Post by Teᴙa253 on Jun 26, 2010 19:20:49 GMT -7
This is the opening sequence to one of the novels that I am writing in my The Crest of Zabutur series.
feel free to give me reviews of whatever kind, as I do intend to one day hopefully get this series published.
This is not the first novel in the series though. I'm writing them all out of order xD
that said... here goes nothing. [WARNING: long post]
Evening—a calm, peaceful time of the day in the village of Serénes; it was the time of night where many of the Serénes villagers were out and about. After all, Serenghe were neither diurnal nor nocturnal. They slept when they felt like it, and were awake in a similar manner.
A gruff-looking young adult was watching the rain from the window of his home. There was thunder every now and again, and the rain was pouring. This did not worry Lehran Loreziah Serénes at all though—he enjoyed the rainstorms.
“Altina,” he muttered, “where are you?”
He knew the answer to this question just as much as Altina would. Altina, Lehran’s younger sister, was an unusual young woman who was 18 years younger than her brother Lehran. Their story was somewhat tragic, and went a ways back. As Lehran’s only remaining sibling, Lehran was watchful over his younger sister, despite her being almost grown up.
Lehran got up and went outside. It took only a few seconds for his entire body from head to wing to foot, to be soaked from the rain. He called out his sister’s name.
A low, gruff voice answered him by calling out its location. Lehran followed it and was not surprised to find Altina.
“Glad it only took you one time,” Altina remarked. Her voice was very low and scratchy—it was often confused for the voice of a man. There was an explanation for it, but Altina did not like explaining it because her unusual voice drew attention to herself.
“So why are you still out here?” Lehran asked, “It’s almost 2500.”
“I was just thinking,” Altina replied. In the dim light of some of the places around them, Altina’s face was illuminated. Lehran’s face was rough and scarred, but not nearly as much as his younger sister’s face was. Altina’s face looked like it had been hewn by a half-blind carver, with how badly cut up she was. She sported many battle scars from her many years of combat. Their brown skin made some of the marks more prominent than others, and it contrasted their blue clothing.
“Oh,” Lehran exclaimed, “about what?”
“I was thinking about mom and dad,” Altina answered, “and the rest of our family. I was sort of just sitting here and mulling it over. You know the story obviously…”
Lehran nodded. “Aye,” he said, “I do. It pains me to know that you never got to properly know your family—our family, Altina. I can assure you, however, that they were not much different than you or I. they were timid towards outsiders, as most Serénes villagers are. They were skilled formers, and they were friendly and forgiving to all. To launch a massacre on a pacifist tribe is just wrong in all ways possible.”
“You do realize why they did it though, right?” Altina asked, being more knowledgeable in military lifestyle than a Serénes ought to be, “they wanted this place.”
“Most people do,” Lehran remarked, “North and South Serénes are the only places in the world that have never been taken over by an enemy force of any kind. The sort of glory and prestige that would come from being able to take one of them down—that was what happened that day, Altina. I’ve told you this before.”
“I know,” Altina sighed, though it sounded like a grumble because of her low voice, “the North Serénes massacre. That was where they died, isn’t it?”
“Aye,” Lehran replied sadly. Both brother and sister were sitting in the rain, enjoying its soothing touch as it socked through their clothing and onto their skin; they enjoyed it flowing through their ragged and untidy hair, and enjoyed it running down the soft feathers of their wings. “All seven of your older siblings were killed that day except me. I as the seventh and you as the eighth were the only ones able to escape. You were but two years old at the time, because of the Brawl Gap.”
“Well,” Altina shrugged, “that’s why I couldn’t remember it.”
“And yet the deities have kept the two of us here and together for some reason apparently.” Lehran advised, “Our role is not to mourn their loss, but to uphold the will of the deities, which include making our family proud, and its grandeur carry on.”
Altina chuckled. “The deities are interesting creatures,” she remarked, “always doing all sorts of different things—I’m pretty sure that even they can’t know it all.”
Lehran laughed. “You know,” he said, “instead of beating around that bush, you could just straightforwardly tell me that you want me to retell you the creation story.”
“Hey,” Altina objected, “you didn’t let me finish. I was getting to it.”
“Aye, I believe you,” Lehran laughed, calling Altina’s bluff. One of the most notable traits was that a Serénes villager never lied, but they did sometimes jokingly bluff, such as this situation with Altina.
“Well,” Lehran replied, “I suppose I can tell it to you by the best of my own understanding.”
“Would you please?” Altina requested, “seeing as I’ve been caught in warfare my whole life, I never really was able to stop
and learn how to properly read and recognize the letters of the alphabet. You know what I mean, right?”
“Of course,” Lehran replied. Altina was not completely illiterate, but she stammered with words a lot when she did read.
“Thanks,” Altina smiled.
“No problem,” Lehran answered, “but I suggest we go inside—it’s probably going to freeze at this rate, and I don’t think we should be out here if that happens, do you?”
“Oh, Lehran,” Altina laughed, “You’re afraid of a little cold?”
“No,” Lehran answered, “it’s called common sense.”
“Fine,” Altina growled, but with her voice as low as it was, it was not an angry growl. With that, they got inside, changed into some dry clothes, and sat huddled close in the warmth of their home. Once they were comfortable, Lehran began the tale.
The deities, as well as the entire universe, and the spirits of the Serenghe, have never had a beginning, nor will they ever have an end. The story of these creatures, though, does have a beginning, but does not necessarily have an end—in sight at least.
“It all began with the great creators—Ukezal and Tazakrelu. The two of them were polar opposites—even their genders. They were a balancing force. The opposition the two deities possessed had them clashing against each other in most things, save the creation of the world of Mencu. In this, they worked together to create a world and fill it with people—the Serenghe. Their clashing though was simply part of a balance. Neither one could exist without the other, yet if somehow one was destroyed, the other would be too. They were in essence, two halves of one whole; nevertheless, they were two distinct beings.
Their opposition though, had not sprung from opposing personalities at first, though. It came from two other beings, which served as advisors to the deities, but later became known as The Opposers. Since Ukezal and Tazakrelu had opposing personalities, it was relatively easily for Xekel and Xakal, the Opposers, to put lies into the heads of the young deities. They would explain to Ukezal that Tazakrelu wished for her powers of chaos, change, and freedom to completely dismantle his powers of order, stability, and law. Similarly, they told Tazakrelu that Ukezal wished for his powers of order, stability, and law, to overthrow and control her powers of chaos, change, and freedom. Despite how outlandish this seemed, the deities believed The Opposers. After all, Xekel and Xakal were using a natural fact to their advantage—chaos tends to want to dismantle order, and order tends to want to control chaos.
Frightened by this, Ukezal and Tazakrelu both banished the Opposers to the realm now known as Rorret, where they vanished from history for millennia. They meanwhile developed distrust for each other, and this showed later in history through their people, the Serenghe.”
The Serenghe, the inhabitants of Mencu, were humanoid creatures considerably shorter than a human was once they were fully grown. They had various skin and hair colors, retractable claws on their hands and feet, pointed ears, and most prominently, a pair of large wings on their backs. These wings were particularly interesting, as they seemed to have many different qualities to them. Many other aspects about them were unusual and interesting, but at the same time, since everyone was special, it was all ordinary.
“However, just like with everything else, Ukezal and Tazakrelu disagreed on what the Serenghe should be used for and/or done with after they were created, due to the corrupt thoughts of each other that the Opposers had given them. Ukezal wished for them to do his bidding with no choice in the matter; and then return to the realm of the supernaturals to be his followers, complete with all of their former glory, and no one would lose any. He believed in dominance, stability, law, and war against those who stood against them. Tazakrelu wanted them to be free to make their own decisions, and master first the world that was given them before they thought of anything beyond that realm. Depending on how they treated their fellow Serenghe would determine how much glory they received. She valued freedom, variance and choice, and peace except in self-defense. Therefore, despite both of them wanting somewhat a balance between Order and Chaos, they wanted it in different ways because of their conflicting personalities. Neither side had the “right” or “wrong” side, furthermore, so this only intensified the conflict. They were going about the wrong ways of achieving Order and Chaos, and it would be many ages before it stopped.
The end result was that the people, the Serenghe, fought against each other because of these beliefs. This was a drive instilled in them because of The Opposers as a counterpart to Tazakrelu’s freedom of choice which she gave them. Ukezal on the other hand, did not wish for the destruction of their people through war, but rather, he instilled in them a strong sense of loyalty that would want them to share their values with others, even if it was through war. He convinced many of the Serenghe to join his cause. His forces, known formally as the followers of Ukezal, were known for short as the Shitenou. Of course, this “civil war” lasted lifetimes, with the Serenghe threatening each other and slowly starting to wipe each other out. This, however, was simply part of a cycle. There were times when the Shitenou seemed to almost overtake the Kukaña, Tazakrelu’s followers, but they always held out. Similarly, there were times where the Kukaña seemed to be dominating over the Shitenou, but the Shitenou would hold out as well. However, no matter how much they fought, there was never a victory. This had gone on for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years, and there had never been an answer. It was always a stalemate. The deities were actually aware of this, and it was a natural cycle. It took many years for Ukezal and Tazakrelu to figure out a solution, which was carried to this day—balance was the answer. The world could not live very long peacefully in Order or Chaos unless both were nearly equal. Granted, this did not mean that Mencu was in a state of perpetual war, but rather, it meant that the times of peace were often short-lived. Peace would reign, and then pride would again seep in, and one side would wish to share their virtues with the world, and do so in the form of war. They would then either dominate or be defeated. If they were defeated, the enemy side would soon rise to power, and rebellion would be the answer to bringing balance back. If they won, it would be the same, except their enemies would be the oppressed ones. Luckily though, Ukezal and Tazakrelu did not want to let their people do this, and so they came to a compromise.
“So, are we just going to watch our people dwindle down into destruction?”
“No, Tazakrelu. This is simply the median between our two wants. I satisfied my lust for war, and you satisfied the wanting to let them make their own decisions.”
“If I really got that ideal for them, then why are you not honoring that? Ukezal, you have had vast influence among the Serenghe. Don’t think I am not aware of your creation of the Ekae. They’ve had a terrible influence on the Seer of Koldia.”
The Ekae were in essence, “clones” of other Serenghe. They all had similar, emotionless behaviors, and were like opposites of their normal counterparts, including their elemental affinities. Very little was known about them other than that Ukezal seemed to utilize their creation much more than Tazakrelu ever did. This was one of the aspects of malice that the Opposers had convinced Ukezal to take up. The Seer of Koldia was an exalted Koldian figure that was typically associated with Tazakrelu. Although there have been many Seers of Koldia in history, there is always only one at a time. There have been Seers of Koldia of either gender, but for various reasons, including some of the most famous ones being female, as well as the original Seer of Koldia, the title is usually referred to with the female pronoun.
“Why should the Serenghe only get to communicate with you? If they receive a voice of Tazakrelu, should they not also receive a voice of Ukezal?”
“She is not a voice of Tazakrelu,” Tazakrelu protested, “the Zkha is the only voice of the deities, and he or she speaks to both of us.”
“Of course,” Ukezal remarked, “it just goes to show how far your people have gone astray.
“You cannot say that yours have not,” Tazakrelu countered, “They see the manipulation of life such as the Ekae as harmless.”
“The Ekae are not solely for the Shitenou,” Ukezal argued, and then stopped. Wishing to bring back the order to their friendship, he devised a different approach.
“Nevertheless, I am aware of the evils of manipulating life in that way.” He continued, “You must realize, Tazakrelu, that it was a scheme that had been started when we still took separate advice from The Opposers. I have realized the monster that I was mostly responsible for creating, and as a result, I procured a way to “free” the Ekae. Like the rites involved in creating one, it is difficult, but it can be done. You of course, gave them the ability to try and discover their true emotions, and together, that has worked wonderfully.”
Tazakrelu narrowed her eyes and glared at Ukezal.
“Hold it,” she hissed, “why are you suddenly trying to play the good guy? Why did you suddenly change your approach when only a few seconds ago we were arguing?”
“Because Tazakrelu,” Ukezal answered, “there are two kinds of order, and two kinds of chaos: There is good order and bad order, as well as good chaos and bad chaos. When we oppose each other, this is the bad kind of chaos. As a god of Order, I am simply trying to restore it. Admit it—the order that comes from our allegiance is the good kind of order.”
“Aye, but you coming out and doing this sporadically is an element of chaos. Chaos is the unpredictable, Ukezal. Are you trying to hide something from me?”
“You are going too fast,” Ukezal chuckled, “slow down.”
Tazakrelu crossed her arms and frowned.
“Just like you have elements of Order in you,” Ukezal continued, “I have elements of Chaos in me. I decided to step up and stop the argument, so we could become better allied. The more unity we have, Tazakrelu, the stronger we are against the Opposers.”
“You’re hiding something,” Tazakrelu argued.
“On the contrary,” Ukezal objected, “I am trying to end this argument. Neither of us is right or wrong. Remember, right and wrong are simply concepts of the mind.”
“And so how are we going to solve the Ekae problem?” Tazakrelu asked, “If you really are intending to bring back allegiance?”
“I have given the revelation to the Zkha,” Ukezal replied, “and to various seers and priests as well. How the rest of the people accept it is for them to decide, but the decree has come from the deities themselves.”
“And if they do not follow it” Tazakrelu asked,
“That is up to them, Tazakrelu,” Ukezal replied, “remember that it was your idea to give them freedom of choice like that.”
“I understand that, Ukezal, Tazakrelu remarked, “but it was a bad choice in the first place on your part to bring the Ekae into the scene the way they have been.”
“I understand that, Tazakrelu,” Ukezal argued, “but I am not here to tear you apart, and so I expect the same kind of respect.”
“Well, name one of my biggest mistakes about the lives of Serenghe then.” She said,
“What of the Zaderei?” said Ukezal, “After all, you were the one who at first was ashamed of them. That did not make them feel too good about being born with a set of traits that they could not control, and that would mark them for life.”
“The Seer of Koldia had been attempting to get the truth out,” Tazakrelu answered, “To inform Mencu that the Zaderei were no different from normal Serenghe.”
“That’s as much of a lie as the things the Opposers said to us about each other.”
“No, what I mean is that they are not to be treated as different. Regardless of their skills or the mark on their face, they are still Serenghe. The Seer of Koldia pinned the racist blame on you, Ukezal.”
“Rightfully so,” Ukezal remarked, “For it was another of my follies that was the cause of it, but that was because of the Zkha and her hatred of them. However, knowing that their goddess was worried about them only made things worse, Tazakrelu. Why did you create them?”
“That would be my fault,” Tazakrelu countered,
“Fault;” Ukezal exclaimed, “never say anything is a fault, Tazakrelu, the Zaderei are hated by the Shitenou because they see them as chaotic beings, despite many of them appreciating order very much. Nowadays it is tradition, but many Shitenou understand that I did not dislike them at all either.”
“But it wasn’t sudden,” Tazakrelu objected, “They just appeared. First it was one woman, and no one thought much of it. Then more and more were born with it. You know the rest.”
“At first they thought it was a trait that only affected the female portion of the population,” Ukezal remarked, “when the first male Zaderei appeared though, it sparked a lot of questions that were unable to be answered. How was it that a family of two normal Serenghe was able to give birth to one of these creatures? Why were there so many more women than men? If anything, it seemed like instability.”
“No,” Tazakrelu protested, “it shows diversity, and that the Serenghe are adaptable. Koldians, Clazmars, and Tenscimors do not discriminate against each other.”
The Serenghe were divided into 3 different groups—The Koldians: fair-skinned Serenghe, the Tenscimors: dark-skinned Serenghe, and the Clazmars: tan-skinned Serenghe. There was always one particular Serenghe that was gifted with the ability to literally speak face to face with the god and goddess. The title for this Serenghe was the Zkha, but certain extremists on either side had either removed this figure from history, or given the exaltation to The Seer of Koldia. Although the title varied by gender, being Prince or Princess, they were technically the same as kings and queens. Moreover, for some reason, the “shortened” title for them was usually Emperor or Empress, and this was the title used to address them, as opposed to Prince and Princess. It was the opposite of the Ekae in many ways, as Tazakrelu was the deity that utilized the Seer of Koldia the most, while Ukezal utilized the Ekae the most. The significance, then, of the Seer of Koldia was that he or she was able to talk to the deities at any time, except they were without the ability to traverse the two worlds, and they were also unable to see them face to face.
“Perhaps then,” said Ukezal, “we need a compromise of sorts.”
“What sort of compromise is this?” Tazakrelu responded,
“One that gives them a little bit of both of what we desire;” Ukezal replied, “one that would grant them the freedom t make their own choices like you want, but for them to have differing ideals. After all, with freedom of choice, there are going to be “rebels” in your ranks.”
“I understand that,” Tazakrelu remarked, “but why the desire for war?”
“It is natural,” Ukezal answered, “for those with opposing values to want to have others see things their way. War is the natural result of your plan, Tazakrelu.”
“And what of your plan; did you hope to have an army of mindless drones?”
“There was a reason why your focus was the one I wished to propose in this compromise, Tazakrelu. Freedom was required, but for it to survive there would also have to be war. It’s the old principle of opposition. I did not advocate the people to wage war against those who did not have the same beliefs as them, but rather I wanted them to hold to their ideals, and fight in their defense. Unfortunately, that did not work out the way I wished it would have.”
“I see;” Tazakrelu frowned, “and what are the other terms?”
“Control over our emotions,” Ukezal answered, “we need to have no more of these consistent disaster-waves of earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and fires. Order in this issue, chaos in the location of these events—let Mencu decide where its natural attacks are going to be. Our children are the Serenghe, not the world they live on.”
“Mencu is our creation, Ukezal. It answers to our commands.”
“But if you look at it like a child, Tazakrelu, then it is time we let it takes its first step instead of leading it by the hand to pinpoint the supporters of each other.”
“Indeed,” Tazakrelu answered, “but that does not mean we abandon it.”
“Not at all,” Ukezal agreed, “we leave it to the titans and the Lakamaté to keep and uphold balance, while we ourselves do not force it to target our own people.”
“Indeed. We can give our people a nudge every now and again, but according to your very compromise, we are to stay out of it for the most part.”
“That is what I suggested, is it not? That does not mean, though that we are not to give them trials. It is upholding a natural law to have opposition in all things, and not a utopia.”
“Aye; and similarly, there will always be a counter-curse for every curse that is out there—a solution of some kind. I surely hope you have not forgotten the lessons we both learned from The Blindness, have you, Ukezal?”
“Not at all” Ukezal smirked, “it was one of our best lessons.”
“Perhaps that was our purpose in creating the Serenghe,” Tazakrelu remarked, “to teach us about how a people of that caliber act and behave.”
“Perhaps it was,” Ukezal noted, “eternity will tell. If you are correct, then we have fallen into a two-way benefit. The Serenghe learn and grow like you want them to, and our glory increases as our knowledge increases, which was my desire. Do you see now why we are unable to exist without the other?”
“I always have, Ukezal. “So I suppose at this point we just wage war?”
“That will be for the people to do,” Ukezal replied, “they can enjoy their time of peace for now. When war comes, they will work through it, and eventually cycle back to peace again. It is an endless cycle as you surely know.”
“Indeed;” Tazakrelu smiled, “and so now we play the game.”
“Aye,” Ukezal added, “but keep in mind, I do not wish for your followers to be destroyed, and I assume you do not wish the same fate for my followers.”
“I do not,” Tazakrelu replied, “but this compromise gives them access to the mercy of Tazakrelu and the justice of Ukezal.”
“Precisely,” Ukezal smiled, “and that in and of itself is further justice and mercy—justice for the two of us, and mercy on each other.”
And it was, and since then, the world had been like this for as long as any Serenghe could remember. It was never a bad thing, as the personalities of the Serenghe were the main governing force that decided which deity’s ideals they preferred. Prayer to these deities influenced Serenghe, and some of the more influential ones would step up and start mustering followers for war or defense. That eventually lead to where we are today. We are still currently still in that endless cycle.
The Blindness which Ukezal and Tazakrelu spoke of was initially set on the Serenghe by Tazakrelu. It did not affect people already alive, but instead made a much larger population of Serenghe be born blind.
Ukezal’s counteraction originally was restoring their vision through his miracles and powers of order. However, most of the Serenghe that had been born blind had adapted between those times—they had used their elemental skills to replace the sense they were born without, and so to suddenly have the ability to see the world from a new standpoint threw off their perspective of the world and how they worked. It frightened many of them. Tazakrelu, upon realizing that this further showed the diversity and adaptability of the Serenghe, decided to let them manage it in their own ways, and many of them did, figuring out alternative ways of getting around, and therefore learning and growing in the process.
If the world of Mencu simply goes through cycles where order and chaos dominate periodically, (and of course, the frequent neutral times, which were usually actually the most peaceful) The reason this particular time in Mencuan history was a highlight was because Ukezal’s warriors were bent on annihilating the Princess of Koldia, and therefore taking the dominance of Order to a whole new level that even Ukezal did not want. Extremism was running rampant on both sides, and it was slowly building up to destruction. The Shitenou had been successful at assassinating the last Prince of Koldia, but one of this man’s daughters was never found. The quintuplets—2 boys and 3 girls, whom the previous Prince of Koldia had, were all slain except for the youngest, who disappeared. Luckily, “The Princess of Koldia” was not always the first-born; otherwise, it would have ended immediately According to legend, it was the fabled fifth child—the only one that had not been killed, and had disappeared—that was the new Princess of Koldia. Now, there had been times—sometimes generations, where the Seer of Koldia had vanished and then showed up years later as a descendant, but this was a crucial time in which if the Seer of Koldia remained absent for too long, even Koldia itself would fall apart. The reasoning for this was because the balance was tilted in favor of the Shitenou, and they had already brought great instability to Koldia. Without the firm influence of Tazakrelu in the form of the Seer of Koldia, it would be increasingly difficult for the balance to be restored. Or at least, this was how the Kukaña told the story of Ukezal and Tazakrelu. At this point, because of heavy war, it was believed to have been changed, and the Shitenou side of the story was believed to have been changed as well. The real story could only be told by one figure, a cycle of Serenghe that had been erased from history not very long ago.
The Koldian nobles, or rather, the Serenghe of Koldia in general, had to find a new ruler—or at least someone who could take the place of the missing one until the Koldian who could hear the voice of Tazakrelu was found. After around 49 years of an empty throne, a young girl who fit several qualities, and therefore was “close enough” by the name of Mikaya Katashi Zaklash was discovered, and she was set on the throne, which she found surprising. She was not believed to be the missing child of the last Prince of Koldia, but rather was believed to be that child’s daughter. Although Mikaya gave no reports of having ever heard the voice of Tazakrelu, she gave the good people of the world hope—hope that they would be able to find a way to break out of Ukezal’s grip, and be able to stop the rebels from each nation from destroying the Serenghe by wars forever. The “phase” of Mencu was at a “peak” for the Shitenou, where passing said peak could have bad effects on the ultimate balance of Mencu. This also applied on Tazakrelu’s peak when the world was in that type of era. Therefore, a lot of people looked at Mikaya as a savior of sorts. There was bias on both sides, and neither Shitenou nor Kukaña held the correct principles as to who was and was not at fault.
However, Mikaya, being a young girl, was just considered a figurehead, and Mikaya herself supports this theory as well. The reason then, which she is kept on the throne, is that the people of Koldia—additionally, even almost any being on Mencu for that matter—is awaiting Mikaya’s 17th birthday. If she is the true Princess of Koldia, a mark will manifest itself on her right hand. If no mark appears, then she is just a normal Koldian. Who the real Princess of Koldia is, is still in question. (In addition, generally, when the Prince or Princess of Koldia is unknown, the position is often referred to as the Princess of Koldia, due to the connection, being to a goddess, and the first “voice of the goddess” was female. However, many male rulers have been born in this line throughout history, and the title “The Seer of Koldia” is a good generalization for it.) The reason today though, that they call it the Princess of Koldia is because of the rumors and legends of the youngest child of the last Prince of Koldia, who was a girl, and who somehow evaded the Shitenou’s grasp at a young age by Serenghe standards. Moreover, another mystery that few people ask is who Mikaya is and where she came from. The only things known about her are that she is 14, and has had strange visions, much like a prophetess. Priests and Priestesses though, were common on Mencu, and so this was not looked upon as very unusual. Mikaya’s story was the real mystery here, as who she really was and is—no one knows. She was such an interesting figure because of her place in society, and yet she shares little of her back-story with anyone. She herself seems confused for that matter. Despite her claims that she is not the true Empress of Koldia, many believe that she is afraid that she might actually be the Maiden of Miracles that the legends speak of. Her suspicious behavior and similar traits with the iconic figure are just too many for the Serenghe of Koldia to overlook.
For one thing, every Seer of Koldia was obviously, of course, a seer. Mikaya had had many dreams and visions in her life, but had seldom, if ever, shared them. By that logic, she was a prophetess, or in fine, a seer.
Secondly, her family was supposedly the same scenario as the family of the last Prince of Koldia. Mikaya knew that her mother had been a quintuplet. This was the same setting that the last Prince of Koldia’s family had been, except that he was the father of these quintuplets. The fact that it had been the second child who was still unaccounted for only worried Mikaya further, that that missing second child had been her mother. However, the population of Serenghe was enormous as it stood, and even the Koldian population was rather vast. Regardless of this though, the odds of two quintuplets both with four dead siblings, and with both being the second of five is highly unlikely. Yet until something is somehow proved or disproved, Mikaya worries about it.
Another aspect that made her feel like the Princess of Koldia was that she had found herself as a fully capable Anima Sensei (Serenghe that manipulated the elements were known as Formers, though “Anima Sensei” was the term for one who could manipulate all of them) in her early years. Granted, this did not mean that she had mastered the elements, but it did mean that she had very capable abilities running through her. All Serenghe were born with the chi energy for one element, sometimes two; and some rare ones were born with the chi energy for all of them. Mikaya was one of those.
These three factors are perhaps what worry Mikaya the most. It is because she is a very respectable young woman and leader that the people of Koldia, and the people of Mencu as a whole, tend to overlook her fear of what might be the truth. One day though, she will have to confront those fears, for they might turn out to be reality…
…And yet this is not where the story begins. Mikaya Katashi Zaklash did not just magically ascend to the throne at the drop of a feather. She had just been an orphaned girl who was living at a Koldian Temple, which had areas designed as refuges, and was run by the Koldian monks and nuns that maintained the temple. It was in essence an orphanage, but there were sometimes people who would stay there that had other relationships. Mikaya, however, was not one of them. Here at this temple, the Temple of Bardokana (named not after a deity, but after an ancient settlement that this temple had been part of), Mikaya lived and played with other children her age. She had not expected much to come out of her life, despite her talents, and she certainly did not expect to be placed on the long-empty throne of Koldia. However, she was not aware of a certain group of Koldians, known only as “The Koldian High Council,” that had been watching her due to her suspicious actions.
Now, Mikaya’s actions were not suspicious in a bad way, but rather, they were suspicious in a more curious way, and in a precise way that got The Council watching her moves from the sidelines in the first place. Her talents matched those that Seers of Koldia were famous for. Even if she was not the one, she seemed to be quite intelligent, and had good leadership skills for a girl her age. This logic rendered them to think she would make a good figurehead until a real Seer of Koldia was found. On the other hand, perhaps, she really was the one that they had been seeking for so many years. There was only one other Serenghe suspected to be the Maiden of Miracles—an aged woman by the name of Zurok Mia. She kept her last name undisclosed, but on Mencu, a last name was not so much a family name as much as it just was a 3rd name. It was not uncommon for a Serenghe to prefer to be addressed by his or her first and second names, or their first and last names, or even their second and last names. Zurok was one of these, but she has long since sown seeds of doubt and evidence against her being the real Seer of Koldia. She too believes in Mikaya now, but her exact reasoning is unknown. Zurok has always been a suspicious figure, and, though 144, she was still typically distrusted.
“And that is my knowledge of the story,” Lehran remarked, “Koldians up north told it better than I did, but that was my source of it. My accuracy is not to be taken as exact.”
“I didn’t expect it would be,” Altina laughed, “but don’t worry, brother. I still love you.”
Lehran smiled. “That is always a good thing,” he remarked,
“Aye,” Altina remarked, “and so you say mother and father were like that as well, correct?”
“Aye,” Lehran answered, “and I wish as much as you do that you could have remembered them. Being part of the 2nd Brawl and so young at the times of their deaths must be hard. “
“It’s tricky not knowing who your parents were,” Altina sighed,
“and it’s tough to have to raise your younger sister like she was your daughter,” Lehran added, “not because you were a difficult child, but because it’s hard being single and doing so. I was not ready to raise you, but I did the best I could.”
“Well,” Altina asked, raising an eyebrow, “how did I turn out?”
“You turned out pretty well, in my opinion,” Lehran answered, “you’re a bit fiercer than the average Serénes, but that is more of a stereotype than anything.”
“Well,” Altina remarked, “obviously I’m not a fan of speaking very much.”
“I can understand that,” Lehran commented, “you didn’t start talking until you were nearly 7.”
“Hey,” Altina argued, “if you were a young teen-aged girl, and had a voice that most people thought belonged to an older man, how would that make you feel?”
“I admit,” Lehran remarked, “it does seem a bit awkward. I apologize if I offended you.”
“Nah, it’s no biggie,” Altina shrugged, “besides, I still owe you for raising me.”
Lehran was currently 37 years old, and Altina was 19. When the raid on North Serénes that killed the remainder of their family had occurred, Lehran had been 20 and Altina had been 2.
Although a Serenghe technically became an adult anywhere between the ages of 14 and 21, they lived to be around 200 years old and up, and therefore around the age of 30 was when most Serenghe “came of age”. They often had multiple children, and so having 15-20 children in a Serenghe’s 70-80 year prime was quite common. Furthermore, they aged slowly, and remained in their “prime” until around the age of 110 (though some argue it’s more along the lines of 125 years). As a result, a Serenghe being in their 40s or 50s and still single was not uncommon. Typically Serenghe did not marry until at least the age of 25.
“That you do,” Lehran remarked, “luckily, I never said you had to pay me back. But unfortunately, considering that I was up earlier than you were, I am going to have to turn in and get some shut-eye.”
“Alright,” Altina replied, letting the topic go, “goodnight, Lehran.”
And so Lehran retired to bed, leaving Altina alone. She stared blankly at the fire that was slowly dying, wondering a lot about the deities, who they were, and about the lack of balance and the excess of unease that was rank in the world at this point in time.
“Right and wrong…” she muttered to herself, “they really are only concepts of the mind.”
there are a lot of things which get explained later, and so there might be a few details missing from the prologue that don't remain unanswered.
but yeah. been working on this sucker a while.
~Tera~
feel free to give me reviews of whatever kind, as I do intend to one day hopefully get this series published.
This is not the first novel in the series though. I'm writing them all out of order xD
that said... here goes nothing. [WARNING: long post]
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“There will always be opposition to all things...”
~Zak Dreggite~
~Zak Dreggite~
Prologue
Order and Chaos
South Serénes; Krippa, half past the 24th hour
Order and Chaos
South Serénes; Krippa, half past the 24th hour
Evening—a calm, peaceful time of the day in the village of Serénes; it was the time of night where many of the Serénes villagers were out and about. After all, Serenghe were neither diurnal nor nocturnal. They slept when they felt like it, and were awake in a similar manner.
A gruff-looking young adult was watching the rain from the window of his home. There was thunder every now and again, and the rain was pouring. This did not worry Lehran Loreziah Serénes at all though—he enjoyed the rainstorms.
“Altina,” he muttered, “where are you?”
He knew the answer to this question just as much as Altina would. Altina, Lehran’s younger sister, was an unusual young woman who was 18 years younger than her brother Lehran. Their story was somewhat tragic, and went a ways back. As Lehran’s only remaining sibling, Lehran was watchful over his younger sister, despite her being almost grown up.
Lehran got up and went outside. It took only a few seconds for his entire body from head to wing to foot, to be soaked from the rain. He called out his sister’s name.
A low, gruff voice answered him by calling out its location. Lehran followed it and was not surprised to find Altina.
“Glad it only took you one time,” Altina remarked. Her voice was very low and scratchy—it was often confused for the voice of a man. There was an explanation for it, but Altina did not like explaining it because her unusual voice drew attention to herself.
“So why are you still out here?” Lehran asked, “It’s almost 2500.”
“I was just thinking,” Altina replied. In the dim light of some of the places around them, Altina’s face was illuminated. Lehran’s face was rough and scarred, but not nearly as much as his younger sister’s face was. Altina’s face looked like it had been hewn by a half-blind carver, with how badly cut up she was. She sported many battle scars from her many years of combat. Their brown skin made some of the marks more prominent than others, and it contrasted their blue clothing.
“Oh,” Lehran exclaimed, “about what?”
“I was thinking about mom and dad,” Altina answered, “and the rest of our family. I was sort of just sitting here and mulling it over. You know the story obviously…”
Lehran nodded. “Aye,” he said, “I do. It pains me to know that you never got to properly know your family—our family, Altina. I can assure you, however, that they were not much different than you or I. they were timid towards outsiders, as most Serénes villagers are. They were skilled formers, and they were friendly and forgiving to all. To launch a massacre on a pacifist tribe is just wrong in all ways possible.”
“You do realize why they did it though, right?” Altina asked, being more knowledgeable in military lifestyle than a Serénes ought to be, “they wanted this place.”
“Most people do,” Lehran remarked, “North and South Serénes are the only places in the world that have never been taken over by an enemy force of any kind. The sort of glory and prestige that would come from being able to take one of them down—that was what happened that day, Altina. I’ve told you this before.”
“I know,” Altina sighed, though it sounded like a grumble because of her low voice, “the North Serénes massacre. That was where they died, isn’t it?”
“Aye,” Lehran replied sadly. Both brother and sister were sitting in the rain, enjoying its soothing touch as it socked through their clothing and onto their skin; they enjoyed it flowing through their ragged and untidy hair, and enjoyed it running down the soft feathers of their wings. “All seven of your older siblings were killed that day except me. I as the seventh and you as the eighth were the only ones able to escape. You were but two years old at the time, because of the Brawl Gap.”
“Well,” Altina shrugged, “that’s why I couldn’t remember it.”
“And yet the deities have kept the two of us here and together for some reason apparently.” Lehran advised, “Our role is not to mourn their loss, but to uphold the will of the deities, which include making our family proud, and its grandeur carry on.”
Altina chuckled. “The deities are interesting creatures,” she remarked, “always doing all sorts of different things—I’m pretty sure that even they can’t know it all.”
Lehran laughed. “You know,” he said, “instead of beating around that bush, you could just straightforwardly tell me that you want me to retell you the creation story.”
“Hey,” Altina objected, “you didn’t let me finish. I was getting to it.”
“Aye, I believe you,” Lehran laughed, calling Altina’s bluff. One of the most notable traits was that a Serénes villager never lied, but they did sometimes jokingly bluff, such as this situation with Altina.
“Well,” Lehran replied, “I suppose I can tell it to you by the best of my own understanding.”
“Would you please?” Altina requested, “seeing as I’ve been caught in warfare my whole life, I never really was able to stop
and learn how to properly read and recognize the letters of the alphabet. You know what I mean, right?”
“Of course,” Lehran replied. Altina was not completely illiterate, but she stammered with words a lot when she did read.
“Thanks,” Altina smiled.
“No problem,” Lehran answered, “but I suggest we go inside—it’s probably going to freeze at this rate, and I don’t think we should be out here if that happens, do you?”
“Oh, Lehran,” Altina laughed, “You’re afraid of a little cold?”
“No,” Lehran answered, “it’s called common sense.”
“Fine,” Altina growled, but with her voice as low as it was, it was not an angry growl. With that, they got inside, changed into some dry clothes, and sat huddled close in the warmth of their home. Once they were comfortable, Lehran began the tale.
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The Council of the Deities
The Council of the Deities
The deities, as well as the entire universe, and the spirits of the Serenghe, have never had a beginning, nor will they ever have an end. The story of these creatures, though, does have a beginning, but does not necessarily have an end—in sight at least.
“It all began with the great creators—Ukezal and Tazakrelu. The two of them were polar opposites—even their genders. They were a balancing force. The opposition the two deities possessed had them clashing against each other in most things, save the creation of the world of Mencu. In this, they worked together to create a world and fill it with people—the Serenghe. Their clashing though was simply part of a balance. Neither one could exist without the other, yet if somehow one was destroyed, the other would be too. They were in essence, two halves of one whole; nevertheless, they were two distinct beings.
Their opposition though, had not sprung from opposing personalities at first, though. It came from two other beings, which served as advisors to the deities, but later became known as The Opposers. Since Ukezal and Tazakrelu had opposing personalities, it was relatively easily for Xekel and Xakal, the Opposers, to put lies into the heads of the young deities. They would explain to Ukezal that Tazakrelu wished for her powers of chaos, change, and freedom to completely dismantle his powers of order, stability, and law. Similarly, they told Tazakrelu that Ukezal wished for his powers of order, stability, and law, to overthrow and control her powers of chaos, change, and freedom. Despite how outlandish this seemed, the deities believed The Opposers. After all, Xekel and Xakal were using a natural fact to their advantage—chaos tends to want to dismantle order, and order tends to want to control chaos.
Frightened by this, Ukezal and Tazakrelu both banished the Opposers to the realm now known as Rorret, where they vanished from history for millennia. They meanwhile developed distrust for each other, and this showed later in history through their people, the Serenghe.”
The Serenghe, the inhabitants of Mencu, were humanoid creatures considerably shorter than a human was once they were fully grown. They had various skin and hair colors, retractable claws on their hands and feet, pointed ears, and most prominently, a pair of large wings on their backs. These wings were particularly interesting, as they seemed to have many different qualities to them. Many other aspects about them were unusual and interesting, but at the same time, since everyone was special, it was all ordinary.
“However, just like with everything else, Ukezal and Tazakrelu disagreed on what the Serenghe should be used for and/or done with after they were created, due to the corrupt thoughts of each other that the Opposers had given them. Ukezal wished for them to do his bidding with no choice in the matter; and then return to the realm of the supernaturals to be his followers, complete with all of their former glory, and no one would lose any. He believed in dominance, stability, law, and war against those who stood against them. Tazakrelu wanted them to be free to make their own decisions, and master first the world that was given them before they thought of anything beyond that realm. Depending on how they treated their fellow Serenghe would determine how much glory they received. She valued freedom, variance and choice, and peace except in self-defense. Therefore, despite both of them wanting somewhat a balance between Order and Chaos, they wanted it in different ways because of their conflicting personalities. Neither side had the “right” or “wrong” side, furthermore, so this only intensified the conflict. They were going about the wrong ways of achieving Order and Chaos, and it would be many ages before it stopped.
The end result was that the people, the Serenghe, fought against each other because of these beliefs. This was a drive instilled in them because of The Opposers as a counterpart to Tazakrelu’s freedom of choice which she gave them. Ukezal on the other hand, did not wish for the destruction of their people through war, but rather, he instilled in them a strong sense of loyalty that would want them to share their values with others, even if it was through war. He convinced many of the Serenghe to join his cause. His forces, known formally as the followers of Ukezal, were known for short as the Shitenou. Of course, this “civil war” lasted lifetimes, with the Serenghe threatening each other and slowly starting to wipe each other out. This, however, was simply part of a cycle. There were times when the Shitenou seemed to almost overtake the Kukaña, Tazakrelu’s followers, but they always held out. Similarly, there were times where the Kukaña seemed to be dominating over the Shitenou, but the Shitenou would hold out as well. However, no matter how much they fought, there was never a victory. This had gone on for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years, and there had never been an answer. It was always a stalemate. The deities were actually aware of this, and it was a natural cycle. It took many years for Ukezal and Tazakrelu to figure out a solution, which was carried to this day—balance was the answer. The world could not live very long peacefully in Order or Chaos unless both were nearly equal. Granted, this did not mean that Mencu was in a state of perpetual war, but rather, it meant that the times of peace were often short-lived. Peace would reign, and then pride would again seep in, and one side would wish to share their virtues with the world, and do so in the form of war. They would then either dominate or be defeated. If they were defeated, the enemy side would soon rise to power, and rebellion would be the answer to bringing balance back. If they won, it would be the same, except their enemies would be the oppressed ones. Luckily though, Ukezal and Tazakrelu did not want to let their people do this, and so they came to a compromise.
“So, are we just going to watch our people dwindle down into destruction?”
“No, Tazakrelu. This is simply the median between our two wants. I satisfied my lust for war, and you satisfied the wanting to let them make their own decisions.”
“If I really got that ideal for them, then why are you not honoring that? Ukezal, you have had vast influence among the Serenghe. Don’t think I am not aware of your creation of the Ekae. They’ve had a terrible influence on the Seer of Koldia.”
The Ekae were in essence, “clones” of other Serenghe. They all had similar, emotionless behaviors, and were like opposites of their normal counterparts, including their elemental affinities. Very little was known about them other than that Ukezal seemed to utilize their creation much more than Tazakrelu ever did. This was one of the aspects of malice that the Opposers had convinced Ukezal to take up. The Seer of Koldia was an exalted Koldian figure that was typically associated with Tazakrelu. Although there have been many Seers of Koldia in history, there is always only one at a time. There have been Seers of Koldia of either gender, but for various reasons, including some of the most famous ones being female, as well as the original Seer of Koldia, the title is usually referred to with the female pronoun.
“Why should the Serenghe only get to communicate with you? If they receive a voice of Tazakrelu, should they not also receive a voice of Ukezal?”
“She is not a voice of Tazakrelu,” Tazakrelu protested, “the Zkha is the only voice of the deities, and he or she speaks to both of us.”
“Of course,” Ukezal remarked, “it just goes to show how far your people have gone astray.
“You cannot say that yours have not,” Tazakrelu countered, “They see the manipulation of life such as the Ekae as harmless.”
“The Ekae are not solely for the Shitenou,” Ukezal argued, and then stopped. Wishing to bring back the order to their friendship, he devised a different approach.
“Nevertheless, I am aware of the evils of manipulating life in that way.” He continued, “You must realize, Tazakrelu, that it was a scheme that had been started when we still took separate advice from The Opposers. I have realized the monster that I was mostly responsible for creating, and as a result, I procured a way to “free” the Ekae. Like the rites involved in creating one, it is difficult, but it can be done. You of course, gave them the ability to try and discover their true emotions, and together, that has worked wonderfully.”
Tazakrelu narrowed her eyes and glared at Ukezal.
“Hold it,” she hissed, “why are you suddenly trying to play the good guy? Why did you suddenly change your approach when only a few seconds ago we were arguing?”
“Because Tazakrelu,” Ukezal answered, “there are two kinds of order, and two kinds of chaos: There is good order and bad order, as well as good chaos and bad chaos. When we oppose each other, this is the bad kind of chaos. As a god of Order, I am simply trying to restore it. Admit it—the order that comes from our allegiance is the good kind of order.”
“Aye, but you coming out and doing this sporadically is an element of chaos. Chaos is the unpredictable, Ukezal. Are you trying to hide something from me?”
“You are going too fast,” Ukezal chuckled, “slow down.”
Tazakrelu crossed her arms and frowned.
“Just like you have elements of Order in you,” Ukezal continued, “I have elements of Chaos in me. I decided to step up and stop the argument, so we could become better allied. The more unity we have, Tazakrelu, the stronger we are against the Opposers.”
“You’re hiding something,” Tazakrelu argued.
“On the contrary,” Ukezal objected, “I am trying to end this argument. Neither of us is right or wrong. Remember, right and wrong are simply concepts of the mind.”
“And so how are we going to solve the Ekae problem?” Tazakrelu asked, “If you really are intending to bring back allegiance?”
“I have given the revelation to the Zkha,” Ukezal replied, “and to various seers and priests as well. How the rest of the people accept it is for them to decide, but the decree has come from the deities themselves.”
“And if they do not follow it” Tazakrelu asked,
“That is up to them, Tazakrelu,” Ukezal replied, “remember that it was your idea to give them freedom of choice like that.”
“I understand that, Ukezal, Tazakrelu remarked, “but it was a bad choice in the first place on your part to bring the Ekae into the scene the way they have been.”
“I understand that, Tazakrelu,” Ukezal argued, “but I am not here to tear you apart, and so I expect the same kind of respect.”
“Well, name one of my biggest mistakes about the lives of Serenghe then.” She said,
“What of the Zaderei?” said Ukezal, “After all, you were the one who at first was ashamed of them. That did not make them feel too good about being born with a set of traits that they could not control, and that would mark them for life.”
“The Seer of Koldia had been attempting to get the truth out,” Tazakrelu answered, “To inform Mencu that the Zaderei were no different from normal Serenghe.”
“That’s as much of a lie as the things the Opposers said to us about each other.”
“No, what I mean is that they are not to be treated as different. Regardless of their skills or the mark on their face, they are still Serenghe. The Seer of Koldia pinned the racist blame on you, Ukezal.”
“Rightfully so,” Ukezal remarked, “For it was another of my follies that was the cause of it, but that was because of the Zkha and her hatred of them. However, knowing that their goddess was worried about them only made things worse, Tazakrelu. Why did you create them?”
“That would be my fault,” Tazakrelu countered,
“Fault;” Ukezal exclaimed, “never say anything is a fault, Tazakrelu, the Zaderei are hated by the Shitenou because they see them as chaotic beings, despite many of them appreciating order very much. Nowadays it is tradition, but many Shitenou understand that I did not dislike them at all either.”
“But it wasn’t sudden,” Tazakrelu objected, “They just appeared. First it was one woman, and no one thought much of it. Then more and more were born with it. You know the rest.”
“At first they thought it was a trait that only affected the female portion of the population,” Ukezal remarked, “when the first male Zaderei appeared though, it sparked a lot of questions that were unable to be answered. How was it that a family of two normal Serenghe was able to give birth to one of these creatures? Why were there so many more women than men? If anything, it seemed like instability.”
“No,” Tazakrelu protested, “it shows diversity, and that the Serenghe are adaptable. Koldians, Clazmars, and Tenscimors do not discriminate against each other.”
The Serenghe were divided into 3 different groups—The Koldians: fair-skinned Serenghe, the Tenscimors: dark-skinned Serenghe, and the Clazmars: tan-skinned Serenghe. There was always one particular Serenghe that was gifted with the ability to literally speak face to face with the god and goddess. The title for this Serenghe was the Zkha, but certain extremists on either side had either removed this figure from history, or given the exaltation to The Seer of Koldia. Although the title varied by gender, being Prince or Princess, they were technically the same as kings and queens. Moreover, for some reason, the “shortened” title for them was usually Emperor or Empress, and this was the title used to address them, as opposed to Prince and Princess. It was the opposite of the Ekae in many ways, as Tazakrelu was the deity that utilized the Seer of Koldia the most, while Ukezal utilized the Ekae the most. The significance, then, of the Seer of Koldia was that he or she was able to talk to the deities at any time, except they were without the ability to traverse the two worlds, and they were also unable to see them face to face.
“Perhaps then,” said Ukezal, “we need a compromise of sorts.”
“What sort of compromise is this?” Tazakrelu responded,
“One that gives them a little bit of both of what we desire;” Ukezal replied, “one that would grant them the freedom t make their own choices like you want, but for them to have differing ideals. After all, with freedom of choice, there are going to be “rebels” in your ranks.”
“I understand that,” Tazakrelu remarked, “but why the desire for war?”
“It is natural,” Ukezal answered, “for those with opposing values to want to have others see things their way. War is the natural result of your plan, Tazakrelu.”
“And what of your plan; did you hope to have an army of mindless drones?”
“There was a reason why your focus was the one I wished to propose in this compromise, Tazakrelu. Freedom was required, but for it to survive there would also have to be war. It’s the old principle of opposition. I did not advocate the people to wage war against those who did not have the same beliefs as them, but rather I wanted them to hold to their ideals, and fight in their defense. Unfortunately, that did not work out the way I wished it would have.”
“I see;” Tazakrelu frowned, “and what are the other terms?”
“Control over our emotions,” Ukezal answered, “we need to have no more of these consistent disaster-waves of earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and fires. Order in this issue, chaos in the location of these events—let Mencu decide where its natural attacks are going to be. Our children are the Serenghe, not the world they live on.”
“Mencu is our creation, Ukezal. It answers to our commands.”
“But if you look at it like a child, Tazakrelu, then it is time we let it takes its first step instead of leading it by the hand to pinpoint the supporters of each other.”
“Indeed,” Tazakrelu answered, “but that does not mean we abandon it.”
“Not at all,” Ukezal agreed, “we leave it to the titans and the Lakamaté to keep and uphold balance, while we ourselves do not force it to target our own people.”
“Indeed. We can give our people a nudge every now and again, but according to your very compromise, we are to stay out of it for the most part.”
“That is what I suggested, is it not? That does not mean, though that we are not to give them trials. It is upholding a natural law to have opposition in all things, and not a utopia.”
“Aye; and similarly, there will always be a counter-curse for every curse that is out there—a solution of some kind. I surely hope you have not forgotten the lessons we both learned from The Blindness, have you, Ukezal?”
“Not at all” Ukezal smirked, “it was one of our best lessons.”
“Perhaps that was our purpose in creating the Serenghe,” Tazakrelu remarked, “to teach us about how a people of that caliber act and behave.”
“Perhaps it was,” Ukezal noted, “eternity will tell. If you are correct, then we have fallen into a two-way benefit. The Serenghe learn and grow like you want them to, and our glory increases as our knowledge increases, which was my desire. Do you see now why we are unable to exist without the other?”
“I always have, Ukezal. “So I suppose at this point we just wage war?”
“That will be for the people to do,” Ukezal replied, “they can enjoy their time of peace for now. When war comes, they will work through it, and eventually cycle back to peace again. It is an endless cycle as you surely know.”
“Indeed;” Tazakrelu smiled, “and so now we play the game.”
“Aye,” Ukezal added, “but keep in mind, I do not wish for your followers to be destroyed, and I assume you do not wish the same fate for my followers.”
“I do not,” Tazakrelu replied, “but this compromise gives them access to the mercy of Tazakrelu and the justice of Ukezal.”
“Precisely,” Ukezal smiled, “and that in and of itself is further justice and mercy—justice for the two of us, and mercy on each other.”
And it was, and since then, the world had been like this for as long as any Serenghe could remember. It was never a bad thing, as the personalities of the Serenghe were the main governing force that decided which deity’s ideals they preferred. Prayer to these deities influenced Serenghe, and some of the more influential ones would step up and start mustering followers for war or defense. That eventually lead to where we are today. We are still currently still in that endless cycle.
The Blindness which Ukezal and Tazakrelu spoke of was initially set on the Serenghe by Tazakrelu. It did not affect people already alive, but instead made a much larger population of Serenghe be born blind.
Ukezal’s counteraction originally was restoring their vision through his miracles and powers of order. However, most of the Serenghe that had been born blind had adapted between those times—they had used their elemental skills to replace the sense they were born without, and so to suddenly have the ability to see the world from a new standpoint threw off their perspective of the world and how they worked. It frightened many of them. Tazakrelu, upon realizing that this further showed the diversity and adaptability of the Serenghe, decided to let them manage it in their own ways, and many of them did, figuring out alternative ways of getting around, and therefore learning and growing in the process.
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If the world of Mencu simply goes through cycles where order and chaos dominate periodically, (and of course, the frequent neutral times, which were usually actually the most peaceful) The reason this particular time in Mencuan history was a highlight was because Ukezal’s warriors were bent on annihilating the Princess of Koldia, and therefore taking the dominance of Order to a whole new level that even Ukezal did not want. Extremism was running rampant on both sides, and it was slowly building up to destruction. The Shitenou had been successful at assassinating the last Prince of Koldia, but one of this man’s daughters was never found. The quintuplets—2 boys and 3 girls, whom the previous Prince of Koldia had, were all slain except for the youngest, who disappeared. Luckily, “The Princess of Koldia” was not always the first-born; otherwise, it would have ended immediately According to legend, it was the fabled fifth child—the only one that had not been killed, and had disappeared—that was the new Princess of Koldia. Now, there had been times—sometimes generations, where the Seer of Koldia had vanished and then showed up years later as a descendant, but this was a crucial time in which if the Seer of Koldia remained absent for too long, even Koldia itself would fall apart. The reasoning for this was because the balance was tilted in favor of the Shitenou, and they had already brought great instability to Koldia. Without the firm influence of Tazakrelu in the form of the Seer of Koldia, it would be increasingly difficult for the balance to be restored. Or at least, this was how the Kukaña told the story of Ukezal and Tazakrelu. At this point, because of heavy war, it was believed to have been changed, and the Shitenou side of the story was believed to have been changed as well. The real story could only be told by one figure, a cycle of Serenghe that had been erased from history not very long ago.
The Koldian nobles, or rather, the Serenghe of Koldia in general, had to find a new ruler—or at least someone who could take the place of the missing one until the Koldian who could hear the voice of Tazakrelu was found. After around 49 years of an empty throne, a young girl who fit several qualities, and therefore was “close enough” by the name of Mikaya Katashi Zaklash was discovered, and she was set on the throne, which she found surprising. She was not believed to be the missing child of the last Prince of Koldia, but rather was believed to be that child’s daughter. Although Mikaya gave no reports of having ever heard the voice of Tazakrelu, she gave the good people of the world hope—hope that they would be able to find a way to break out of Ukezal’s grip, and be able to stop the rebels from each nation from destroying the Serenghe by wars forever. The “phase” of Mencu was at a “peak” for the Shitenou, where passing said peak could have bad effects on the ultimate balance of Mencu. This also applied on Tazakrelu’s peak when the world was in that type of era. Therefore, a lot of people looked at Mikaya as a savior of sorts. There was bias on both sides, and neither Shitenou nor Kukaña held the correct principles as to who was and was not at fault.
However, Mikaya, being a young girl, was just considered a figurehead, and Mikaya herself supports this theory as well. The reason then, which she is kept on the throne, is that the people of Koldia—additionally, even almost any being on Mencu for that matter—is awaiting Mikaya’s 17th birthday. If she is the true Princess of Koldia, a mark will manifest itself on her right hand. If no mark appears, then she is just a normal Koldian. Who the real Princess of Koldia is, is still in question. (In addition, generally, when the Prince or Princess of Koldia is unknown, the position is often referred to as the Princess of Koldia, due to the connection, being to a goddess, and the first “voice of the goddess” was female. However, many male rulers have been born in this line throughout history, and the title “The Seer of Koldia” is a good generalization for it.) The reason today though, that they call it the Princess of Koldia is because of the rumors and legends of the youngest child of the last Prince of Koldia, who was a girl, and who somehow evaded the Shitenou’s grasp at a young age by Serenghe standards. Moreover, another mystery that few people ask is who Mikaya is and where she came from. The only things known about her are that she is 14, and has had strange visions, much like a prophetess. Priests and Priestesses though, were common on Mencu, and so this was not looked upon as very unusual. Mikaya’s story was the real mystery here, as who she really was and is—no one knows. She was such an interesting figure because of her place in society, and yet she shares little of her back-story with anyone. She herself seems confused for that matter. Despite her claims that she is not the true Empress of Koldia, many believe that she is afraid that she might actually be the Maiden of Miracles that the legends speak of. Her suspicious behavior and similar traits with the iconic figure are just too many for the Serenghe of Koldia to overlook.
For one thing, every Seer of Koldia was obviously, of course, a seer. Mikaya had had many dreams and visions in her life, but had seldom, if ever, shared them. By that logic, she was a prophetess, or in fine, a seer.
Secondly, her family was supposedly the same scenario as the family of the last Prince of Koldia. Mikaya knew that her mother had been a quintuplet. This was the same setting that the last Prince of Koldia’s family had been, except that he was the father of these quintuplets. The fact that it had been the second child who was still unaccounted for only worried Mikaya further, that that missing second child had been her mother. However, the population of Serenghe was enormous as it stood, and even the Koldian population was rather vast. Regardless of this though, the odds of two quintuplets both with four dead siblings, and with both being the second of five is highly unlikely. Yet until something is somehow proved or disproved, Mikaya worries about it.
Another aspect that made her feel like the Princess of Koldia was that she had found herself as a fully capable Anima Sensei (Serenghe that manipulated the elements were known as Formers, though “Anima Sensei” was the term for one who could manipulate all of them) in her early years. Granted, this did not mean that she had mastered the elements, but it did mean that she had very capable abilities running through her. All Serenghe were born with the chi energy for one element, sometimes two; and some rare ones were born with the chi energy for all of them. Mikaya was one of those.
These three factors are perhaps what worry Mikaya the most. It is because she is a very respectable young woman and leader that the people of Koldia, and the people of Mencu as a whole, tend to overlook her fear of what might be the truth. One day though, she will have to confront those fears, for they might turn out to be reality…
…And yet this is not where the story begins. Mikaya Katashi Zaklash did not just magically ascend to the throne at the drop of a feather. She had just been an orphaned girl who was living at a Koldian Temple, which had areas designed as refuges, and was run by the Koldian monks and nuns that maintained the temple. It was in essence an orphanage, but there were sometimes people who would stay there that had other relationships. Mikaya, however, was not one of them. Here at this temple, the Temple of Bardokana (named not after a deity, but after an ancient settlement that this temple had been part of), Mikaya lived and played with other children her age. She had not expected much to come out of her life, despite her talents, and she certainly did not expect to be placed on the long-empty throne of Koldia. However, she was not aware of a certain group of Koldians, known only as “The Koldian High Council,” that had been watching her due to her suspicious actions.
Now, Mikaya’s actions were not suspicious in a bad way, but rather, they were suspicious in a more curious way, and in a precise way that got The Council watching her moves from the sidelines in the first place. Her talents matched those that Seers of Koldia were famous for. Even if she was not the one, she seemed to be quite intelligent, and had good leadership skills for a girl her age. This logic rendered them to think she would make a good figurehead until a real Seer of Koldia was found. On the other hand, perhaps, she really was the one that they had been seeking for so many years. There was only one other Serenghe suspected to be the Maiden of Miracles—an aged woman by the name of Zurok Mia. She kept her last name undisclosed, but on Mencu, a last name was not so much a family name as much as it just was a 3rd name. It was not uncommon for a Serenghe to prefer to be addressed by his or her first and second names, or their first and last names, or even their second and last names. Zurok was one of these, but she has long since sown seeds of doubt and evidence against her being the real Seer of Koldia. She too believes in Mikaya now, but her exact reasoning is unknown. Zurok has always been a suspicious figure, and, though 144, she was still typically distrusted.
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South Serénes, Krippa, around the 25th hour
South Serénes, Krippa, around the 25th hour
“And that is my knowledge of the story,” Lehran remarked, “Koldians up north told it better than I did, but that was my source of it. My accuracy is not to be taken as exact.”
“I didn’t expect it would be,” Altina laughed, “but don’t worry, brother. I still love you.”
Lehran smiled. “That is always a good thing,” he remarked,
“Aye,” Altina remarked, “and so you say mother and father were like that as well, correct?”
“Aye,” Lehran answered, “and I wish as much as you do that you could have remembered them. Being part of the 2nd Brawl and so young at the times of their deaths must be hard. “
“It’s tricky not knowing who your parents were,” Altina sighed,
“and it’s tough to have to raise your younger sister like she was your daughter,” Lehran added, “not because you were a difficult child, but because it’s hard being single and doing so. I was not ready to raise you, but I did the best I could.”
“Well,” Altina asked, raising an eyebrow, “how did I turn out?”
“You turned out pretty well, in my opinion,” Lehran answered, “you’re a bit fiercer than the average Serénes, but that is more of a stereotype than anything.”
“Well,” Altina remarked, “obviously I’m not a fan of speaking very much.”
“I can understand that,” Lehran commented, “you didn’t start talking until you were nearly 7.”
“Hey,” Altina argued, “if you were a young teen-aged girl, and had a voice that most people thought belonged to an older man, how would that make you feel?”
“I admit,” Lehran remarked, “it does seem a bit awkward. I apologize if I offended you.”
“Nah, it’s no biggie,” Altina shrugged, “besides, I still owe you for raising me.”
Lehran was currently 37 years old, and Altina was 19. When the raid on North Serénes that killed the remainder of their family had occurred, Lehran had been 20 and Altina had been 2.
Although a Serenghe technically became an adult anywhere between the ages of 14 and 21, they lived to be around 200 years old and up, and therefore around the age of 30 was when most Serenghe “came of age”. They often had multiple children, and so having 15-20 children in a Serenghe’s 70-80 year prime was quite common. Furthermore, they aged slowly, and remained in their “prime” until around the age of 110 (though some argue it’s more along the lines of 125 years). As a result, a Serenghe being in their 40s or 50s and still single was not uncommon. Typically Serenghe did not marry until at least the age of 25.
“That you do,” Lehran remarked, “luckily, I never said you had to pay me back. But unfortunately, considering that I was up earlier than you were, I am going to have to turn in and get some shut-eye.”
“Alright,” Altina replied, letting the topic go, “goodnight, Lehran.”
And so Lehran retired to bed, leaving Altina alone. She stared blankly at the fire that was slowly dying, wondering a lot about the deities, who they were, and about the lack of balance and the excess of unease that was rank in the world at this point in time.
“Right and wrong…” she muttered to herself, “they really are only concepts of the mind.”
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there are a lot of things which get explained later, and so there might be a few details missing from the prologue that don't remain unanswered.
but yeah. been working on this sucker a while.
~Tera~
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