"The king awaits you"

"Thank you"

A middle-aged man walks with an elegance befitting the task entrusted to him. His steps are firm, and he even allows himself to look at the decorations adorning the hallway, but inside he is dead nervous. Thar is part of the delegation sent by the principal kingdoms to try to convince the Raiskar king to lend them his aid. They had been waiting for this audience for months, but Thar was not proud to be the chosen one to speak before the king; he knew it was the sacrifice.

The task was of utmost importance and, if accomplished, could bring great recognition and prosperity to the man's future. But that is only if he could complete it.

In the silence of the hallway, only the footsteps of the two men could be heard. Thar was sure that if he breathed any louder than normal, the Raiskar dressed as a butler who led the way would notice. He did his best to control his nerves, but sweat trickled down his forehead, betraying him.

Soon they arrived in front of a huge wooden door totally devoid of ornaments, so the painting that looked like it was done by a child next to the gate was very striking. For a moment, Thar thought that someone had placed it there by mistake, but that would be impossible since this is the King's hall.

"A beautiful work, the great talent of the painter is evident in the details. It's a pity it belongs to the king; otherwise, I would wish to buy it"

"......"

The ugly painting helped the man's nerves disappear momentarily, but they returned when he realized his guide was staring at him. However, thanks to his extensive experience dealing with important people, he was able to navigate the situation and gave a compliment to whatever it was that was there.

For his part, Larz was taken aback by the man's words since everyone who has seen the painting, without exception, says it is horrible. In fact, he had asked for it to be thrown in the trash. He didn't want people from another country to see it and think his sense of art was ruined. However, he now had doubts about whether the perception of other races is different or if this man has peculiar tastes.

He decided to give the painting a second look and view it positively, but it still consisted of the same random blotches and scribbles on the canvas. In short, it's horrible.

"I will convey your words to the painter; it will gladden him to know that his work is appreciated"

*knock knock*

Larz knocked on the door, and it opened with an unimaginable smoothness given its size, revealing the interior where six thrones were arranged in a semicircular table.

At a quick glance, Thar could see that three women and three men occupied the seats, and one of those men, who was in the center of the seats, wore a simple crown shaped like a lightning bolt that occasionally flickered. But Thar wasn't sure; maybe it was just his nerves playing tricks on him.

However, Thar knew that the people present were the leaders of the Raiskar, an alignment that not even the kings have seen was in front of his eyes. He knew it was impossible that they gathered for him. Most likely, they were already gathered and simply took advantage of the moment to receive him. The middle-aged man felt lucky and scared.

It is said that the Raiskar are the first race to inhabit this world; some even claim they were born when the world was born. Their appearance is similar to humans except for their eyes, which are usually either sky blue or marigold orange, and their pupils have different patterns that extend throughout their bodies when they fight. They are formidable warriors and the beings who know the most about Nebulaether. Each race has its own way of using this energy, but if one were to trace how they obtained the knowledge of this energy, they are the origin.

They are reserved and rarely allow entry of other races into their territory; so, that they accepted this audience is a feat in itself. It is said that they used to be more active in the world, providing assistance and knowledge to all races, but this ended after those races united to invade Raiskar territory. They believed that with their numbers, they could seize their lands and enslave the race.

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But life is unfair and cruel (at least that's how the invaders saw it) and the campaign was a failure, a massacre in which they lost all their military power. Fortunately, all races participated in the conflict, so they all ended up in the same dire position. Otherwise, it would have been the perfect moment for one race to launch an attack and claim supremacy.

The coalition managed to penetrate into Raiskar territory without encountering any resistance. The villages and towns they passed through were totally deserted. It was clear what had happened; the Raiskar had fled, they were hiding in their capital, they were afraid. That was the conclusion the invaders reached. With this, their confidence grew, and they continued their march with greater vigor. For them, victory was assured.

Which was not without sense.

The crusade was not something improvised or the sudden impulse of a madman. The kings of the respective races had been preparing their troops for years and they had managed to nurture powerful weavers, thus creating a prominent army.

Many of the soldiers who participated in the war believed that their numbers were excessive, but the kings and generals knew the battle would not be easy. They were facing pioneers in the use of Nebulaether, so they put every effort into developing their forces.

However, seeing the decision the Raiskar had made, their faith in victory evolved into certainty. They knew now that the Raiskar were like the tough shell of a carapa, difficult to break through, but seeing the prominent army they had created, they believed that no matter how strong the Raiskar were, victory was only a matter of time. After all, they possessed enough time and resources to wage a war of attrition, while the Raiskar would be trapped with no escape.

But things did not turn out as they expected. The battle from the start was brutal and the Raiskar were not on the defensive. In fact, at one point in the war, it was the coalition that found itself in desperate defense to allow their leaders and most powerful weavers to escape.

The army marched for days before reaching the city occupied by the Raiskar. Some leaders advocated for an immediate attack, but reason prevailed over the enthusiasm of the moment. So, they chose to rest for a few days and prepare strategies for the next battle, thus establishing an improvised settlement on the outskirts of the Raiskar city.

Throughout the time they took to regain their strength, the Raiskar made no moves, which strengthened their conviction.

Victory was assured and now the different generals were trying to mitigate their losses in order to claim a greater amount of resources and land after the victory. And so, as the different races began to pursue their own interests, the first assault was launched.

As the soldiers advanced, the gates of the city opened. That day the Raiskar showed they had no fear and welcomed the bloodbath that lasted until the next day.

It was a battle of attrition as they had initially thought, a battle where the winner was whoever had more lives to sacrifice. And by the time the next day's light came out, the coalition settlement that until the day before had been lively, was now devoid of life. The army they had been proud of was not enough.

Since their birth, the Raiskar are blessed by the world and this blessing is reflected in their eyes which are a marigold orange or a beautiful light blue. They are also the only race capable of making use of the 'nebular weaves' characteristic of the Nebul beasts and and it would be correct to say that they are the creators of the concept of the Nebulaether.

No one taught them how to use this energy; they were like animals capable of using it instinctively. But life evolves, and over time, those were born who deepened in this mysterious power, which until that moment for them was as natural as breathing. Their purpose was to understand it and for the Raiskar to advance in its use, finding other ways to utilize this energy beyond brute strength.

For them, this energy was not exclusive to themselves or the Nebul beasts; they wanted to prove that this energy was everywhere. They believed that this power was not simply a blessing bestowed upon them by the world as their parents had said, but a power that exists naturally in the world, and they wished to be able to shape this power to their liking.

Although there were also those among them who sought to differentiate themselves from the Nebul beasts.

It was years without results, filled with frustration and anger. Many of the people who initiated this idea gave up along the way, and those who persevered until the end died without achieving their goal. But they were not willing to give up and delegated the responsibility for their research to their children or new researchers. They would not see the results themselves, but they wished for the idea they had spent their entire lives on to see the light of day; not as a mere speculation, but as something real, as an undeniable fact.

Several generations passed before it could be demonstrated that the 'Nebulaether' as the early researchers called it, was not exclusive to their race but an energy that traveled through the world like wind and also, that this energy could be used.