Prologue

Xandrous, The Betrayer, Lord of Chaos and of War, Prince of Pestilence and Persecution... he of so many names of nightmare, was once the most beautiful and grand of all drayan. Now from the pits of the underworld, flames dancing around him and from him, licking at his black winged body like hot, translucent tongues of red, yellow and orange hues, the lord of all drayan'os, those cursed and exiled, spread his leathery, reptilian wings, raised his great horned head, each horn longer than a man's body, and raged against Jandrous. Echoing for thousands of miles, his bellows could be heard in all directions throughout the underworld.

"SON OF THE ONE GOD!!!" of the One God... the One God...One God... he echoed. "You have had your day! Now is MY day! MY TIME! For thousands of years I have been putting MY plans in place. I have whispered my poisons into the ears and hearts of your beloved creatures. I have caused murder and lies— lusts and greed! I have become the father of wars!" He raised his palms, shrugged his shoulders questioningly. "You are the son of the One God?" he chuckled. "I have become many gods! Every second of every hour of every day, more of your beloved creatures accept ME as God— in one of my MANY likenesses." He paused, reflecting on a long ago memory that seemed as distant as yesterday, inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose, and continued. "You think you won when you 'sacrificed' your mortal body in The Valley of Dragons, but in reality it was my own being in the one who ran his sword through your body— because of ME you were pierced!!! Not to save the many as you would have the world believe. As I speak to you now my armies— mortal, and immortal begin their march to destroy those whom you love. I will then march upon the heavens and claim MY right as the true god! It is written that YOU will face me in battle and destroy me!!! In truth you are weak! Your own mortal death proved that. I will destroy you! I will be victorious! I will finish the siege of the heavens I began so long ago!"

Xandrous turned toward the massive gathering of drayan'os behind him, all as black as himself, devoid of all color... almost as though they sucked in and swallowed all light, and he spread his arms wide as if to take them all in, chuckled, and roared... his echoes seemed to last forever, loud enough to escape the underworld and perhaps reach the ears of the mortal world... perhaps to reach the ears of the heavens as well. "Go my followers," he roared. "Claim your mortal commanders, kings, and generals! Let us finish this war we began so long ago! Now is our time for victory— now is our time to rule! Let it be known to the mortal world that war is coming..." He turned his dark face upward, as though looking into the very eyes of Jandrous, Son of the One God.

"War has come," he finished quietly. But even spoken softly, those words seemed to reach out of the underworld, to the living world above, and to the throne room of the One God himself. "War has come."

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Jandrous knelt, flanked by two white winged drayan, before his father.

"Father," he spoke, and then stood. The two drayan remained kneeling. Raising his head to look upon his father with eyes that appeared full of joy, sadness, and fierceness together, he took a step forward. "How long father, before I return to the world of mortals?" The One God spoke not, simply gazed beyond his son and waited... the silence was deafening, yet no one dared to speak as they waited to hear his words. And then all in the throne room heard the ragings of Xandrous the Betrayer, and listened until they concluded with a soft whisper... "war has come."

"Announce it and let it be done," the father spoke.

"Gaulin," Jandrous spoke to the drayan on his left. "Announce it." And to the drayan on his right... "Maragan, assemble the drayan for war."

©Anthony David Rosenthal/To The Valley Of Dragons 2010