At the Capital of the Central Federation, four people gathered around a table, each flanked by a young warrior, looking to be in their late teens. The table was fabulously decorated, with intricate carvings running all around it. The four posts which held it up from the ground each represented a nation. The south post was shaped like fluffy clouds, in honor of the Skyian people. The north post was shaped like a sturdy mountain, identical to the ones the Earian people call their home. In the west post, a pillar featuring many unique designs, each representing a different culture that makes up the Central Federation. Finally, the east pillar was carved like the waves of the sea, honoring the Watian people of the seas and Islands.
At the center of this table, a map spread out, detailing the continent which they lived on, as well as a landmass to the northeast, which was completely unexplored. This continent was the reason these four people, and their warriors had gathered. These four people were each a representative of their respective nation.
Representing the Skyian Republic was First Senator Eirak Thornboern. He stood at a lofty 6’5, with a lanky body, blue eyes, pale skin, and white hair. He is a pure-blooded Skyian, known by his people as a great, benevolent, and gentle ruler. He was quite the old man, having been elected by the Skyian senate 54 years before. He exemplifies the model of which all Skyians try to become. The people know him as aloof, playful, and gentle, but at this moment, his brow was furrowed in a frown. A boy, who seemed to be around 18, had similar looks to the first senator, except he had golden hair tied into a short ponytail. This boy had been unannounced to the public yet, but his name was Yuke Thronboern. On his right shoulder, a cloud glowed with a soft, white light.
Representing the Earian Kingdom was King Ventrar Noblesmith, who stood at 6’0 with huge arms and legs, and also a long torso. He had Black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. These traits were all signs of his lineage as a pure-blooded Earian. Ventrar is a stern and serious ruler, but also righteous. He succeeded the throne from his father before him and rules the Earian Kingdom with an iron fist. The people know him as Serious, stoic, and Righteous. His face betrayed none of his emotion, but behind him, a huge boy with a baby face looked distraught. This boy's name was Dayroy Goldenheart, and on his chest, a mountain glowed with a soft golden brown light.
Representing the Central Federation was President Wookto Leyronld, a short male who stood at 5'3 with brown hair and green eyes. He is of mixed heritage between Skyian and Watian. A master of Water and Wind, he is very cunning and smart and gets what he wants through strategy. He ran for president and one because of his charismatic attitude. He and his cabinet rule over the largest territory, the Central Federation. He is cunning, smart, and not so easily fooled, but his people are fooled into thinking he is a generous, courageous ruler. While it is true that he is courageous, in a way, he is anything but generous. To summarize, he is a cunning weasel. To his right, stood a young girl about 17 years of age. She was Rose Garend. She had long flowing black hair and hazel eyes and stood to about 5'6. Her eyes had a fierce glint of determination, similar to the princess of the Watian Principality. On her right forearm, a simple square glowed with multiple colors, switching to a new one every few seconds.
Lastly, at the east side of the table sat Princess Syluye Waterweel. She stood at about 5’10, with normal human proportions. On the sides of her legs, layers of skin fold over each other to form an opening directly into the bloodstream, or in other words, gills. She had Blue hair, sea-green eyes, and slightly teal skin. After her brother died in childbirth, she remains the only heir to the Watian Principality, and thus took the throne despite being a woman. She is flexible in her beliefs, know by her people to be gentle and caring, but what people miss is her determination. She was not some damsel in distress that her people saw her as, but rather, she is a courageous knight, albeit female. Behind her, a meek girl stared at the ground, unable to handle the pressure of these powerful rulers and warriors. Her name was Elace Wendensnider, and she was a purebred Watian, with blue hair, sea-green eyes, and light green skin. She was different from Syluye in the sense that her face was more rounded and childlike, while Syluye had sharper features. On her left calf, three wavy lines glowed with azure light, similar to that of deep sea water.
Standing at the edge of this table was the person who knew all of this information, the high priest of the Golden Sun Church. The Golden Sun church was the only religion that could be found on this continent, and thus was often the only outlet for the gods to speak to humanity. They worshipped the three founding gods, the Earth god, Earian. The sky god, Skyian, and the water goddess, Watian. As this high priest felt the pressure from each of these strong rules and warriors, he sighed inwardly.
Why, dear gods, must I be tasked with this job? Surely there was someone more suitable than I . . .\
Regardless, he mustered up all the courage he had and spoke quickly and truthfully.
"I know this information may come to be a shock to you, but I assure you of its truth. The gods sent me a dream while I was sleeping, the great fire demon has been awakened into this world."
Ventrar, king of the Earian kingdom, snorted through his nose. His huge, bulging muscles began to ripple as he spoke with a deep, angry voice.
"Are we to believe such an important matter from a simple dream?"
The high priest did not bat an eye, only shaking his head at the king's foolishness. The princess of the Watian Principality spoke before the high priest could defend himself.
"The heroes have been marked. Even the central federation received a hero. There can be no doubt that the calamity the great prophecy speaks of is upon us."
Eirak, first senator of the Skyian republic, sighed with great fatigue on his mind. He waved his hand and muttered to himself before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Such little time, the heroes only began their training three years ago. They are not ready."
Wookto nodded, his face contorted into a frown. He muttered to himself.
"I agree with Eirak. High priest, tell me of this dream you had."
The high priest bowed his head, before telling President Wookto of his recollection of his dream.
"The earth, sky, and sea all remained in harmony, but a great fire burned away at the land. It was a simple, and short dream, President, but I am sure it was divine Providence."
Wookto narrowed his eyes at the less than informational explanation.
"What makes you so sure?"
The high priest closed his eyes and spoke once more.
"I could feel the god's weight on my spirit, president Wookto. Just as I foretold the heroes being chosen, I know this is of divine essence. Heed my warning, or don't. I am but a messenger and my job are already fulfilled. May the gods give you strength."
Just like that, the high priest left. It was not up to him whether or not they believed him. The god's will conveyed to him in his sleep, only told him to deliver the message. Anything further could be tampering with the fate of the world which the god's desired. Ventrar stood up to strangle the high priest, who couldn't even provide any concrete evidence but was stopped by a strong gust of wind. Eirak narrowed his eyes at Ventrar.
"You dare lay your hands on a holy man, Ventrar?"
Ventrar sat down with a nasty frown.
"He is too disrespectful in front of the continental council, a holy man or not."
Eriak shook his head at Ventrar.
"You put yourself too high above others, friend."
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"and you have no self-respect, old man. You Skyian twigs could learn a thing or two about being determined."
Eirak did not respond, but the warrior beside him tightened his fists. Wookto, president of the Central Federation, brought everyone back to the topic in question while clearing his voice.
"Ehem- In regards to the plan, I vote we proceed as planned. The heroes should be sent to the Central Federation Academy to enhance their skills before participating in any major conflict. This learning period could provide them the tools to not die in battle, as they have little to no combat experience. All in favor?"
All four hands went up, and Wookto sighed with relief.
"Good . . . good. Now then, in regards to the eastern seafront, have we any news, princess?"
Princess Syluye nodded, before speaking in a grave tone.
"No first-grade monster sightings yet, but records have been showing a slow increase in all types of monster sightings within the last three years. I fear that a first-grade monster showing up might not be a farfetched occurrence. I say we increase the number of elemental mages and warriors to the Eastern seafront by triple."
Ventrar's eyes widened.
"Have you lost your mind, woman? Such a large amount of force is preposterous! I say we completely pull out of the oceans and stage a land defensive. The seas are too fickle a stage to fight well on."
Syluye's brow twitched.
"I can assure you, the Watian people can fight by the sea just fine. We need more people to bulk up our defensive, or the entire Watian sea will become a playground for sea monsters. If we have any intention of keeping the fight off of our home continent, a strong naval force is vital."
Ventrar was silent, as he thought over her words. Wookto cut in and acted as a middle man between the two.
"How about double for now? We can triple it later when the need arises, but for now, we need to keep some of our forces on the main continent. Monsters are mysterious creatures, able to do many things we think impossible. If a first-grade monster shows up from within our borders, or perhaps even the great fire demon makes his move, and we have tripled our numbers out at sea, it would be more than a disaster. With that being said, all in favor for double forces allocated to the Watian Principality?"
Three hands went up, with Ventrar being the only one disagreeing, but the majority rules. He snorted with disgust but did not protest. They had all agreed to this council for the good of everyone involved. Wookto fell into silence with a brow that seemed to be tied into knots due to his frustration, fatigue, etc. Eirak, a good friend of Wookto over the years, spoke to break such a silence.
"Wookto, what thoughts can evoke such an expression?"
Wookto, startled out of his thoughts, waved off Eirak's question.
"It is nothing, I just feel that we're missing something. Rose, dear, can you fetch one of the copies of the great prophecy?"
Rose nodded, before walking out of the great hall. Watian Princess Syluye raised her eyebrow at his request.
"That face . . . tell me, perhaps your on to something?"
The four rulers here, although they might not like each other, had known each other for many, many years. This continental consul had been alive and well since the great founder had established the Central Federation 300 years ago. As such, before they had all become the rulers of their respective nations, they had known each other already. Everyone here knew what expression Wookto was wearing. All of them had the same thought.
He's got an idea.
Soon enough, Rose came back with a scroll in her hand and handed it to Wookto, who then read it aloud.
"Four heroes rise to fight
With their strength, they know no fearful night.
One demon corrupts the innocent.
One man played like an instrument.
A great fire will sweep the land.
Fear not the man, and make a stand.
Together united, they will fight.
Together united, they will defeat this plight.
Five Heroes stand strong.
With their strength, they know no night.
Four heroes, stand weak.
Four heroes, dead on the peak."
Wookto finished the prophecy, and after a moment of hesitation, spoke up.
"Nowhere in the prophecy does it specifically state that the great fire demon, is the same as the great fire which will consume the land. Perhaps, that great fire demon is the fifth hero? "
Needless to say, such a heinous statement, which goes against everything the Golden Sun church teaches, was met with much resistance.
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Rose Garend, the fourth hero of the Central Federation, let out a deep sigh as she exited the meeting hall. Directly outside of the echoing, high ceiling room, the world opened up to her. Outside of that building, the clouds of the sky could be seen below her. Sticking out of that sky was the mountain that they built such a building on, the mountain dubbed Hitarea's Peak, or maybe The World's Head. It was named this because it was a smack dab in the middle of the continent and featured the highest known point to mankind or any other species for that matter. It was also a great place of spiritual energy, making it easy to fuel the many spell formations in place to defend the continent's most important people. The rock was sharp and covered in snow.
The air was also very thin outside the building, causing Rose to activated a Skyian breath artifact, which condensed the oxygen around her head enough to make it breathable. She gazed once more at that hard, rocky surface, and thought to herself with a shiver.
That would be a long fall . . . and probably painful too.
Behind her, Rose heard a similar sigh to her own. She turned around and saw the third hero, Elace Wendensnider. She noticed Rose standing there and waved, causing Rose to wave back. They had known each other for a while since they were often both dragged out to these meetings. Elace sat on a bench as she activated her breathing artifact.
"So . . . what do you think?"
Rose didn't sit and kept staring at the clouds, pausing slightly before responding to Elace's obvious question.
"About what?"
"About the prophecy . . . what do you think it means?"
Rose tore her eyes away from the rolling hills of clouds and looked at Elace. Her face was tense, probably a bad attempt at hiding her worries. Elace had always been the anxious type of person, but Rose never knew her to falter, despite this anxiety. After a few seconds, Rose shook her head.
"I don't know really, but I feel like we need to find this fifth hero fast, or as the prophecy says, four heroes dead on the peak . . ."
Elace hugged her knees to her chest and muttered to herself.
"I hate that part . . ."
Rose finally sat down next to her old friend and punched her shoulder.
"Hey, don't get all crybaby on me. We got this, remember?"
Elace recalled the first time they had met, during the time they had been announced as Heroe's. At that time, they had made an oath, not just to the continent, but to each other as comrades. Rose put her hand out and spoke the first sentence of the oath.
"I swear to fight, sick or well, for the good of the people."
Elace smiled and shook her hand as she responded with renewed vigor.
"I swear to protect, sick or well, the innocent people of Hitarea."
Rose opened her mouth to speak the third sentence, but someone did it before she could. A masculine voice, from a few feet away, broke the silence.
"I swear to serve, sick or well, to the best of my abilities."
Yuke Lenrode floated down to them with wind magic, with a smile on his face. His golden ponytail moved around erratically in the wind, and his eyes twinkled. Rose and Elace both laughed at his overly majestic entrance. Yuke, being the airhead pretty boy he was, looked confused. He was unable to fathom how his entrance had been anything but glorious, and definitely not cringe. Then, from behind Yuke, a fourth voice spoke up.
"I swear, sick or well, to be loyal to these oaths."
Dayroy Goldenheart, the second hero, walked in behind the Superman-like Yuke. He looked at Yuke floating and laughed along with Rose and Elace.
"You still have cut that ponytail of your's Yuke?"
Yuke grew red at the cheeks.
"Its a Warriors Headbun!"
That made everyone crack up even more, and Yuke grew even redder. He waved his hand at them before muttering to himself, something about them having "no style."
After a moment, the inside of the building lit up with a rainbow glow, signifying the activation of the Warp Gate. Just like that, they all had to say goodbye. It was a short meeting, only lasting a few seconds, but in that time they were reminded of each other's existence. Despite what they had heard in that meeting room, they still smiled in each other's presence. The four marks on them each glowed brightly as they gathered closely together, signifying their strength increasing as they grew close. They went back to their separate nations, but they knew this parting would not be for long. After the end of the summer, the school year would start again, and they would all enroll in the Central Federation Academy. It would be a fun ride.
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Meanwhile, in the forest a few dozen miles away from Eope, a storm was brewing. Not a natural one of lightning and thunder, but of teeth and claws. Deep within the wildwood, a beast of claws, teeth, and scales began to stir. Its body was covered in vines, and beneath that, green scales layered on top of one another, forming a harder than steel armor. Its eyes glowed an intelligent green, and it's claws flashed a brilliant white. As it rose to its full height of nearly 15 meters, it pressed on the ground while letting off a low rumble. Its vocal cords were so wide and long inside its throat, that when it bellowed, that deep sound traveled for miles. A Great Elder Wyvern of the wildwood slowly began to move towards Eope.