Killing Monsters

by R T Islington

  Throughout history, his race, the woodlanders have faced persecution, racial discrimination and have even been forced from their own lands. Bellethiel, sickened by the racial hatred he and his people have endured, left their seclusive and fortified forest to investigate the lands for himself and live a free life without fear and remaining hidden.

  Bellethiel met Yoshihiro when he was a young boy and taught Yoshihiro how to wield the bow and arrow, he remained at Yoshihiro’s side and became a commander in the War Hogs. Yoshihiro promised Bellethiel a fruitful life, one that he would not have to live in fear, unlike the rest of his race who have suffered at the hands of many.

  Crow Cadogan—A fearsome warrior who wields a giant silver sword, Crow made a name for himself fighting in battle pits for the right coin and offering his services as a bodyguard, he has always been a womaniser and his lust for women would see him cursed!

  Crow made the mistake of sleeping with the bride of a wealthy nobleman, enraged by this, the nobleman paid a witch to bestow a curse upon Crow, the witch obliged and punished Crow with a sinister curse.

  Crow can no longer fall in love or father children, as the witch took the emotion of love from his very being, he now no longer feels the emotion of love, furthermore, any woman impregnated by Crow falls ill and dies. The bride of nobleman fell pregnant after their night together, she too died shortly after.

  Cursed to wander the lands without being able to love family and friends, marry and fall in love or father children, Crow fights and kills his way through life, hoping one day the curse will be lifted and he can love again.

  Crow and Yoshihiro were both hired by a warlord to fight in battle together years ago, Yoshihiro recognised Crows power and the two became friends. Crow has remained a faithful friend to Yoshihiro and is a commander in the War Hogs.

  Angelika Storm—The powerful young mage was rescued as a child by Yoshihiro. Angelika was taken in, protected, and taught how to use her mage powers. She has become very powerful and is viewed as a daughter by Yoshihiro.

  Angelika grows frustrated in a violent man’s world and tires of war and combat. Seeking to better herself and become even more powerful, she desires to one day leave the War Hogs and make her way to the mage homeland of Aura Haven to be with her own people and improve her powers.

  Jadar Sky—Half human, half elf, this fierce hunter used her magic and combat skills to become one of the most respected monster hunters in the lands.

  Jadar had a horrible start in life, her mother passed away whilst giving birth to her and her father resented her for that. As a child, she was beaten and abused by her vile father until she ran away and was taken in by a monster hunters guild.

  She was trained masterfully and made a wealth of money when she became an adult, taking on any bounties and jobs that were offered to her and slaying many horrific beasts, her combat and magic skills saw her highly sought after and she became famous throughout the lands.

  Jadar is fiery and passionate, she crossed paths with Yoshihiro whilst they hunted the same monster, Yoshihiro saved her life when the monster attacked, she became obsessed with the way he fought and his skills. She joined the War Hogs to learn from Yoshihiro and has remained close to him ever since, she is now a commander in the clan and Yoshihiro’s second in command.

  Archie Shieldstone—The old noble knight, Archie is in his twilight years and finds himself wondering whether he has wasted his life.

  Archie joined Yoshihiro and the War Hogs knowing the swordsman perhaps presented one last opportunity at fighting for a noble cause. The old knight is a master of combat on the ground and on horseback, many times Archie led the War Hogs to victory in tough battles.

  Upon becoming a knight, the knights leave their lands to seek out noble kings and leaders to serve, whilst dedicating their lives to maintain peace and order.

  Archie has wasted his life; he has served nobody of nobility and has made very bad choices which has seen him serve the greedy and wicked. He is now grievously ill and dying slowly, before he dies, he hopes Yoshihiro and the War Hogs can bring peace to the lands and make his service justified so he can pass on peacefully with no regrets.

  Due to his age and illness, he is very much in a reflective state of mind, pondering on his historic decisions and actions and wondering whether there is enough time for him to make a difference in the world.

  Dragons

  Thunder—A young dragon that was hatched and cared for by Hiroki. Thunder is young and innocent; he is only now starting to learn about the evils of the world around him.

  Thunder is covered in golden scales and breathes magnificent green dragon fire, his powers are starting to develop quickly, the other dragons believe he has the potential to evolve into a grand dragon.

  This young dragon yearns the experience of battle and eagerly awaits the moment when he can join his rider Hiroki in battle.

  Davorin—This fearsome dragon is the guardian of the famed warrior island Swordsman Shores.

  Davorin oversees the swordsmen that train on the island and offers them council and guidance, he is big and brutish and despises the weak.

  Over the years Davorin has watched over his swordsman, he has witnessed many battles and duels and always remains neutral, he believes in survival of the fittest and true power is forged on battlefields.

  Silva—This dragon is spiteful, wicked and enjoys killing beings he feels are beneath himself and his rider, the brave and skilled elven warrior Vanya.

  Vanya hatched Silva and the two bonded and are the best of friends. Silva is very protective of his rider and very rarely leaves her side.

  This dragon has a cruel tongue and if he is not happily killing in battle he can be heard verbally bullying and taunting unfortunate souls.

  Silva is covered in thick silver scales which have never been penetrated in battle, his impenetrable hide is put to good use in battle, he crashes into enemy soldiers, crushing them and tearing them to pieces.

  Warlords

  Darius Kazim—A wicked and cruel warlord, Darius has raped, pillaged, and slaughtered all who oppose him, even Yoshihiro spent years serving him before he was able to break away. Darius has built his own settlement named Cutthroat’s Grasp and assembled a brutish army made up of tough vile men, cutthroats, criminals, and murderers. Darius and his army kill and slaughter without mercy and make much coin selling slaves and whores.

  Jerome Gilley (The Raging Lion)—A skilled warrior who rides a giant land lion that’s as big as a horse, Jerome is physically intimidating and vicious in battle.

  Jerome made his fortune raiding and looting, he and his men all ride powerful land lions and are equipped perfectly to rob and steal those on the roads, nobody is safe as even mighty kingdoms who have tried to transport precious cargo have been ambushed by these rough traveling thieves on their travels.

  Jerome built up his clan of loyal and viscous followers thanks to the riches he has stolen and looted, he also kills any rival warlord who seems to prosper, ensuring he remains dominant in his territory.

  Jerome resides in his mountain settlement of Lions Pass.

  The Bronze Giant—Few warlords strike fear into people’s hearts like the giant, he is a monster of a man and has committed the vilest atrocities known on Centre Plate.

  The giant stands at nearly seven feet tall, broad, powerful and wields a giant axe, he has slaughtered many. The giant and his men raid villages, raping the women, killing men and children and taking everything of value, when the villages are burnt down, he sells the lands to the highest bidders, the giant is also a cannibal and feasts on the cooked flesh of his victims.

  He remains in his territory known as The Blood-Soaked Lands where he plots his future raids and attacks.

  Characters of Relevance

  Vinnakeon—The wise and powerful elf, Vinnakeon is intelligent and noble and has begun to master teleportation magic, an achievement yet to be reached by any elf.

  Vinnakeon was banished from the elven lands, he fell i
n love with the queen and yearned to run away with her, leaving their kingdom and king! The king, having discovered this plot would have had Vinnakeon executed however as Vinnakeon was powerful, wise, and served the elves in combat many times, the elven council agreed banishment would be a fitting punishment after taking into consideration his contributions to their lands.

  Upon being banished, Vinnakeon was alone and travelled the Centre Plate seeking knowledge of other cultures, he crossed paths with the warlord Darius and was offered vast treasures and wealth to serve him as an advisor. Vinnakeon knew of Darius’s wickedness but decided to aid him anyway, perhaps still suffering from a broken heart, Vinnakeon didn’t care as long as he was paid well.

  Vinnakeon crossed paths with Yoshihiro many years ago and fought alongside him in battle for Darius, the two have been friends ever since.

  Tawarkion—The humble little woodlander, who is a skilled archer, healer, and a spy set upon the map as the woodlanders begin to gather knowledge of the lands around them.

  The woodlanders have suffered at the hands of many and therefore remain hidden and fortified in their great forest. The king and queen now feel it’s time to fight back and venture out to expand and prove their strength, never again submitting to those who wish them harm. They sent several spies into the lands to befriend different rulers and learn of different cultures under the guise of fabricated stories. The spies report back to the king and queen their findings and revelations.

  With the Eastern armies set to invade, the king and queen of the woodlanders are trying frantically to ascertain who to align with and who can be trusted as an ally. Tawarkion was sent to serve the warlord Darius, pretending to be a traveller banished from his homeland, he gained the trust of Darius and used his powers to serve and aid the warlord.

  Tawarkion is now in a prominent position and protected within Darius’s walls, allowing him to gather much knowledge about the Centre Plate, its warriors, people and cultures, and ascertain who can be trusted when the East invade and seek to kill them all.

  When he feels he has gathered as much intelligence as he needs, he plans to leave and return to his lands with vital advice on how the woodlanders can proceed and who to make allegiances with.

  Vanya—She is a commander of an elven attack force, Yoshihiro’s true love and a dragon rider.

  Unlike most elves, Vanya chose to study swordsmanship and therefore was allowed to leave the elven lands to train as a sword master on the island of Swordsman Shores. She excelled and became highly skilled, upon finishing her training she became one of the greatest warriors the island had seen and due to her elven abilities, she wields magic in perfect symmetry with sword attacks.

  Though elves are not allowed to mix with other races, she fell in love with Yoshihiro and the two became soul mates, they fell deeply in love until they walked separate paths upon finishing their training on the island.

  Vanya commands the fierce dragon Silva and has led the elves to victory on the battlefield many times, she is respected and revered by her people.

  Jessie Bloomsbury—A horse breeder from the small village of Stallions Rest, Jessie is the lover of Jadar and the two met whilst the War Hogs were camped near her village.

  Jessie has mastered the craft of horse breeding and training. The young stable woman has bred the best horses on Centre Plate and has even managed to breed and domesticate wild mustangs which are the most sought-after horse breeds in the lands, and the hardest to acquire.

  Astaroth and Bellethiel approached her in her village wanting to purchase horses for a long journey to the East, upon delivering five of her best mustangs to the War Hog commanders she decided to join them and guide them east, as the journey is long and detailed knowledge of lands would be needed.

  Jessie is soft, kind-hearted and an expert traveller and guide.

  Terrance Shaw—A foot soldier in the War Hogs, he has spent many years fighting and serving the clan of ferocious warriors. After many years of service, he has now been promoted to elite rank by Astaroth who has witnessed Terrance triumph in battle many times.

  Terrance now commands his own men on the battlefield and is a well-respected and an accomplished warrior.

  The Sisters of Seasons—Four women named Winter, Summer, Autumn and Spring. These four women are Darius’s personal guard and are armed and skilled with spears and shields.

  Elarion Salareon (The Swordsman)—Said to be the most powerful swordsman throughout the lands and is rumoured to be of an unknown and ancient race that even predates the first dragons.

  He is mentioned by Yoshihiro as they were best friends since early childhood, they were like brothers and inseparable, however a darkness consumed the swordsman and Yoshihiro had no choice but to duel him.

  Yoshihiro thought he had killed his childhood friend, but reports have emerged that he is alive and wandering the Centre Plate with a grand dragon!

  Not much is known about the mysterious swordsman apart from his power and skill, though just the mention of his name terrifies Yoshihiro and Vanya who befriended him on Swordsman Shores in their youth.

  Elarion seemingly appeared out of nowhere and travelled to Swordsman Shores at the age of six all alone, he wields a long silver magic sword which he can also control with telekinesis and he can speak and write in an unknown language. He is highly intelligent and an incredible warrior, by the age of sixteen he had even defeated all the teachers on Swordsman Shores, and nobody could best him.

  All the master swordsmen who taught on the island could sense an unknown evil deep within the child, however they all tried to inject purity into the lonely being whose power, intelligence and abilities were clearly of an ancient and powerful race.

  History and Backstories

  Dragons

  Dragons! These mighty beasts soar through the skies of Dragons Continent in majestic fashion. Both feared and idolised these gigantic creatures, capable of both divine grace and terrifying destruction can keep the peace throughout the lands or bring a race to its end. The dragons are said to be the first lifeforms to have appeared on Dragons Continent and made it their home long before elves or humans appeared. These colossal creatures can fly through the skies with elegance, swim into the deepest points of the sea and bring death and destruction with their dragon fire upon those who anger them.

  Dragons vary in size, though the smallest are still greater than any other non-dragon lifeforms in terms of power and abilities. A dragon’s anatomy is made up of a wingspan of fifty to eighty meters, with the two wings also acting as the two front limbs enabling them to manoeuvre on ground, they also have two hind legs, large scales, sharp teeth and claws and the ability to breathe fire. The colours of these dragons vary just like their sizes however as magnificent as these dragons are, they are no match for the sheer power of grand dragons! Grand dragons are the biggest of dragons, and as their names suggest they share all the same traits as regular dragons however they are more powerful and a lot bigger! Grand dragon’s wingspans range from ninety to one hundred and twenty meters long and the grand dragon’s rule and lead dragon colonies. The grand dragons make the rules that the beings of their lands must obey, and they oversee the lands they rule, bringing peace and order to their lands with immense power. Dragonlings that hatch and grow into mighty grand dragons over the years usually end up flying off to claim their own territories, it is thought that this is how most dragons first appear in new lands, as it is always a grand dragon that appears first before other dragons follow.

  The first grand dragon of Dragons Continent was Storm, he never revealed his origin though it’s probably safe to assume he emerged onto Dragons Continent to seek new territory for himself. Storm was the biggest known grand dragon, he had a huge one-hundred-and-twenty-meter wingspan and gold scales, his fire blasts were green and could reduce anything to ashes. In Dragons Continent Storm demanded that no dragons interfere with the humans, elves, and other lifeforms without his approval. Storm had a desire to see all races evolve and grow with
out the help of dragons, he also refused to use his powers to help races when in conflict, his fellow dragons respected this request and watched on curiously as the races grew and developed. It’s commonly thought that perhaps Storm had witnessed what happens when dragons interfere and meddle with the lesser beings, no good could come from it. Storm and his colony enforced law, order and fairness throughout Dragons Continent and did not interfere with the other races until one day, in the year 375, they took to the skies and left, never to be seen again!

  Upon the departure of Storm and his colony Dragons Continent fell into disarray. When all the races came to discover the dragons had left, they had nothing to fear and began invading and slaughtering each other without fear of repercussions. Ultimately Storm and his dragons were the peacekeepers of the land and kept a firm rule over all the races. Storm has now gone, and so the humans, elves, dwarves, and countless other newer races now sense perhaps they can ascend and become the new rulers of this world. Mass war spread like dragon fire from the Eastern Plate to the Centre Plate and beyond, with even warlords making a return to take over what little peaceful areas remained. Centre Plate had been relatively peaceful but without the fear of dragons to rain down justice the Centre Plate saw a rise in violence. Upon Storm’s departure, all the dragons followed him, much to the shock of the world. Valentina was seen flying through the skies behind Storm, Storm’s mate Umbra, was also seen flying off by his side, Obsidian guardian of Dwarven Peaks left without any explanation or goodbyes to the dwarves he swore to protect and even the mighty green forest dragon Freya, took to the skies as if she had been called into battle. Though most races began invading lands and commenced quests to conquer each other, people would be lying if they said the sudden disappearance of the mighty dragons did not alarm them.