[This contains plot elements read if you want to understand the plot in the future]
20 years before Archer was born.
[Travunia Kingdom - West Placidia]
In a far-off continent to the west known as Placidia, kingdoms were ablaze and people were suffering as massive battles raged across the land.
As the king fought on the frontline against the Ghouls that emerged from the underway, a nobleman approached him.
"Maxith, you must retreat to the capital with the royal guard. We will hold them back."
The creatures wielded shoddy yet powerful weapons, firing unknown magic into the ranks of men.
The king looked back at the Duke and sighed before speaking.
"Yohan, I will not retreat. If we leave here, they will get us in the capital, just like they did to the Lurris and Oland royal families."
He quickly dispatched one of the creatures that approached him before turning back to Yohan.
"I command you as your King to gather your troops and return to the capital. Escort the remaining members of the royal family and flee to the West. Our cousins from the Avalon Empire need to know what has happened here."
Maxith turned to his old friend and spoke to him for the last time.
''Go Yohan, help our people survive. My cousin Rein is a good ruler and will look after you.''
The king rallied his men and pushed the Ghouls back, as they formed up in the pass covering the Duke's retreat.
Facing the remaining soldiers, they all knew their fate, but they took solace in the fact that they would die heroes, having saved thousands of their people's lives.
"Stand firm, brave warriors of Travunia! Today, we may face our ultimate demise, but our families will be safe. We must fight with all our might to buy time for the navy to load as many souls as possible onto their ships. Let us show these foul beasts the might of our steel and the strength of our hearts. For Travunia!"
Every man and woman cheered as they braced their shields as the Ghouls slammed into them.
Standing in the frontlines, the king of Travunia held out for eight days against the creatures, buying time for thousands of his people to board any ship they could and fled West.
[Thalassia, Nightshade Empire's colony south of the Travunia Kingdom]
The great port city was under siege, its high walls manned by elven archers firing into the waves of Ghouls attempting to climb up.
Despite the barrage of arrows raining down upon them, they kept coming.
Thothiion, an older-looking elf and the general in charge of the colony's soldiers approached the harbor where ships were being loaded up with colonists.
He walked over to a group of soldiers and asked, "Soldiers, how long until the colonists are ready to set sail?"
The three men saluted him before answering, "One day, General. We are loading them day and night, and ships from the Summer Isles have sent reinforcements."
Thothiion nodded, relieved to hear the reinforcements had arrived. Just then, he noticed a tall man walking towards him, holding out his hand.
"It's good to see you, old friend. I'm glad I arrived in time," the man said.
The old general recognized his friend. "It's good to see you too, Immeril. We are barely holding on. These creatures keep coming."
Immeril nodded his head with a solemn look on his face.
"The Winter Isles in the west were overrun, and only a boat carrying 50 elves managed to escape to the Summer Isle, making them the sole survivors."
He looked out to sea with a panicked look on his face and saw loads of ships pouring into the harbor, lines of colonists waiting to embark with a panicked look on his face.
The younger man looked at him with pity before patting his shoulder.
''Don't worry Thothiion, we will pull back to the Summer Isle, the Emperor has ordered that all colonists need to return to the empire.''
The old general nodded before returning to the wall to organize the remaining defenders.
As he approached the wall, large red balls of fire flew over it, crashing into buildings and causing fires to spread.
He rushed to the walls to see the creatures using some sort of siege engines, trying to take down the walls.
Bigger creatures rushed forward and jumped up to the walls, swiping their large arms and killing countless soldiers.
Thothiion shouted out orders: "Get off the walls! Form up in the streets and hold them there!"
The soldiers poured off the walls and formed up in the narrow streets with their spears facing forward.
"Yhendorn!" the general shouted.
A young elf ran up to him and saluted. "Yes, General?"
He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and spoke with care in his voice.
"Round up your soldiers and embark on the escape ships. We will buy you time."
The young elf looked at the general with hesitation but nodded before shouting out some orders.
Thirty elves gathered behind him as he said goodbye to his mentor.
"Teacher, it's been my greatest honor to serve beside you. May the goddess welcome you with open arms."
Thothiion looked at the young man he had mentored for years. He and his sister had brought joy into the old man's heart. After losing his family to disease, they had given him a purpose in life.
"Now go. We won't be able to hold on for long! Tell Ayrenn I'm sorry for not finishing our lessons."
He ran off to join his soldiers on the frontline, decades later his heroic tale of the old general's last stand would be told to the children of The Nightshade Empire.
[Kashgar Kingdom. The northern part of Placidia]
A large port city was the last bastion of hope in the northern region, every other city, town, and village was wiped out.
Soldiers were posted on top of the walls on high alert, the rumors are that the Ghoul hordes were headed straight here.
A large man with ginger hair and a massive beard was standing on the walls alongside his baby sister.
He turned to her and spoke.
''Naomh, you must leave this place and head west with our people, Father will need you to help with the new kingdom.''
With her grey eyes fixed on her big brother, the young woman spoke with a pained voice.
''Big brother Maeven why can't you come with us? You can help out more than I ever could.''
He looked down at his sister and smiled as he ruffled her ginger hair.
''Little Naomh, you can't stay here and I can't come, me and the boys need to hold these vile creatures back while our people escape. You already have all the best soldiers joining you. Now go they are here.''
An army of thousands appeared a mile away from the castle, Maeven turned to Naomh and spoke.
"Baby sister, the time has come for you to leave. You must ensure that our sacrifice is never forgotten, even in the face of the enemy's arrival. Go forth, Naomh, and live on with the memory of our kingdom and the bravery of our fallen warriors. May your journey be filled with triumph and glory."
Naomh looked up at her brother and hugged him.
He smiled as he pulled her off him and kissed her forehead before gently pushing her away as he picked up his large battle axe.
Maeven turned to the soldiers standing on the walls and spoke in a voice all could hear.
''Warriors of Kashgar! This day, we stand at the precipice of our doom. Our people cry out for us to hold the line, to buy them time for our kingdom to survive. We know the cost of our stand - it is our lives. But fear not, for our names will be sung by bards for generations to come. We will feast in the halls of the gods, drink the nectar of the finest wines, and be embraced by the most beautiful of women. This is our destiny, our fate, and we embrace it with open arms. For the love of our goddess Danu, we shall stand firm, stand strong, and show the world that we died as warriors!''
As Maeven finished his rousing speech, he leaped off the castle wall, followed by thousands of soldiers who were frenzied with battle lust.
They charged forward, clashing with the Ghoul horde, axes swinging and heads flying. Naomh watched all this with tears in her eyes.
Peeling her gaze away from the brutal melee, the little girl turned on her heels and ran for the harbor. The sounds of battle still raging in her ears, she boarded her father's ship.
Rushing to the back of the vessel, she watched the city as they waited in the queue to leave the harbor, the number of ships trying to depart causing a bottleneck.
An hour later, the sounds of battle gradually died down. Naomh grew worried and continued to watch, even as rain began to fall.
Suddenly, she saw large fireballs flying into the city, crashing into buildings, and starting fires all over the place.
Figures ran throughout the city, entering houses in search of survivors. Meanwhile, ships were still being loaded as they reached the harbor.
The remaining soldiers jumped off the ships still docked and quickly blocked off the entrance to the ships with a shield wall.
Despite the Ghouls slamming against them, they held their ground, allowing the remaining citizens to rush onto the remaining boats and hastily cast off from the docks.
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