One Man to Bring Down Many / PART 1

Circa 195 n.t.

Zarognia, Brunity

In 194 n.t., King Breggon of Zarognia banished a man by the name of Ditrik Borzlan to the Mountains of Zarg. His specific crime to deserve such a punishment is unknown to most, but what is known is that Ditrik was a hateful and vindictive individual. Upon being released from his chains and left behind in the unforgiving Mountains of Zarg, Ditrik immediately journeyed north to the warlike city-state of Belosk. There he revealed the weaknesses of his mighty kingdom to the oppugnant warlord, Grulgar Guusdan, and his obese brother, Ondrei.

Grulgar, having watched the prospering kingdom to the south with covetous eyes, called forth his barbaric army and marched across the Edgard Bridge. Within a week they had laid two towns to waste, and left them in charred ruins. Rogan ships, docked at the town of Oszkaar, were used to take the barbaric horde down the Skie River, bringing them to the doorstep of Zarognofe, the Rogan's beloved capital on the island of Falrelv.

King Breggon led the defense, but when Grulgar's army proved to be far more aggressive than the Rogan king could stand up against, he retreated into Castle Falrelv...

Inside waited the traitor, Ditrik. King Breggon's son, Perion, watched from the top of a flight of stairs as his father was stabbed to death by the loathsome "Borzlan Fiend".

Prince Perion, a brawny young man of twenty years, was about to leap at his father's murderer, but was pulled back by his good friend, the Archduke Jaromir Ryszard. Chaos ensued as the horde from Belosk charged into the Castle Falrelv. Perion escaped with Jaromir's aid. But to where, no one knows but Jaromir, and the years of dungeon life since have not yet dragged the secret from him.

Six years later, two peasants stand at the head of an army. Vadik Stanslov and Rurik Peytr do not know if the true heir of Zarognia still lives, but they will overthrow the cruel Grulgar... or die trying. With luck, they will free the Archduke and learn of the heir's whereabouts. Zarognia will be free again, and peace will be restored.
But Rurik is losing hope, and his wounds have made him weak. They have won every battle thus far, but the fighting has always been at locations of their choosing, on grounds unfamiliar to the invaders. Now they stand on the shores of Lake Zarognofe, with their capital and Castle Falrelv on an island a great distance into the lake.
Their army currently hacks away at the forest behind them in order to construct ships, but Rurik fears the fortifications of Falrelv. He is not sure he wants this fight anymore.

Beside him stands Vadik...determined as ever.

(TO BE CONTINUED...)