Are we sitting comfortably my dears? For the story about to told starts with a curse, that was brought about by hatred, greed and wrath.
It happened eons ago. Where the Gods celebrated life as it brought forth the first creation of the world they created. Beautiful colors of greens, blues, browns, yellows, purples and other assortments of colors made this world beautiful and plentiful, for beings to live and thrive on.
To protect such precious creations and their beautiful atmosphere, they called upon 5 of the 12 Yaksha to to protect all living things in this world. They accepted their contract, that they will protect human life, protect the lands, the seas, the days, the nights and the skies. All 5 promised to not turn against humanity, no matter what it would throw at them. All 5 promised to not slay humanity or destroy the creation their gods had made. All 5 had to uphold the contract and fulfill it as time goes on, forever and ever.
They were each granted a form of a beast, one that is beautiful to look and gaze upon. Their colors were bright and there were a mix of blue and black, orange and yellow, purples and blues and black and yellow. These beasts blessed the lands and provided protection to all.
As the humans came to be, these beasts were praised, loved and had offerings gifted to them as a way of saying thank you, for providing the humans with their life to prosper, to grow, to live. They were beautiful to gaze upon and if one was lucky enough they felt as though they had been blessed for the years they were to remain on earth.
One ruled the skies, another ruled the mountains and lands, one brought warmth and light to the world, while another lived below the surface found only in the depths of the sea, while the last one ruled over all the land, the sea, and sky.
The world had never known more peace than those first few decades. The Yaksha were fulfilling their contracts as if it were the simplest of tasks. The humans were peaceful and loving to one another, they prospered and provided for one another. Years of peace, harmony and love was accomplished, and the humans were granted blessings in return, while the Yaksha's were granted friendship and offerings from the people, all was well in this world.
The Yaksha were blessed to take human forms after a few decades of fulfilling their contracts and in a way this was how the Gods blessed them, so they could walk among the humans and be one with them. They only transformed into beasts, when someone needed protection.
They walked among the humans and wore beautiful robes that were rich in color and fabric. The humans served the Yaksha and granted them anything they wanted. So long as in return they had protection, food, some place to live and water.
It was in this time though, humans were wanting more. They had seen the powers the Yaksha's had. One could make the wind do powerful things, that would send enemies flying. The second could heal any would with water and fight against threats just by pulling water out of thin air. The third could bring forth the very ground and make shield that protected against fights as well make the very ground shake and crack underneath their enemies. The fourth could call upon fire and provide warmth but also deadly flames could easily put enemies to rest. The last one one had lightening. The very skies, ground and water shook whenever he called upon lightening, enemies would tremble just hearing it in the skies.
Each processed an element that could be powerful and deadly on its own, but when mixed together, they were a deadly force to be reckoned with. The humans saw these gifts and wanted them for themselves.
They kept giving and giving but only to be rewarded with the same things. The humans started to get impatient and began to stop giving offerings. Some still have but only very little, yet the Yaksha's continued with their contracts in keeping the people and land safe.
As the Yaksha went about fulfilling their duties, they spent more and more time in their human forms. It was here they walked among the humans and just how confusing humans can be. They love one minuet and hate the next. The take care of things for a minuet and destroy it the very next minute. They can be deceiving, they can be greedy, they can be lustful, full of anger, wanting more and more and more.
It was here, the beautiful world that was created, was starting to crumble. The skies were starting to turn red and fire was raining down from them. The seas are getting piled high with trash and making the creatures living below die. The rocks are getting blown up and bloody. The days were growing with loud noises and screams, while the night was filled with people sneaking around and stealing things and killing each other. Eventually, it all broke out into war.
The Yaksha could feel the burden and tears from their gods watching the disaster and destruction. They cried, as they would see the people who praised them, now curse their names, steal their offerings, destroy their shrines dedicated to them and fowl mouth the very gods that gave them life.
Still, the Yaska kept protecting, kept giving, kept the promises and contract they made. They had too, and there was no going back, nothing could break the contract they were under, or so it was thought.
On a dark night, an army had caught a Yaksha with red hair that looked like fire itself. The one that gave them light to see and fire to keep warm. The Yaksha who could burn anything with a snap of her fingers and easily send threats up in flames.
She was tormented by being stabbed with swords. Rocks thrown at her beautiful face. Her beautiful fire red hair getting chapped off and sold for a hefty price. Her clothes slashed to pieces and burned before her very eyes.
Her screams were heard loud and clear, hoping the Gods would hear her cries. Instead of the Gods answering her calls, it was her friends. They gazed upon the fire Yaksha began to weep for their dear, poor friend who had gone through so much in one night.
As if a trap had been laid, the armies had rushed forward and began to do the same thing to the others as it was done on the fire Yaksha. Clothes torn, hair being cut, wounds from mortal men piercing their bodies and feeling stones hitting their bodies.
Now, my dear, let us think on this harness. Humans no matter how kind they are and no matter how much they give will always want something more in return. Somewhere down the line, they will always want more in return, sure they had food, water, a wonderful and beautiful place to live but it wasn't enough. It was never going to be enough.
Gaining what little strength they had left, the Yaksha all departed from their torment of torture and all went somewhere safe, away from the humans. They sat and cried with one another. Their beautiful bodies broken, damaged and feeling as though their very soul had been ripped out.
The Yaksha sat and watched this beautiful world fall apart around them. They thought on how the protected them, but only for them to betray. They sat and thought about how they gave them shelter, but only for them to destroy the very world that was created just for them. They sat and thought about the food they had given to them, but only for them to waste it or throw it away. They sat and thought about the many things they did for the humans, only to feel as though they were all being stabbed in the back.
Something was starting to spark and grow in them. An unwelcoming feeling that was springing to life and shooting through all of them. A feeling that felt as though a volcano was about to erupt as it pulsed through their veins. It was overpowering all of them, consuming them, swallowing them whole. This feeling was the reason their broke their very contracts that night.
The Yaksha nearly destroyed all human life, when anger rose in all them like a giant tidal wave on a full moon. Screams filled the air, as the Yaksha attacked the human race. Slashing at their very flesh, stabbing them with their weapons in one full swing. Some were set on fire, some crushed by the earth, others were drowned in the depths, then there are those who sucked up by the wind and falling to the deaths, while unfortunately many met their untimely death when lightening stuck them.
"WHAT HAVE YOU ALL DONE?!" A loud booming voice came over the skies like thunder and causing the ground to quake, and the Yaksha all stopped.
They are brought forth before their Gods and they knelt before them shaking in fear. Never in the history had all 7 Gods been called upon before and it was in this moment, all 7 appeared at once.
"You...you all" when their very Gods spoke the ground shook, and they could feel the fury in their voices.
All 7 surrounded the Yaksha, forming a circle around them. Not a word was spoken, as five beams of light came down from the skies and rested on the Yaksha, as if they were in the spotlight. Breaking a contract, wasn't something the Gods were going to let go.
"I curse all of you! All of you are to walk this world for eternity, suffering in Karmic debt!" the Yaksha's began to scream. "I curse you to be fowl beasts that humanity will fear"
"Curse you all with a darkness that will over take you" horns began to sprout from their foreheads .
"I curse you all with a monstrous being that will devour every human you see, only craving human flesh and bloood." Teeth growing into fangs, and the beautiful creatures they once were, turned into horrid nightmare looking things, as well as their human form.
"I curse you all to hear and feel the screams, agony, pain, suffering of all those you have done WRONG!" Their nails growing into claws, and their hair getting longer.
"You will take this hideous form, when the moon is the largest and brightest in the sky" wings sprouting from their backs and then the Yaksha's screams ceased. They stood and looked at one another horrified at what they had been turned into.
"I curse you all to walk this world for eternity, ALONE!" Tears were streaming down their face as they all begged for forgiveness. "You will all also be driven mad by the karmic debt"
"As punishment you WILL serve humanity again and keep serving them"
The Yaksha's were all pushed back by the Gods and separated. When they landed, a mask is in front of them, that looks like a demon but each had a different design.
"You will wear this mask, when it comes to killing whether it be humans or beasts, this mask is your new found power, every time you wear it, you will feel pain, you will feel the bindings and will feel like you are being torn limb from limb when you fight!"
No one will be friendly to you
No one will praise you
When you are talked about it will be in fear and fear alone
No one is going to love you, who could ever love a monster like you?
"This is your new contract for forever"
Though, there was more to the curse, and theres a way to break it, but that my dear, is a story for another time, another place, and for many many many ages to pass by.
Funny what eternity can do to you...