Prologue

Versumi, the world. Once at peace, now at war. This once prosperous world was the greatest in its system of five planets. The world held life on it, unlike the others, which was what made it different from any other. However, the world was not always this way. At one time, the world of Versumi was a barren planet, holding no life, and drifting in space.

The God of Creation, Jinsei, took pity on this world, transforming it into a lush, green planet, full of plants and animals of all kinds. The world was formed as a storehouse for magic. Every living creature on the planet had the ability to tap into great stores of magic, making it the most magical world Jinsei had created, yet. The inhabitants believe that Science was not needed, and was just a weaker form of magic, one with no true strengths within it.

This is the way the world was created, and it was this way that Jinsei felt would make it perfect for his needs. For this world was created for a war. A Demon Lord, calling himself the God of Destruction, threatened to destroy every world Jinsei created. This was Jinsei’s final stronghold, the last place that he could hope to fight against the Demon Lord. It was in this world that Jinsei poured all of his magic power, knowing that any other world he created afterwards would be void of magic, thus stand no chance against the Demon Lord.

The world fell into chaos and destruction not long after its creation. Each race fighting to be the greater, all foolishly trapped by a demon’s promise. The Demon Lord had come to the world, and to each race he had given a promise of ultimate power. From it, further races were spawned as the humans separated, some becoming the dwarves, and the elves separated, forming the High, Wood, and even Dark Elves. Some of the Demon Lord’s very minions separated from him, forming the Orcs and the Minotaurs, and later on, even forming the Neko. The dragons of the world became corrupt, some becoming the Dragon-men, while others becoming lesser, more misshapen forms of the Dragon tribes.

All of this occurred over twenty thousand years, war after war erupted upon the world, each causing more and more destruction. Each war was prophesied by an immortal being known as the Seer of Ages, who lived in the Silver Tower with a tribe of Fairies known as the Golden Wing. However, none ever listened to his prophecies, and as such, what he envisioned in his tower always came true.

There was, at this time, a kingdom known as Drandor. It held within it four grand cities. Akina – the City of Warriors, Faylore – the City of Fairies, Evanna – the City of Merchants, and finally, the greatest of them all that was the very capital of the kingdom, Daimondo – the Greatest Trading Post on the Eastern Side. The kingdom was ruled, at this time, by King Marcus Denias, a rather nice person for a king. Most kings of this age were snotty, rude, and had high taxes that nearly left their people in poverty. Here, though, that was not true. The people of Drandor lived in prosperity; their lives were not only rich in money, but rich in health as well.

However, this particular night, something bad was coming, something dark and evil. It was an evil that had not been seen in a hundred years. In the middle of the night, a dark portal opened in the center of the city of Daimondo, and from it, a woman emerged. Her skin was pale, almost a ghostly-white color, her hair long, waist-length hair was a fire red color, her eyes shimmering an ocean blue color. She was dressed in a simple outfit, nothing truly fancy. A simple, skin tight, blood red, short-sleeved shirt, with a white band around the waist with a simple, mud brown skirt, with mud brown boots was her outfit. Her hair was also pulled up into a ponytail, a ghostly-white band held it in place. In her hands was a large staff that was as tall as she was, gnarled and jet black. It was so dark that it seems to absorb all the light around it. It rapped against the stone floor with a hard clink as if it had been made of steel. At the head of the staff there, attached with strands of rotting dragon heartstring, was the skull of a slain dragon, jaw open, several teeth missing, and bits of scale and flesh still hanging off of it. Its jaw was clamped down on a smooth spherical blood red gem which gave off a very soft red glow.

The woman walked forward, rapping against the ground with each step, as she grew closer to the castle. “Halt! Who goes there?!” a voice shouted. The woman looked forward, seeing two guards standing at either side of the doors to the castle. They were wearing gilded armor, which was iron plate mail mixed with gold dust to re-enforce it and make it tougher. This armor was worn only by Paladins, which were followers of the Goddess Belia. They were a sort of knight, but with holy powers, such as the ability to burst their swords into blue flames.

The woman laughed as she saw the two Paladins standing guard. “I am Dragona Dragmus, Archmage Extraordinaire!” She smirked evilly as the faces of the Paladins went pale.

“Dragona Dragmus?!” One of them shouted. “It can’t be!” He growled, drawing his sword, which burst into blue flame. He held it in his hand, standing with his legs apart, in a battle ready pose. The other did the same.

Dragona laughed. “You fools! You really think a couple of Paladin swords will stop me?!” She rose her staff, and the eyes of the dragon skull flashed a blood red color. She thrust her staff forward, and the Paladins were pushed back against the wall, as if by some great force. It was so much, they were actually pushed through the castle wall. With a wave of her staff, the double doors into the castle burst off their hinges, flying off in either direction. She began to walk forward, her staff rapping against the ground once more.

The impact against the walls had killed both Paladins, which left the doors to the castle undefended. Dragona walked in, looking around the hall. “Is this all Marcus has for me?” Almost as if in response, ten Paladins came from down the halls. She laughed. She rose her staff again, waving her staff to the right, pushing away the Paladins in the right hall. She did it again, this time waving her staff to the left, pushing away the Paladins on the left side this time.

Dragona looked up as she heard a loud horn sound. She smirked evilly once again, knowing it was the sound of the alarm. She rushed forward, staff in hand, rushing through the halls. “Send something strong at me!” she shouted out. As more and more Paladins flooded into the halls, she continued to swing her staff, pushing the Paladins into walls, tossing them up, then dropping them hard against the ground, and some she thrust to the ceiling, which they slammed against so hard it shattered the bones in their body.

“Is there no one who can stand up against me?!” Dragona shouted. Once again, almost as if in response to her question, a large man appeared. In his hands were two, very large swords, each burst into blue flame. He wore gilded armor, just like the other Paladins, but something was different about this one. His very armor seemed to pulse with energy, and Dragona could sense a holy aura around him. She smirked. “So, using your honor to make your armor tougher, are you?” she laughed. “This should prove fairly…what’s the word…boring!” She thrust her staff forward, slamming the man against the nearby wall. He groaned as he slowly stood back up to his feet.

“Not dead yet?” Dragona asked, laughing some. “Well, how about this?” The dragon mouth on the staff seemed to open wider, the gem floating out of its mouth, swirling around it. Fire then erupted forward from the dragon mouth of the staff, shooting right at the man. The man quickly made an X with his swords, blocking some of the flames with his swords.

“Clever!” Dragona spoke. “What about this?!” She thrust her other hand forward, a large orb of ice forming as she did. It then shot out of her hand, slamming into the man’s swords. She continued this over and over as she continued to shoot the fire from her staff. The attacks were pushing the man further and further back. Soon, his back was pushed against the wall as he fought to keep the attack away from him.

Dragona laughed once more. “Very well, have it your way!” Her eyes flashed. She rose her staff rather quickly, then brought it down, hard, in front of her. It dug into the ground, and the earth began to shake as a large quake began. The ground split apart beneath their feet, and the shaking knocked the man off his feet. She rose her staff into the air once more, then brought it down, the bottom of the staff changing into a steel blade for a split second as she stabbed the man in the chest. He screamed for a single moment, then his body went limp.

Dragona grumbled. “How pathetic. Wasn’t even worth my time.” She waved her staff forward again, the doors in front of her now shattering of their hinges. She had made it to the King’s Tower. She walked forward, beginning her ascent to where the King’s bed chambers were located at the top of the tower. From the top of the tower, Paladins began rushing down, each trying to stop her, but it was to no avail. She kept waving her staff, pushing them off the stairs, plunging to their doom below, or even tossing them against the walls of the tower.

Finally, she had made her way to the top of the tower. She rose her staff, knocking on the door to the chamber once. She then grinned, slamming her staff against the door, and watching it fly forward off its hinges, slamming into a wall on the other side. There, King Marcus was already standing, dressed in his pajamas, a sword in his hand.

King Marcus was a handsome man. He had normal colored skin, along with thick, dark brown hair that ended at the top of his neck. He had a dark brown moustache, as well as a short beard that barely left his face. He also had handsome, hazel eyes that seemed to shine in the night sky. He was dressed in a simple, white, pajama robe. “You there, monster, why have you come here?” he spoke.

“Monster?” Dragona asked. “You refer to me as a monster? My good sir, I am hurt.” She smirked evilly once more. “I am no monster, but I have come here for one purpose, and one alone.”

“And what would that be?”

“To take your soul, and your kingdom!” Dragona waved her staff, and the King screamed in pain. The dragon skull seemed to roar as a large, black beam shot from the gem in its mouth, striking King Marcus. He screamed even louder as he felt something tearing at him. Dragona laughed as she watched the very soul of King Marcus slowly being pulled from his body. “Separate, fool!” she shouted, and his soul was ripped out of his body, and pulled into the gem. King Marcus’ body then slumped to the floor. She laughed and rose her staff, a dark portal opening in front of her. “It is done!” she spoke.

“Good,” a voice spoke from the other side. “Now then, enter the portal, so I may go through it as well. You will have your reward once I am through.”

“Of course, my lord.” Dragona walked forward, stepping through the portal. As she did, the portal rippled outward, her body slowly moving through the portal, appearing on the other side. Afterwards, a large, almost dragon-like head came out of the portal. From there, a long neck, then a body. It was a dragon, but that was all that could be seen. Once it was through the portal, the portal closed, and the dragon laughed.

“Now, Drandor, feel my wrath! Daimondo will be covered with a fog this night, and in the morning, none shall survive.” Dark clouds began to spread out from the castle, surrounding it in a dark fog. The fog then spread out and covered all of the rest of the city. That night, screams could be heard from within the city, screams of people as they died from some unseen enemy. It was a bloody mess with monsters running rampant all over the city. However, the fog seemed to harden on the outside, allowing no one into the city, or out.

Shortly after, it is said that a war began to erupt in Drandor, as monsters came from all around the kingdom, rampaging through the kingdom, and killing all that were outside the cities. The cities themselves had guards that kept the monsters from entering, but even that wouldn’t last for long.

Meanwhile, over on a small island to the southwest of the Main Continent of Jinosa, known as Daltros, four people were discussing a trip to Jinosa to see if they could do anything about the strange war occurring in Drandor. Finally, they decided to join forces to fight against the evil.

The first was a man of about twenty-two named Zachary Joseph Ballmonte, though most called him “Zach”. He had brown hair which he had spiked in several areas. He had green eyes that many girls loved. He had light skin, and wore gilded armor, which was a special armor made of steel and gold dust to give it a golden look. He had a sword at his side, the hilt of which had a dragon on it, with a cross on the side. The blade itself was strangely blue, and runes were engraved on it. He was a strong hearted Paladin, and followed well the Way of the Paladin.

The second was a woman of no more then eighteen named Jessica Amelia Durand. She had long blonde hair that ended shortly above her waist. She had it split in the front and straight all the rest of the way back. Her eyes were a shade of red, and her skin was light, like everyone else’s. She wore a blue tube top that had straps that came off and around her arms. She wore somewhat baggy blue pants, almost the kind someone from the desert would wear. She was a cleric, and used her healing powers to help as many as she could.

The third was a man of at least nineteen named Michael Jacob Jansson, though everyone called him “Mike”. He had long, sandy blonde hair that ended near the middle of his back. He had it braided as one big braid all the way down. He had blue-green eyes, and light skin. He wore a brown shirt, with black pants. He had black, leather gloves on his hands, along with brown, leather boots. He also had a black jacket on as well that covered a black shirt underneath it. He had a dagger at his side that had the symbol of a spider on the hilt. The tip of it was lined with a deadly poison that could kill its target in seconds. He was a very tough thief, yet his thieving was almost like a show, and people from all over came to watch him steal.

The fourth, and last, was a woman of about twenty named Valerie Olivia Seaborn. She had long, dark brown hair, which almost looked black, that ended at her waist. She had brown eyes, and tan skin. She wore a red strapless dress that had no back until the waist. She also wore a pair of blue gloves, along with a pair of blue boots. She had no weapons with her, but at a moment’s time, she could use her magic to summon forth a mighty staff that only she could wield, and that would come to her, even when it was in someone else’s hands. The staff she had was carved wood, a rich, earthy green with few knots, and very tall. About two-thirds up from the bottom, encased directly in the wood, was an irregularly shaped black gem. At the top of the staff were nine elliptical and smooth hollow crystals, set into the wood. Each of the nine crystals housed a living element; a burning flame for Fire, a drop of Water, a rock for Earth, a gust of Air, a spot of Light, as well as a spot of Darkness, a piece of Bone, and even a drop of Blood. Tied to the top, just below the Elemental crystals, and hanging freely was a raccoon’s tail. She was a very powerful mage, and she knew well how to use her magic.

These four heroes joined forces together to fight against the darkness at Jinosa. Little did they know, though, that first they would have to battle the darkness in each other. They were about to begin their journey, the great journey that history records with the name of “The Journey of Heroes and the Crystals of Chaos”.