Liruth.
To you, it means nothing. It is a word you probably don't even know how to pronounce properly. (By The Way, Lee-Ruth)
To me, that one word means everything.
It means history. It means Time Invested. It means a whole Universe trapped within one mind.
My mind.
My name is CLASSIFIED, and in my mind, an entire world bounds and rages, unhinged entirely, kept within me only be the history and the events I write down.
You are about to witness the first of this extensive world.
The first any living soul besides me has ever known.
I say the first, because that is what this is. I may be telling you the basic history, but it goes much deeper than you will ever know.
And Liruth will grow. It will grow, become stronger, and eventually, burst from it's chains, revealing itself, in it's marvelous entirety, to this world, whether they are ready to accept it or not.
But enough with this. Let me tell you a story.
The story of Liruth...
********
It began in darkness.
And then in light.
His name was Liruth. He was the first. The king of kings, the god of gods. He was the creator. The universe sat in his hand, and he sat upon his mighty throne, in his inconceivably gargantuan Citadel City of the gods, Adal'Ra. In this city, he made his three children. They were the Titans. Burtock, Titan of Strength, resilience, and health, was the first born from the holy stone the city stood upon. His next son was named Nursaeden, sculpted from the clay of the River Ulthan, and decorated with the scales of the City Walls. He was Titan of Magic. His final son, he made of his own blood, formed in a shape and bones with Marble pillars. He was Tralthick, Titan of Wrath.
Each titan had three sons, the Ancients, who each had three sons, the Demititans. Eventually, they ended up with the first two mortal races: The Giants, then called the Erutharri, and the Dragons. While the mortals scurried to claim all they could, the Elementals arose. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. They controlled the physical properties of Liruth. If one fell, the entire world would break upon itself.
And then arose the first conflict Liruth had known: The Mortitan Wars.
It started with the Elemental War, when the Dragons attacked the elementals by destroying their temples, eventually rendering the Air and Fire elementals powerless. When the Dragon King, Modock, was betrayed by the King of Fire, Cordigus, he surrendered, and the first of the four wars ended.
Not a month later, there was another war. A cult that followed a mysterious man known as 'The Defiler' had arisen, and began to tear the world apart in what would come to be called 'The Defilement'. This war was finished when the Defiler himself came from the shadows, and split the mighty ring continent of Lirthan into four. In doing so, he began the third war.
The third in the series was known as the Black War. The Defiler revealed himself to be Hython, formerly the servant to Liruth, but now, known as The Black God. He was the antithesis of good, the embodiment of evil. And he tore the world of Liruth asunder. The Titans, Ancients, and Demititans stepped into the Black War, some giving everything -including their lives- in order to stop the Black God. Four Demititans, known as orders, mentored by the Ancient Don'Damos, arose.
Their names were Wisdom, Faith, Honor, and Courage, and they alone would change the course of the Black War. When Hython's Generals and other assorted Kingpins were slain, he faced off with the Titans themselves, who forced him back into the twisting blackness he called home. Thus, the Black War ended, with the orders giving their lives to form the four Vaults of Order.
And then, the final war of the Mortitan Wars came, The fourth. This was known as 'the Twelve Year War', for obvious reasons, and was also called 'The Great Inward War'.
This was when the Mortals decided that Liruth was their land now; destined for them to cultivate it, settle it, and form new civilizations from it. They fought to force out the superior influences. The elementals were the first to secede, returning to the heavens. It took six years of bullying and attacking their temples for the final elementals to retreat. Then, the Demititans receded after the Eighth year. Finally, nearing the final days of the twelfth year, the Titans decided that the mortals should rule Liruth.
And so it finally ended. The Mortitan Wars passed, and in that time, the one continent had become four, elementals were defeated, and ultimately pushed out, a dark god tried to destroy everything they knew, and mortals had taken full control. Now the Giants were not alone. On the day of the Dragon, their champion, Orkthall Bloodhelm, slew over 200 dragons, including their king Modock, and sending the others into hiding.
Then the other races arose. First, the Orcs. Then, Humans. Then, Goblins, Ant-Men, Trolls, Minotaurs, Dwarves, and Elves. Liruth became populated, inhabited, and shaped by the mortals' craftsmanship. The titans never did re-enter Liruth. But they will one day. The reawakening.
And this is where our story begins...
*******
"Where am I?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she opened her eyes, not in her bed as she was when she closed them, but lying face-up in a mossy forest. Something was definitely odd. She looked down as her hooves. She was still a pony. And an Alicorn by the looks of it. But nothing she knew from her bedroom was around. Not even Spike. Looking around, she recognized a forest, at least.
Then she realized, she could hear something. Something constant, and out-of-the-way enough that she simply thought of it as the buzzing of insects in a lush environment. But no... It was constant. Pounding. Almost... rhythmic.
It was the sound of metal clanking against soft dirt. It was the sound of... marching.
She realized that where there was marching, there was life, and where there was life, there was knowledge of where she was. She was on her hooves in a flash, and galloped closer to the sound. She found a clearing from the forestry she was in, onto an open road. Immediately, she could tell something was wrong.
Hundreds of Metal-Clad Bipedal figures marches, greatswords in their hands, all of them in formation. This was a war march. And they were following one without a helm, revealing his... interesting features.
He had no snout. His mouth was flat against his head, and his nose was the only thing that protruded from it. His eyes faced directly forward, and his ears were in the direct center of his head. A truly odd creature, he appeared to be their leader. He wore a blue cape embroidered with gold. He stood on a rock, and held up a clenched fist. In unison, the army stopped.
And then Twilight saw the army they had come to meet. A group of foul monsters, much like the leader, but with vile, muscle-bound Green Skin and even uglier faces, hardly clothed in tattered red cloth, led by a creature that stood taller than all others, wielding an enormous Bronze axe.
She heard the more civilized creature shout out, "Bloodblade?!" in clear tongue, a good sign.
"Welles. We meet again," replied the monster, a deep and gravely voice backing up his complexion.
The one named Welles replied, "What in Burtock's name are you doing here?!"
'Burtock? Must be a local figure,' Twilight thought to herself.
Bloodblade, as she now knew it to be, replied, "We heard of your little Incursion just north of here." He gestured ahead of him, giving Twilight a general cardinal direction where she was. She faced West, looking at the Metal army going south. Bloodblade continued, "And we were... unnerved by your presence. Jaggror requested we come and meet this war march head on."
'Uh, oh,' Twilight couldn't help but think, 'A fight's going down.'
"Well," replied Welles, "You're welcome to try and stop us, Bloodblade. That is... if you have it in you."
"Why, you little," Bloodblade mumbled, "Fine! If it is a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get."
Both the leaders raised their weapons above their heads, and Twilight realized she was about to be in the direct center of a full scale battle.
"FOR THE KING!" Shouted Welles.
"FOR VICTORY!" Shouted Bloodblade.
They both simultaneously charged, their armies not far behind, towards where Twilight was standing on the sidelines. As each army closed in, she realized she had to do something, to stop blood from being spilled.
As they almost met in the center, Twilight conjured a magical shield, and shouted, "STOP!!!!"
Both army leaders found their paths blocked, and turned to the voice shouting at them.
Welles looked at it in confusion, and Bloodblade simply laughed.
"What in the Titan's name is that?!" He said through laughs, "It looks like something from a children's book!"
"I have no clue," Welles replied, coming closer.
"Well," Said Bloodblade, getting himself under control, "This is our battle, and it doesn't involve her... him... It."
"That, you're right about." Welles said, "This is not your fight, young... creature. If I may, I'm going to ask you to leave. I don't want you to see anything unnecessarily... violent."
"I don't want anything unnecessarily violent to happen, so I'm not going anywhere."
Bloodblade, now seemingly annoyed, said, "Well, if you aren't going to get a move on, we're going to make you."
"For once, Orc, we agree on something." said Welles, "I'm sorry, young one, but you're going to have to leave and let this battle be."
"And I'm telling you, that I'm not budging."
"Oh, enough of this!" shouted Bloodblade, raising his axe and charging at Twilight, "Let's just kill the damn thing and be done with this!" with that, he charged, but was met by an arcane shot out of Twilight's horn, sending him back.
"What the-" Welles said, drawing his blade, "It's dangerous!"
Seeing the sword, Twilight blasted Welles also.
As the rival leaders sat in confusion on the other side of the road, Bloodblade managed to shout out, "KILL IT! BRING ME IT'S HEAD!"
Welles also shouted, "HUNT IT DOWN! MAKE IT PAY!"
"Uh oh." Twilight said, as both armies now converged on her, throwing spears and axes. Surprisingly, they all missed her, so she turned and ran into the forest.
Unfortunately for Twilight, there was a cliff right there that she didn't see, and she went right over the edge. Fortunately for her, she had wings now, and she was able to spread them, and begin flying. She could hear shouts as the armies met on the edge of the cliff, and again, spears, throwing axes, and arrows started to fly in her direction.
And then, she felt the intense pain of an arrow splicing right through her right wing, and the unparalleled fear of plummeting down to the ground below. Almost endlessly below.
Down...
Down...
Down...
BAM!
Right into the dirt of a new forest.
"I did it! I got her!" Boasted the Human archer as Twilight stumbled in mid-air and plummeted down into the forest below. There were cheers from his comrades, and snarls of resentment from the greenskins.
The glee was interrupted as Welles and Bloodblade approached, side by side, amazingly. Welles looked to the archer and the rest of his compatriots. "Well done, Albus. Good shot. But it means nothing unless we can get to it before either it gets away, or Bloodblade and his Orcs find it first. Ringley."
A man in light armor stepped up, "Yes, General Welles?"
"Gather a scouting party find the creature. The rest of you, make a base camp at the bottom of this cliff. I have a feeling we'll be here for a few days. Oh, and Ringley!"
Ringley, who was already departing, turned and replied, "Yes, General?"
"Keep it alive. I want to ask it some questions."
"Yes, General Welles."
And with that, Ringley and his scouts disappeared into the forests, and the rest of the army started scaling the cliff face.
"GORETOOTH!" Shouted an enraged Bloodblade.
"Y-yes, Warbearer?"
"You let a HUMAN shoot down that mysterious and valuable creature? A HUMAN, GORETOOTH?!"
"Y-yes, Warbearer. A thousand shames upon me."
"No, Goretooth. A thousand shames isn't enough."
Goretooth was shivering as Warbearer Bloodblade came closer to him, a deranged look in his eyes. "W-what is enough, Warbearer? W-what do I deserve?"
"You deserve your head on a stake! You deserve for your body to be burned and every signifying of your once being to be scattered to the four winds of Tao'Hun!"
"A-are you going to do that, W-Warbearer?"
"No, Goretooth."
Goretooth sighed in relief.
"Just killing you will be enough." Bloodblade said as he swung his axe, cutting Goretooth's cry short while at the same time freeing his head from it's shoulders. "And let that be a lesson to the rest of you," he continued, nudging the body off the cliff with him foot almost absent-mindedly, "If you let a human take that creature from us. You'll ALL end up like Goretooth. Is that what you WANT?!"
They replied in unison, "No, Warbearer!"
"Then Redfoot! Send scouts down there. FIND THAT CREATURE! There is no time to be lost!"
"Yes Warbearer!" Said Redfoot, running off much as Ringley had done.
"Blackaxe!"
"Yes, Warbearer?"
"Take the Bloodguards. Follow the humans. That thing may have gotten in our way back there, but dammit, I came here for a battle, and by the Titans I'm getting one. Make a camp north of them. Don't attack until I arrive and tell you to."
"Yes, Warbearer," and with that, Blackaxe and the rest of the Orcs departed.
The human army and Orc army had both left the overlook, and now only General Welles and Warbearer Bloodblade remained.
"You know this is not the end, Bloodblade," said the human.
"I am aware. As I told Blackaxe, that... thing... may have gotten in the way of our fight back there, but trust me, when this is said and done, only one of us will be climbing back up this cliff alive."
"It is an inevitability, Bloodblade. Eventually, this twenty-year conflict between the two of us will end, and the victor will be named once and for all."
"Ah, you were always one to reminisce Welles, weren't you? Why, I remember out first encounter, Twenty years ago."
"On the seas. Just south of Madre Island. You were a Captain, I was a First Mate."
Bloodblade chuckled, "I boarded your ship, killed your captain, and we fought for the first time. Took half an hour of parrying and blocks before I realized it was a lost cause, and fled to my ship."
"And I haven't let you forget it." Added Welles.
They both laughed. "Ah, Shamus Welles." Said Bloodblade, "To be honest, I'm going to miss you when I plant your head on a stake in the Black Citadel."
"And I you, Khargrim," Said Shamus, "When your Skin is dried and displayed for all to see in Ravengarde."
They laughed again.
"Ah," said Khargrim Bloodblade, "It is so odd."
"What?" Asked Shamus.
"That we are a man and an Orc, hell-bent on killing each other, yet there are times like these, when we simply talk, reminisce... be friends, as if nothing has ever happened between us."
Shamus sat down on a rock. "You, know, Khargrim," he said, "I've never thought about it much, but, you're right. We're mortal enemies, no one can say otherwise, yet, somehow, at the same time, we're... friends. how odd."
"This history, this... friendship, as you call it... It is the only thing stopping me from grabbing you right now by the scruff of your pale and fragile neck, and tossing you off this cliff myself."
"It's the only thing keeping me from severing that Green head of yours and wearing it as a trophy."
Khargrim Bloodblade thought hard. "Well, I think that is enough. We may be friends, but, at the same time, we are mortal enemies. The troops are waiting for their Warbearer, and their General. I suggest we get a move on."
"Agreed." Said Shamus, getting up.
"Best of luck on the battlefield, Shamus. I have no doubt you'll be needing it."
"You, too, Khargrim."
********
Twilight woke up again. Her wing was in excruciating pain, and she could only compare it to how Rainbow Dash must've felt when she broke her wing on a regular basis.
Rustling was the first sound that caught her ear. What was it? Where was it coming from? Who was making it?
"There," She heard something whisper. She assumed it was one of the taller, paler creatures, given the tone of the voice.
She looked in the direction of the voices, just in time to see a n arrow be flung at her, meeting her abdomen, before going completely black.
She only heard one more thing: "General Welles will be so pleased." And then she was unconscious.
