Rise of Resistance

Prologue: The Fall of the Great Empire

The night on Droj is far from that on Earth. On Earth it’s a smooth, supple scent that eases you into sleep. But on Droj, it’s a different feel every night. Almost every plant on the planet is nocturnal, certain ones opening up depending on the color of the moons, releasing their fragrant bliss.

         There was a relaxed scent hanging in the air tonight. The moon’s luminescent glow covering the Imperial City in a thick blue blanket that made everything seem oddly still. Creed sat upon a small hill just out of the cities’ limits, it wasn’t relaxed to him, it was simply the calm before the chaos.

His pale, white mask resembling the moon itself as the moonlight reflected off of it; he raised the hood on his robes slightly, as if it would help conceal him from his beautiful city.

         He sat there for quite some time, picking up small, black rocks from the ground and clicking them between his armored fingers. The wind lapped smoothly across his purple robes, trying to pull him back towards the city, but he simply shrugged them off.

         There was a rustle next to him in the bushes, but he did not look for he knew who it was. A man stepped proudly from the sparse forest behind Creed, clad in leather armor with his short hair left in disarray, as if he had just woken up. He smiled weakly at Creed, his chiseled features displaying the portrait of fear and worry.

         Beside him stood a creature that was not of Earth, pulling the delicate hood off of her silky white robes to show her face. She was a Fox, but not the ones you’d see on Earth. No, she was closer to a human than she was a fox. She stood about as tall as the man next to her with milky white fur that looked softer than anything else in the world. She too wore the expression of worry, fiddling nervously with the ringed necklace she wore.

         “Hello Merick, Lilly.” Creed said softly, his raspy voice reflecting their expressions. “You know why I called you here?”

         “They’re attacking tonight.” Merick said sadly.

         “They’ve built Warships, with their symbol painted upon their belly. I can feel them now, they’re above us. They’re all around the city, waiting to attack.”

         “What are we going to do?” Lilly asked, sitting down next to Creed.

         “Nothing at the moment. There’s nothing we can do. We don’t possess the kind of fire power to take down ships like those.” There was silence for a few moments, then Creed let out a shivering sigh and started up again. “I can’t believe I let my planet crumble to this… I’ve made an unforgivable mistake, even for a god.”

         “You didn’t know Creed, no one knew it would turn out like this.” Merick said.

         “Besides, we can fix this.” Lilly tried to comfort him.

         “No we can’t!” Creed shouted standing up fluidly yet angrily. “Thousands of innocent lives will be lost tonight because of what I did! The Empire will fall because of what I did. And this world shall know nothing but darkness because of what I did… I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t sacrificed my powers to make this world.”

         “There is nothing we can do Creed.” Lilly said stiffly brushing some dirt off of her fur, “They came to quickly and quietly, we have about an hour to evacuate but it would take days to evacuate a city this size. It’s not your fault that they arrived unexpectedly.”

         “But it is my fault that they’re here.” Creed whispered, bowing his head. Lilly stood up and turned his face to look at him.

         “What about the Prophecies that Cyrus told us about: the first one. There’s hope Creed!”

         “‘Never lose hope’ is what you always told us. Do you wish to live in hypocrisy? We can defeat the Daemons. Certainly not tonight but we will destroy them. And it shall be they who are full of regrets not you.” Merick said, full of confidence. Creed raised his head to show his burning eyes to the two of them, the flame pouring out of the holes in the mask as if his face were on fire.

         “I shall never lose hope.” He said coldly. “Merick, once the Empire has fallen I need you to help me look for the Overlords. I can save my world, but not without their help.”

         “What about me?” Lilly asked.

         “You need to make the Grand Council safe, make sure they’re hidden well. Then go into hiding, I’ll need to meet up with you later.” Lilly nodded calmly, accustomed to Creed’s sudden mood swings; working with God was tough work. Creed turned to face the city, watching the golden lights twinkle on the massive towers.

         “This is the last time we’ll ever see it.” Merick said.

         “In all it’s glory.” Lilly added.

         “The last days have come.” Creed whispered. They stood there for a few moments, in silence; breathing in the thick scent of night. But it did not calm them, instead it made them anxious; for it was the calm before the war that made their skin crawl.

         A high pitched scream sounded from somewhere overhead, growing in frequency until a bright red missile tore through the air overhead, burring itself into the city. A bright flash emanated from the point of impact, making the whole city light up in a horrifying explosion. Three more missiles ripped through the air over the city, collapsing entire towers and sending streets ablaze. The trio stood their for a moment, as if nothing had happened.

         Then the worst of the cascade came, hundreds of concussive missiles materializing from the sky and ripping through the city. Within a few second ever building was set ablaze, and alarms were echoing eerily throughout the city walls. “Go.” Creed spoke softly, and the pair walked off without question .