The Legend of the Diamonds
Prologue
Throughout time there are many wondrous legends that come to rest on listening ears. Some tell of great journeys or maybe they describe gold and priceless treasures. But there was one great legend that the ancient sages told to local villagers in the town of Kriten. This story that rested on the listening ears of young Alexander Dominova.
The boy had lost his parents when he was only seven years old. A terrible disease had swept through his small town and claimed half its population. The small child barely escaped death himself, and it was by luck that some nuns from the local church found him as they went through the houses looking for survivors. The kindly old women discovered a frightened Alex hidden beneath one of the beds in his home. They took him back to their chapel and allowed him to live there. All that young Alex had left now was his own name and nothing more.
But over time things got better. As he grew, Alex became less shy and afraid. The wise men of the church gave him lessons over various subjects and their pupil was quick to learn them. They also told great stories that they had heard on their pilgrimages to distant countries. Alex had one particular favorite and when his studying was finished for the day, he usually asked to hear the admired tale.
The legend was about two diamonds, one red and one black. Many battles had been fought over their powers, and countless lives lost. It was said that the red diamond possessed powers beyond belief, able to heal, protect or even destroy. Whoever found the stone, which was described as a huge gem that gave off a scarlet glow, would be able to control it's abilities.
One of the wise sages of the church had predicted that whoever found the red diamond would become a great king and rule over a vast kingdom. But the man also saw in his prophecy a battle of strength between the red diamond and the other diamond colored black. This dark gem had mystical powers that the men of the church did not dare to describe, powers based in dark magic. Only someone skilled in this area could wield the stone's abilities.
But it was the last part of the mythical story that most interested Alex. The wise men told him that if the two diamonds were ever joined together for a good cause something would happen. None of the sages had even seen the diamonds though or knew of what exactly would happen if they ever united.
Alex never tired of hearing the legend. Even though he became older, in his heart the boy always hoped that the prophecy would be fulfilled and a king would come to power over a great kingdom. And of the tow diamonds, what would happen if they ever joined? These thoughts were constantly running through his mind.
When he turned sixteen, Alexander decided it was time to leave the church and make his own way in the world. Leaving was hard, seeing that the nuns and ministers had taken him in and been so kind to him. He had lived there for nearly ten years though and Alex was now hungry for a life of his own. The young man packed his few belongings, said his good-byes and set out into the world.
After three days of walking Alex found himself in the middle of nowhere. Right now he was a few miles outside a small town and everywhere he looked was ground, trees, and sky. He was getting ready to sit down on a rotten log when a small glint of red in the soil caught his eye.
"What is that?" Alex asked himself.
Crouching down, he examined the object stuck in the dirt. It seemed to be a red rock. Alex began to dig around the stone with his hands. After a few hours he grabbed a stick to aid himself in the task. For days all the boy did was dig. On the fifth day though, it seemed that he had reached the end point to the rock. Alex found himself in a large pit, and in front of him was a huge stone, and despite the dark soil all over it, a bright red glow was clearly coming radiating from its surface.
Alex could hardly believe his eyes. "It can't be," he quietly whispered under his breath. "This can't be the red diamond."
Suddenly the story he had heard countless times began to run through his head and he realized that he Alexander Dominova had unearthed the legendary red diamond. Then Alex's mind drifted to the prophecy. Did this mean that he would become king? He was only a boy though, who would want him to rule over their kingdom.
Still pondering this question, Alex was briefly distracted when he heard a voice calling from above the pit.
"Wow, look at the size of this thing," called a man's voice. "Hey Sam come over here."
Alex quickly drifted back to reality and realized that the whole he had dug was quite large and these people might be his only chance to get out.
"Please help me out of this pit," he asked of the stranger. "Do you have some rope you can throw to me?"
Looking up the boy saw a man's head appear at the edge of the pit. He seemed puzzled to see a person down at the bottom of this hole containing the diamond, but nevertheless he answered Alex's plea.
"Yes, hold on just a minute and we will get you out," the stranger called down to him.
After a few minutes of waiting, Alex felt a thick end of rope hit his head. He gave the rope a firm tug to make sure it was safely secured and then began to climb. Soon he had reached the top of the hole and grabbed the hand of a large man who pulled him over the side and onto flat ground.
"That hole was bigger than I thought it was," said a breathless Alex as he crawled out of the pit.
Then the boy realized that everyone was staring at him. There were three men and two women and they all had the same puzzled look on their faces. One of the men quietly dropped the rope that Alex had climbed and approached the panting young man.
He said, "Boy did you dig this hole?"
Alex, almost in a whisper replied, "Yes sir, yes I did dig this hole."
"And do you realize what you have found?" the man further questioned.
The group closed in around Alex, all of them seemed to be hanging on the conversation he was having with the stranger. It made the young man almost afraid to even mutter a word. He sat there on the cold, hard ground. Once again he found himself questioning if he had in fact truly found the red diamond. And it only took a moment for his heart to tell him that it wasn't a mistake.
With a deep breath the boy finally replied, "I have found the red diamond, the gem of legend."
Immediately Alex found himself in the middle of the group of people all of them shouting, suddenly realizing what this huge stone really was. Obviously they too had somehow heard the mystery of the diamond, and they were now taking the boy back to their small town to tell the others there of the miraculous find.
When they reached the village, which was only about a ten minute walk away, the strangers brought their captive into a huge building. Here they left him. After what seemed like hours the group returned followed by at least thirty others, it must have been the whole population of such a small place.
"We are not sure if you know of the prophecy of the red diamond but it has been foretold by the old and wise that whoever finds the stone will be king, our king," said an elderly man. "We have been in desperate need of a ruler and the elder men that traveled through these parts said that the king of the red diamond would rule over our lands and now you have found the legendary stone."
"I know of the legend and the prophecy, but surely you don't want a sixteen year old boy to be your king," stated a now very frustrated Alex.
Another wise looking, elderly man stepped forward aided by a bent cane. "Yes you are quite young, but the prophecy must be fulfilled," he said. "He who finds the stone must be king and you are apparently the chosen one."
The boy sat down as he had early and thought about everything that was happening. These people wanted him to be their king and rule over them. Yet he was only a boy and an orphan at that. He had never done anything like this before and why did would he want to start now. But once again his heart was telling him that this was something that was real, something that Alex needed to do. So once again the young man took a deep breath of air and followed his true instincts.
"Okay," he said hesitantly. "I'll be your king."
With this said the whole room echoed with cries of joy. Plans were immediately discussed as far as when the castle for Alexander would be built and when the coronation to crown him their ruler was to take place. Everybody was dizzy with excitement over the prospect of a new beginning for the humble village.
In three months the castle was finished. The construction had taken place on the highest hillside and the result was immaculate. The palace had five floors and at least two hundred rooms. It was truly fit for a king. The day after the palace had been declared complete, King Alexander Dominova the First had been crowned in its chapel room. The new monarch had decided to call his new domain Dominia, which he fashioned from his last name. The red diamond had been removed from its deep pit. It had been polished until it shone, giving off a radiant blood red glow and then moved to a tower room. A kind wizard was brought to seal the door so that only the king or a blood descendant of him could gain access to the stone. A small piece of the huge gem was also removed and hung on a thin gold cord so that Alex could always feel its power, although he never was tempted to use it.
Several years after his accession to the throne, King Alexander found that his land was flourishing. The population had increased dramatically and the once small town was now enormous. The king gave all credit for this to the diamond. It seemed to control the kingdom, keeping everything in a harmonious balance. The king was also very pleased that he now had beautiful Queen and a growing family.
"This is only the beginning," the king said to himself one day as he stood on a balcony over looking his vast realm. "One day Dominia will be even greater than it is now and the Dominovas will be know as the greatest dynasties ever.
Alexander's words would come true. Through the years his descendants passed down the Dominian crown, each ruler greater than the last. They used the red diamond for rightful purposes and ruled with honesty and pride. Yet there was still much about this gem that was smothered in mystery. It was to be one of his grandchildren, years after Alexander had died, that would discover something about the Imperial stone that time seemed to have erased from the Legend of the Diamonds.
Prologue
Throughout time there are many wondrous legends that come to rest on listening ears. Some tell of great journeys or maybe they describe gold and priceless treasures. But there was one great legend that the ancient sages told to local villagers in the town of Kriten. This story that rested on the listening ears of young Alexander Dominova.
The boy had lost his parents when he was only seven years old. A terrible disease had swept through his small town and claimed half its population. The small child barely escaped death himself, and it was by luck that some nuns from the local church found him as they went through the houses looking for survivors. The kindly old women discovered a frightened Alex hidden beneath one of the beds in his home. They took him back to their chapel and allowed him to live there. All that young Alex had left now was his own name and nothing more.
But over time things got better. As he grew, Alex became less shy and afraid. The wise men of the church gave him lessons over various subjects and their pupil was quick to learn them. They also told great stories that they had heard on their pilgrimages to distant countries. Alex had one particular favorite and when his studying was finished for the day, he usually asked to hear the admired tale.
The legend was about two diamonds, one red and one black. Many battles had been fought over their powers, and countless lives lost. It was said that the red diamond possessed powers beyond belief, able to heal, protect or even destroy. Whoever found the stone, which was described as a huge gem that gave off a scarlet glow, would be able to control it's abilities.
One of the wise sages of the church had predicted that whoever found the red diamond would become a great king and rule over a vast kingdom. But the man also saw in his prophecy a battle of strength between the red diamond and the other diamond colored black. This dark gem had mystical powers that the men of the church did not dare to describe, powers based in dark magic. Only someone skilled in this area could wield the stone's abilities.
But it was the last part of the mythical story that most interested Alex. The wise men told him that if the two diamonds were ever joined together for a good cause something would happen. None of the sages had even seen the diamonds though or knew of what exactly would happen if they ever united.
Alex never tired of hearing the legend. Even though he became older, in his heart the boy always hoped that the prophecy would be fulfilled and a king would come to power over a great kingdom. And of the tow diamonds, what would happen if they ever joined? These thoughts were constantly running through his mind.
When he turned sixteen, Alexander decided it was time to leave the church and make his own way in the world. Leaving was hard, seeing that the nuns and ministers had taken him in and been so kind to him. He had lived there for nearly ten years though and Alex was now hungry for a life of his own. The young man packed his few belongings, said his good-byes and set out into the world.
After three days of walking Alex found himself in the middle of nowhere. Right now he was a few miles outside a small town and everywhere he looked was ground, trees, and sky. He was getting ready to sit down on a rotten log when a small glint of red in the soil caught his eye.
"What is that?" Alex asked himself.
Crouching down, he examined the object stuck in the dirt. It seemed to be a red rock. Alex began to dig around the stone with his hands. After a few hours he grabbed a stick to aid himself in the task. For days all the boy did was dig. On the fifth day though, it seemed that he had reached the end point to the rock. Alex found himself in a large pit, and in front of him was a huge stone, and despite the dark soil all over it, a bright red glow was clearly coming radiating from its surface.
Alex could hardly believe his eyes. "It can't be," he quietly whispered under his breath. "This can't be the red diamond."
Suddenly the story he had heard countless times began to run through his head and he realized that he Alexander Dominova had unearthed the legendary red diamond. Then Alex's mind drifted to the prophecy. Did this mean that he would become king? He was only a boy though, who would want him to rule over their kingdom.
Still pondering this question, Alex was briefly distracted when he heard a voice calling from above the pit.
"Wow, look at the size of this thing," called a man's voice. "Hey Sam come over here."
Alex quickly drifted back to reality and realized that the whole he had dug was quite large and these people might be his only chance to get out.
"Please help me out of this pit," he asked of the stranger. "Do you have some rope you can throw to me?"
Looking up the boy saw a man's head appear at the edge of the pit. He seemed puzzled to see a person down at the bottom of this hole containing the diamond, but nevertheless he answered Alex's plea.
"Yes, hold on just a minute and we will get you out," the stranger called down to him.
After a few minutes of waiting, Alex felt a thick end of rope hit his head. He gave the rope a firm tug to make sure it was safely secured and then began to climb. Soon he had reached the top of the hole and grabbed the hand of a large man who pulled him over the side and onto flat ground.
"That hole was bigger than I thought it was," said a breathless Alex as he crawled out of the pit.
Then the boy realized that everyone was staring at him. There were three men and two women and they all had the same puzzled look on their faces. One of the men quietly dropped the rope that Alex had climbed and approached the panting young man.
He said, "Boy did you dig this hole?"
Alex, almost in a whisper replied, "Yes sir, yes I did dig this hole."
"And do you realize what you have found?" the man further questioned.
The group closed in around Alex, all of them seemed to be hanging on the conversation he was having with the stranger. It made the young man almost afraid to even mutter a word. He sat there on the cold, hard ground. Once again he found himself questioning if he had in fact truly found the red diamond. And it only took a moment for his heart to tell him that it wasn't a mistake.
With a deep breath the boy finally replied, "I have found the red diamond, the gem of legend."
Immediately Alex found himself in the middle of the group of people all of them shouting, suddenly realizing what this huge stone really was. Obviously they too had somehow heard the mystery of the diamond, and they were now taking the boy back to their small town to tell the others there of the miraculous find.
When they reached the village, which was only about a ten minute walk away, the strangers brought their captive into a huge building. Here they left him. After what seemed like hours the group returned followed by at least thirty others, it must have been the whole population of such a small place.
"We are not sure if you know of the prophecy of the red diamond but it has been foretold by the old and wise that whoever finds the stone will be king, our king," said an elderly man. "We have been in desperate need of a ruler and the elder men that traveled through these parts said that the king of the red diamond would rule over our lands and now you have found the legendary stone."
"I know of the legend and the prophecy, but surely you don't want a sixteen year old boy to be your king," stated a now very frustrated Alex.
Another wise looking, elderly man stepped forward aided by a bent cane. "Yes you are quite young, but the prophecy must be fulfilled," he said. "He who finds the stone must be king and you are apparently the chosen one."
The boy sat down as he had early and thought about everything that was happening. These people wanted him to be their king and rule over them. Yet he was only a boy and an orphan at that. He had never done anything like this before and why did would he want to start now. But once again his heart was telling him that this was something that was real, something that Alex needed to do. So once again the young man took a deep breath of air and followed his true instincts.
"Okay," he said hesitantly. "I'll be your king."
With this said the whole room echoed with cries of joy. Plans were immediately discussed as far as when the castle for Alexander would be built and when the coronation to crown him their ruler was to take place. Everybody was dizzy with excitement over the prospect of a new beginning for the humble village.
In three months the castle was finished. The construction had taken place on the highest hillside and the result was immaculate. The palace had five floors and at least two hundred rooms. It was truly fit for a king. The day after the palace had been declared complete, King Alexander Dominova the First had been crowned in its chapel room. The new monarch had decided to call his new domain Dominia, which he fashioned from his last name. The red diamond had been removed from its deep pit. It had been polished until it shone, giving off a radiant blood red glow and then moved to a tower room. A kind wizard was brought to seal the door so that only the king or a blood descendant of him could gain access to the stone. A small piece of the huge gem was also removed and hung on a thin gold cord so that Alex could always feel its power, although he never was tempted to use it.
Several years after his accession to the throne, King Alexander found that his land was flourishing. The population had increased dramatically and the once small town was now enormous. The king gave all credit for this to the diamond. It seemed to control the kingdom, keeping everything in a harmonious balance. The king was also very pleased that he now had beautiful Queen and a growing family.
"This is only the beginning," the king said to himself one day as he stood on a balcony over looking his vast realm. "One day Dominia will be even greater than it is now and the Dominovas will be know as the greatest dynasties ever.
Alexander's words would come true. Through the years his descendants passed down the Dominian crown, each ruler greater than the last. They used the red diamond for rightful purposes and ruled with honesty and pride. Yet there was still much about this gem that was smothered in mystery. It was to be one of his grandchildren, years after Alexander had died, that would discover something about the Imperial stone that time seemed to have erased from the Legend of the Diamonds.