A kingdom once in peace, now a result of nothing more than utter Carnage, destruction and lost loved souls.
The air was heavy with the stench of charred flesh and fur, a noxious odor that clung to my skin like a damp shroud. A wide homeland where limits were respected and different kinds lived as one respecting each other's boundaries and lanes.
TERRIAN BEASTS , The AQUARIANS and the ARIAN BEASTS.
We were very different quite alright, and had totally different beliefs. But still we somehow maintained a certain, although far love for each other which gave us a what seemed like a mutual understanding: a format maintained and used since the time of our father's fathers…..
Until there was misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, this wasn't one we thought would end easily dissolve like it always did with apologies or sacrifices to show remorse. No amount of apologies could have been able solve this. No amount of sacrifice could have been good enough to express a sorry heart or remorseful intent. Unfortunately before we could realize what really transpired, severe damages had been far done out of sorrow and rage and the hurt of loss.
The sound of wailing echoed through the land, a haunting melody that seemed to shake the very foundations of our homes.
The once-green fields were now scorched and blackened, the earth charred and barren. Our elders who were strong enough to survive, narrowly escaping death, revealed that even the souls of the dead who were victims of this war, were not in peace and would never be until we avenged them.
Many died, many lost … many were scarred for life.
These permanent and painful experiences remained fresh in the hearts and memories of its victims every morning they opened their eyes, and every night before they went to bed. The memories lingered, a constant reminder of the devastation that had been wrought. It wasn't like any war we fought against the Umbraeons or uncommon enemies before. This was war amongst the strongest beings in existence.
US.
There had been peace in the land until the Embereans decided to exact revenge from their lost battle between we the three tribes. And indeed this time they struck more wiser than harder and we underestimated them so we payed dearly for it.
****BREIF FLASHBACK *****
Bearing their formal defeat from we the three tribes in heart, the Embereans, with their power to shape-shift, infiltrated each of the tribes in form of personal servants of their wives taking their identities, striking at the perfect moments when they were least expected.
They abducted the newborn male infants of the Aquarians and Arians tribes, leaving behind messages that implicated us, placing paws and wolf and lion tracks implicating us the Terrains, in the heinous act.
This made them believe that we had taken the infants for a twisted ritual, one that would grant us great power and domination. This was a really huge worry in the heart of the Aquarians and Airians being they had waited so long to have heirs to their kingdom. It was like an unexpected blessing from the gods. And without their heirs they wouldn't be a continuation for the royal blood linage of each tribe. So loosing their future true kings was like a thorn in the flesh of the heart.
The Embereans' plan worked flawlessly, and no one suspected them because such a ritual would be futile for the cursed beings even if they tried. At the time, they were above suspicion.
As for us, the future king and princess of the Terrains, my sister's and my birth was kept a secret, thanks to the wise counsel of our elders we were born a season before we heard the news about the new heirs to the Aquarian and Airian kingdom.
We lived in the castle all our lives. Only the royal family and trusted members among us knew of our existence.
Occasionally, members from all tribes would visit each other's lands for legitimate reasons, which might have contributed to the suspicion that we Terrains were involved.
I suppose they thought that because we didn't have a child for the royal family, we were jealous and decided to use their royal heirs for such a horrific act. I knew this would definitely lead to a war cause we the the AQARIANS and AIRIANS had waited for decades for their heirs. Finally the gods bless them with it and the next 47 days, they get missing.
But I wasn't scared. We Terrains had gods among us – powerful men and women who could spend days underwater, shape-shift, and transform into majestic creatures beyond imaginations . Some could even take the form of huge lions just like my father with wings, soaring through the skies like eagles. The Embereans' plan was ingenious and believable being we had those powers. It only added to our implication.
By the third hour of the next day, the two tribes, filled with fierce warriors, mostly already in their beasts modes. Name it. Eagles with wings that already covered half of our kingdom in just a spread- Enflamed phoenixes of different flame colors and sizes.
THE AQARIANS all came through the rivers in their human forms being they had to approach us on land but had all manner of manual marine weapons. mostly tritons that's could command oceans waters. They all came charging towards us, seeking to reclaim their infants or exact revenge on our tribe. The sound of their approach was like thunder, shaking the ground beneath until they came to a halt before my father at the center of our kingdom.
The air was electric with tension, and I could feel the weight of their anger and sorrow.
We Terrains were innocent, but we couldn't blame them for their actions; they were only doing what we would have done worse if we were in their shoes. Even at that, tensions had escalated to the point where bloodshed seemed inevitable.
The Aquarians and Arians finally broke the ancient rule of transforming on our land, a blatant disregard for our laws and a clear threat of war. Changing into beast form on another tribe's land was taken as a sign of war, and they weren't looking like they meant anything else.
The smell of smoke and sweat hung in the air, mingling with the scent of fear.
My father, the fierce ruler and present king of the Terrains, king Malaki emberfell hesitated, his good heart filled with empathy for their pain as he wanted to explain our clean hands in this case.
He attempted to reason with them, even allowing them to search our homes, a privilege no king had ever granted. Yet, they found nothing. Still, they accused us of using their infants for the rituals before they could make it to our land.
I felt since they didn't see their children they wanted to cause destruction to express the pain of their loss. The two tribes, already on our land, closed in on our village with more pouring in.
Queen Ama, of the seven dimensions of the seven seas: the mighty leader of the Aquarians, unleashed her fury. With a raise of her Triton, Queen Ama's voice echoed across the landscape, a haunting wail that sent shivers down my spine. The sound was like nothing I'd ever heard before – a mournful, keening cry that seemed to shake the very foundations below us and pierce my eardrums.
In response to her cry a few seconds of silence later, Wide riverbeds flooded our village with rushing waters, immediately covering our lands and washing all buildings except from the castles and a few other strong foundations sweeping away children, infants, and adults alike.
The waters of the riverbeds surged forward, swirling with debris and churning the earth beneath. The thatched roofs of our homes were submerged, their wooden beams splintered and tangled in the rushing torrent.
Watching the waters move and fill out lands that day made me realize I underestimated power until then.
But Before we could react, she froze the massive body of water instantly, trapping over 5,000 of our people in a huge tomb of ice. Some with their heads above it cried for help looking like tins fishes in the sea from my view not exempting little souls crying for their mothers.
But before we could think of anything, With a swift gesture, Queen Ama shattered the ice into fragments, as tiny as shattered glass on the hard ground ending thousands of our peoples lives in an instant.
An unexpected mass annihilation that sent shivers and fear in all souls on the battle ground that day.
That single act that day decimated our population by more than half, and countless more lives were lost in the war that followed.
Yet, we Terrain tribe, refused to yield. We weren't called the alpha tribe for nothing.
Despite our devastating losses, we emerged victorious as the few survivors of the opposing tribes retreated.
My father's rage transformed him into a being of pure fury, his body engulfed in flames as he became forged into his beast form. The heat from his flames warmed my skin, even from a distance he was determined to have Queen Ama's head in his jaws but she too knew the outcome of his fury she knew she didn't stand a chance so she fled sending her armies to slow my father down till she fled into the oceans.
My father couldn't leave our people back and go after Ama so he ran back to continue fighting breathing fire in any direction he saw a sworn of the Aquarians or Airians.
The Arians rained fire upon our village ending hundreds of lives but few managed to survive by the mercy of the gods.
My sister and I were locked away at the top room chamber of the castle high away from the battle below.
Guarded by two level 2 ranking lion and wolf mixed breeds one at the entrance and the other inside with us, by the command of my father, we weren't affected by war at all.
Though I was safe, the anguish in my heart, even at such a young age, couldn't be compared to the hatred I felt towards those responsible for this carnage.
I felt a trance numbness in me. One I couldn't explain. As much as I wanted peace and restoration to our lands just like it was, I wanted the Embereans and every being involved in this to be exposed and to pay dearly by blood.
And a lot of it.