The Lunar Beast's attack was relentless.
Throughout the long history of Tiurna, it was always said that when the moon fell into position, cosmic hell would rain down upon the planet in the form of a monster. Prophecies were often laughed at as nothing more than folklore, yet this one came true. Finally, since the dawn of the time, the beast had been awaiting its chance to strike.
The very world shook as the lord of space descended upon the globe, its form taking similar shape to that of the mythological creature Cthulhu. Four blank, purple eyes sat on its face, a fifth gazing down from its enormous forehead. Tentacles burning with lavender flames formed a beard, swaying in the astral breeze of deep space. The entity was simply colossal, its shape towering over the entirety of Tiurna. Even its fist alone could flatten an entire continent.
The Dryad's were about to face their greatest battle yet.
In an orderly line, two-by-two the Dryads flew into combat. All except for Alura of course, who sat diligently in her wooden throne awaiting the triumphant return of her army. Humanity cowered in their pathetic stone structures as every Dryad on the planet save one flew to their demise.
The Lunar Beast let out a deafening roar and the sky flashed a dark purple, never regaining its original colour. Clouds were blotted out by the creatures hulking form, Dryads swarming the skies like flies. Already, a hundred of them had fallen. Just a swing of the beast's hand knocked down over a dozen, swatting them like insects. Even with the power of nature on their side, they were powerless against such a foe.
Another bellowing cry came from the beast, the earth rumbling beneath it. It was as if it had summoned an earthquake, shaking the ground with enough force that humanity's poor constructions could not withstand it. Houses crumbled and monuments fell, leaving towns and villages crushed in its shadow.
"How are we supposed to beat this... this thing?" A dryad cried, a distinct lack of hope in her voice.
It wasn't unusual to lose a large amount of their own in a fight, but the Lunar Beast was racking up casualties faster than anything they had ever faced. On top of that, a strange symptom of the beast's presence was beginning to reveal itself.
Far below the battleground, grass was changing from its natural green to a foreboding purple. Not just the grass either, but plants and leaves were all changing, converting the fields and forest below into a lavender spectacle. Humans who camped down in the forest seemed to be affected too, transformed by the roar of the beast. Their eyes became purple and their teeth became fangs, now servants of the moons corruption.
"It's... changing them!" A Dryad called, seeing the hopelessness of the situation.
Slowly, they were realising that there was no chance of victory. One huge, beady eye glazed over its surrounding, before firing a magnificent laser of energy in the direction of the army. Thousands of people, both human and dryad were killed. In comparison, not even a scratch had been dealt to the monster's grey skin. This was a battle they couldn't win; a battle that would see Tiurna come to its tragic end.
Another roar sounded and the world trembled once more, writhing tentacles burning with purple embers erupting from the ground. The rate at which this lavender corruption spread increased ten-fold, engulfing every inch of the forest it initially appeared in. Within hours, not just Tiurna but the whole world would be consumed by this monster's evil, every living being brought under its thrall forever.
Another laser was fired from the Lunar Beast's forehead, this time slicing straight through the middle of the Dryad's great tree.
Alura screamed as she was launched away by the impact, crying out as she made impact, rolling over on the cold floor. Consciousness seemed to be fading, the borders of her vision slowly being drowned out by darkness. Eventually, she fell into slumber, the last thing she saw being the remnants of her would-be dryad empire burning in purple flames.
The world, it seemed, was fated to be corrupted by the Lunar Beast's cosmic evil.
"We can't let it win." The Dryads all called out in unison.
The beast cried out in defiance as magical green spirals manifested behind all of its opponents. Eyes closed, they began to chant, casting the one spell that would ensure the creature's defeat and the safety of the world. Wind howled across the battleground as the Lunar Beast attempted to end the chant to no avail. Perhaps it could strike down a few hundred more, yet it would still be futile.
"To protect this world," they exclaimed, their hearts and minds unified under one common cause, "We give our lives."
With that, the ultimate spell was cast. The souls of the Dryad people left their physical forms, allowing them to fall limp to the ground. Most of the bodies were destroyed on impact, yet the soul lived on with purpose. Energy and essence of which life itself was formed now encircled the cosmic beast, forming a prison from which there was no escape.
To confine an unstoppable foe at the cost of their life was the last act the Dryad's ever performed. An unescapable jail was created, one where only another Dryad held the key. The Lunar Beast was to be imprisoned for all eternity, as no Dryads remained to free it.
The monster from the moon let out a final anguished roar as it vanished from the physical world, taking its jailers with it.
Corruption no longer spread across the region, however it didn't simply vanish. Instead, the corrupted forest remained as a sealed off area, unsafe for all visitors. It almost became a tourist attraction, with people visiting from all across the globe to catch a glimpse of the lavender forest whilst not getting too close.
Gradually, Tiurna began to rebuild itself piece by piece. Societies were established and villages were rebuilt, one of the most noteworthy being Lavup, a small settlement located right next to the corrupted forest. It's economy was thriving thanks to the cosmic wonder that sat next door. A prophecy of ruin had been averted thanks to a grand sacrifice, the world returned to its former glory.
"Hey Red! Nice job clearing the border of the forest!" the crowd cheered as Lavup's renowned knight made his way through the square.
"Thank you, it was nothing really." Red laughed, humbly playing down his accomplishments.
Red was pretty much the ideal guy in lower class Tiurna: brave and handsome. He had bright blue eyes and jet black hair, but surprisingly most of the public didn't know this. As the go-to knight and mercenary of the town, Red tended to keep his helmet on whilst in public. Only those he trusted or those he respected were allowed to see him without it.
"God, what a day." he groaned as the front door swung shut behind him. "Damn savages, all of those purple-eyed freaks."
Typically, Red was tasked with dealing with humans that had been corrupted by ignoring the rules and venturing into the forest. Much like with the forest itself, being corrupted looked incredibly pretty, however it brought unwarranted side effects. Most commonly those side effects included insanity and psychosis. Originally the corruption was intended to bind people's minds to the Lunar Beast, but without a master to serve, the corrupted became feral beasts.
After fighting with them, Red wanted nothing more than to lay down on his bed and let his dreams carry him away. Throwing his helmet down onto the floor, he did exactly that.
Knock, knock.
"You've gotta be kidding." Red groaned as he rose from his brief period of relaxation, picking his helmet back up, "What is it?"
"Sorry sir, I know you prefer to not be bothered after work." a quiet female voice called from the other side of the door.
