Another world, Celeste

Chapter Six, pt 3

Auntie El takes my hand and leads me to sit by the firestone pit where a fire is ignited. Fresh strawberries crop up from the ground by Auntie El's feet. I pick some into my hands. Deliciously sweet. Tonight's tranquillity makes me more awake despite feeling overwhelmed by the dream I had.

Auntie El begins her narration.

"This world, Celeste, as you know was created by our goddess Selene and the inhabitants consist of humans, elves, dwarves, spirits, monsters and magical beasts. Spirits are the embodiment of mana and we appear to others in a variety of forms. Aside from spirits, magical beasts are born with immense mana capacity. We get along well with each other and lives in seclusion, mostly unbothered with the lives outside of Kana Forest. Meanwhile, humans, elves and dwarves constantly fought and instigated a war for dominance over the lands and ruler of all. For a century, the accumulating corrupted mana from the mounts of corpses in the battlefield borne to what is known as black mana. Black mana slowly consumes the mana of other monsters and anything it touches transforms into tainted monsters. Hostile, aggressive creatures that hunt for preys to devour to satiate an endless hunger. A body that has been tainted by black mana can be healed but once it devours the soul, there is nothing to be done."

That's scary. It's like an infection.

"Black mana devastated the entire battlefield. An unexpected enemy created by selfish greed. Our goddess was saddened by the deaths and appears to me to relay her divine words; she wishes for her creations to live peacefully and bestows us the means to cease the black mana from spreading further; a barrier. Right then, a human with a righteous heart who was tired of all the battles assembled the strongest mages from each race; an elf, a dwarf, an Elder Dragon and the Elder Spirit to defeat the gathered tainted monsters. We fought through the strongest class tainted monsters with the human and his companions and successfully erected a barrier and sealed the remaining tainted monsters and black mana within. The land is now called the Blood Forest. Every hundred year, the barrier weakens and black mana leaks out and corrupt the low-class monsters nearby. The sages are the ones who can strengthen the barrier as the goddess granted me the power to bestow the incantation to whom deems worthy."

"What happened to the mages and the human?"

"They took upon the role as sages and the human was named a true hero. His people were grateful for their survival and name the empire after him with the right to rule."

"Empire? I thought the human lands are divided into three."

Auntie El laughs. "He amended it to 'the right to lead.'"

I tilt my head. "What's the difference?"

"To rule means he would be their king but he was a warrior who wished for no more blood to be spilt. Many humans had died and their people were scattered. They rebuilt their lands by the hero's three companions whom the people chose to follow, aside from the hero. They were the hero's close friend and comradery; a warrior from the desert land, a prince from a fallen kingdom and a scholar mage. The right to lead would apply when the world is in peril and his descendant would take up his place if he so wishes and the empire will be united, though momentarily. The humans, even now, awaits the hero return."