Mid-day in a cool room, halfway up a black spire in a castle in the middle of a large city. Three people stand around a woman lying on a bed. On this day, two children were born to the queen of Lestillim. The first boy to come into the world was healthy and strong; a lionkin with dark fur and short mane, not a cry rang out when the child was born. However, when the second boy was born, the chamber rang out in its cries. Pure white fur covered his body, electric yellow eyes adorned his brow. As the boy cried, his body wrenched in agony. The midwife, the king, and guardian of the kingdom all watched in shocked silence. His fur began to slowly darken as he cried. Beginning at the point on his chest where his heart beat, his fur shifted and flowed outward around him. The cries calmed as his fur showed that of a pitch black darkness. The boy lay there in peaceful serenity following the transformation. The king stared at the boy, confused anger in his eyes.
"We will never speak of this." The king stated matter of factly, as he turned and walked out of the chambers.
"Clean the children. It is time we announce their birth to the kingdom."
"Let me hold them, please." Pleads the woman that birthed the boys.
As she lies there on her bed, cradling her children she looks up to her kingdoms guardian.
"He had a strong soul."
The man nodes slightly, letting the placid look on his face slip with a small smile.
"He is going to be special."
"Yes ma'am. The stronger the soul, the stronger the pact."
The midwife still baffled by what she had witnessed, turns and looks at the stalwart man standing by.
"What do you mean pact? What was that?"
"My queen?" The man questions looking over to the new mother.
With a wave of her hand, the queen waves away the statement.
"You can kill her Deyton."
"WHAT!" The lady begins to back away from the large man slowly.
With a practiced ease, the "shing" of his blade leaving his scabbard is the only thing heard before two small thuds. One, from a head hitting the floor, the other from a body.
"I'll have someone clean this up my queen."
"Thank you Deyton, now let me be with my children."
Deyton bows slightly and begins to walk away. Putting his sword back into its rightful place.
"Congratulations." Is the last thing the man says as he leaves the room.
Twenty minute later, the body was removed and blood cleaned by four servants in the empty room. The woman already having left with her children.
What no one in attendance of the birth knew then was that the pieces of an old war had begun to move again. The bright golden eyes of the boy had never changed or dimmed in the slightest. A magical blessing had been stowed upon him, and held strong through the loss of his soul.
***
In a classroom large enough for ten people to sit comfortably, there are two ten-year-old boys and a man. The man stands before them, weaving a story of their world, teaching them about the land they live in as the map stretches and morphs with his words. The smaller of the two sits comfortably in his chair, legs on top of the table in front of him. The larger one watches solemnly, taking notes when he believes it’s important.
“In the world of Celindal, on the continent Sheyso, there are many powerful kingdoms." With these words the maps pans inward showing a large landmass.
"With Sheyso being the most magically inclined continent in Celindal, there are also many wars. Most say there hasn’t been a period in time that there wasn’t a war being waged for land. Every kingdom is always trying to control more or become the most powerful." The man looks at the boys with a grin. "Except one, the kingdom of Lestillim."
The map zooms in more to show a single piece of land in the most northern point on this continent, slightly to the east. "Lestillim is secluded from the rest of the world, and shrouded by a magical barrier that makes it invisible to anyone outside of it." The map spins slowly around the land, showing a few small towns and an abundance of empty land. It pans in again on a large piece of wooded land at the only entrance to this kingdom.
"To get here, one would have to take a three day journey through the Briar Woods, which in and of itself is hard enough. The Briar Woods is the home to many terrifying monsters, and is said to house a vampire family as old as time." The map zooms out slightly and coming to a view from the eye level of a traveller.
"After getting through the woods, it’s another day's journey through open fields and rolling hills, most of which yield crops. Then, you would reach the town of Kilead. It’s a small village, with ten or so buildings scattered here and there. A blacksmith is usually hammering away on his anvil. A barkeep likely cleans the glasses, and spends time tidying up the rooms. Farmers and guards mill about, taking care of crops or tending to their animals, while the other maintains general peace. This is the Lestillim the rest of the world sees." The map shows ghostly images of everything the teacher says as it spies on the world at large.
"Only a mile past the last building would you walk through a bubble and uncover the city of Lestillim." The map slowly shimmers as it shows a massive wall. Panning around, it shows the city from a top view.
"With a population of merely 119,647 people, it is a small kingdom.”
“Excuse me, teacher.” Cuts in a small Pantheran cub. His fur is dark as night, with eyes as gold as the sun. He is lean with a muscular frame, but small in size.
“We are more than people, are we not sir? We are Pantheran. A warrior race, known by few, and feared by many.”
“Yeah!” Exclaims the slightly larger boy sitting next to him. Brilliantly blue eyes glisten in the light, offset by his short, dull, black mane and thin, dark brown fur. His fur fades from dark to white at the palms.
The teacher clears his throat. His brushed back mane grays on the sides, accenting his age. He continues while pointing at a map of Lestillim.
“With a population of only 119,647 Pantherans, it’s a relatively small kingdom. There are only four known towns in the kingdom." The view on the map pans out again, showing the whole of the lands. As the teacher speaks each town’s name glows slightly with a blue tinge.
"Due north, only a half mile from Lestillim, is the town of Wallowdale. It is what the rest of the world considers the capital of Lestillim. To the north-west is the town of Cabol. There is never much traffic through here, due to it being surrounded by sheer cliffs on the outskirts of it. In the north-east of Lestillim is the town of Nessus, it’s much the same as Cabol, except it’s slightly further from the cliffs."
"We have the majority of our farmers in these towns. Guards are sent to them to make sure they are kept civil. Not much happens in these towns, other than the occasional scrimish with small beasts."
The map shrinks back to the top view of the capital.
"As you know, the capital is divided into three sections,with a wall around each. These walls are referred to as rings. The three sections are?”
All three of them recite the rings together as the teacher points at each, the larger boy reciting with a nonchalant attitude. “The royal grounds, the market sector, and the living quarters.”
“Exactly, but these names don’t cover everything in their corresponding areas.” The teacher continues his lecture while pointing at the middle ring. Though older, his lean, muscular physique appears to not have aged with him. “The royal grounds hold the palace where?”
“Where we live, yes. We already know that.” The larger boy states, a bored expression plastered on his face.
“Exactly, Lushen. It is also in the very center of the kingdom, standing tall watching over the lands." The teacher does his best to keep his temper calm and respectable.
"Just to the west of the palace is where the temple to Modais is, this is where most all of the clerics are located. The grounds of the temple is the gathering spot for our ceremonies. Although the palace isn't open to the whole of the kingdom, the temple is." The temple and the grounds around it begin to glow on the map.
"The military is gathered in the eastern most part of the royal grounds where the barracks are and where the warriors are trained to protect the city. In this area, there are various training grounds, which you should be going to after class today."
"The best part of the day." Lushen smirks. Though young, his body is already fit and rippling with muscles.
"Of course sir." Nodding, the elder continues his explanation.
"All the many weapons magical and otherwise for the military are stored here. Active duty soldiers stay here as well.” The glow of the stated area begins to fade as the teacher continues with his lesson. “In the market quarters, goods, services, and various other things that can be bought or sold can be obtained here. There are actually two markets.”
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“Yeah. One for food and one for items.” Lushen states, bored. Quietly to the side, the smaller boy takes notes, looking up periodically and drawing a smaller version of the map in his book.
“Precisely, and not only that! This is where the jail is and where people go to work with their tradecraft. There are also many shops between the two markets. In the second ring of the market sector, on the eastern side, is the food market. This is where people go to buy and sell crops and meats. You can also find the notice board for any jobs that people need done, such as animals eating the crops in the field or rats in someone's basement."
The map begins to spin, and the teacher drones on. Lushen, nonplussed, begins to close his eyes out of boredom. The smaller boy flips to another page, still scrawling notes in his book, intent on retaining the knowledge being passed down to him.
"Moving clockwise around the ring, you can find different tanners and tailors. Continuing on, you will find mages and blacksmiths. There are many shops between the two, ranging from mages that excel in making potions to blacksmiths that specialise in shields and everything in between."
The teacher looks over to the resting boy. With a small hand gesture and a mumble of a few words, two pops sound out next to the boys face. The boy shoots up straight, slamming forward towards the table. Politely, with a gentle tone to his voice the older man says, "No sleeping in class, sir."
The boy snarls and leans his head on his hand as he glares at the older man.
"We make the bulk of our capital through the export of magical items that the mages craft in tandem with the blacksmith. They work tirelessly to craft these weapons and items. After these buildings, you will reach the material market. In this part of the market sector, you will find fine clothing stalls, merchants selling the wares of the mages and blacksmiths, and mercenaries selling their services. Moving further around the circle,”
The map turns slightly, and the glow traces further around the map.
“You will find the shops of the carpenters, schools, and the jailhouse.” The map stops, and a larger building than the rest glows alone. “This building isn’t used much, but is necessary to have. Some people think they are above the law, and need to be set back on the right course.”
“Don’t forget the statues, in the east market there is a statue of Sir Reginald, and in the western market there is a statue of Modais.” Lushen cuts in as if to prove he was listening, even a little.
“Yes, these statues are here to remind everyone of our founder, Sir Reginald Lucious, and our God, Modais. Next, we have the living quarters. This is where everyone inside the city lives--excluding royalty.” The teacher explains while the outer ring glows softly.
The smaller boy raises his hand. “Dyandale?”
“Yes, Leon?”
“This and the other villages are where all the king's subjects reside, right? The people that our father takes, protect?”
“That is sort of right, but everyone except the king himself is considered one of the king's subjects.”
“So that means even though we are his children, we are still his subjects as well?” asks Lushen.
“Correct.” Affirms Dyandale. “Not only that, but we are also the charges of the kingdoms guardian, Deyton.”
“What does that mean, sir?” Asked Leon with a confused expression, while continuing to jot down notes.
“It means your uncle Deyton is supposed to protect us. The king leads everyone, and his brother protects them. It’s the way it has been since the first Blade Ritual.” Explains Dyandale. “When you two turn sixteen, you get to take on your own Blade Ritual to find out which of you will become the next king, and which of you will become the next guardian.”
"When Lushen becomes king and I the guardian, we will protect the people of Lestillim.” Leon interrupts.
“Yeah, when we are in charge we will be the strongest team ever!” Exclaims Lushen.
“Nevertheless, that's a lesson for another day.” Dyandale cuts in. “Today, we are learning about the kingdom.”
“Aaaww!” The two boys pout, fussing in tandem.
“Can’t we learn about the kingdom some other day?” Asked Lushen.
“As important as it is to know about the place we are going to rule over, learning about the royal arms is much cooler.” Leon adds.
“Boys, these lessons are important and we will go over it another day!” Scolds Dyandale.
“Now then, the living quarters is also separated. There are four sections. From the northernmost point to the easternmost point, there are the Kingdom’s warriors and their families. These homes are some of the nicest places to live in the living quarters. From there, following clockwise around the circle,” Dyandale says while the map spins slightly, lightning up the next section of the outer ring.
“This area is reserved for merchants and storehouses. All of the crafters keep their excess wares and components here, usually close to their homes. The houses here range from little more than shacks to large mansions, depending on how successful the merchant is.”
While the map is still turning, it stops on the next area.
“Much the same size as the Warrior classes living area, the farmers and laborers that live in the capital stay here, in public quarters. This is the least lavish place to live, but without these people we wouldn’t have many of our buildings or the amazing palace we are in right now. One half of them live their lives to grow crops and raise animals. The other half of them maintain our buildings and houses to make sure our people can live comfortably. Without all the individual parts working efficiently, the kingdom could easily crumble. This is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. Our race works together as one larger unit to maintain each other."
"Yeah, we know. Pantherans are a superior race. Can you teach us something new?" Lushen rudely gripes.
"We aren't a superior race Lushen, we just work in a hierarchy that wouldn't work for other races." Dyandale scolds, growing tired of the many interruptions for what was one of the most important things he needed to teach his young charges.
Leon chimes in. "As much as I hate to say it, he is right. This lesson is kinda boring. We know most of it already."
"We will be going over it every year, too. This is important information for a future king to have." Dyandale snaps.
"So now we know it. Let's go to combat training or even magic practice now." Lushen demands through a yawn.
“Do either of you know about the city of Lilistone?” Asked Dyandale with a sly grin.
Leons right ear twitches. “Yeah, a city of Pantheran people that would explore Celindal in search of dangerous monsters to kill and bring back to gloat about.”
“You’re right in your own way. Lilistone was a city of peace and prosperity. People would come from all around the world to visit. Adventurers would go out of their way to get to Lilistone, to try exotic foods, and train with the martially inclined Pantheran warriors. Much like our kingdom, Lilistone produced magical items, the best the world had seen. They have expertly stitched clothes made of the finest linens. The Pantherans that lived there would often go out and explore the world yes, but they didn’t just go out for monsters. They explored caves and abandoned lands to find ancient relics and artifacts. They would bring these back to Lilistone and show them to the world. They would spread the word of all the adventures and things they found on their journeys. In the taverns, people would write songs and books about these daring escapades. Small temples to many Gods dotted the landscape of this city. But in the middle of it all stood The Grand Library.”
“Oh, what's that?” Leon asked, perking up to the sound of something interesting.
“The Grand Library was where all the stories of the Pantherans that lived there were kept. All the artifacts and relics were stored there as well, and anyone could come in and read and learn at any time of day. This is where the governing parties lived, too. The seven of them and their families would live on top of the Grand Library. Whenever a meeting needed to take place, they would gather in the lower levels. Lastly in this library, there was a temple to Katé, where Pantheran and any other race that decided to follow her would gather and commune.”
“Katé is evil though, why would anyone worship her?” Lushen questioned offhandedly.
“Well, in those days, no one knew what Katé was planning and only knew her to be a kind God that lent herself to the good of the Pantheran.” The aged man answered.
“Well, I'm sure glad we know better. I'd hate to have been one of them during the Cataclysm.”
“How much do you know of the Cataclysm, Sir Lushen?”
“Well, not much really, only what Leon has told me. The angels of Katé burst out of the ground and destroyed the whole town and all the people in it, then went out in search of the rest of the Pantheran race. But, my six times great grandfather came in and killed them all!” Lushen roars excitedly.
“Well first of all, they came from the sky and blew up The Great Library as they descended. I just didn’t know that’s what it was called.” Leon hurries to interject.
“Again, you are both correct in your own way. The angels did come down from the sky, but it was Katé herself that blew up the Great Library. With a few words, she destroyed the hearts of every resident of Lilistone. ‘You have forsaken me,’ is all she said. There is no record of what the people could have done to deserve this torture, though. Then, mayhem came down on Lilistone. Meteors fell from the sky at her whim and devastated Lilistone. Her angels brutally murdered Pantherans in the thousands, and the city and the surrounding land was razed to little more than a heap of ashes.” Dyandale explains solemnly.
“But, yes, your six times great grandfather was there. Sir Reginald Lucious, with the help of Modais, used Liesema, the sword given to him by our lord, to cleave the angels in two and fight off the enemy. He wasn't successful in saving the city, but he did save many lives that day. Through this battle an evil corrupted the land, and in doing so flourished the Briar woods. There was a large landmass that crumbled part of this land into the oceans, creating the sheer cliffs around the outer towns. So that brings us to present day. Through the ashes, our great kingdom arose. The kingdom of Lestillim.” Concludes the teacher.
“Why am I just now learning about this?” Questions Leon.
“This isn’t common knowledge, Sir. This part of our history is kept for royalty alone. This information isn’t useful to the general populous, so it doesn’t need to be put out into it.” Responds Dyandale.
“Common gossip isn’t useful information, but the common populous spreads it like wildfire.” Suggests Leon.
“You’re naive if you believe gossip is not useful information. Just because the commoners can’t come into the palace, doesn’t mean the palace residents can’t go into the market and housing sectors." Scolds Dyandale
"Gossip is one of the best ways to keep the people in line with what you need them to believe. We use it so that panic doesn’t spread among people when we have a bad harvest or some monster wonder out of the Briar Woods. If the king falls ill, or something were to happen to either of you two, I’m sure someone would be sent out to spread the word that what they heard isn’t true or twist the truth just enough to make it believable in a way that benefits the greater good” Explains Dyandale.
“Who chooses what the greater good is? Who decides what the people should know and what they shouldn't?” Leon asked.
“That is the king or the guardian, Sir. One day, it will be your all’s jobs. Like I said, when you turn sixteen, you will go through the blade ceremony. When you do and your positions are confirmed, you will learn more about this. The jobs of the king and guardian are more than fighting and making laws. The king has to make sure his people feel safe.”
Leon interrupts Dyandale. “But how does that make us any different than any other kingdom lying to our people and making them believe only what we need them to?”
“Well you are quite smart for your age aren’t you? Why don’t you ask your father or uncle about this. For now, our class is over and it’s time for you to head to the training grounds.” Concludes Dyandale.
Leon looks at Lushen with an unease that does seemed shared. Lushen gets up slowly, stretches his legs and starts for the door.
“Guess we will find out in six years, but for now I don't feel like worrying about it. It isn’t my problem to handle, so I don't see a reason to stress over it, Leon.” Lushen says softly.
As Leon stands, he listens to Lushen. Under his breath, he sneers. “How could the future king care so little for his people?”
Lushen sends a sidelong glare at Leon, and while showing his fangs he snarls, “They aren’t my people yet. They are no more than peasants to me right now. This is why I'll be king, because I know when to lead and when to rule.”
Leon collects his notebook and parts as Lushen heads for the training grounds.
As they head out of the room, Dyandale shouts after them. "Tomorrow we are going over the abyssal language more in depth and arcane hand gestures!"