1 King Leaf

As the Chronicler entered the throne room, the pillars in rows to the right and to the left struck him with awe. Statues of dragons and legendary battles imprinted on the very stones. The ceiling more beautiful than the sky, seemed alive with the image of a hero raising a sword and inciting armies of thousands with a red cape, king Leaf. The pavement as if of glass, patterns of marbles of the highest class. The columns seemed to guide the eyes of the servant toward a point at the end of the throne room, gently and with reverence. The mighty throne was surrounded by a halo of light, an effect given by the colored window right above it which filtered light as rainbow, as if every color had to ask permission before entering the throne room. Sitting upon the mighty throne a statue, or so thought the Chronicler before focusing his eyes and seeing it move, like clock counting the passing of time, breathing.

"Come." A voice so low and powerful that almost shook the very columns that seemed so powerful and now so weak, frail, as if they could break at any time. With a gasp the Chronicler took a step and then another, a step and yet another. With his eyes to the ground with utmost reverence, the Chronicler approached the throne passing through the corridor of columns which with each step seemed to distort the very time and space, the columns were like guards checking on each of the Chronicler's step.

"Raise your eyes" said the king like a distant thunder. "Sire" responded the Chronicler, slowing and respectfully raising his eyes to the figure of the mighty hero who a millennia ago crossed the rivers of space and time to get to Alem. Chronicler had only heard of the look of the king and looking at him now only confirmed what he had heard, rather the stories did not do justice to the king Leaf's countenance. A body like a giant, powerful and majestic, covered by a red cloth that twisted around his body as if living. His skin was covered like scales of a silver dragon, moving with each of the king's breath. Two wings of plumes sharper than swords more beautiful than white petals, sweet and mighty to the eye. Then the king's face, long beard and draconic face, ancient and yet more handsome than any man Chronicler had ever seen: Irises like flame and ruby, pupils like black holes bending light, hairs floating gently like red river of flame.

Thus, thundered king Leaf

"Chronicler, you know why I called you?"

"I have been told that you needed me to record your story" answered the Chronicler.

"That is true, but there are three things that you will need to keep in mind: first, you shall try your best to forget that I am the king and record all that I say unbiased. Second, you will record exactly as I will tell you adding no more and without taking anything from it, for in that case you shall taste my wrath. Finally, you will manage to write my story in three days. The army of the new hero is approaching the capital and we don'thave much time" detailed the King.

The Chronicler said "the new hero my king? Do you perhaps mean the rebel?"

"Ah...yes. That is how they call him. You will understand better after hearing the story."

The king then took a deep breath and closed his eyes and enshrouded himself in a blur. When the blur settled a young man with fiery hair and fiery eyes emerged. The Chronicler understood that the king changed shape. "In this form forgetting that I am the king might be easier" said the king. Chronicler nevertheless still felt king Leaf's aura of majesty from the young man's body. "Well then, take a sit" said the king while waving his hand to the side and forming a chair beside Chronicler. Chronicler sat and took from his purse a sheet of paper, ink and calamus. The paper the Chronicler took out of the purse was an elfic paper, created by weaving the hairs of elfs and magic. The special property of the paper is that it would allow the writer to use the same sheet indefinitely, with a movement of fingers the page would scroll showing more of that which was written or revealing new and fresh space to use.

Hence the king spoke

"of all the enemies I had to fight in the last millennia, and storms of fire and ice I had to face, and challenges I had to surpass, this is the biggest of them all. I will tell you of the life of king Leaf, of the Great Millenia, in three days. I shall tell you of the king who is known as the Feathered One, the Kingslayer, the King of Dragons, I will tell you of the one whose name was once known as Lode, a name from another space and time...a name from another world."

Chronicler's eyes were filling with tears from the emotion and his hairs standing as if in reverence of the story that they were going to witness, the story of King Leaf, the hero from another world who ruled for a millennia in the world of Alem. Thus, as the very air seemed the stop and the rainbow light from the window caressed the face of the Red King, Lode took a deep breath, closed his eyes and reopened them grinning saying "Ready?"