17. Chapter 16

Stone was once rampant with magic, those with the proclivity to it were often seen as Gods and Goddesses and one, beloved amongst all, Hecate. Her beauty was beyond our world and her magic was just as such. The ability to gift others magic.

Queen of Witches, she was known to her people and soon to be a Queen in more ways than one, as the King had been inclined to make her his wife. King Meron was known for his decisive nature and swift actions when it came to pursuing his desires. It was not long before they were wed before the courts.

After their union, Hecate became reclusive as she studied her magic. No heirs were born, and not even the King"s mages could break the ward she placed around herself. After all, it was only a fragment of her own magic that they possessed.

It was no surprise when Hecate fled from the Kingdom and traveled north, making her way to Shadow Gate. To an abandoned city that once held treasures beyond the mind"s imagination, in the days before magic was plentiful on Stone, the days of the Old Gods. Before the sun and moon, before the mountains pushed up from the ground. Long before the rivers flowed, and the ocean"s water seeped up from the center of Stone.

When word spread that Hecate had become ruler of a realm made from her own hands. Merchants, Nobility, and peasants alike wished to see the city that Hecate created. Hecate"s secret path through the mountain was only apparent to those who were worthy, those whom Hecate deemed acceptable. Those whose hearts were true. And those who were not worthy, those who traveled into the mountain with hopes of finding the city to conquer it, to strip it from Hecate"s hands, quickly went insane. Returning home with voices in their heads.

King Meron had many questions, and rightfully so. For he did not believe Hecate to be so powerful as to create her own realm. When he found proof of her betrayal, proof that her lover aided her in the creation of Understone, he became enraged, for it was forbidden to use such magic. Magic that belonged to the Old Gods. It"s dark and mysterious, turning good men into beasts and beautiful women into crones.

He planned to go to the city and claim his wife, to save her from the evil that was soon to take hold of her. The word was spread to those who were entering the city that the King wished to speak to his wife.

King Meron was welcomed into the city by Hecate and her lover. A man, a trickster, Hades. King Meron was no fool. He knew the man to be a God of darkness. He tried to warn the people of their new ruler, but the city was under a spell and, therefore, peaceful, so the people stayed. Ignoring King, Merons pleaded for them to flee. That"s when the King knew he had to do whatever it took to save his Kingdom from such a monster.

An army was led to The North. No men were spared. Those who were capable fought a long and arduous battle against Hades. But Hades was prepared, destroying villages and ravaging cities with ugly beasts and men with wings. The King did not let up. He fought for many years. There was no end in sight. When he could no longer afford to continue, he called a meeting with Hecate, and her lover Hades once more.

There, they declared the war over. There would be no more destruction. Hecate was still displeased with the King, angry at his wrong doings to her and her people.

When the King left Understone, he made his way down the mountain, seeing all the destruction that the army had caused. When he got back to his castle in Fauna, a strange calm fell over his Kingdom, the kind that comes when something is missing, something important.

The doors to Understone had disappeared, along with a great deal of magic that once occupied Stone. They were now devoid of the abundance of magic that once existed in their realm. With the majority of magic gone, the people of Stone had to adapt to a world with limited magical capabilities. They relied on the few individuals who still possessed magical gifts from Hecate, who became highly revered and sought after. These individuals became the last practitioners of magic in Stone, responsible for preserving and passing on the dwindling magical traditions to future generations.

The memory of Hecate, King Meron, and the enchanting city of Understone live on as legends, reminding the people of their rich magical history and the consequences of tampering with forbidden powers.