It was a characteristically lovely day. A little bit later, the inhabitants of Capitale would have awoken to the sounds of merchants enthusiastically calling out their exorbitant prices, and the clear sounds of the multitude of birds chirping. Surely, the founders of Capitale would have thought of some better, more imaginative name? Well, unfortunately, that was all that they could achieve at the poor time it was established. No one had the intelligence required back then. Now, the city of Capitale flourished. The great metropolis was a beautiful sight in the pure, invigorating sunlight, or a dark, dreamy night, brightened by the countless shining stars. Ah, the view was surely so spectacular, that even a king would venture far and wide to see this fantastic city in all its glory. And one king wanted it. He wanted it very badly. So badly that the lust for the great city was a burning sensation that he could only satisfy by conquering the city, and imprisoning all its inhabitants, so everything would be his! The ghostly, abandoned streets in perfect condition and an immaculate state. Oh, how it would bask in all its glory in the sunlight, and all the ferocious power in the moonlight! It would be his. It must be his.

Shalizar Royale, the mayor and leader of Capitale was up early, at dawn. He was in his forties, a great and strong man, bearing decades of intelligence and wisdom. His features were, however, usually concealed in the robes or togas that he wore on a daily basis. The only problem was – every Captalite looked strikingly similar to everyone else, and Shalizar was no exception.

Marianne Royale, Shalizar’s wife, was also up early. She was also in her forties, and was wise far beyond her age. Many believed that she could see parts of the future, but her liveliness and brilliant appearance completely shattered all theories that she could be a witch or seer.

Together, they were at their chambers, looking down at a wide, endless expanse of a lovely, colourful plains. It was dotted with shrubs and herbs, with many little mounds and full of life. Capitalites never hunted, so beasts and animals alike lived in prosperity at the plains. Together, they also scanned the skies and the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, as the sun began to rise, and the clouds parted. The now pristine sky revealed a sight that was extraordinary to anyone who was a foreigner, who was, of course, welcomed in open arms. Many travellers came from afar to hear and see this magnificent city, and bask in the wonders. Truly, few returned to their homelands, in spite of their families, far away. The city of Capitale was so great, that you couldn’t bear to leave.

However, it was the friendliness of Capitale that would become their downfall. See, the citizens of Capitale never thought to fight. It was quite an isolated region. The Northern areas were completely engulfed by an enormous sea. A massive and dense forest surrounded the South. No one had ever managed to get across, and one brave party made an attempt. Travelling for over three weeks, they couldn’t see any end to the trees, and they headed home, barely making it back. At the East, there lie the great peaks and mountains. Those mountains had no official name, but they were absolutely gargantuan in size. It dwarfs everything hundreds of miles around it, so it is known as the King’s Summit. The Western area was the only crossable point. It was known as the Endless Plains. It actually could be a misnomer, but to its credit, crossing the plains would take almost six weeks on foot, and water would be scarce just a few miles away from the city. Few ever attempted the journey, and few survived. And fewest of all actually made it back to tell their tale and their grand adventures in faraway lands. They made great stories, doubtlessly. However, not many were physically capable of making such a journey. You see, that is another piece that would lead to the downfall of the Capitalites.

Capitale, in all its glory, has no standing army. Any fighters would be merely mercenaries, called upon when there needed to be a minor dispute or problem that had to be put down. They were foolish, perhaps even naïve to not defend their lands properly. However, the only crossable point, the plains are so wide that the mere thought of an entire army crossing was utterly ridiculous! Besides, any remnants of an army that has the willpower of crossing the entire distance would be extremely weak, tired, and pushed to the brink of insanity. But they were truly foolish. One man had the willpower and the resources to take down the city – The King.

Oh, he spent years gathering the required forces, and meticulously planned his stratagem, down to the final, smallest and most redundant point, and making so many backup plans that it seemed impossible that he would fail. His men spent every day in the plains. They trained there, and marched for hours on end. They had learned to endure the ordeal ahead. The real test, however, would be to get across.

The army travelled at a fair pace, bringing a lot of supplies to last the long trip. It wasn’t long before the entire army was demoralized, and supplies were low. Only from utter fear or their tyrant king did the army push forward, faster and faster towards their destination. By the end of their five week trial, a record, over half of the army had perished from the extreme challenge of surviving and resisting the gigantic plains. However, the rest of the army rejoiced as the neared, and then met the edge, where the crossing to the city was.

The tyrant king still remembers the messenger who brought the news. He was so delighted to hear of such an area so easy to conquer, with so much to gain and plunder. However, the plains would be the ultimate challenge. The king had no intention of backing down.

One day, Shalizar was in the majestically adorned Meeting Chamber, with his most distinguished advisors, discussing an important upcoming construction project. Suddenly, without warning, a messenger barged into the room. He spoke quickly, and was obviously very tired from running a long way.

“Sir, I apologize for this most untimely intrusion”, the messenger panted, his head full of sweat. “But I must hand this message to you.”

He quickly handed over to Shalizar a scroll. Shalizar quickly unfurled it, and read what he’d never expect to see in a lifetime. Under the red seal, which marked that it was sent by the leader of the Scouts, a group of unarmed civilians, which watched the city and area surrounding the city, looking for any sign of danger. The police or prefects would then deal with it.

The message was scrawled quickly, and barely legible. Shalizar however, could immediately distinguish that it was a written by his friend, Lockhart, who guarded the city walls.

There is a hostile army approaching from the Endless Plains in the West! Their banners are of crimson red, and they also have an orange banner with a “W” on it. I wonder what it means… Oh, no matter. The present is what we must deal with. We cannot hope to defeat them; they outnumber us more than ten to one! Sir, I request immediate assistance!

– Signed, Watcher Lockhart

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And that, is my first real attempt at a fanfic. Comments, suggestions, criticism, constructive criticism welcomed! Flames are fine, but not welcome. Malicious flamers, begone!