There was once a kingdom called Avonland, a prosperous realm celebrated for its peace, justice and natural beauty. Its fertile valleys were covered in emerald grasslands, its rivers ran clear, and its forests stretched across the horizon. Farmers cultivated the land, fishermen harvested the rivers, and merchants travelled freely between its villages. There was little hunger, no great poverty and, for generations, no war.
The people of Avonland lived in harmony with nature. They worshipped the ancient forest goddess Abnoba, who was believed to protect their woodland, wildlife and harvests. In return, the people respected the forests and never took more from the land than they needed.
Their prosperity was guided by King Prometheus, a wise and compassionate ruler, and his beloved wife, Queen Elizabeth. Together, they had one son, Prince Alan, who was raised within the comforts of the royal palace.
Alan had everything a young prince could desire. He had fine clothes, excellent tutors and servants attending to his every need. Yet his father often reminded him that being born into royalty was not an achievement. A crown was a responsibility, and a ruler who could not understand the suffering of ordinary people had no right to govern them.
For many years, the royal family lived happily. Then, without warning, misfortune entered their home.
Queen Elizabeth fell gravely ill after consuming an unfamiliar wildflower gathered from the royal gardens. Her condition deteriorated rapidly. The finest physicians, herbalists and healers in the kingdom were summoned, but none could identify the illness or discover a cure.
As the Queen's strength faded, the King grew increasingly desperate.
One evening, an elderly ogress appeared at the palace gates. Her skin was withered, her eyes burned with an unnatural light, and her voice sounded like dry branches scraping against one another.
She claimed to possess the knowledge necessary to save the Queen.
However, her assistance came at a terrible price.
She demanded the blood of nine royal knights, insisting that their lives were necessary to complete the ritual.
The knights, loyal to their sovereign, immediately offered themselves. Some had served the King since his coronation; others had grown up alongside him. They considered it an honour to die for their Queen.
But Prometheus refused.
"Lady, this is a kingdom of peace. I will not slaughter my own people to preserve my happiness. Ask me for something else. Gold, silver, precious stones or even half my kingdom. Take whatever you desire, but I will not sacrifice innocent lives."
The ogress stared at him. Her expression changed from disappointment to fury.
"You would rather watch your beloved die than pay the price of saving her?"
"I would rather lose everything than become the very monster I am supposed to protect my people from."
The old creature smiled bitterly.
"Then may your kingdom learn what mercy costs."
She disappeared into the darkness.
A few days later, Queen Elizabeth died.
Her funeral brought the entire kingdom to a standstill. Farmers abandoned their fields, fishermen left their boats, and the palace bells rang throughout the night. Even the forests seemed unusually quiet.
Alan was devastated. He had lost his mother, and although he could not understand why she had died, he knew that something had changed forever.
But her death was only the beginning.
The seasons became disturbed. Days grew shorter, nights stretched unnaturally long, and an unforgiving winter descended upon Avonland. Crops withered, rivers froze and livestock perished. The kingdom's protective boundaries, ancient structures believed to have been blessed by Abnoba, began to crumble.
King Prometheus ordered his knights to repair the walls and perform offerings to the goddess. Yet nothing worked.
Then, one night, the warning bells began to ring.
From beyond the Dark Forest came creatures that had never been seen by mortal eyes. They emerged from the shadows in terrifying numbers, tearing through villages and slaughtering anyone unfortunate enough to stand in their path.
The King's soldiers fought desperately, but their weapons were nearly useless against the invading monsters.
Prometheus immediately ordered the evacuation of the palace.
He summoned his royal priest and court wizard, Behek, and entrusted him with his only son.
"Take Alan away. Whatever happens, you must keep him alive."
Alan resisted. He wanted to remain beside his father, to fight alongside the knights and defend his home.
But Prometheus grabbed his shoulders.
"Listen to me, son. A prince does not prove his courage by dying needlessly. Sometimes, surviving is the greatest act of courage. If you live, you may one day rebuild what we have lost."
Behek carried Alan away as the palace descended into chaos.
From a distant hillside, the young prince watched the kingdom burn. He saw the royal banners fall, the walls collapse and the streets disappear beneath the advancing creatures.
King Prometheus remained behind with his soldiers.
He never returned.
By dawn, Avonland had ceased to exist.
Behek took the surviving prince across the wilderness, eventually reaching the distant territories of the wizarding orders. There, they sought the protection of Merlin, the High King of the wizards.
Merlin listened to the boy's account and understood that Avonland's destruction was no ordinary invasion.
Something ancient had awakened.
He agreed to take responsibility for Alan's education and training, but he made one condition.
The boy would not be trained merely to avenge his parents. He would first learn what it meant to protect another person's life.
Alan accepted.
He had lost his mother, his father, his home and nearly everyone he had ever known.
But he had not lost his memory.
And he would never forget the night Avonland fell.