Chapter 1: The beginning

Tell us the story of the beginning...

"Once upon a time-"

"Oh, mommy, you always start with that."

"Who's telling the story here?"

"You are..."

"Okay then. A long, long time ago, the world was filled with all kinds of people who got along in relative harmony. Some people wore tall funny hats, some wore scarves that covered most of their skin, some wore almost nothing at all!"

"Eeew! Didn't they get cold?"

She laughed. "No, Saria, you see they lived in a very warm place and had skin the color of rich chocolate." She brushed aside a stray hair and continued with her story. "Over time, some people felt they could make the world better. These people had beliefs that divided all the people across the world, and it caused families to fight with one another in the most terrible of ways. These dark times we now call the Descent."

"I remember learning that in school! People were mean to each other."

"That's right. It seemed like some mysterious evil swallowed up man's heart. The Great One saw this evil spreading over the world and said 'No longer are we human, so far have we gone astray. The lost must be washed away.' Some say the Great One uttered one word that caused the lakes and seas to rise, washing away the land and the people living on it."

"Oh, the Great Flood. Was that the one with the boat?"

"No, Erius, this was a bigger flood. The water never went away. People grew frightened seeing their land disappear beneath the waves. It made people panic, and many did not survive."

"Mama, that's so scary! Why did they not like each other?"

She tucked in young Erius and kissed him on the forehead. "People fear what they do not understand, and fear can easily turn into hatred. It is the way humans are."

"Mommy, what did he say?" The little girl sat up in bed and gazed sleepily into her mother's eyes.

"Dear Saria, you know that was lost a long time ago. No one knows the whole story anymore. Now, get yourself back in bed." She tucked in her daughter one more time, gave her a kiss, then took up the small lantern. "Tomorrow I'll tell you a happier story, perhaps about the mischievous cat. Good night you two."