The Fire and the Shadow

Long before the fall of Aethelgard—before betrayal rode on the wind—there were two brothers: Azuu and Jacob, sons of the great King Azuu the First.

They were born of different mothers but shared the blood of kings. Azuu, the firstborn, was a child of brilliance and balance. His mother, the Fire Princess of Emberis, passed on to him the blazing passion of her people. From his father, ruler of the Water Kingdom, he inherited serenity and strength. Two opposing elements lived in harmony within him—fire and water. He was a miracle child, a symbol of unity in a land divided by power.

Jacob, the younger, was born of mystery and shadows. His mother came from the Dark Tribe of Nocthollow—a people feared, powerful, and proud. She loved her son deeply, but the magic within her clashed with the legacy of water that Jacob carried from his father. The result was a silent struggle—his power lay dormant, unable to manifest.

In a realm where magic defined worth, Jacob was treated as if he had none.

"You do not belong among warriors."

"You are not fit for the royal guard."

"An abomination born of contradiction."

Even when lips were sealed, the whispers behind closed doors echoed louder than words.

King Azuu, ever kind, treated his son with compassion. He gave Jacob a place as royal advisor, trusting his wisdom even when his power remained hidden. But to Jacob, the title felt like a cruel jest. And when the king declared Azuu’s bloodline as the future of Aethelgard, something inside Jacob shattered.

On that fateful day, Jacob confronted his mother in the palace courtyard. His hands trembled with rage as he seized her by the neck.

"Why?" he cried, voice raw. "Why did you bring me into this world… broken?"

When King Azuu stepped in to stop him, Jacob’s fury surged. In that moment, his power—long buried—erupted. A single blow hurled the king back. His magic had awakened, born in wrath.

Guards swarmed him, chaining him in bonds of ice and fire.

He was released days later, silent but burning inside. Without a word, he disappeared into the night.

---

The Rise of Darkness

Jacob fled to Nocthollow—his mother’s homeland, where darkness thrived and power flowed in silence. Unlike Aethelgard, Nocthollow welcomed him.

They had been waiting.

The seers of the Dark Tribe had spoken long ago of a child born from water and shadow. A rare vessel. A key. With rituals and forbidden spells, they awakened the force within Jacob. The darkness did not fight the water—it consumed it, reshaped it, and made it obey.

Jacob returned not as a prince, but as a storm.

In one night, he struck the Water Kingdom. His brother, Azuu, was dethroned and thrown into the very dungeon that once held him. But Jacob did not grant death—he called it mercy. And mercy was a gift he never gave again.

He seized the throne. He ruled not with justice, but with fear.

When he heard his father had gone into hiding, he scoffed.

“He retired like a god,” he sneered. “Let him fade in silence. I will leave these waters and carve my name into the shadow. My legacy will command the kingdom he abandoned.”

But the shadows could not conceal every secret.

Jacob soon discovered that Azuu had fathered two children in secret—a boy and a girl—with a woman of the Earth Tribe. The children were powerful—more than they knew. A threat.

Eric.

Jacob summoned his men. “Find the boy. There’s no need for the girl. Girls are nothing. Once the boy is gone, the girl will live in fear forever.”

But they were too late.

Old Azuu, knowing what was coming, had warned his wives: “Protect the children. Hide them before the storm breaks.” And so, guided by ancient wisdom,Esther—a woman of flame, the Fire Queen, wife of Azuu the First, mother to Azuu the Second, and grandmother to Eric—acted.

She stood tall, her age-lined face glowing in the portal’s flickering light. Though the years had silvered her hair, the fire in her spirit burned as fiercely as ever. Cradling her grandson, her heart heavy with sorrow and hope, she whispered ancient words—incantations of the Fire Tribe, passed down through queens and guardians.

“You will rise where they cast you down.

You will return when your name is nearly forgotten.

You are more than your blood…

You are the balance.”

And with that final, trembling breath, she cast Eric through the portal—into Tryzo, the green world between stars. Far from the reach of Jacob's wrath, yet forever bound to the destiny of Aethelgard.

The Fire and the Shadow

Long before the fall of Aethelgard—before betrayal rode on the wind—there were two brothers: Azuu and Jacob, sons of the great King Azuu the First.

They were born of different mothers but shared the blood of kings. Azuu, the firstborn, was a child of brilliance and balance. His mother, the Fire Princess of Emberis, passed on to him the blazing passion of her people. From his father, ruler of the Water Kingdom, he inherited serenity and strength. Two opposing elements lived in harmony within him—fire and water. He was a miracle child, a symbol of unity in a land divided by power.

Jacob, the younger, was born of mystery and shadows. His mother came from the Dark Tribe of Nocthollow—a people feared, powerful, and proud. She loved her son deeply, but the magic within her clashed with the legacy of water that Jacob carried from his father. The result was a silent struggle—his power lay dormant, unable to manifest.

In a realm where magic defined worth, Jacob was treated as if he had none.

"You do not belong among warriors."

"You are not fit for the royal guard."

"An abomination born of contradiction."

Even when lips were sealed, the whispers behind closed doors echoed louder than words.

King Azuu, ever kind, treated his son with compassion. He gave Jacob a place as royal advisor, trusting his wisdom even when his power remained hidden. But to Jacob, the title felt like a cruel jest. And when the king declared Azuu’s bloodline as the future of Aethelgard, something inside Jacob shattered.

On that fateful day, Jacob confronted his mother in the palace courtyard. His hands trembled with rage as he seized her by the neck.

"Why?" he cried, voice raw. "Why did you bring me into this world… broken?"

When King Azuu stepped in to stop him, Jacob’s fury surged. In that moment, his power—long buried—erupted. A single blow hurled the king back. His magic had awakened, born in wrath.

Guards swarmed him, chaining him in bonds of ice and fire.

He was released days later, silent but burning inside. Without a word, he disappeared into the night.

---

The Rise of Darkness

Jacob fled to Nocthollow—his mother’s homeland, where darkness thrived and power flowed in silence. Unlike Aethelgard, Nocthollow welcomed him.

They had been waiting.

The seers of the Dark Tribe had spoken long ago of a child born from water and shadow. A rare vessel. A key. With rituals and forbidden spells, they awakened the force within Jacob. The darkness did not fight the water—it consumed it, reshaped it, and made it obey.

Jacob returned not as a prince, but as a storm.

In one night, he struck the Water Kingdom. His brother, Azuu, was dethroned and thrown into the very dungeon that once held him. But Jacob did not grant death—he called it mercy. And mercy was a gift he never gave again.

He seized the throne. He ruled not with justice, but with fear.

When he heard his father had gone into hiding, he scoffed.

“He retired like a god,” he sneered. “Let him fade in silence. I will leave these waters and carve my name into the shadow. My legacy will command the kingdom he abandoned.”

But the shadows could not conceal every secret.

Jacob soon discovered that Azuu had fathered two children in secret—a boy and a girl—with a woman of the Earth Tribe. The children were powerful—more than they knew. A threat.

Eric.

Jacob summoned his men. “Find the boy. There’s no need for the girl. Girls are nothing. Once the boy is gone, the girl will live in fear forever.”

But they were too late.

Old Azuu, knowing what was coming, had warned his wives: “Protect the children. Hide them before the storm breaks.” And so, guided by ancient wisdom,Esther—a woman of flame, the Fire Queen, wife of Azuu the First, mother to Azuu the Second, and grandmother to Eric—acted.

She stood tall, her age-lined face glowing in the portal’s flickering light. Though the years had silvered her hair, the fire in her spirit burned as fiercely as ever. Cradling her grandson, her heart heavy with sorrow and hope, she whispered ancient words—incantations of the Fire Tribe, passed down through queens and guardians.

“You will rise where they cast you down.

You will return when your name is nearly forgotten.

You are more than your blood…

You are the balance.”

And with that final, trembling breath, she cast Eric through the portal—into Tryzo, the green world between stars. Far from the reach of Jacob's wrath, yet forever bound to the destiny of Aethelgard.