Wisps of smoke from a burning candle danced up the stone wall. The excited whispers and low chortles of four children brought warmth to this otherwise cold castle bedroom. Prince Areth lay in his bed beside two of his three younger sisters, a thick duvet pulled up to their necks. “Can we have one story before we sleep, father?”
King Areth III smiled at the three children in bed and looked to his youngest, resting on his hip, nestled in his arm. “What do you think, Anya?”
The two-year-old beamed and nodded.
“Very well, my children.” The King placed Anya on the bed with her siblings and strolled to an old, chipped bookcase shunted against the far wall. He squatted and scanned the books, running his finger along their spines and mumbling their titles.
“Ah-ha!” He grabbed a book and, without revealing its title, turned to the children. The light from the two full moons glinted off his deep jade eyes as he grinned. The children gazed at him expectantly, their faces alight with anticipation. Their father took his seat on the bed and opened the thick volume. “A brief history of Naeisus, started over one thousand solar cycles ago by our ancestor, King Areth I, and refined, abridged, translated, and filled in by the countless Kings that followed.”
The children clapped, then nestled into the prince’s bed ready to hear the story.
King Areth III cleared his throat and began to read. “In the beginning, the divine entity, Naeis, created and breathed life into six Yultah to create and preside over a small world they came to call Naeisus.”
The King’s eyes flitted between the pages of the book and his children, and a loving smile was sure to follow each time.
“These God-like beings, each having their own unique powers and tasks, had all agreed to create a utopia to serve as a home to the organisms they would later bring to life. First, there was Mys, the Goddess of light. She was responsible for bathing Naeisus in a radiant, warm light by creating a perfect star lost amongst the countless others. Dion, the God of darkness, created the moons to stabilize the rotation of the newly formed planet and add beauty to the otherwise plain, speckled blackness of the night. Tur shaped the land with his skilled hands, crafting the mountains and valleys, the canyons and the cliffs, and the mighty volcanoes. This God of land was sure to create a vast difference in raised land and lowlands to allow the Goddess of water, Bui, to fill the lowlands with beautiful, globe-spanning oceans. These two Yultah worked side-by-side to create a flourishing environment ready for Gol, the God of life, to fill it with his living creations, from the tallest twisting triash trees to the smallest of organisms all ready to begin thriving and evolving in this beautiful world. Naeis marveled at this land and blessed it with the gift of time before the Goddess of death, Knas, took it upon herself to take care of all of the souls who had come to the end of their living life and were ready to pass over into the next life.”
Evelyn, the King’s second eldest child spoke up. “So, is that what happens when people die, father?”
“Yes, my sweet. The great Yultah, Knas, looks after our souls, transporting them to the afterlife. We need not fear it.”
Evelyn’s younger sister, Eleanor folded her arms. “Well, I don’t fear it! I bet Knas is a beautiful lady who looks after us like Lissy does.”
The King laughed; a deep, infectious laugh. “I bet she is!” He continued, running his index finger down the page.
“Naeis forbade the Yultah to have any direct interaction with their land and so, obeying the request of the creator, each embodied a small piece of their power into a shard. When combined, the six shards created the Yultah Crystal; the possessor of which would have the ability to bend the world to their will, harnessing the power of the Yultah themselves. This crystal was bestowed unto the land only to be discovered by the purest of heart when the time was right. Upon its discovery, the bearer would know its purpose by gazing into its infinite beauty and listening closely to the whispers of the Yultah contained inside. For the first millennia, each race was quite content to keep to themselves and live in ignorance of the other races slowly building alongside them. One by one; Man, Marusi, and Wolven developed their own hierarchy, their own system in which to govern their kin, all differing from one another in their own unique way, yet echoing subtle aspects of each other’s existence.”
“Man developed a straightforward monarchy where initially the family most capable of leading took charge, and generation after generation their descendants would remain sole rulers of the people. The aquatic Marusi, although also having a monarchy-type system, chose to elect their leaders with each generation which meant that the families of the He’en had no more standing in society than the next citizen. Evolving from forest-dwelling hounds, the Wolven still relied on displays of strength and power to decide their leader, known to them as the Ulv. To become the Ulv, one would simply have to take the position by force and defend it. Because of this, strength and size won over the respect and loyalty of all who followed the leader. The Korkrenus, however, were different. They were the only sentient race to form a society where each one had their own rightful place. They respected the land around them and saw themselves at one with the natural world, as if they were the guardians of Naeisus. Despite their gigantic size and incredible physical power, they were the most gentle and harmonious, and it was for this reason that the Yultah decided to bestow unto the Korkrenus the gift of the Yultah crystal.”
Prince Areth’s face dropped. “The crystal is why there is so much fighting and war.”
“I’m afraid that’s true, my son.”
“What happened to it?”
“Well, The Yultah Crystal was suddenly discovered in the Korkrenus capital city of Joktuun, revealing itself to these worthy creatures who had proven they were genuinely pure of heart. It was through this gift and the whispers contained inside of it that all of creation was revealed. Although the crystal itself was kept a strict secret, the truth that laid within soon spread to the rest of Naeisus through tales and song. Humbled by this gift, the Korkrenus vowed to never use it, for the image of the world and all things in it was surely made for a reason. They had become the rightful guardians of this most powerful relic.”
“Soon after, each race began to fear the others that surrounded them, and so hatred and violence started to swell. For hundreds of years after, there was war, turmoil, and hardship. During this time, a powerful and dedicated King of Man defied Knas upon his untimely death and reclaimed his soul. This incredible act resulted in the birth of the Forsaken - A race of corrupt, undead beings content only with power and control and shortly following this defiance of the Gods, the secret of the Yultah crystal was leaked unto the rest of Naeisus. Greed filled the hearts of all denizens of the world, and an assault on the Korkrenus city was carried out.”
“The attack was swift and there was no time to use the crystal for defence. Thinking quickly with desperation in his heart, one of the Korkrenus pummeled his giant, rocky fist into a magnificent golden pillar which held the crystal. Upon destroying the pillar, he grabbed the shimmering crystal in his huge earthen hands and held it high above his head. He used his enormous thumbs and overwhelming strength to crack the crystal and split it into its six component pieces. Then, he handed the shards to his companions, ordering them to leave the city and head out to scatter them far and wide. Three shards were violently recovered before they left the confines of the city, but three had evaded discovery. One was taken across the sea, one was hidden in flame, and the third was kept in the last place anyone would think to look: Joktuun itself. The battle soon grew until Joktuun erupted into a violent, bloody brawl. It was then discovered that each shard had its own individual power, although only a fraction of the power of the completed crystal, and these powers were used to bring a horrible and sudden end to the battle at Joktuun.”
“For many years after, shards were lost, found, stolen, sold, bought, and smuggled from race to race as the blind killing and greed-fuelled wars shook Naeisus to its very foundations. The world was in utter devastation as it was every leader’s sole aim to finally gather the six shards and own the Yultah Crystal. Every race was firmly driven on being the ones to possess the final power.”
The eyelids of the girls fell heavy. Anya curled up with her thumb in her mouth, fast asleep, while Evelyn and Eleanor drifted on the verge of slumber. Prince Areth, however, sat upright with a furrowed brow. He lowered his voice so as to not disturb his sisters, but anger still shone through. “Why does the world have to fight all the time? I remembered reading about a time when all Naeisus was allied. Why is it so hard to just become allies again?”
King Areth III bowed his head and huffed. The weight of his duty pressed hard on his shoulders. “For the most part, it’s greed. Why should one share a power when one can have it all for oneself?”
“But while everyone fights, there is no power to share. I’d rather have a share of power than none at all. Does that not make sense?”
The King smiled. “It makes perfect sense, my boy. Now get some sleep.”
He stood and clapped just loudly enough to jostle the two older girls awake while Anya remained undisturbed. “Come girls, to your own rooms now. Evelyn, please take Anya.”
“Yes, father.”
King Areth III left the bedroom and watched his daughters retreat to their own rooms before making his way to the study. His son’s words echoed in his mind. A share of power is better than none at all. Naeisus allied once again…”