In the beginning, there was nothing.
What came first, instead of darkness, as many believed, was light. A light that breathed life into the desolate world in which its creations were born
But what came from that beautiful light, where monsters. Hideous beings of death and hatred, that began to consume their creator, day by day.
When all hope seemed lost, the light, fearing were it to create anything else that would grow to consume it entirely, created creatures born of it's likeness. These creatures became the hope the world sought.
They were humans. And they had no special powers like their predecessors, who were gifted semi-immortal life. They were entirely mortal.
And so they banded together in tribes to defend against the harsh world they had been born into. By the time humanity made its entrance, all but one continent had fallen. These tribes soon expanded dramatically, encompassing the land that remained untouched, and they founded empires and kingdoms.
The first Kingdom, the one the others encircled, was the Kingdom of Shēnghuó.
T hey were at the center of the continent, and had a vast amount of influential power over the other kingdoms and empires. Their culture was mainly peaceful and less about war and more of a place of solace for any who sought it. But that peace lasted but a century or two.
Before one learns about what happened to the Kingdom of Shēnghuó, they must first learn about the other kingdoms and empires.
The second was the Empire of Huǒ, closest to the southernmost part of the land humanity called its home.
They were a fiery people, who were smiths and incredibly skilled in forging weapons and armor. But trade amongst the individual peoples was poor and terribly limited. Thus, the people of Huǒ tried to expand their trade beyond their borders, and managed to create an incredibly strained agreement with the kingdom that resided to the east.
The third kingdom was the Kingdom of Shǎndiàn, the eastern kingdom.
The people of the east love inventing. While not the most advanced, they are some of the most energetic and inquisitive on the continent. Almost every day a new invention or idea is presented to the monarch, and if it is deemed worthy, the person who had proposed it will be gifted with a team of engineers and they will set to work. However, being so busy means they have little armor or weapons, and thus held the tense trade with the Huǒ Kingdom.
The fourth is the kingdom of Dìqiú, the western kingdom.
Known to be brutal warriors highly skilled in barbaric combat, they are said to have gods of earth within their souls, who aid them in their battles. They have loose ties with the southern and eastern people, but made few lasting connections.
The fifth is the empire to the north, the Empire of Bīng
They have no connections, and are the most isolated people on the land. Rumors of people with metal limbs and eyes made of glass and crystal float through the kingdoms, saying the people of Bīng are creating super robot soldiers to overtake the continent. They are the most technologically advanced, and share no secrets with anyone outside their borders.
The final place were humans reside is the forgotten land, known as Hēi'àn hé sǐwáng.
The birthplace of the dark creatures that swarm the planet, it is whispered that only those of the blackest soul and those who lack a heart go there to join an army. An army to wipe humanity from the planet.
But that land is nearly abandoned entirely now. For the people of Hēi'àn hé sǐwáng have found a new base of operations.
The Kingdom of Shēnghuó fell to ruin a little over twenty one years ago. Overrun by the demons that thirst for blood, the people there fled, or were slaughtered. Its final king took a stand against the invading dictator of Hēi'àn hé sǐwáng, and fell tragically.
With the middle ground kingdom gone, the other four tentatively forged an unsteady allegiance to combat the darkness that was creeping at their borders.
But even with insistent urging of their people, the monarchs of the kingdoms and empires donned masks, fearing their safety, created a war council, and took precautions, but no actions have been taken to liberate the fallen kingdom, much less create one unified army.
It will take five young warriors to find a way to save their people, before all falls to ruin once again.
An exasperated huff left his mouth, as quiet, bored sigh left the lungs of the girl who sat beside him. And then, sharp red-brown eyes flickered over them, silencing their wordless complaints instantly.
"What are we to do?"
The voice rumbled deep and tense. He chanced a glance to his left, where a hulking man with shaggy black hair crouched uncomfortably on a small dais. To the king's right sat another with pitch black hair, albeit less shaggy, but no less bulky. Just, of shorter stature. King, and the prince, an heir to the throne.
Masks of black were strapped tight to their faces, the smaller of the two with a painted snarl on its surface. Whereas the larger bore an unrestrained roar. Both shaped close to a bear's likeness. Large holes for the eyes showed deep black and dark brown eyes, with slight show of bushy eyebrows.
"We don't know what to do."
Another voice rose amongst the stagnant silence, strained and tinged with a sarcastic tone. This time, he trained his eyes momentarily on the people sitting to the right. There were three this time, a man, a woman, and a boy. King, Queen, and the prince, another heir. Just like him, and the other boy.
The masks the king and his queen wore were, odd, for lack of a better word. Made as though from spare parts of a clock and other knick-knacks, they shimmered bronze, copper, hints of silver and glass appearing here and there. The holes for the eyes of the wearers were covered in disks of clear glass, tinted blue and white. Their son's mask, was more reasonable and natural looking.
Painted a bright sky blue, lines of black and white slid across its surface, and a large dot of black across the bridge of the mask where his nose is. The mouth was curled into a cheeky grin, and was dotted white. Where solemn brown eyes peered from the mask were painted feathers of blue at the edge, and showed the slight hint of a scar on one eyebrow. Hair the same shade of auburn brown was messily arranged on his head. The one similarity all three masks held, was a long blue feather hanging from one side.
"Now, calm down..."
This voice was creaky with age, hoarse and soft, barely heard above the argument that had abruptly sprouted between the two kings. This monarch was elderly, and he was surprised the man across from him, with graying hair and dulling grey eyes hadn't revoked the throne yet. At his side, sat a boy with impeccable posture, platinum blond hair that stuck nearly straight up, and eerily icy blue eyes.
The masks they wore were similar in color, but that's where the similarities stopped. The king's mask was pure white with silver lining, and a circle of pale blue around the left eye. It was clear he was tired and weary, with large bags under the eyes, and even the mouth of the mask was in a tired frown.
The prince's mask covered only the upper half of his face, his showing mouth a straight line of quiet disapproval. A bird's beak curled over a most likely straight nose, and the surface of the mask was carved with long feathers lined with silver and icy paint. Eyes that seemingly pierced his soul glittered like snow trapped in pale orbs.
By now the voices had risen, and he shrank in his seat, reaching up to brush his own mask. Flames swirled along its surface, glowing gold, red, and orange, chains connecting from the corners of the holes for his eyes to the back of his mask glittered gold and were tucked under untidy red brown hair.
He didn't need to see his sister's mask to describe it. He'd seen it so many times, it was burnt into his memory. Red satin covered the ivory entirely, and was embroidered with wisps of water and cool blue lotuses. A gentle smile was even embroidered with a cherry pink thread.
The argument continued, growing louder and louder.
"You barbarians have no decency!"
"Says the man who cannot create something without it exploding!"
"That only happened once since this allegiance was formed!"
"It was a useless creation anyway."
"Y-You uncivilized brute!"
Suddenly, there was an abrupt slam against the table they sat around. The prince sitting across from him had his palms planted flat against the surface, his eyes sweeping the now silent room. All eyes turned to him, varying from boredom, slight surprise, and the two kings who were now quiet, had looks of guilt, or cold judgement.
"If we have all had enough of this useless banter, this meeting is over."
He rose from his seat, long white cloak draping over his shoulders, and helped his father to his feet. "Now son, you don't need to be see cold." The old king waved his son off absentmindedly. "No father, you need to return home to get some much needed rest." Came the prince's firm reply.
With that statement, the eldest king let out a halfhearted sigh, before the prince set his cloak over his father's shaking shoulders. He his eyes scorched over the room once more, before turning and guiding the tired king out.
The gilded doors slammed shut with a thunderous bang.
With an awkward cough, the king draped in blues and bronze stood from his dais, and after sharing a short look with his wife and son, they bowed low and exited the room. Then the remaining two also stood,and after taking their remaining belongings, they too bowed and left.
A minute had passed since the abrupt end of the council meeting, when he heard his father sigh tiredly, and he and his sister looked over to him. Gazing upon the flaming demon that covered his face never ceased to send a slight chill down his spine whenever he gazed at it. Black horns even curled at the top, sinister and deadly.
"Kai. Nya."
"Yeah?"
"How was your first war council? Did you learn anything?"
Kai blinked behind the mask. "I learned that the kings of Shǎndiàn and Dìqiú don't particularly like each other?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
His father rubbed his temples, holding his intricate mask in one hand. "Well, everything has been incredibly tense since the allegiance was formed nineteen years ago. Hard to believe they haven't attacked each other yet." The king sighed begrudgingly as he thought back to the conflict that had just ensued in the room only a few minutes ago. "What will be worse, is if the Overlord makes another move against the kingdoms."
Both Kai and Nya flinched. Their father was referring to the tragic event that had only taken place three years ago.
It had been another day in the tense but relatively peaceful lives of the residents of a small town close to the border of what remained of the fallen Shēnghuó kingdom, when demons and various monsters were reported slinking around the outskirts of the mid-sized town.
The people had begun the evacuation of their homes, when a cloud of black ash and smoke rolled over the area with incredible speed. That ash cloud was a plague, confined to the borders of that town, it began to tear the life from the citizens.
By the time word had reached their palace, there was almost no hope. Until, Kai and Nya's own mother set off in a carriage accompanied by a handful of willing attendants. Tragically, by the time they made it past the border, the last person who still lived had their soul torn from them, and the monsters had already set into the carnage.
His mother and all the attendants who came with her were killed in a short battle that ensued when the creatures spotted them. It was a tragic day, for the queen was dearly loved by all the people of the kingdom she had ruled over with he husband. It seemed the mourning hadn't ceased since that day, for they would still hear snippets of talk of her death to present time.
"So, what did you think of the heirs that will one day stand beside you my son?"
Nya finally spoke, "What are their names?"
"We don't know their names Nya." Kai felt himself speak with a scathing tone. His little sister gave him a hard glare. "I mean their aliases, hothead." He felt a sly grin make its way across his face. "You just want to know if they have an even more strange alias than you, don't you, miss-"
Kai wasn't able to finish his sentence, as his sister's hand clapped over his mouth. "Bite your tongue," Nya hissed at him, eyes ablaze. He raised his hands in halfhearted defeat, and she removed her hand.
"But you have to admit-"
Evil eyes stared him down from her position below him. "Be quiet."
A weary sigh escaped their father's mouth. "For your information Nya, their aliases are not very normal, similar to yours and Kai's alias, they relate to an animal, or something in the environment."
"Such as?" She leaned toward the older man hopefully. A rare smile made it's way onto his face.
"You'll just have to learn them yourself, dear daughter."
"Drat!"
Kai sniggered, when murderous eyes shot him an angry glare.
He was quiet for a while afterward.
Why did he have such a scary little sister?
And beyond the palace walls, a flag weaved of red and black danced in the wind.