Chapter 1 PROLOGUE

~1000 years ago~

"You know we can't stay here forever," A young female voice sounded softly. She had golden yellow hair and bright red eyes that glimmered in the sunlight.

She wore a blue dress, and sat under a cherry blossom tree, side by side with a muscular man.

"I don't know, we can't keep running forever, we'll have to settle down soon, especially now that you're with child," he said with a bold voice, staring at the clouds through his emerald green eyes.

The young female gave out a sigh, "We've been to so many kingdoms and fought battles side by side to protect our love, but still we are seen as the enemies by all, I'm starting to feel-"

"Frustrated?" The male asked, cutting her mid-speech as he turned to her. "Are you starting to feel hopeless? This beast that resides within me has caused you so much grief and despair, I would understand completely if you... Wanted to leave-"

"No!" the girl exclaimed softly, cutting him off, "we've already been through a lot together, it would all be a waste if I left you now. I'll die by your side, Griffith..." She concluded.

He smiled, and placed his left arm around her shoulder, saying in a soft voice, "I love you, Emma..."

******

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Emma said, passing her left index finger over her newborn's cheek. "She looks just like you..." Griffith replied with a soft smile.

The room they were in was lit up by numerous candlelights, placed at different corners. It was a small wooden cottage surrounded by grass and trees.

Suddenly a scent spread through the surrounding air. "Do you smell that?" Griffith asked. "I'm not the one with the nose of a thousand blood-hounds. So, no," Emma replied, still staring at her baby.

"Oh no... Not again, not now..." Griffith thought to himself with the mixed emotion of anger and fear, written all over his face.

Emma noticed the look on his face, and asked, "What's wrong? You look like something bit you..."

"Emma, whatever you do, do not leave this room. Stay as quiet as possible, I'll be back shortly...." Griffith said, then kissed his wife on the cheek.

He picked up his sword and quickly rushed outside.

*****

Light from multiple torch flames and noise from an angry crowd could be heard and seen building up from afar. Griffith quickly rushed towards the incoming rioters, clenching tightly on the handle of his sword. "You won't hurt my family, not this time..." he said, angrily.

******

"These creatures have caused us harm beyond repair, so it is time we sent them back to where they belong. To hell!!" One of the rioters yelled, and the entire crowd chanted along, raising pitchforks and torches as they marched through the forest.

"We will take his head and parade it around the kingdom of Demoria, then present it before the king as a gift," another yelled with a devilish smile, and the crowd chanted again.

As they did, a swift whisk of wind blew by, and the entire crowd stopped. The man who had yelled last was the first.

His eyes opened wide, and blood splattered out his throat. His head fell to the ground with a subtle thud, and the entire row of people behind and before him gasped, completely horrified.

"What just happened?" A woman among the crowd yelled, and another whisk of cold wind blew by, this time, slicing the woman vertically in two halves.

As her blood spread on the ground, the crowd scattered in panic. "We're being attacked, the monster has found us before we could even make it to his hiding place..." Random voices yelled, crying out for help.

Although they had scattered, the bloodshed didn't end. More heads flew off bodies, and blood splattered on surrounding trees and grasses like rain.

Griffith walked out of the shadows with his sword, held tightly in his right hand. It had been covered completely by blood, and his face was stained with traces of blood.

"You will not harm my family, not anymore..." He said angrily, slowly walking towards a terrified woman who sat on the ground, crying endlessly and begging for her life.

Her tears meant nothing to Griffith. The pain and sorrow humans had caused him and his wife were more than enough to justify his actions. He already had more than enough reason to slaughter every last human in existence, but one more was going to be added tonight.

He raised his sword, with blood lust in his eyes, and swung it at the woman without hesitation.

"STOP!"

Emma's voice sounded behind him, and his sword stopped just above the woman's forehead.

"Are you out of your mind, the poor woman is begging you and you're acting like you've turned deaf..." She reprimanded angrily.

"Emma, these humans have done nothing but made our lives miserable, they are better off being slaughtered like livestock..." Griffith said, slowly turning to Emma as the lady on the ground got up and ran for her life.

"Look at them Griffith, they are defenseless and have no hope of ever defeating you in a battle. They only do what they do because they are afraid, they have families to protect." Emma said as she watched the woman run away.

"It's funny how you say they have families to protect. What about mine? If they can kill to protect theirs, why can't I kill to protect mine?" Griffith defended.

Emma smiled and replied with a soft voice as tears fell from her eyes, "Because you're different. You're not like them, that's why I love you so much. Please, stop thi-"

Her speech was cut short as a long metal bar pierced through her chest from her back.

"Emma..." Griffith said as his sword fell from his grip. "EMMA!!" He exclaimed, running towards her. The cloaked man who had stabbed her ran into the forest, completely disappearing into the darkness.

Emma fell into Griffith's arms as blood slowly seeped through the hole in her chest. The metal bar had burst through her heart, leaving her with zero chance of survival.

"Emma, Emma, please... Please, Don't die on me... I need you..." Griffith said as tears dripped from his eyes.

Emma raised her right palm, placed it on Griffith's cheek, and smiled. "I've– never seen you– cry before," she said, struggling to breathe.

Griffith held the palm on his cheek tightly as more tears fell from his eyes, "I'm sorry, This is all my fault..." he said between short sobs.

"No... You have done nothing to cause this. I understand your frustration and your want to take it out on them. But please, do not come down to their level. Even if it takes a thousand years, I'm certain they will learn..." Emma said, blood pouring down her lips.

Griffith hugged her tightly, crying nonstop. Emma let out one last breath, asking, "As I promised, I died by your side. Are you proud of me?"

She shut her eyes and stopped breathing.

Griffith slowly placed her body on the ground as a large gust of wind blew by.

"I promise you, they will pay... They will all pay..."