Chapter 3380 (1/2)

The man, with his hands still motionless, knelt at the foot of his painting.

The next page is the main body of the book, which is an epic about legendary heroes, and also contains an ancient ritual.

The story of the first heart of thorns is told by the memory of Clarice Wayne of wintercastle. Some of the legends suggest that it happened around 1e30. Interestingly, a similar story about the king and his legendary sword appeared in another ancient myth spread in ruichiling.

Once upon a time, a baby was born in rift mountain with the singing of birds and the blooming of crimson mountain flowers in autumn. Therefore, he was named Fran, which means ”Red Eagle” in ruichiling dialect.

So when a boy was born with auspicious omen, named after blood, his legendary life began.

At that time, there were dozens of kings who ruled over ruichiling and fought with each other. This auspicious omen seems to foretell the future of this young man: a soldier fighting alone, the first monarch to unify Ruichi.

As he grew older, Fran became more and more powerful. It seemed that the prophecy was coming true: the flag of the Red Eagle began to float on the mountain led by Ruichi, and the life of his people was becoming more and more prosperous.

Then hestra, the queen from the south, marched into the war. One king after another tried to stop her step, but one by one they prostrate to her or buried their lives.

Finally, her Legion came to Rift mountain. Hestra sent messengers to persuade him to surrender, but Fran refused to give up the freedom of his people. The fearing elders impeached him and accepted the yoke of the Empire.

His land, his people and even his reputation were seized by the invaders. In the following years, the Red Eagle became a spirit that could not be tamed by ruichiling: he kept his hands stained with the enemy's blood in a posture of never bowing his head.

He brought together people who also adhered to the old customs and yearned for freedom to build a new country. They raided the invaders and traitors at night and fled in the morning. But it doesn't seem to be enough: they kill an imperial patrol or garrison, and it seems that more soldiers from the warm South will fill the gaps.

On a dark and windy night, the Red Eagle's men were warming themselves by the steaming bonfire. A shambling figure with a mask and a cape came to them. When the men laughed at the stranger and threw stones, Fran noticed something and waved to the stranger. So the mask was lifted in the dim light of the fire: This is a formidable wizard, an old Raven ghost. She made it clear that she was coming: she could provide power, but at some cost. Then they signed a contract.

Therefore, the heart of the Red Eagle, his will and his humanity were sacrificed to the witch as a transaction. From then on, he was just a ruthless and unrepentant will to revenge. The rebels are growing stronger, and no one can stop them from retaliating. Fran's eyes flickered with cold flame from time to time. From the indifferent eyes reflected from obsidian, he was no longer himself. Two years later, the outsiders were expelled from Ruichi.

But such peace will not last long. A huge army assembled again and invaded the Ruichi area with a faster speed. In just two weeks, hestra's men surrounded the red hawk's fortress until the red hawk went out to fight. In the face of thousands of enemies, he fought alone, accompanied by his righteous anger. The enemies fell under his burning sword and fled everywhere. But as night fell, he also fell. The soldiers who came to him claimed that his eyes were clear again.