Black

Prologue

It was a hot summer night, not too long after the summer solstice. In the village of Sairento of the Sun Province, men, women and children were gathered around a large fire, their faces stricken by sadness. There were all sorts of people. The children under the age of sixteen, who have not yet gone through the Four Trials, dressed in grey robes discussed amongst themselves around a smaller fire. The rest, grown men and women were of all sorts. There were the Reds, masters of fire, dressed in their crimson robes, with their red Seals glowing bright in the light of the orange flames. There were the Blues, patrons of water, in their deep blue garments, playing distantly with drops of water. There were the mighty Greens, masters of earth, dressed in emerald green, tossing around pebbles. And there were the Whites, masters of wind, dressed in snow white clothes, playing distantly with the flames by creating air currents.

“We have lost another one to the Spawns” the Red elder in the village spoke as he twirled the flames of the camp fire with his long old fingers.

A young Blue agreed. “Poor Nami. She loved that girl with all of her heart”

“And so short of the Trials” a White woman said. “I fear that the Lasting Peace has met its end”

A seven-month-pregnant Blue woman stood up and straightened her blue robe. “I need to pray for my child. And so do all of you expecting mothers” she said, caressing her womb. “Pray to your patron deities, pray to God Almighty Eien, and pray that they shall choose a Black soon, for we’ve already lost too many young masters”

“Don’t exhaust yourself, my child” the old Red man said. “When the gods shall decide the time is right, a Black or more shall rise among us” he spoke wisely and put out the fire with one swift flick of the wrist. “Good night, and don’t let the bad seeds bite” he chuckled and left.

The villagers shook their heads.

“That old man, he must be crazy. Maybe he’s the reason for all of the sixteen-year-olds we’ve lost in the past ten years. Him and his inappropriate jokes” the Blue woman huffed, joining arms with her husband.

“Hush, Mikoto” the Green man said. “Saru is right; we need to wait for the gods to pass judgment”

Mikoto grumbled. “Fine, Roku” she mumbled and walked over to the children’s fire. “Ezra, Yuri, come”

Two three-year-old toddlers answered their mother’s call and joined the two parents on their way home. They were twins; one was hanging tightly onto his mother’s stretched hand, while the other skipped innocently in front of his father, whose face had a peaceful smile plastered upon it. Mother Earth was whispering to him that everything was going to be fine, and that fine would start with his three children. Even so, after a thousand years of peace, a war would surely stir up the spirits. But just as Nature keeps its course, so can the Masters overcome what shall be brought upon them.

Roku and Mikoto laid their twins to rest that night, soon laying down together for their own rest. Above each of their head, a candle and a small statue were placed in honor of their patron deities. For Roku, the green candle and the stone-carved statue of a kind-looking fat lady represented his respects for Mother Earth Tsuchi. Mikoto’s blue candle and statue of a young woman protected her on the behalf of the Water Princess Mizu.

“Roku, are you afraid?” Mikoto asked in a half-sleep state.

The man sighed. “I guess I am. Mother Earth keeps whispering that it’ll all be alright, but I am uneasy about this pending war”

“I meant about the kids. Ezra, Yuri and our unborn child” she said, rolling over with a struggle, so that she was facing her husband. “What if they’d been poisoned? What if one of them had been poisoned?” she asked. “What if one of them is going to be a Black?”