Doegham founds the Executioners of Kelvrin.

2E January 2, 735- The Devil King Sar'argwetin invades the island nation Urobi, seeking to capture the large island nation to the south of Zarias for himself. King Hale Nemas leads the Urobi Army versus the invaders in the Battle of Urobi.

2E January 3, 735- Tedrick Blockthorn disappears during a massive explosion during the Battle of Urobi. The island nation is completely destroyed and wiped from the map. The ocean is renamed in honor of King Hale Nemas.

2E February 1, 735- Legent Stiano becomes the third High Wizard of Zarias, the first Merglin to hold that honor.

2E August 3, 780- Legent Stiano finishes creating the island of Gentano approximately 100 miles to the west of Surhameret in Old Hale's Ocean. Its purpose is to honor both the nation of Urobi and Tedrick Blockthorn. Stiano adds to Gentano over the centuries until its size rivals that of Levalin, his homeland.

2E October 20, 1113- The Four Ones War begins in Zarias as one of the five Kings of Zarias, David Benoest, is assassinated by the Executioners of Kelvrin and the remaining four Kings vie for control of his land. Contrary to popular belief, the name of the war comes not from the four Kings all vying to become the one King but from a mistaken calculation of scholars decades after the war that attributed the assassination of Benoest and the start of the war to two years before it actually began.

2E April 19, 1118- The Four Ones War officially ends with no meaningful resolution, though skirmishes would continue for the next decade until the four Kings agreed to name the disputed land a neutral territory.

2E December 23, 1397- Antony Dewester is poisoned and killed before he can complete the follow-up to his namesake Mythic Item set. Accusations abound that the Executioners of Kelvrin carried out the assassination at the behest of Harrison Dithume, one of the four Kings of Zarias but both sides deny any involvement.

2E September 1, 1534- Legent Stiano and the Demon Lord Wiyntreg are killed during the Battle of Dalry as Stiano helped fight off an invading Demon army led by Wiyntreg.

2E October 2, 1534- Adamaris Koble becomes the fourth High Wizard of Zarias, the first woman to hold that rank.

2E March 27, 1672- Gentano sinks into Old Hale’s Ocean after a series of explosions that can be heard in Surhameret and Vhaharen. It’s unknown what caused the island to sink but rumors abound that it’s the work of Devils, or perhaps Demons, or maybe even the work of mortals.

2E December 13, 1878- The Demon army led by Razackel mysteriously vanishes after winning the Battle of Mnemgan on Bagos Island off the coast of Fliyr. Neither the army nor the city of Mnemgan are ever seen again.

2E February 14, 1887- The fourth High Wizard of Zarias, Adamaris Koble, is discovered dead in her quarters, her body ravaged by age and nearly unrecognizable.

2E March 17, 1887- Wagner Jensen becomes the fifth High Wizard of Zarias.

2E December 30, 1951- The War of the Kings begins when Queen Lenore Belgarden kills Queen Alyice Tanimount in what was supposed to be a friendly jousting match, causing her husband Elivo to declare war.

2E November 22, 1955- The Second Era ends when King Elivo Tanimount unifies Zarias under his banner after winning the War of the Kings.

THIRD ERA

The Third Era has seen the most and fastest advancement in magic, especially among the common folk. However, that's come with a price, that being that this era has seen the most wars.

3E January 1, 0- The Third Era officially begins when Elivo Tanimount declares himself King of Zarias.

3E May 14, 20- King Elivo Tanimount dies in his sleep and his son Clarence assumes the throne, though he only holds the crown for a little over a year before he's killed by his brother Joseph.

3E April 19, 29- The Second Vhaharen Civil War begins as Queen Jacia breaks with her son Prince Najeer after the death of King Reyland under mysterious circumstances.

3E February 3, 35- The Second Vhaharen Civil War ends as Queen Jacia kills Prince Najeer at a treaty signing in an event known as The Night of the Red Sky.

3E June 2, 212- The Rexadal-Zarias War begins as Queen Pulsvit of Rexadal orders the invasion and annexation of the Rotterwood Province of Zarias.

3E July 17, 215- King Terry II of Zarias ends the Rexadal-Zarias War by signing over control of the Herve islands near Rexadal, islands which to this day lay empty and unused.

3E August 11, 439- Kolftac officially joins Levalin and Vhaharen and unifies the Quisezthrun continent for the first time under the rule of King Myco.

3E December 9, 615- King Yael officially closes Unal's borders to foreign trade, triggering The Great Famine that results in the deaths of over 200,000 Unalian citizens over the next 30 years.

3E September 15, 644- Queen Hilary of Zarias overthrows King Yael of Unal and installs her hand-picked successor James Reuto in his place. However, the Unalian people rebel and oust King James and the Unalian Civil War begins as four different groups for control of the country.

3E November 26, 653- After nearly a decade of fierce fighting the four groups vying for control of Unal agree to split the country and each control their own region, bringing an end to the fighting that saw over 100,000 Unalian citizens killed.

3E June 30, 777- The Three Sevens War begins as Zarias invades southern Unal and annex both regions, causing Vhaharen to annex the two northern regions. Rexadal and Drziong then join forces to expel both Zarias and Vhaharen from the two eastern regions so they can assume control of them. The four regions of Unal claim independence from all invading armies. Surhameret maintains neutrality through the conflict.

3E March 26, 779- Vhaharen abandons all claims in the regions of Unal and withdraws from the Three Sevens War.

3E April 10, 783- Zarias abandons all claims in the regions of Unal and withdraws from the Three Sevens War.

3E September 22, 784- Rexadal and Drziong declare war on each other, starting the Prolar War and ending the Three Sevens War. Rexadal wanted the country of Drziong for themselves as they believed that the continually erupting volcano Prolar there could provide them with immense power.

3E December 2, 817- Ramon Del Nitto forms the Star Crusaders.

3E July 8, 977- Raefoten Nar assumes control of the Executioners of Kelvrin.

3E October 21, 1004- The Imperien Stuimm Narras uses his mind control to start the Third Drziong Civil War, known as The War of the Winds in Zarias.

3E January 18, 1006- The Third Drziong Civil War ends at the Battle of Rylin as the Imperien Stuimm Narras is killed.

3E February 18, 1025- The country of Unal is ravaged and all its citizens are killed by an invading army of demons led by Merlag K'tha. That army is then systematically hunted down and killed by the mysterious figure known only as Ignotum Hominum, the Nameless Man.

3E January 1, 1033- Prince Horace Jenkins ascends to the throne and becomes the 41st Monarch of the Kingdom of Zarias after the peaceful abdication and retirement of his father William II.

3E April 4, 1053- The Pelofahine War begins as the evil necromancer Pelogithis captures the city of Easthollow.

3E May 24, 1053- The Fifth Battle of Dragontail is won by Legions One and Two of the King's Army. The surviving soldiers are sailed to Winthrope by ships owned by Gregory Whitethorn.

3E May 25, 1053- The Third Battle of Winthrope is won by Legions Three and Four of the King's Army as they drive out the forces of Pelogithis and force them to retreat back to Trottington.

3E May 29, 1053- The 75 citizens of the city of Trottington stage a dramatic last stand to delay Pelogithis and his forces and give the combined King's Army enough time to march north from Winthrope.

3E May 30, 1053- The Pelofahine War ends as Pelogithis and his forces are killed in the Battle of the Ice Plains.

3E August 10, 1056- The Duke of Argen, Lawrence Davidson, is killed along with the Legion Legate of Legion Two, Trevor Thomas, sparking the Argen Civil War.

3E August 15, 1056- First known appearance of Galren, as his forces burn the city of Balania to the ground and kill all its citizens.

3E August 21-22, 1056- The Battle of Eastcliff is fought and the Imperium Stuimm Valstek is defeated, ending the Argen Civil War.

3E December 10, 1056- The Battle of Kingsberry is fought and the necromancers Novah and Rosalie are defeated. Novah is killed.

Chapter 2: The Cabin

3E FEBRUARY 23, 1057  Serena

The Battle of Kingsberry was a little over two months ago. Serena Summers was finally reunited with her brothers Dustin and Daniel, as they were all part of the force battling and killing the insane necromancer Novah. In truth, most of the population of Zarias fought that day. Everyone contributed in whatever way they could and together they prevailed. There was a lot of death and loss, the scars of which will never fully heal, especially with all this coming so soon after the Battle of Eastcliff.

Nearly every family in Zarias lost a loved one in one of those battles but the healing has begun as peace spreads throughout the land. The specter of Galren still looms over everything but there have been no sightings of him in months so it's believed he's either dead or injured. The truth is he's both but that will become apparent later.

Serena and her friends stayed with Daniel's Company in Legion One for nearly a week after Novah's death as they were stationed in Birkshire to ensure peace had really come. She wanted to spend as much time with her brothers as possible before setting out to find Clive Woods, her new teacher. That's assuming that he's willing to take her on as a pupil. If not, she'll have to rely on teachers within the King's Army. She was offered that assistance while spending time with her brothers but none of the rest of the members of her party are too keen on entrenching themselves further into the military than they have to. An incident only a few days into their stay with Legion One highlighted the importance of Serena training to control the Berserker Rage that dwells within her, a blessing from her father that she considers a curse.

December 17th

What did you say? Serena's long red hair swishes back and forth as she yells at Thomas, a member of the Dirty Devils squad and rival to her brother Daniel.

You heard me! Thomas spits back. I said Daniel will never be the soldier Dustin is so he should quit trying and run off with you lot! Thomas is 5'11" and already has several years of fighting experience despite only being 22 years old. His neatly trimmed short brown hair and goatee show off his devilish good looks.

You should watch your mouth, young man! Livia shouts as she puts her left hand on Serena's right arm in an attempt to corral her and possibly calm her down. It doesn't work.

You're an idiot! Serena stands up from the table that she and Livia were sitting and eating at. Livia also stands, her graceful beauty accentuated by her tan skin and waist-length dark brown hair. She's a few inches shorter than Serena at 5'3". Livia's a Velen, a race of extremely long-lived people who average about five and a half feet tall and can have skin colors ranging from white to pale red to dark blue. Livia's red eyes narrow as she looks at Thomas. The dozen or so soldiers nearby are also looking on, some going to alert the higher-ups.

What are you doing? Atticus asks Thomas as he leans over to him. Atticus is a Wvarden, a large and muscular race who excel at being warriors. They average about six feet tall and their skin can be any color from gray to brown to green. Atticus is 6'1'' and 260 pounds with light gray skin and short black hair and is ruggedly handsome even to humans.

I'm just curious to see if she's learned anything since being smacked aside by Galren like a flea! Thomas answers as he stands. And to see if weakness runs in the family! Serena's eyes widen at that remark and her face darkens with a scowl.

Great. Livia mutters to herself, knowing that Thomas is pushing Serena too far. Serena, don't do this! You've got to stay calm! Livia knows her words are falling on deaf ears so she leaves to go find Niall in the hopes that his relentless optimism can prevent things from going too badly.

Do you really want to know? Serena angrily yells. I'll show you! Her green eyes instantly turn all white as she gives in to her Berserker Rage, her body trembling with increased energy and strength.

Excellent. Thomas smirks as this is exactly what he wanted to happen. He wants to test himself and show his superiority. Serena lunges at him a few times but barely comes within a foot of hitting Thomas so she growls and pulls her sword out. Several of the soldiers shout out, knowing that things are going too far.

Serena, stop! Ramona says as she runs up to the scene with Morgan. Ramona's a wizard who's specialized in healing. She stands 5'3" and her shoulder-length brown hair and light blue eyes contrast nicely with the tan robes she wears. She's never witnessed one of Serena's rages firsthand, though she's heard stories from the others. That doesn't prepare her for when Serena turns towards her with a snarl and she recoils at the sight of Serena's beautiful face contorted with barely controlled rage.

I'm going to put up an Invisible Wall! Morgan shouts. He's also a wizard but he's specialized in offensive spells. He stands 6'1" and has neatly combed short black hair and a goatee. He kind of looks like a slightly older version of Thomas.

That's all right, Morgan, I'll handle this! Niall rushes past everyone and places himself between Serena and Thomas.

Stand aside! Thomas yells at the yellow-skinned and black-eyed Velen with waist-length brown hair. I want to see what she's got!

I saw you when we were fighting all those undead... Niall trails off as he dodges a few attacks from Serena. You're good, really good.

Good? I'm great. Thomas scoffs.

What's going on here? Dustin asks. He was the second-in-command of Legion Two before taking over as Legion Legate at the start of the Argen Civil War. His actions during the Battle of Eastcliff and the Battle of Kingsberry have earned him a legendary reputation as one of the most feared fighters in the land. His entire 6'1" frame seems to be filled with muscle and his dirty blonde hair was recently shaved, though he's kept the blonde beard he's been growing so he certainly seems like a man you don't want to mess with.

I'm just testing your little sister! Thomas answers.

We don't have time for this! Dustin mutters as he strides towards the fight.

Careful, Dustin, she'll attack anybody when she's like this! Niall tells him a second before Dustin dodges Serena's sword swing and quickly disarms her, sending her sword clattering across the ground. He then grabs her right wrist and puts her arm behind her back in one quick move. Serena growls and spins away as she punches Dustin in the jaw with her left hand. That's her off-hand and so it doesn't have as much force behind it, only slightly bruising Dustin's lower lip. He still has her right arm, though, and he hiptosses her to the ground.

We don't have time for this! Dustin repeats.

Whoa, what's going on? Daniel shouts as he runs up to the scene. He's had a bit of a growth spurt and is now 6'2", though he's nowhere near as muscular as his brother is. He still keeps his shoulder-length blonde hair pinned back most of the time.

Don't worry guys, I got this! Niall says as he grabs Serena's right arm from Dustin and pulls her away from everyone until she turns her full attention to him and chases him into the nearby forest.

We have to be ready at a moment's notice! Dustin says. You never know where the next danger could be!

Exactly! Your sister's too dangerous to stay here! Thomas nods. How are we supposed to focus on real danger when we have to worry about your sister throwing a tantrum all the time?

Maybe if you didn't push her and try to get under her skin... Livia mutters.

Guys...it's over. Novah's dead, we killed him. Morgan says as he looks around.

What about the next danger? And the one after that? Dustin shakes his head. We can't take any chances. If we relax, people die.

Well...we were going to be moving on in a few days anyway. Morgan nods.

Indeed, we need to go to Miller's Forest and look for this new teacher for Serena. Livia agrees.

That's probably for the best. Dustin says. I love Serena but...she needs more help than I can give her. Dustin notices Daniel looking at him with a troubled look on his face. I don't know how to be a Berserker, I can't help her with that. Controlling that rage...I...I don't know the first thing about that.

We've got people here who can help with that, though. Atticus chimes in. Trained Berserkers who know what they're doing.

Yeah, but...I don't think she wants to stay. Dustin says. I think she wants to make it on her own, make her own way.

I get it. That's one of the reasons I left Vhaharen. Atticus nods. Vhaharen is the ancestral homeland of Wvardens.

We'll leave in a few days but until then...everyone just please be on your best behavior, okay? Ramona adds, looking at Thomas the entire time. During this entire conversation, Daniel's been staring at the ground, trying to not show the emotions that are washing over him. He's going to really miss Serena and worry about her. However, he's also worried about Dustin and his friends. He's worried about everyone in the world and how they're going to deal with losing so many loved ones. He's not paying attention for the next few minutes as everyone else continues talking. Eventually, Niall returns and requests for someone to carry Serena back to her tent. A burly member of the Dirty Devils squad named Adam quickly volunteers, as he has a crush on Serena and leaps at the chance to help her. The rest of the day passes without incident and when Serena wakes up she immediately goes to the tent her brothers have been sharing.

I'm sorry for yesterday. Serena says as she looks down at the ground. Dustin and Daniel are both sitting outside the tent eating.

What happened? Why'd you lose it like that? Daniel asks.

It's that Thomas! He... Serena starts to answer but trails off. It doesn't matter. I...I just shouldn't have let him get to me.

Just promise you'll be on your best behavior until...were you still leaving in a few days? Dustin asks.

Well...it might be best if we leave today. Serena looks at the ground. I don't want to cause anymore problems.

I understand. Dustin stands up.

You're leaving now? Daniel asks as he also stands. Serena nods, tears forming in her eyes. Stay in contact. Daniel hugs Serena.

Send a Messenger Bird when you can. Dustin puts his arms around Daniel and Serena. Messenger Birds are magical energy that are used to carry messages back and forth. Most experienced wizards are capable of using them.

Yeah, I'll get Morgan or...Ramona to send them when I can. Serena's voice strains with emotion. She doesn't want to leave but she knows she has to. Yesterday just reinforced that she has to find some way to control the rage roiling within her. She also wants to meet this Clive that her former teacher told her about.

Send them to Janice...as many as you want. Daniel says as he tries to keep his voice steady.

I'll be back, I promise. As soon as I'm fixed. Serena says as she wipes away her tears.

You're not broken, you just have to...once you learn to control this you'll be... Dustin trails off as he hugs his siblings.

You'll be unstoppable. Daniel finishes.

I'll settle for normal. Serena chuckles through her tears.

I love you, Serena. Daniel tells her.

I love you guys. Be safe. Serena sighs.

Don't worry about us, you be safe. I love you. Dustin hugs his sister. With that Serena and her friends leave for Miller's Forest. They spend the next two months looking all throughout the large forest but are unable to find any clues that a master swordsman lives there. A few times Niall or Livia found footprints but they vanish shortly after they start following them. It appears as though hope of finding anything is lost until one sunny morning.

Guys! Guys! Come here! Niall excitedly yells. The others are at their camp and have just started waking up for breakfast. Niall had already been searching for an hour and came across something he's sure is what they're looking for. Morgan and Ramona aren't well-suited for searching like this so they've been spending most of their time in Ivywood or Blencalgo helping to heal people or following leads on possible Dewester Set pieces. However, they're here this morning and they join Livia and a bleary-eyed Serena as they go to see what Niall is yelling about.

This better be important, dear, I was about to make breakfast. Livia says as they walk up to Niall who's standing in front of some large trees.

Do you see? Do you see it? Niall points at one of the large trees.

No. Morgan says as Serena shakes her head and yawns.

I'll give you a hint. Just look at the way the morning sun hits the tree. Niall grins.

Perhaps you should just tell us, dear? Livia suggests.

Aww...all right. Niall responds with disappointment. Okay...here. Niall points at a part of the tree that doesn't seem to quite match with the rest of the trunk. That's a different color. Well, shade but you know what I mean. Everyone else just sighs as they wait.

So a different shade means...it's rotten? Morgan asks.

No. Niall shakes his head. Watch this. Niall takes his hand and slowly runs it over the tree until his fingers disappear.

Whoa! Ramona exclaims. Niall puts his entire arm through the tree and starts to put his leg in there as well.

It's an illusion! Morgan says as he quickly casts a counterspell. The three wide trees disappear and a path emerges leading to a house hidden deep within the forest.

Aw man, I was going to... Niall trails off with more disappointment.

That's why we couldn't find it! Livia nods. Come on, dear, let's go! Livia grabs Niall's hand and they start walking up to the house. As Morgan and Ramona pull a still sleepy Serena behind them a Velen with dark blue skin and pale white braided hair comes out of the cabin.

Who are you people? What are you doing here? The Velen demands.

Are you Clive Woods? Livia asks.

No one's called me that in years! The Velen answers. Yeah, I'm Clive. Who are you?

Chapter 3: The Star Crusaders

3E JANUARY 8, 1057  Ramon

The Star Crusaders group has been shrouded in mystery from its meager origins 238 years ago as a group of four people who banded together to kill a vampire that was stalking their town to the massive multi-country organization it is today.

There have been many constants over the years within the group, chief among them being that Ramon Del Nitto has run the group for its entire existence. Ramon is a 5'8" light red-skinned Velen with long black hair and delicate features that belie his toughness and tenacity. He's dedicated his life to destroying the monsters of the world. Ramon is joined on his mission by his hand-picked quartet of chapter leaders.

Qin Kwilt (pronounced like Ken Quilt) is a 6'1" human who runs the Zarias Chapter of the Star Crusaders. Qin is an albino who always felt ostracized from his dark-skinned family, even though most of them never treated him differently and embraced him as part of the family. Qin has no body hair whatsoever and red eyes so he always felt inside that he was a monster, though he's now accepted that part of him and realizes that it's what's inside that matters.

Hessaka Alltrees is a 5'3" dark blue-skinned Velen with long white hair who runs the Rawleon Chapter of the Star Crusaders, which incorporates Surhameret and Fliyr. Her parents were killed by a pair of werewolves who ran wild in Surhameret over 200 years ago. It's been claimed that Hessaka killed the werewolves with the help of her two brothers that were also slain during the fighting and that she was turned into a werewolf herself but Hesseka dismisses such stories as irrelevant to her role as one of the leaders in the Star Crusaders.

Ablatt Ax Xamdo is a bald 6'11" light green-skinned Wvarden who runs the Quisezthrun Chapter of the Star Crusaders, which includes Vhaharen, Kolftac, and Levalin. Ablatt's family was killed in an apparent Tanto attack, though details are sketchy as he was a young child at the time and there were no witnesses. In fact, Ablatt's actual last name is unknown as his entire bloodline was killed during the attack. He adopted the Xamdo last name as it was his mother's dying word, though she could have just been telling him to travel to Xamdo, which is the largest city in Vhaharen.

Hawlat Muxlather is a 5'7" dark green-skinned Leipert who runs the Drziong and Rexadal Chapters of the Star Crusaders. Hawlat's small childhood village was captured and razed to the ground 51 years ago during the War of the Winds, the Leipert Civil War. Only Hawlat, his cousin, and two of his friends survived the attack as they hid among the dead bodies of the other villagers.

Each member of the Star Crusaders has created a symbol that they use when they send messages to each other. It originally started as a way to conceal their identity but over time with the addition of younger people it's now become about who can come up with the coolest symbol while staying within the limitations of only using the first letters of your name. The Star Crusaders also have a group symbol, a four-pointed star.

Ramon and the leaders of each chapter