|Narrator|
Today is the first day of our grand epic. On an airship floating above the clouds, we meet our hero Zenii. He wore a Jade suit with a black undershirt beneath it, with a pair of Jade dyed jeans.
Zenii|
Dang, this is my first time leaving home. Why am I so anxious? I wanted my first ever voyage to be heart warming and upbeat. Is this because I am scared of if this does not work out. No, it must be the height. Although, I would be lying if I was not thinking about the Diver Exam tomorrow.
Zenii|
"So you guys, where is the site of the exam? Also, there isn't an exam until tomorrow, so why take me now?"
Erebus|
"I don't know. I was dragged on the ship by Ambesh and Adam."
Zenii|
Suddenly my light green haired brother, Adad, came behind me. Coincidentally, I feel a gust of wind when he comes near my vicinity.
Adad|
"Relax kid, we will get to your questions in a minute, however, I can't tell you the place, it's a surprise. Also sit back we're about to leave the kingdom's territory. And while you're at it, calm your brother down, we don't want Erebus to do a crap in the captain's room because of his fear of heights. It needs to be done dude. You won't like it when it happens, I am sure."
I look over to see how Erebus is hyperventilating while rocking in his chair.
Erebus|
Okay Erebus, calm down man. You are about to take off. Just remember what Lux said,"Just try to imagine the people you are talking to who are causing you to be stressed as potatoes." Mmmh potatoes!
Zenii|
Suddenly we all look to the entrance of the room and see everyone else. As everyone sits in a seat. Multiple switches are flipped in the captain's seat. As I hear many different sounds come off and on.
Then, I feel the aircraft start to shake and move. I feel my feet start to go up and then back down again as soon as we start ascending more. I try to get up and look at the viewing screen at the captain's deck, however my brothers are all blocking it.
Lux|
"Now above altitude, preparing lock on. Lock on success. Now leaving through the portal.
I then pull on one of the switches to the right of me that is now blaring blue. With this being our whirlpool tracking device that we use when trying to go back to the new world. Although I know where the whirlpool of the realm is, I always use this even though I am positive about its location. I mean if I use this, I get to my destinations much faster.
Because of the magnetic force that pulled our ship at tremendous speeds, I could not get up in the slightest.
"Hey kid, it's going to take a couple of hours to get there. So, I hope you have something to occupy yourself, because you are not going to be able to get up."
Zenii|
Sadly I did not, so I was then left to my thoughts because of it being the only thing I could do in this state.
2 hours later
This has by far been one of the most life liberating, soul suckingly uneventful hours of my life. A supercomputer made by our best scientist could not tell you how much of my essence has been sucked by this ordeal. A minute my arse.
Lux|
"Okay everyone we are coming close to the World tree. I am about to stop the ship and prepare for the rebound."
Zenii|
Oh thank god now this hellish excuse of a trip will be worthwhile. Wait a second what the heck's rebound.
I then get my answer as just as the ship stopped propelling towards our destination, I feel a hard jerk that pushes me forward and then backward, in a sudden jolt.
Zenii|
"Why did you do that you idiot, have you ever heard of whiplash? You could have killed me!!!"
Lux|
"We trained you for years, helped you suppress your abilities, made it so that your physical capabilities were up to snuff, and taught you hand to hand combat, and all our efforts would be in vain because of freaking whiplash?"
Suddenly my brother with ocean-like hair, and eyes that look like there are mirrors in them named Ambesh, steps into the conversation.
Ambesh|
"Hate to side with the sun head over there but he is correct, it seems like you are just screwing us over in terms of how much we have prepared you for being a "Diver."
Zenii|
"I'm still a person though."
Lux|
"A weak person."
Zenii|
"Heard that sunshine brain."
As we start to butt heads over the multiple name calling, Erebus, uncharacteristically pipes up.
Erebus|
"Hey guys do I have to remind you guys why we are here, and that we should probably land so we can get a place to sleep so the kid can get to the Exam Site."
Zenii|
"So you guys, do you know what might happen in this exam?"
Erebus|
"Don't know, all I know is that whatever it may be, it will be filled with strong combatants. Your strength, mind and willpower will be tested throughout every part. Good thing we trained you or else you would most definitely not survive."
Zenii|
Pondering on what it might be, I spotted a giant silver tree that looks as if it spears the clouds themselves. And, when I mean giant, I mean the fact that the clouds near it are dwarfed in its shadow. Looking below, I see some of its roots being the foundations for homes that people are living on. As I look up I see that the branches support whole cities with people doing their ordinary day to day activities not in pure astonishment at their everyday life.
However, I guess that because of the time they have gotten used to their life, to the point this is normal.
"So guys not going to beat around the bush, so I am just going to ask, where are we?"
Lux|
"This Country, if you can even call it that, is called Arbor Continens, or Tree Continent. It is a powerful nation that remains neutral with the rest of the R9 nations. As you can see, its land mass is almost like a continent but more so with height and length."
"This is also the place where the Diver Exam will take place."
Zenii|
"Cool, maybe they have some dragons here."
The air ship went deathly quiet with the different sensors and button blaring in the background. Oh yeah, now I forgot about that, I guess meeting my kin would kinda suck. Knowing what they did.
Lux|
As I look at Zenii, I can see his depressed aura around him as he thinks about his abandonment. When we picked Zenii up from Niffleheim, it did not seem anyone was
caring if we took him. But he still wanted to go back. I guess after more than 3 years, you begin to realize that the people you want in life, don't really want you back.
Hours Later|
Kiran|
"Guys we finally got docking permission on one of the branches, let's get this over with so we can find out this kid's fate before his exam."
Lux|
"Oh, does our resident iceberg not want to be here for too long so you don't get seen by your ex."
Zenii|
"Wait out of all the people here, you are the guy that has a girlfriend. Instead of these guys, you, the man who is as cold as a literal block of ice, have a girlfriend."
Kiran|
"Oh please I am not that bad. Also can we please not talk about this?"
Erebus|
"Yeah he and Lilian had a bad break up, apparently after all of the adventures and threats that we faced, Lily wanted Kiran to settle down with her, however Kiran refused, saying that this voyage was extremely important. So it came down to an ultimatum: live at the World Tree with her and stay together, or leave with us, and break up with her. The next day came and we left giving her an answer."
Zenii|
"Oh Gaia, that is horrible, what voyage was so important that Kiran had to leave his girlfriend?"
Just as Erebus was about to answer my question, Adad pops in, supposedly to answer the question.
Adad|
"The voyage was to take care of you. As the New Dragon Columna for this Diver Exam."
Zenii|
Oh Gaia, now I feel like an awful person, now I understand why Kiran is agitated almost all the time when talking to me. I'm a living reminder of what he lost and gained.
"I'm sorry Kiran, that was my fault."
Kiran|
"No use crying over spilled milk kid, let's get this over with. How long until an oracle can check over Zenii, Lux?"
Lux|
"Ok, I'll check on my orb. Oh crap, it seems like no one is available. You do know what that means right? We have to visit Baba Yaga."
Zenii|
"Who is she? Also why do I even need to see an Oracle?"
Kiran|
"She is an old hag and our only shot at getting your prophecy read without waiting for more than a day. Think of every old hag in children's stories, and movies, and make her 10 times worse. Oh, and seeing an Oracle before a Diver Exam is seen as good luck."
Time skip to landing on a Branch on the tree.
As I am looking around I see multiple people come out with cameras, and their respective orbs, using them to supposedly stream our arrival.
Getting off it seems like these people had grown white feathery wings all over their bodies. From their heads, to their backs. Is this really the outside world? I cannot wait to see more fantastic things while I am here.
Now moving closer to Lux, I prepare my question.
"Um guys are you celebrities here because what is up with the sea of paparazzi that has flooded this landing pad."
Lux|
"You could say that one day there was a Diver bounty. Apparently the locals on this branch were being harassed by a bunch of gangs of pirates. So naturally when we came and did the job we expected some gratitude from them. However, they took it completely out of proportions and took it from nice praise, to something almost akin to godly worship."
Zenii|
"Huh and so this must be like a homecoming for you guys."
Lux|
"Sure, let's go with that."
Zenii|
Just as I finish my conversation I feel a disturbance. With my senses on a dragon's level of high, I spot from the corner of my left eye, a rock barreling forward in our general direction.
Thanks to my great reflexes, I catch the rock before it hits anyone. After tossing the rock to the side, I try to indulge my attacker.
"Um, who threw that? I am not mad, just confused."
Suddenly a woman who is around the age of my brothers steps in. Tears flooded her eyes, which looked red, and sore.
The woman then yelled out at us in a great rage .
"Get out of here, you disgusting, abandoning, pieces of waste. Ever since you left this place has gone to the toilet, without your help, we have been subjected to a living hell. So just get out of here you FALSE KINGS."
Suddenly, the crowd began to leave the area after her speech.
I then turn to Kiran in a know it all way.
"Well I am going to bet that she is your ex."
____________________________________________________________________________