The Last Watchman
In an ancient time and place, there thrived a colossal kingdom named Eldrion, standing proudly at the edge of the Ether Forest. Among the people of Eldrion, there was a tale whispered with both fear and reverence. The tale was of an unbroken lineage of watchmen who defended the kingdom from the mystical forces lurking in the forest.
The protagonist of our tale is Alden, the last surviving watchman of the Eldrion Kingdom, against the face of an imminent invasion from the dreaded Draughts. Alden was a man of vigor and valor, with a profound sense of duty embedded deeply in his ebony-coloured eyes. He had inherited his father's strong shoulders and his grandfather's undying spirit, but as fate would have it, he inherited his destiny too soon.
Alden's twenty-first winter came with the fateful news of his father's demise, leaving him as the last watchman of Eldrion. The young man, although utterly shattered inside, found himself swathing his pain under the cloak of silent stoicism. His grief did not hinder him from fulfilling his inherited responsibility. Each night, he stood guard at the frontier of the forest, keeping an ever-watchful eye on the wandering spirits.
One pitch-dark night, as the moonscape bathed Eldrion in an eerie glow, fissures in the ground erupted with thousands of Draughts—dark, grim specters—threatening to tear into the fabric of the kingdom. Sensing the impending doom, Alden stood tall in his steel-clad armor, his teal eyes reflecting both the fear and determination. Armed with his ancestral charm—an enchanted blade named Alaric—Alden charged into the very heart of the onslaught.
Through the grueling night, Alden danced with the Draughts, Alaric singing a lethal lullaby. He displayed the courage and valor characteristic of his lineage; however, the horde seemed infinite. With each Draught he extinguished, two more took its place, their hellish laughter echoing in the chilly wind. As the dawn started breaking at the horizon, Alden found himself knelt on the bloody battleground, wreathed in exhaustion and despair.
Just as he was about to surrender, he felt a faint shimmer of energy deep within him. In a sudden realization, he knew what it was—his lifeforce was intertwining with the soul of Alaric. He gathered his last ounce of strength, held the charm high above his head and plunged it deep into ground. The resulting shockwave extinguished every Draught in sight, their ghastly screams fading into the silence of a new dawn and the charm vanished leaving a cryptic imprint on the ground.
When Alden staggered back to Eldrion, the king and his people resorted to an overwhelming silence, their terrified eyes holding a spark of hope. Alden had returned; beaten, scarred, but undefeated, a true embodiment of the spirit of Eldrion. His survival was remarkable, but the magic was in what he brought back - a tale to tell, a legend to pass down, and above all, proof that even in the face of insurmountable fear, the will to survive can triumph.
From that day, Eldrion reconciled with the Ether Forest, realizing that their survival depended enormously on living in harmony with the mystical forces around them. Alongside, Alden was christened as 'The Last Watchman,' his courage written in the annals of Eldrion's history. But it was more than just a tale of bravery. It was a legacy of duty and responsibility interwoven with faith and sacrifice, a tale every Eldrionian would speak of, teaching the future generations the values they must uphold. Dedicating his life to the kingdom, Alden took his father's place, continuing to guide Eldrion through gentler means into an era of peace and prosperity.