The hamlet of Vaelthoria slept—a quiet breath beneath a sky older than memory. Its people were simple, living by the natural rhythm of the earth. But beyond their peaceful valley, shadows were stirring.
Neighboring settlements, famous for their sharpened bows, swift steeds, and glinting steel, harbored a festering envy. Though Vaelthoria was modest, it possessed a peace the others coveted. In the dark corners of their minds, plots took root to steal that precious calm.
Then came the night the sky screamed. It wasn't thunder, but a sound like the world tearing itself apart. Fire and iron rained down; chunks of splintered wood and shrapnel tore through thatched roofs. Cannon blasts, as loud as a god's fury, ripped through the air, followed by the terrifying gleam of mounted warriors emerging from the darkness. Chaos erupted—a whirlwind of screams and the brutal clash of steel on flesh. The earth, wet and grasping, drank deeply of the sorrow pouring from hundreds of fallen souls.
The Exodus
Yet, amidst the ruin, there was a flicker of defiance. Gelkra, the village elder—his ninety winters etched clearly onto his face—moved with a trembling urgency. He refused to see his people extinguished. With desperate resolve, he prepared a crude vessel. The survivors, clutching whatever meager possessions they could snatch, were swept aboard. They left Vaelthoria's burning embers behind, casting themselves upon the boundless, unforgiving sea.
Weeks blurred into a dizzying eternity of open water until their fragile craft splintered against the jagged rocks of an unknown isle. At its heart, a lone mountain clawed at the heavens. Within its silent depths, the exiles stumbled upon a hidden truth: ores unlike any they had ever seen, pulsing with an eerie, internal light.
Gelkra saw this not as mere rock, but as a sign of providence. He declared these strange metals would be their salvation. From them, mighty swords would be forged, so that Vaelthoria's children would never again stand defenseless against the cruel hand of war.
A New Law
Under his watchful eye, new lives blossomed from driftwood and black stone. Wild figs from the cliffs sustained them, and the coral-ringed shores provided fish beneath twin silver moons. A new law was etched into their hearts: every citizen, upon reaching fifteen years, would take up a blade—wielding it not just as steel, but as their shield and their destiny.
But fate is a fickle mistress, and peace did not last.
One dreadful day, the land itself convulsed. The ancient mountain began to "weep" stone. Boulders rained down, pulverizing their homes. The island's only vessel—their last thread of escape—was shattered beyond repair.
The Sacrifice
As destruction loomed, Gelkra ventured deep into the mountain's dying maw. There, cradled in the earth, lay two swords. One pulsed with the deep, smoldering red of an ember; the other with the vibrant green of a flourishing grove. Their power, though dimmed by ages, thrummed like the heartbeat of a dying god.
With the last of his strength, Gelkra hurled the swords into the swirling tempest. "Find those worthy of your power," he whispered, his final prayer snatched by the wind. Moments later, the mountain consumed him, his sacrifice echoing into the silence that followed.
The swords drifted, seeking the hands of those destined to unlock their dormant might.
A Thousand Years Later
In a quiet corner of Xiphosia, Dextin Zirsut moved with the heavy gait of a burdened man. He trudged from the fields, labor clinging to his bones, and slumped into his humble chair. His sword hung on the wall—not as a cherished companion, but as a dull relic of obligations he wanted to forget.
He uncorked a bottle of wine, the first swallow meant to burn away the ghosts haunting him. His gaze caught a faded photograph of a woman he could no longer touch. Without hesitation, he tossed it into the hearth, watching the flames devour the last shred of that love.
Then, between the wine's numbness and the edge of sleep, destiny arrived.
A blinding green light ripped through the night—a silent thunderbolt tearing into his home. The force hurled him from his chair. When he pushed himself up, his eyes fixed on a floating katana, suspended in the air and humming with an ethereal, verdant glow.
The Choice
A voice, ancient and resonant, echoed deep within his mind.
"Dextin Zirsut. I am the ember of the Green God, forged three thousand years ago to oppose my crimson kin. I do not seek a 'chosen one.' I seek one whose heart will not fracture beneath the weight of power. Take me. Nurture my flame. For if I fade, this island withers with me."
Dextin gasped. A talking sword? A legend come to life? His fingers twitched, drawn by the allure of power. But the voice softened with a chilling warning:
"Be warned. To wield me is to walk a path of temptation. If you crave power without restraint, you will not just change; you will become a beast—a creature of boundless hunger. The choice is yours alone."
Silence stretched. Then, a slow, predatory smirk curved Dextin's lips. "A beast, you say?" He reached out, his grip firm. "I have no fear of power. If this is my fate, I will tear into it with both hands."
The Awakening
The instant his fingers closed around the hilt, raw energy surged through his veins. Green lightning erupted, sending his body into a convulsion of pain and exhilarating madness. A half-crazed laugh tore from his lips.
"Incredible…" he whispered. "This is what it truly means to hold power."
But he remembered the warning of the red katana—his rival. His grin widened. "Tell me," he commanded the blade, "where is your crimson kin?"
The green blade hesitated. "Far beyond these lands, my brother has already chosen his wielder. I will guide you... but know this: if he is the true Sword Master, even my power may not be enough."
Dextin's grip tightened. "Then I will seek him out. I will face him. I will break him. And I will claim both swords as my own."
Thus, Dextin Zirsut set forth. A man transformed. A sword of ancient power. A destiny that would rip open the fabric of the world.
The saga of the Sword Master had begun.