Humanity always advances. Nothing can stop the endless march of progress.

  When arcane arts were discovered long ago, they were pioneered as the next step of human evolution. They constructed cities with minimal man power, they commanded forests to grow from barren fields, and they delivered spectacles in the sky for humanity to watch. Though it could only be used by those gifted enough to wield it, it was adopted far and wide. It brought peace and happiness. It brought a golden age for Humanity. They prospered and thrived.

  But despite how Humanity progresses, it falls just as fast.

  Wars had erupted across the continent. A tool that was once used to enhance lives was now used to end it. There was no choice in the matter. Survival of the fittest, only the strong may survive. Many countries entered the war. Very few left it. The two victors stood on the continent, directly opposing each other. The country of Xurvur would not yield against the lands of Eldon. The King of Xurvur would not be satisfied with peace. He wanted to see the continent bend their knee and accept him as king. Any who did not accept him would be eliminated. In his eyes, he alone had the divine right to rule the continent. His mages, witches, and warlocks all heeded his call without any question and razed cities who refused support. Their armies could not be matched, and the conquest of Eldon seemed like an inevitability.

  But there was one idea. A barbaric idea that every mage did not think was possible.

  The eldest mage in both lands, a great mage named Merlin, had devised a spell to end the entire war in an instant. People were shocked. Xurvur’s armies were vast and limitless. How could a single spell end it all? People wanted answers. Merlin gave them none. He pleaded for cities to be evacuated and buried. Residents hid in caves or fled by boat. People feared the worst of what he planned.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  And the worst came.

  Merlin unleashed a massive spell across the entire country of Xurvur. In a single flash of light, the country was razed to the ground. Cities were leveled and billions perished in the blast. The country of Xurvur had more than met its match, and it was but a single mage.

  But Xurvur was not the only one to be utterly destroyed. Eldon was equally ravaged by the spell. A necessary measure to make sure this could never happen again. Merlin took the spell to his grave, only seeing the last light of his work at the end of his world. He gazed at the beauty of his destruction and gave himself peace knowing that he had ended the conflict that none could resolve.

  Those in Eldon who survived the destruction could not emerge from their caves and tunnels for years. Many had spent their entire lives underground. It was not safe. It could not be feasibly safe for a very long time. The arcane arts kept them alive and when they emerged, they saw a land that looked reborn. The cities were overgrown with massive trees, some were uprooted and began walking on their own. Merlin had given them all a land to be reborn on. A second chance at life through arcane arts. Many saw it and welcomed it, but some were disgusted at the horrific atrocities committed. They abandoned what they called “magic” and went to form something new. Something that was not built by words and magic, but by steel and action.

  Golden Ages come and go. All things must come to an end. Many now believe that arcane arts must be shunned. They were the weapons used by people in conquest of the world. Such barbarity must be discarded if humanity is to truly progress. These people went to make bodies of metal, filling their pipes with oil to make them move. They wish to build a new Golden Age. One free from the mistakes and chains of the past.

  And so, the world now hangs in the balance of a new threat. History may very well repeat itself.

  But not over blood and land.

  It will be over Oil and Ichor.