War tore through Rostone and its kingdom but did not leave victorious. The king walked among the bodies to take in the destruction that would leave him and his people in need of rebuilding. Those who did not endure the vicious nature of war emerged from hiding and found what was left of homes in ruined piles of wood and stone, as well as their livelihood in the raging fires. Among those who survived in hiding were two little boys, not brothers but close to one another as they grew up together. They went among the carnage to search for their fathers. Neither could find their father among the numerous soldiers that defended their kingdom and land to the last collective breath. The soldiers left standing were no strangers to this reality, yet it never got easier.

As hours of cleanup and building went by, the boys were seen just sitting together by the steps that would lead to the castle bridge. The king watched from outside the castle door during those long hours. King Iason was unable to have sons in his time. It was after the sun began setting behind the mountain tops that the king and his royal family, which included his wife, mother, and three daughters, approached the young boys and brought them into the castle as their new home.

Over the next couple of years, as the boys reached their teenage years, the king taught them the many aspects of royal living and ultimately prepared them to be kings when the time came. It was not uncommon for brothers to take equal rule over the kingdom as joint kings, for King Iason was once under this circumstance before his own brother had died tragically in a statement that would lead to the war that recently took the kingdom by storm. The hope for the foreseeable future was to have the boys bring their unique bond that surpassed even brotherly love to the throne and lead the people into a new and brighter era.

Once the boys reached the age of thirteen, they were given the choice of claiming a new name or keeping their old names given to them by their lost families. The oldest of the two, only by a week, decided to keep his given name of Lucifer. The other half of the duo waited that week to make his decision. During that week, he grew close with his new father and started to learn the family's history. The queen took her youngest son aside and told him the story of how the king was planning for many years that he was going to have a son and name him Desmond. It was also during that week that Lucifer learned about the events that led to the war that took him from his bloodline.

Five years before the war came, King Iason had declined to give in to the rival kingdom and refused to give his resources that his people needed more. Lucifer began to feel a strong sense of anger towards his new father and vowed to himself in his chamber those seven nights that he would take the throne for his family's name. After the week had gone by, the youngest of the two decided he would take the name Desmond as a surprise for the man who took him in when he had nothing. Desmond respected the king and his family for their kindness over the years. He too would learn about the events that led to the war but saw only the goodness of the king's action in choosing his people over greed.

The rival kingdom was trading riches and gold in exchange for the resources Rostone was producing. Rostone was thriving off a rich fishing and mining supply that brought good exchange and value through the kingdom that aided the village people. The Iason royal family was unlike many surrounding kingdoms and royal families, for they built their kingdom off the bond they shared with its people. Rostone had the fewest people in poverty and many people were properly taken care of if the royal family could afford to help at any cost. It was this strong bond between royalty and village life that gave Desmond hope for a bright future his blood family always told him he was destined for.

King Iason's mother had noticeably been getting weaker and much sicker over those days and suddenly reached a state that would leave her bedridden. The wise old woman became such a lovable part of the community for her fortune-telling. Her ability to accurately predict the future was widely respected and sought after for those in need of guidance. As she lay in her bed, getting closer and closer to her final day, she saw what the last fortune would be she will tell. She asked her son to approach to receive this final vision, and it brought the king to a fork in his life he never imagined. The vision saw Lucifer overthrowing him and taking the kingdom by force. With the knowledge he now held and the unbreakable accuracy of his mother's gift, he went off to find Desmond. King Iason believed in fate and that tampering with what fate decides is only the beginning of the worst.

The king and Desmond spent more and more time training after Lucifer went off to his isolated chamber. Desmond was never told about the vision for the king knew that would lead to fate being tampered with.

On the day the beloved fortune teller passed, the village went into a long mourning phase throughout much of the day before nightfall where they spent an entire night celebrating the life she lived and the good she brought them all. While much of the kingdom and village was preoccupied in celebration, King Iason and Desmond went down a secret path in the main sleeping chamber where Desmond would be shown a passage that he was told could take him outside the kingdom walls to a safe spot where if needed, the royal family can retreat to.

Little did Desmond know, the need to use this passage was soon. Once the king and Desmond separated from the main chamber, Lucifer ran into the king in the hall and confronted his adopted father before abruptly taking a small knife from his pocket and stabbing the king in his side. In a matter of seconds, Lucifer had run off and Desmond came running to the king's cry. Desmond took a knee at his father's side and simply listened to the collective cries as the family soon joined.

With Lucifer out of sight and the pain on young Desmond's face, the Queen took her son into her arms and whispered into his ear to run. Everyone knew what could happen if Desmond stayed and the fear that the good name of the Iason royal bloodline would cease to exist and fall victim to burning hatred and revenge. The time was ticking, and Desmond needed to leave before he would meet his own demise.

Desmond darted down the chamber halls to his own chambers to pack his belongings and last memories of his fallen fathers before returning to the royal chamber and the secret passage to his haven outside the walls. From there, he was on his own with little to him but a small bag, the clothes on his back, and the knowledge he has gained since his adoption into the Iason royal name.

Word spread to the kingdoms beyond of the passing and were devastated. Rostone became a strong ally to other lands during tough times when continental conflicts came in the form of natural disaster or war from far away nations. Word was also spread that Desmond was safely evacuated and that guidance for him would be much appreciated by the Iason family.

In the matter of hours to days for the word to spread, Desmond had made his way to the middle of the grasslands where he used his survival training and apparent natural gift to make a temporary shelter and gather enough food for the days he might be walking through the upcoming forests. His senses seemed heightened to the eyes of the creatures that watched and stalked him during his travels.

But it would be a short-lived adventure as the king of an ally kingdom appeared from the woods. King Saunders of Gerland approached on horseback with his royal guards at side. "Sir Desmond, do not be alarmed, I'm an old friend of your father. I am King Saunders." stated a very heroic and confident king.

Desmond maintained a silent image as he has yet to trust anyone, but being a faithful student to his father, he follows the Gerland ruler. The journey was not long at all. In a matter of about half a day, the group had reached the Gerland gate. "Thanks to your father and his kindness, we were able to get the last needed supplies and resources to finish this gate. And in time, his kindness awarded us with our own freedom as we finally were able to rid our people and my kingdom of our worst rival."

Desmond would listen to King Saunders as they watched the gate open in a majestic like manner. There was a noticeable difference in how the Gerland village faired in comparison to Rostone. Many of the people not in the royal family seemed as if they were on the verge of death yet still able to smile.

It was then that Desmond noticed a young woman around his age alone as she fought a much bigger man for a piece of bread that she ultimately lost. In her defeat, she did not cry, she appeared to be okay, but Desmond felt as if she was nearly broken inside. He was at this point once in his life before, years ago just before his father adopted him into the royal Iason family.

He walked over to the girl and offered her a bit of the food he had left over from his hunting. The moment he produced the piece of meat from his small bag, the other poor souls nearby began to approach with evil intention. In the blink of an eye, one tall and lengthy man reached over to steal the meat. Desmond immediately responded with a well-timed grab of the wrist and flipped the man on this back with a hard thud as he hit the ground. This sent a chilling response to the others as they backed away.

The girl only watched as she was not familiar with being aided in her struggles before. "I'm sorry for the violence ma'am, I just wanted you to have this instead. You look like you might have needed it." Desmond smiled before finally giving the girl the cooked meat. She held it in her hands and looked down at the food for a good bit of time before finally taking a bite. Her eyes lit up like the sun that had begun to set behind the mountain tops as she finished eating the whole meal in a matter of a minute.

Desmond stunned at the feat, yet unable to take his eyes away from her. She would not respond to him for the rest of that evening, but they made eye contact throughout the night. "Sir Desmond, I would like to ask if you would join my army for morning training. I'm sure they would be able to learn a thing or two from you." stated Saunders. Desmond simply nodded before attempting to set up his camp in the village.

Saunders stopped him and insisted that Desmond take shelter in the castle. While Desmond did consider taking that offer, there was something about the girl that kept Desmond there in the village center that night.

Once Desmond finally set up camp, he turned to see if the girl had stayed but she was gone. Knowing he would see her again sometime tomorrow, he nodded off to sleep awaiting tomorrow for his training. His dreams that night detailed the honor he would regain for Rostone and the Iason name. If his adopted brother would be willing to let the past go, Desmond had faith they could continue to be best friends until they die. He tried to ignore the possibility that Lucifer would still hold the hatred that consumed him and unleash a terror onto everyone else Desmond grew to love.

His dreams ended abruptly as he was shaken awake by the girl. Her blue eyes the only clear thing as Desmond struggled to regain clear vision. Before he could properly respond, she gave him a quick yet meaningful kiss to his lips before running off. The kiss left him paralyzed but attentive to everything around him. He reached up to touch his lips as if he couldn't believe it had happened. He smiled for a bit before sitting up in his makeshift bed that was a simple construction of cloth and tree branches that were tied together with rope.

The sun was not up yet, but a glow could be seen from beyond the mountains that indicated that morning was drawing close. Desmond was wide awake at this point and ventured off towards the castle where he found what looked to be the kingdom's training grounds. He drew his sword and approached a straw decoy to practice his swordsmanship. This was his favorite lesson he learned from King Iason during the many years. Swift strikes to the sides and a piercing stab to the chest before King Saunders made his way to the very same grounds.

"I see you have found the training grounds Desmond." Saunders had simply watched Desmond from the castle for a small bit of time before joining him. Desmond kept his focus on the decoy. It seemed as if Desmond saw Lucifer and the betrayal of his family. Desmond came to accept that he would more than likely overthrow his own brother, the one member of his family he has known the longest.

Just before delivering a final blow, a cry came from the village and dark grey smoke appeared over the training ground walls. Desmond kept sword in hand as he alongside Saunders raced for the source of the smoke. A massive fire had consumed a cart of hay. The only people seen not fleeing the scene were three guards, one of which held a torch that was more than likely the cause of the fire. Saunders in his rage demanded answers.

Each guard turned simultaneously and the one that held the torch replied with a deep and confident voice. "For Lord Lucifer, we shall purge the last piece of resistance to his cause." Chanted the guard before the other two joined him in calling for Lucifer as if he was a spirit or divine being.

Desmond was not having any of this nonsense, he had no idea that Lucifer could influence what seemed to be the strongest ally of Rostone and the Iason family. The guards as well as Desmond drew swords. Saunders in slight disbelief was delayed drawing his but would eventually join Desmond in the battle. Desmond wasted little time to charge the guards, even in a three to 1 fight. As he ran forward to meet the traitors head on, Desmond reached to the ground to scoop up a small bit of dirt that he would throw into the closest guard to him to blind. Saunders followed up behind as the odds were evened out for the time being.

The two remaining guards took to their separate battles. Saunders kept an even match in his own fare but Desmond with his knowledge and training would disarm the other guard with ease. As soon as Saunders gained the advantage over his foe, the third guard regained enough vision to deliver his sword through Saunders in his back. Desmond was stunned to see one of the only friends and allies he felt he had for miles fall to the ground and soon became motionless.

In the blink of an eye, Desmond no longer felt the need to hold back his anger. The guard he had in front of him fell victim to a well-placed stab into the weakest part of the armor just above the waist. In swift and effortless motions, Desmond drew the sword back from the body and faced the other two guards. With no hesitation, Desmond immediately jumped forward and battled the murderer as the other went to claim his weapon. In seconds, blind fury guided every movement Desmond made and he slayed the second guard with powerful slices.

Once the final blow was dealt, the final of the group charged forward only to be met with another timely and well-placed strike that beheaded the final traitor to the kingdom of Gerland. The battle was won, but to Desmond, victory would only be given if he can claim back the throne in the name of good and honor. The villagers cheered and went to surround the champion, but he left for his things before anyone would be close enough.

One surprise though that met him was the girl from the day before. His belongings had been nicely packed and ready in her hands. Desmond stopped a mere foot away from her. Not many words would be shared, just loving stares as if they had been a loving couple for years. The silence broke as the girl he knew very little about spoke in a soft angelic voice. "Please return to me. I know what you must do." She stated as her arms extended to offer Desmond is small bag of belongings.

"If I am victorious in my efforts, I must ask that you come with me and we shall live in peace and happiness." replied a very confident Desmond. Her response was a slight smile and a nod. He would reach out to take his bag but also her hand. He stepped forward and held her hand to his chest and they shared a moment of silence once more and a final kiss for that time. They broke apart and Desmond began to walk towards the gate to meet his destiny and begin the journey to claim his place as a king.

Just before stepping into the outside of Gerland, the girl shouted from her place he had left her at. "My name is Laila!" Desmond smiled to himself and continued to walk. He constantly thought to himself as he made his way back to the forest about Laila. There was a pleasant reminder of his father's kindness in her. Although it was early in the day and he could probably make it to the Rostone kingdom in the same day, he decided to camp out deep in the forest to ensure his intuition was correct.

During the many lessons his father taught him, he learned that those who seek power leave nothing to chance. Desmond was preparing for another set of warriors or knights under Lucifer's command. He knew Lucifer very well from the many years he was alongside Lucifer as brothers against the world. Lucifer was detail oriented and showed very little mercy when he felt as if he was backed into a corner. Desmond was a more spontaneous boy with the ability to adapt well to the situation. This is what made Desmond a threat to Lucifer and the vision Lucifer saw for himself.

Desmond searched for the perfect spot to make his shelter. It was different circumstances for Desmond as he now realized the need he had to properly plan his next couple moves to ensure his best chance of survival. The next couple of hours were spent building a shelter among the trees to prevent the enemy from seeing his location before he was ready for them. Just before the sun began to set, Desmond built a small fire that that would last long enough for a couple hours of weapon crafting.

The arsenal was small, only a few sharpened wooden spears and stakes small enough to be wielded as daggers. Desmond was resource

ful though, this weaponry in his mind seemed like unnecessary work and planning, but he was aware of the man he was facing in Lucifer. Night had begun to set, and Desmond's carefully crafted fire extinguished with minimal evidence and trail.

He climbed up the tree that took him directly into his camouflaged shelter that was nearly invisible to the human eye. The many years he spent alone in the village taught him to sleep lightly and be ready to defend himself in the most immediate moments whenever he was most vulnerable. All that was kept in the shelter was his bag of belongings, a hidden wooden stake in reaching distance from him, and a darkened cloth that barely softened the tree branches that held his weight.

Morning came, he slept undisturbed, but his early morning would be met with the expected arrival of mercenaries and assassins that were under Lucifer's newfound wealth. From Desmon's vantage point, he spotted five men in a tight V like formation as they entered the woods, backs well covered by the man next to him. Each man was armed with sword and shield and a minimal amount of armor only covered their chest and abdomen but allowed much more brisk movements.

This task was going to be much more difficult than the three guards that vandalized the Gerland kingdom. His lessons prepared him for a moment like this. He was taught and mastered the concept of dividing an enemy apart and creating a level playing field. In his bag of belongings, Desmond stored a few stones as emergency items in case he would need them. With a stone in hand, Desmond threw an accurate shot through a narrow window in the trees to hit a small body of water about thirty feet.

The noise and diversion drew two of the five men away and left the other three in a smaller V formation with a more tightly packed defense, which led to Desmond to take his chances and landed firmly and decisively onto the three men as silently as possible. He took a small dagger from his waist and effectively eliminate two of the men before the third finally wrestled away to grab his own weapon and shouted for the other two.

The direct path that the other two men had to take was riddled with bushes and obstacles, allowing Desmond enough time to fight and successfully kill the third of his initial party of bandits. As soon as his dagger was pulled from the victim, the other two men quickly surrounded the two sides of Desmond that were the fastest routes away. With limited options and the knowledge that escape was merely impossible at this point, Desmond readied his sword and dagger in each hand.

In the blink of an eye, Desmond quickly dragged his foot deep into the dirt in a rapid semi-circle to create enough dust cover between him and one of the two men to allow him plenty of time to push and fight off the other man. This cover would not last long and the second man soon charged forward. Desmond was left in an unwinnable situation as he still had not fought off the other man. But just before the bandit could reach Desmond, an arrow whizzed past the two engaged with each other and found its target in the forehead of the fourth man to die.

Desmond unaware of who might have shot that arrow found the opportunity to take advantage of the chaos and delivered a precise strike to the assassin's wielding hand before following it up with a smooth transition into a killing blow through the chest. The fifth and final man fell, and Desmond stood to live another day. Once his weapons had been holstered, he took a glance to the direction that the arrow came from to see a shadowed figure glance back at him. Only a nod was shared between the two and they found themselves heading into different directions.

Desmond collected all his belongings and packed camp up tightly into a manageable system before following the direction that would take him home, and to what he called "the devil's temple". The rest of that day went very uneventful, which to most would seem relaxing and peaceful. Desmond, however, knew better and expected a wave of enemies that stood between him and the throne a traitor he once loved like a brother held in captive possession.

As soon as the sun began to set behind the mountains and the sky lit up an orange shade, Desmond found himself among the villagers he used to be a part of. Many glad to see him in safe status, others feared what might happen in the coming moments. Desmond was a bit shocked to see that his welcoming party to the Rostone lands was such a friendly endeavor. This would certainly mean the castle and the grounds leading to the castle were swarmed with paid bandits of all sorts.

But in a shocking twist, the swarm was indeed there, but Lucifer was among them. "Welcome brother. I am pleased to see you are here as I hoped." Lucifer spoke with a chilling tone. The confidence and power he now held was alarming for Desmond. This side of Lucifer had shown itself once before when the two were younger. Lucifer had to defend himself against some troublemakers from a neighboring kingdom with intentions to stir trouble for a battle between kingdoms.

Lucifer and Desmond at this time were only around the ages of five or six and had not held weapons before. In his defense, Lucifer panicked and grabbed a broken broom handle and held the stick up without intending to kill. The group's leader that had attacked and harassed the two boys fell to the ground lifeless. Lucifer, after realizing what had occurred, stood tall with a newly found strength and smiled at the rest of the group that started backing away. Before they all could escape, Lucifer effectively smacked the wooden handle into the leg of the one in reach and seemingly broke the leg of the boy not much older than him.

Before Lucifer could deliver the final blow, Desmond stopped him as the young boy's group came back with their own weapons. The two brothers ran off to safety of the village people, Lucifer still almost smiling at what transpired. Desmond remembered that day so vividly, and now about eight years later, he sees that same side return. "Don't worry about my new friends Desmond, they are only your concern if you manage to beat me here and now for the right to take Rostone into a new light. A light where everyone will fear us!" Lucifer shouting in a mad craze of power.

"Rostone thrives on the kindness we shared with the world; we only fight when we are protecting what we have." stated a determined Desmond. His words rang in the ears of those native to this kingdom and the good people to have been made here. Without a second thought though, Lucifer charged forward towards Desmond with his own sword. The last detail Desmond noticed was the name of his father, King Iason crossed out on the handle.

In a blinded anger, Desmond readied his sword and defended a strike as the blades made contact and the sound of battle had started. Lucifer kept the smile that haunted Desmond throughout the years as Desmond pushed him back. The two stood with equal determination before commencing the fight. Lucifer throwing numerous strikes of his sword that would eventually be blocked by Desmond. Desmond had anger built up inside of him but was convinced his dear brother could be saved by the grasp of wrath that held him in his current state.

The only motivation that kept Desmond in this fight was Laila. As soon as the thought came to him of her, Desmond spotted the same shadowy figure from before that saved Desmond for this moment. The hood that covered their identity was lowered and Laila stood in the back corner of the castle grounds. Her smile and warm appearance fired Desmond's fight into

 a new gear and Desmond charged this time around to Lucifer's surprise. Lucifer's once confident demeanor changed into a more scared image. Lucifer had been relying on the kindness and good in Desmond's heart to guide his victory.

One strong slash of Desmond's sword disarmed Lucifer of his sword and left him defenseless. Desmond was in no rush to attack again, and in his eyes, the internal struggle within Lucifer began. His hand gestures told Desmond that he was still angry and willing to fight, but his eyes were reflecting the old Lucifer that became the brother Desmond loved since boyhood. Desmond made the decision that fate would decide who would prevail from within Lucifer and turned his back.

Lucifer now left with the choice of who he was going to be looked around him. In a quick and blinded rage, he grabbed his sword from the ground and charged Desmond. Desmond shed a single visible tear to the ground and kicked up a massive dust cloud that blinded everyone else from the action. Nothing could be seen or heard from the outside. But once the dust settled, Desmond was seen standing in victory. Lucifer laid on the ground motionless but no sight of blood or any other signals that he was dead could be seen. The once hired bandits had backed away.

The tails they heard of Desmond and his vicious combat skills apparently presented themselves as true right in front of their own eyes. They respected the man that seemingly was taking the throne as the new king of Rostone. Everyone began to clear out and Desmond stood in the same spot he had ended the battle in as Lucifer slowly regained consciousness. Lucifer turned onto his back and a single wound from left side of his abdomen to the right part of the chest was seen. The wound was not deep, and the bleeding was minimal.

Lucifer smiled through this, but the smile felt warmer and seemed more peaceful. The two shared the same smile and before long, Desmond spoke with a soft and welcoming voice. "Welcome back my brother, how I've missed you." stated a relieved but exhausted Desmond. Desmond helped Lucifer to his feet and the two walked into the castle as brothers once more. The kingdom relieved to have peace again and the royal family shared in group excitement that Desmond had won.

Laila soon joined the two and shared another kiss with her champion, Desmond returning the favor. Lucifer soon faded into another state of unconsciousness in Desmond's arms and was soon helped to his chambers where he would lay for the rest of the day.