The Kingmaker System Chapter 718 - 717. Vanguard: Knights (3)

A millennium in the past, when Dragons held dominion in the heavens and the world experienced an era of serene prosperity, the earth was partitioned into two vast continents. The larger expanse of land was the domain of terrestrial races, including humans, dwarves, and shifters. Conversely, the other continent, predominantly encircled by oceans, was the realm of the seafolk and Elves. It was upon this island that the Almighty planted the Tree of Life, known as Yggdrasil.

Due to Yggdrasil's influence, the continents maintained proximity, linked by a majestic bridge formed from its roots.

Humans lived in harmony with other species, receiving aid as they were comparatively the more vulnerable race, lacking the protective fur for harsh winters or the formidable claws and teeth to fend off predators.

During that epoch, practitioners of mana and aura were not distinguished. Coexistence was seamless, devoid of animosity.

However, this harmony fractured as humans began to evolve, gifted by the heavens with unparalleled intelligence.

This intelligence possessed an innate capacity for adaptation, allowing humans to shape themselves in ways that could eventually surpass every other species. Without fur, they crafted armor. Lacking claws and fangs, they forged weapons.

The pace of human evolution accelerated as they meticulously observed, learned from, and adapted to their surroundings, particularly from the Dwarves, who had long been revered as the Gods of Craftsmanship.

They erected dwellings, constructed castles, and soon built imposing walls for their protection. With burgeoning intelligence came a sense of responsibility, and this responsibility begat power, power that inevitably gave rise to avarice.

A significant portion of humanity began to harbor distrust towards other races, leading them to establish their own villages and remain insular.

Yet, a select few, preferring the companionship of their former benefactors, formed tribes and continued to dwell alongside them.

As eons elapsed, humanity encountered malevolence, initiating the world's descent into ruin. Demons wreaked havoc across the land, and by the time humanity recognized their error, it was irrevocably too late.

The earth became a desolate canvas of carnage and conflict, devastating both continents in the most catastrophic manner imaginable.

The continents, once united by Yggdrasil's roots, gradually drifted apart as the Tree itself became a primary target for those driven by destruction.

With the bridge sundered, the smaller continent was carried away by the oceans before eventually finding a stable position. However, the relentless wars waged between Demons and Dragons inflicted severe damage upon the land, shattering vast portions of the continent and reducing the once-beautiful landmass to a mere island.

The inhabitants of this island, both human and other races, found themselves further fragmented by towering mountain ranges and newly established boundaries.

Time marched onward, the wars concluded, and the epic sagas were relegated to the ballads of wandering bards. Yet, remnants of those who lingered in the shadows after the conflict faded still existed. These were the beings who remembered humanity's betrayal and harbored a deep-seated loathing for humankind.

Humanity's singular gift was not merely intelligence, but also mortality and adaptability, which aided their capacity to forget past wounds. The same could not be said for others. Elves, Dwarves, Shifters, and Seafolk, having endured the crucible of those times, could not forget even after such a vast expanse of years. Furthermore, there were also those whose very existence had been forgotten, never even whispered in humanity's most ancient tales.

The forgotten races, remaining cloaked in obscurity and isolation, found their tribes, once conduits of connection, abandoned by both sides. They were forced into flight, unwelcome in any refuge.

One such tribe consisted of humans who had nurtured close bonds with the land shifters, blessed with a unique gift that enabled them to communicate with shifters even in their animal forms.

This lineage was known as the tribe of Whisperers.

Gargi was perhaps the final descendant of this tribe, born with their distinctive ability. The tribe itself, dwindled to a mere thirty souls, had long since lost the very trait that had once defined them.

At the age of six, Gargi realized she could comprehend the utterances of the surrounding animals. Her people cherished her, often seeking her assistance whenever they faced difficulties with their livestock.

She possessed long, raven-black hair, meticulously styled into twin braids by her mother, and warm, honey-colored eyes that held a captivating allure capable of melting any heart.

Life was idyllic for her, spent in the company of her parents and the loved ones she held dear.

Until tragedy cruelly intervened when she reached the age of twelve. Venturing deeper into the woods to play with her animal companions, she was suddenly enveloped by an unnerving silence that permeated the forest. Bewildered, she turned to her friends, only to find the birds chirping in frantic alarm.

"Protect her!"

"Hide her!"

Gargi had no inkling of what had instilled such terror in her friends, but as she looked in the direction of her tribe, she witnessed thick plumes of black smoke ascending towards the blood-red sky.

Her heart pounded fiercely against her ribs as she raced back, her mind desperately clinging to the hope that perhaps it was just the bonfire, a mere accident, or nothing at all. She reassured herself that her parents, her people, were likely just securing their evening activities. Yet, the surrounding animals and birds shrieked with an urgent, heightened alert, a cacophony urging her to flee. Despite their warnings, she pressed on, unable to turn back. She shoved aside those who attempted to halt her progress, stumbling over jagged rocks and gnarled roots in her relentless pursuit.

Upon reaching the forest's edge, a searing wave of heat assaulted her, emanating from a ferocious inferno. The air filled with the horrifying sounds of anguished cries and screams from her tribe, punctuated by the menacing flashes of shadowy figures wielding weapons as they attacked. She charged forward, her own screams echoing, imploring them to cease, but as her presence registered, familiar voices cried out, pleading for her to run. Still, she could not.

Suddenly, a powerful arm seized her. "Found her! Let's go!" a voice bellowed. Gargi erupted in desperate screams and curses, biting at her captor, her sole focus to reach her people. She sensed her friends emerging from the forest, their howls and growls reaching her, but her vision blurred and then faded into blackness after a sharp blow struck the back of her head.

For a considerable duration, Gargi harbored the belief that it was all a terrible nightmare, a dreadful dream destined to end, after which she would awaken and rush into her mother's embrace, recounting the horrific experience.

She could vividly imagine her mother's comforting arms encircling her, her mother's sweet perfume a soothing balm, and her mother's gentle voice whispering assurances that she was safe, that everything was alright.

However, each time she opened her eyes, she was met only with scenes of profound misery and suffering. Not a single day passed without her enduring pain. She was passed from one master to another, each viewing her as nothing more than a plaything for their amusement. They compelled her to wield her abilities and subjugate exotic beasts for their own entertainment, a task she was powerless to refuse.

As time wore on, her heart grew heavier, as if burdened by an accumulation of darkness that felt utterly inescapable.

This darkness was hatred. Hatred for the individuals responsible for the demise of her parents and loved ones, those who inflicted harm upon her and other vulnerable children, and those who reveled in the suffering of others.

The darkness deepened within her until, at an auction, a figure draped entirely in black approached. As the figure raised their hood, Gargi beheld a striking cascade of red hair, a vivid reminder of the tragic night when her entire world had been shattered.

"You poor thing," the woman murmured, her long finger delicately tracing Gargi's bruised cheek. The touch was so feather-light that Gargi initially couldn't even register its presence.

"To what depths has humanity fallen to inflict such suffering upon a child..." the woman lamented with sorrow.

Gargi perceived the genuine softness in the woman's voice and offered a hesitant smile. "But there's no need to worry..."

Gargi found herself perplexed by the woman's unexpected kindness. Suspicion gnawed at her, yet after years of separation from her people, she hadn't encountered a single word of compassion from anyone. Therefore, even if the woman's intentions were deceitful, Gargi yearned to hear more.

"I shall help you escape this torment," the woman declared, causing Gargi's eyes to widen in disbelief.

"What?" she gasped.

Confined within the oppressive darkness of her cell, awaiting yet another sale, she was now being offered freedom.

"But... Where will you go?" the woman inquired.

Gargi instinctively opened her mouth to respond, but the searing image of the blazing inferno flashed before her eyes once more, recalling the brutal sight of blood and the lifeless bodies of her tribe scattered across the ground. There was truly nowhere to go.

The woman's beautiful features contorted into an expression of profound sorrow, and Gargi's eyes widened again as she felt the woman's embrace gently envelop her, her cheek pressing against the woman's comforting bosom. The tender strokes on her back seemed to unlock the floodgates of tears she had held captive for so long.

She wept for an extended period, cradled in the arms of the woman who so poignantly reminded her of her mother.

"Hey, what is happening here?! Who are you?!"

The abrupt, harsh voice made Gargi flinch, and she quivered. However, the woman continued to pat her back reassuringly. Then, Gargi heard the sound of paper being torn. The woman deftly scooped Gargi into her arms, securing her trembling form beneath her cloak.

"I've come to claim what is mine," the woman announced with quiet authority.

The man who had just arrived scowled upon hearing this declaration, and Gargi clung tightly to the woman's attire, her heart filled with dread.

The woman cast a single glance at Gargi before issuing a command: "Noctris... Feed on those who dare to impede us."

Gargi caught a fleeting glimpse of shadowy, mist-like figures outside. As they moved into the flickering torchlight, she discerned skeletal forms clad in tattered black garments. Her heart leaped into her throat as she watched these horrifying creatures pursue the man who had turned and fled in terror.