Chapter 1 PROLOGUE

Many moons ago, there existed a great island known as Agron, which abounded with wealth and beauty. Under the leadership of Chief Lanklis, black magic became a crime throughout the island, for there existed an eternal war betwixt Rezos, the god of goodness, and Arzalon, the god of evil.

There came a time when Zirik, the greatest overlord in the western region, craved for unprecedented power. He was desirous to turn the western region into a kingdom under his sway, for there was a lot of people who were willing to uphold his course and set up revolt for his sake.

Chief Lanklis, in order to stop Zirik, turned to Darlia, the greatest overlord in the southern region. Without any delay did Darlia seek the help of four other overlords, viz. Radak, Zedzka, Monti and Letta.

The five overlords gathered their men and joined forces together as a militia, having set up a bargain with Chief Lanklis. When Zirik saw that war was close at hand, he gathered together men and women and set up a militia.

Zirik and his militia engaged their rivals in a very bloody battle and fought like ravenous beasts. When Zirik saw that defeat had almost befallen him, he took with him the rest of his militiamen and fled to a forest called Desporas. There he made a deal with Arzalon on behalf of himself and his surviving militiamen.

Arzalon, very pleased that he had found the favourable means to procure the lion's share of the island, gave Zirik an emerald chest that abounded with dark magic powers, but Zirik and his surviving militiamen never made it out of Desporas.

They perished when Arzalon caused the air to cease in Desporas, but only one man, Zorakx, made it out of Desporas with the emerald chest since Arzalon chose to spare Zorakx's life and took Zirik to Kyrogid, the land of the evil spirits.

Peace eventually reigned in Agron after the civil war, and Chief Lanklis decided to honour his own part of the bargain that he had made with the five overlords.

Therefore, he split Agron into five great provinces according to the five overlords who had joined forces to fight with Zirik and his militiamen, naming the provinces according to the names of the five overlords. The crown and throne went to Darlia, whereupon Darlia became the royal city according to the will of Rezos.

When Zorakx opened the emerald chest, the militiamen who had followed Zirik to Desporas were resurrected. They became zombies that would never leave Desporas.

Agron fell under an enchantment, hence whoever sailed beyond the waters of the realm would never find their way back, and Agron became a ghost to the world beyond its waters. Alas, the beautiful island had become a prison of its own in the midst of the measureless seas.

Zorakx called the emerald chest the Curse of Zirik, for it was heavy with occult evils. Unhinged by the power of the Curse of Zirik, Zorakx plunged from the brink of a mountaintop and died. However, Rezos took his soul to Saz Draal, the land of the good spirits.

Before the whereabouts of the Curse of Zirik became an enigma to the sons and daughters of Agron, occultists tried to quell the darkness of the emerald chest. Unfortunately, a great evil that was detrimental to the island was the outcome each time the chest was opened.

To a few learned occultists, Desporas became a forbidden place on the island. Alas, the kingdom abounded with serious cases of the black arts. Alas, in the absence of trust amongst the provinces, each of the five provinces set up an army of its own.

Centuries, but centuries had gone by since the ground zero of monarchy in Agron, and there came the days when renowned faces became slaves to the cupidity for more and more power.