Prologue: Welcoming the Giant

## Crowning a General

"HIP-HIP, **HURRAH**!!!" Loud cheers could be heard all throughout the nation known as, The Diamond Kingdom. They all emanated from one place and one place only, THE COLISEUM. They threw up their fists and raised their glasses on what seemed to be a momentous occasion. The masses crowded into every possible seat and corner in The Coliseum, all to witness the crowning of a new Shining General.

The crowd would watch in awe as a single man would reign supreme, defeating all who stood before him in a tournament of bloodshed and strength. This man was known to the masses as "The Little Giant", possessing great physical and magical power, however, his real name was Adrien Boucher.

Out of everyone watching the fight, one among them stood apart from the crowd. She sat in a large box all to herself, apart from a single butler who would stand to her side. Her hair would reach from her head all the way to the luxurious velvet carpet below the elegant gold upholstered chair in which she sat. Her pale skin would shine as her eyes were locked on the small giant who would be victorious in the challenges before him. This woman was none other than The Queen of the Diamond Kingdom, Embla Ahlborn.

"Be still, my children"

As those words were uttered by the queen herself The Coliseum went hush, nothing could be heard but the unplaceable whispers of the masses as she rose from her gold touched throne. As she rose from her seat she would walk to the edge of her box, along with her, her grimoire would float to her side, flipping through its pages before landing on a single spell.

Her grimoire would begin to shine, just brighter than the gold upon her neck. Without uttering a word, roots sprouted from the walls of The Coliseum. They would spread like wildfire, interlocking to create a set of stairs stopping directly in front of the victor.

"Join me, young man. Rise to the occasion and join me to be crowned victor." Embla would say opening her arms as she stood atop the stairs, looking down at the "Little Giant", awaiting a response.

Adrien had been kneeling before the Queen as those around him cheered his name. For a mere title, he had killed others of his own kingdom. But he had no regret; their weakness would’ve cost the nation. They had begun to call him the “Little Giant” during the battle royale, a name which he actually liked. It suited him well, as the power of his attacks matched that of a Giant, but he was far from being the size of such a being.

He stared at those around him, his obsidian black hair in a mess, blood on his face. Whether it was his or anothers, he didn’t know, nor did he care. His red sweatshirt had been torn, and his rather baggy pants had tears in them too. Yet he didn’t care, he was too engrossed in the moment. He was about to be publicly recognized by the Queen of his country, and become recognized as one of the most powerful in the Kingdom. With such a status, he could easily protect the Kingdom and let the public know about it, they would be reassured knowing that he was out there fighting for them, for their safety.

As the Queen called him up, he rose to his full height. Adrien’s Grimoire floated by his side, the pages fluttering shut as it entered his pocket. His Grimoire was unusually small in size, but it was the contents of it that made him such a force to be reckoned with. He walked up the makeshift stairs the beauty had made for him. As he arrived in front of her, he stood still. He was a few inches taller than her, his broad shoulders shielding her from the sun. Adrien’s brown eyes stared into the Queen’s own fuchsia orbs. “My Queen.” he uttered. He spoke only two words, but the crowd held onto them. For he spoke no more than he had too, but he had acknowledged the Queen. And now he awaited for what would happen next.

Embla would look up at the warrior as he would cast a shadow over her, blocking the sun. "Such strength, but such little words, why is that?" Embla would say to the warrior, a warm and regal smile taking home upon her face. "Take a seat, I would like to get to know the man who will soon be considered one of the strongest people within my nation." As she spoke the roots would rip through the floor creating a large chair for the "Little Giant". Before she would sit she would address the crowd. "I would like to implement a short intermission, talk, mingle and eat, while I get to know this man and return for the crowning shortly." She would say insisting a large scaled whisper among the crowd as she took her seat, crossing her legs and reaching for a glass of wine which was held by the man to her right, taking a sip as she looked to Adrien for an answer.

Adrien gratefully took a seat, his eyes still locked onto Embla’s own. Her question perplexed him. Many took note of his frequency to not speak as much, but very few were truly interested in why. It intrigued him to see such a response from the Queen, but he welcomed it. It was a wonderful feeling. “I feel not the need to speak unless spoken to, your highness.” he responded. “I mean no disrespect to you with my lack of words. I would be a fool as a citizen to do so. And I would be an imbecile to do so as a man.”

"I'm flattered, but as a soon to be Shining General, I'd like you to look at me as more of a comrade, to say the least." Embla would say with a small laugh, her eyes shining as the sun would now be able to shine upon her. "So, tell me a bit about yourself, Mr. Little Giant" Embla would say taking another sip of her now empty glass, holding it out to her side to be filled once again. "Thank you, Adam." she would say taking a sip of her now filled glass.

Adrien nodded. He would attempt to view her as a comrade, although it would probably prove difficult. His entire life, he was raised around the idea that the monarchs were untouchable. Yet here he was, mere inches away from the Queen of his Country, whom was also one of the most beautiful women in the Country on top of it all. But he had heard her order, nay, her request. “I am Adrien Boucher. My family owns a butcher shop, where I worked for a while. I delved into the potential of my Magic, and yearned to become a Shining General for many years.” he stated. Adrien cleared his throat. “I also thoroughly enjoy steak.”

"Interesting, I guess the magically adept can be born anywhere and to anyone." Embla would say as she looked Adrien up and down. She crossed her legs taking a second to think. "Adam, would you be a dear and fetch us a steak, oh and don't be afraid to get yourself one as well." She would say smiling to the man to her side as he walked out of the door still holding elegant posture and form. "So, while we wait on those. What would you like to know about me? Ask me any question, within reason of course." She would say once again taking a sip of wine, looking over the rim of her glass locking eyes with Adrien.

Adrien thought about it for a brief second, still maintaining his lax posture within the chair. "How did you become Queen?" he asked. It was a simple question, yes. But he wanted to know how she'd respond. Adrien always found that knowing how someone responded, not what they responded, was the best way to understand someone. And Adrien truly wanted to understand who the Queen was as an individual.

“Fascinating question, Adrien.” Embla would say. Before answering the question she let it marinate in her head, spilling to each corner of her mind and memory. The full answer to that question would be far more than controversial to say the least, her journey to queens on not having been the cleanest or most grace full, however, at its core it’s was the perfect underdog story, so that’s what she would tell. “As for your question, my journey to queendom was harsh as to expect in a nation such as our own. In its simplest form it was a story of a forest and a large plot of land, I simply imbedded my roots into every wall and floor of this great nation, sucking the life away from all who opposed me.” As she spoke an aura of intimidation emanated from her as she would take a sip of wine the glare of her eyes reflecting from the rim of her glass.

A normal individual would cower beneath the glare of the Queen. On top of it all, it was unintentional on her part. However, Adrien was far from the normal individual. He was to be a Shining General, one of the strongest mages in all of the Diamond Kingdom. So he only looked back, and nodded. "Okay." he replied.

"So, now that we've gotten to know each other a bit, do you believe now to be a good time to reintroduce yourself to the masses as the newest hero within the Eight Shining Generals." Embla would say smiling at Adrien before rising from her seat gesturing to the large and still partly empty, Colosseum.