[Rosekitten]

Darkness was falling across the lands, each region being engulfed by the newly appointed Queen of the shadowed lands. Lands known for their eternal darkness, holding strange and dreadful creatures only told in myths and seen in nightmares. These lands rarely saw sunlight, the plants that grew even were different from those of the rest of the realm. Glowing in the dark being the main source of light for the inhabitants of these feared lands. Even with all of the tales and fears that followed them from these shadowed lands, they still retained peace with the neighboring regions... until now.

A new Queen had overthrown the elderly one who had ruled for so many years. Slowly she began to build her forces and poison the minds of her followers. Spouting such tales as the other regions sought to destroy them and that it was their duty to stand and fight, to deliver the first blow before the enemy had the chance to strike. So easily did she sway so many of the expired Queen's forces. She had everything right in the palm of her hand, anyone that stood in her way would pay the price... in blood.

The seer's words were all too true, the young Queen planned to send her forces to the next kingdom. To destroy all that it stood for, to enslave it's people and rule over the lands there as well. Though not all of her so called faithful soldiers agreed with her methods of destruction. The few who did stand up or speak were quickly silenced along with their families. Even long after the kingdom fell the Queen made sure anyone who disagreed with her was hunted down and eliminated.

This in turn lead to whole villages being destroyed and wiped out, not leaving a single woman or child alive. A wizard lost everything he had due to the Queen's rage as she lashed out at a small village and ripped the life from every living thing there. One of her top wizards, a royal lapdog soon heard word of this and requested a order of leave. Sure he had heard rumors of the name of the village but he prayed to the dark goddess that it was not true.

The Queen granted his request not thinking a thing of it. She had everyone in her palm after all, nothing came before her in her peoples minds she had made sure of it. Though this would soon be proven wrong. The village indeed was the one he feared, the building he stood before was nothing but ruined remains. He nearly broke down right on the spot as he tried to regain himself before going about to ensure the spirits of those slaughtered had moved on.

After burying any remains he had found, including that of his wife and eldest child, he vowed to get revenge for them. There had to be other villages that this was done to, her very own soldiers homes and families burned. What had they been fighting for all of this time? Only to be rewarded with the death of their loved ones.

In his blind rage he challenged the Queen as soon as he returned to the castle she stayed at. A bold and careless move, even with all of his powers and knowledge in the dark arts of magic he didn't stand a chance. The Queen always kept a number of relics and wards near her at all times for protection. He knew this and chose to ignore it. The curse he wanted to place on her to cause her the slowest death possible was reflected and ended up being cast upon himself.

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The curse had weakened his powers over the years. Being thrown in a cell to rot the rest of his days away had nearly caused his will to break and crumble into the darkness that seemed to have swallowed everything. But some chatter among the lesser guards brought a new so to speak ray of light to this dim and dying world. Rumors of a girl with strange powers, the blood line of the previous rulers of the once glorious kingdom. Were these said rumors true?

The Queen seemed to think they were as she had dispatched a small unit, or rather was in the process of sending a small unit to fetch this girl as they had finally located her. If all went well with his plans then he was going to be dispatched with this said retrieval unit. He still had enough power and strength left to fix up a few tricks to allow him to get a safe enough distance from the castle and the Queen's eyes before they would notice he was gone.

All of these years he could have freed himself of this prison cell if he had so wished, it wasn't chanted at all to resist magic. Upon doing so he quickly went about getting some proper dress to match the other Queen's men going out to get this girl. He had a plan, even if the girl wasn't who they said she was... the Queen was not to get her. He would make sure her men did not come back with the girl. Better yet that they would not return at all.

All of these years he held onto the hope his youngest daughter was still alive somewhere. But now there was a brighter hope that the world was not yet over, that someone could rid the heartless Queen of her throne. But first he had to get there and travel with the squad being sent undetected. Easy enough so long as he managed to get out of the castle unnoticed.

During the last leg of the trip he fell behind a little, he did not enjoy watching the small force kill the family that lived in this hidden sanctuary, but it had to be done. Sooner or later the group would cross paths with the girl, he had to wait till then to make his move. Dealing with the small force the Queen sent shouldn't be a huge issue. But if this was the girl that held the blood line of the past ruler.. her powers could prove to be a issue during a time such as this.