In ancient times, before the peace that now rules the world, some people longed for power, for bloodshed, and dominion over all. Four great kingdoms existed: the Kingdom of Luganor in the north, the samurai kingdom of Kaharu in the east, the kingdom of Tolan in the south, and the seafaring Kingdom of Ganalor by the ocean coast. They waged great wars over who would rule the entire world and everything in it.
Until they discovered the four Stones of Power and established a peace in which each kingdom received one stone. From the four stones, four weapons were made: a sword, a spear, a bow, and a katana. For a time, peace was maintained with minor skirmishes, but no one wished for another war. Four kings and four stones maintained the balance of power.
Until King Todor III of Luganor decided he no longer wanted that peace and balance. He raised his army and, with his sword, began the greatest conflict ever seen in the history of Meridian. His campaign lasted three years. The remaining three kingdoms united against him, but the swift actions of Luganor's army at the beginning of the war, along with the alliance of the goblin forces, surprised the rest of the world and caused massive casualties at the start of the conflict.
During the war, the Forces of Light—the three united kingdoms—gained the support of a race of wizards, which turned the tide and outcome of the conflict. Yet the Forces of Darkness grew stronger with the aid of a race of demons.
After three years of war, sorrow, and heavy losses, the final and decisive battle took place in a field near the Forest of Long-Tailed Deer, where the armies of the Kingdoms of Kaharu, Tolan, and Ganalor—numbering over fifteen thousand soldiers along with the race of wizards—clashed with the forces of Luganor, goblins, and demons, numbering around seventeen thousand soldiers. On that day, Kings Aodan Gišić, Milgoj Hristov II, and Sanđo Katajasu IV gave their lives and defeated King Todor and his army.
From that day on, the fate of the four Stones, which maintained the balance of power among the kingdoms, became unknown. Some believe they were lost, some that they were destroyed, and some still search for them, even five hundred years after the Battle of the Forest of Long-Tailed Deer.
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The sun shone, and only birds flew in the sky. In the golden wheat beneath a tree lay a young man with pale skin, short dark-brown hair, and brown eyes, slender in build, enjoying the warmth of this early autumn day. Barefoot, he wore only his brown leather pants and a white, earth-stained shirt.
He closes a book titled The Greatest Battles of Meridian.
"What a beautiful day to read a book. I wish all days were like this, but then I wouldn't enjoy them so much, right?" he thought as the shadows of the swaying leaves obscured the sunlight.
Suddenly, a female voice called out in the distance.
"Desimir, preparations for the tournament are starting. Hurry so you won't be late!" shouted a girl with pale skin, dressed in a brown, worn dress, barefoot, with long, loose blonde hair. Around her, the wheat field glowed golden as she left footprints while walking. The wind gently carried the wheat, and clouds partially hid the sun.
"Thank you, Nastja, for coming all the way to tell me. I hope I won't be late for the opening, where all knights from the four kingdoms compete. Can you imagine the Kaharu warriors with their katanas, the Tolan cavalry with their spears, the Luganor and Ganalor soldiers with their long swords? Simply unimaginable, isn't it?" Desimir said with excitement. Nastja sat down beside him in the shade of the tree.
"Ah, the Autumn Games are held every year, but you cannot participate until you are at least seventeen," she explained.
"That's right. Every year I've watched the battles from the stands and worked hard to save money for a ticket. But this time it's different," he said as he stood and dusted his pants. "Finally, I can register for the tournament. This year, I will prove myself to all the knights. I've trained and worked hard to reach the level I'm at now. I won't let anyone stand in my way," Desimir said, full of confidence.
"Oh, and if you win in the junior category, besides the cash prize of fifty gold coins, you have a chance to join one of the lesser royal divisions."
In Luganor, there are ten royal divisions divided among ten cities. Seven are weaker divisions, each consisting of a captain, a vice-captain, two sergeants, fifty swordsmen, thirty spearmen, and twenty archers. The remaining three divisions consist of a captain, a vice-captain, three sergeants, eighty swordsmen, sixty spearmen, and forty archers. Cavalry units are independent and not part of any division. Each city has an independent cavalry division for scouting, consisting of fifty horsemen who patrol day and night across the kingdom.
"Exactly, my dear Nastja. This tournament is my chance to finally join one of the divisions and become an official knight of the Kingdom of Luganor."
Trumpets sounded from the city center, and Nastja and Desimir parted ways.
"If that's what you want, better hurry. The opening is starting, and you're still barefoot," Nastja reminded him.
Desimir quickly grabs his book and runs through the wheat field toward the city.
"Thanks again for coming for me. See you at the games!" Desimir shouted as he left. Nastja laughed and waved, sighing to herself, "Just don't get hurt."
The city was crowded. All the residents were preparing for the tournament. Merchants closed their shops. Nothing operated on the day of the tournament except ticket and souvenir vendors. Desimir arrived at the rear entrance of the arena, where all participants aged seventeen and older were registering. There were not many young men, as most had registered earlier. Only one tall young man, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing leather pants and a light blue jerkin covering his torso, stood nervously in line. Desimir approached him to start a conversation and calm him down.
"Hello, I didn't expect anyone to register last minute besides me. I'm Desimir," he said with a smile. The young man flinched and turned, slightly scared. Only when he faced Desimir did a thought cross his mind:
"He looks much taller up close," he thought. Which was true. The young man was nearly a head taller than him.
"Ah, hello. I'm Osgar. Nice to meet you, Desimir," he said, extending his hand. They shook hands.
"But he has a very firm grip," was Desimir's second impression of Osgar.
"I honestly didn't even want to register, but my father thinks I should try, so here I am," Osgar said uncertainly.
The man at the table gave Osgar a number and sent him to the locker room to prepare for the tournament.
"Well, see you at the tournament, Osgar. Good luck."
"And to you as well."
People slowly gathered in the arena, eagerly anticipating the tournament. Some already had mugs of beer to enjoy the experience, even if some thought it a bit early for drinking.
Desimir then registered and soon after followed Osgar into the locker room. There, twenty-four young men waited impatiently for their turn.
"Ho ho, look at all of us! I can't wait to cross swords with you. I'm Desimir, and I'm here to prove myself as the best young knight," he said confidently, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Most looked at him in surprise, some ignored him, while a few were intrigued.
"It seems like Desimir just ate something sweet for the first time. Yet there's confidence in his eyes. Fascinating," Osgar thought.
As if Desimir's declaration had awakened something in him. A muscular young man, the same height as Desimir, with pale skin, long black hair, and black eyes, wearing a chainmail shirt and leather pants, approached him.
"If you want to prove yourself, you first have to beat me. I'm Ervin, and you are my first rival, Dedimir," he said, extending his hand.
"My name is Desimir, but I accept your challenge, Ervin," he replied, shaking his hand.
A sergeant entered the room. Everyone fell silent as he began speaking.
"You'll have to wait a little, boys. This year, we have a different competition format," he said as everyone stirred. He calmed them and continued.
"Calm down and listen. We have twenty-four participants. Under the new format, first there will be four battles with three participants in each group. The winning team advances to the semifinals, then the finals, where the last two teams compete for the prize of 120 gold coins and a chance to join the royal divisions."
"But why change the format?" a young man asked, surprised.
"This is to give younger participants a better chance. In previous years, only one of all participants had that opportunity. If you make it to the finals, it means you are very skilled, which is why we changed the format. If you don't like it, the door is that way," the sergeant replied, pointing to the door.
"How are the teams chosen?" Osgar asked.
Everyone was silent, watching the sergeant as Desimir put on a chainmail shirt like Ervin's and listened.
"Teams have already been chosen randomly. This list shows the teams. I'll leave it here for five minutes for you to review and prepare. Good luck."
The sergeant left, placing the list on a wooden table. Everyone checked it and joined their team. Osgar looked at the list and went to his team members.
"Well, Desimir, Ervin, it seems we're in the same team. We are team number two."
"I'll be the best!" said Desimir and Ervin simultaneously.
"Team 1 and 2, it's your time," the judge announced.
Three young men from the first team stepped out first, followed by Osgar, Desimir, and Ervin. As they went outside, the sun shone and the spectators cheered. It was time for the tournament