Pangaea

Chapter 1

Monarch, In Brynhild, Capital of the Sindirin Empire

It was the year eight hundred forty-three and something peculiar was happening in the old country of Sindirin.

Thee fresh northern skies mixed evenly with both warm and wintry colors, a brilliant magenta sky shimmering harmoniously with the stars until they stilled into one soft union, creating a calm magenta sky. However, just below this azure was the great and ancient capital, Brynhild, where calmness could not be said the same for. The ceaseless shuffling of feet, cheerful chats and enthused dancing ravished every inch of this bustling town. Lanterns were posted down every street and pathway by the soldiers who, too, shared in on the festivities and gaiety.

Crowds upon crowds of people joined together in droves, all beaming at the mouths with toothy smiles that extended ear to ear, a sentiment that swept through all of the capital like some sort of contagion. Mugs and chalices which were filled to the brim with either rum or red wine were in the hands of many of the adults. The children who snuck off from their families chose to roam around in groups, exploring and playing as children do, and the more delinquent children snuck their way inside the many homes that were left vacant to drink just like the adults. Truly, in these times, it was unusual for the people to join together in such delight.

Nonetheless, women, men, and children of all different backgrounds, classes, and beliefs were joined hand in hand in merry songs and humorous banter. They were hastening in from all different directions of the capital and it seemed it was the same destination they were all rushing toward-the Solstice Coliseum in the citadel which was directly near the Opal Castle, the home of the Menharas for the past several generations. The citadel was erected upon the summit known as 'the Rising Hill'. It was a very large hill, many homes, schools, and municipal buildings were built there, and the Opal Castle sat at the very top nearby the coliseum.

The country of Sindirin, where the old saying 'Blood for Blood' was revered as the most notable house words held by any family across the land and these very words belonged to none other than the Menhara dynasty, the peak of the aristocracy in the north, a land with a long and foreboding history.

The large capital gates slowly shut as the last of the voyagers in view of the capital's walls entered Brynhilld. After being examined and processed by the Gate Bearers of the capital, the last of the people were safely let inside. These several thousand people who had been enjoying themselves within Brynhild were largely among the hopeful voyagers who had journeyed from all over Shyonnississ.

Shyonnississ was the empire in the north, the great union of ten powerful nations, each with a unique history and culture-Sindirin, Aeryngrave, Thykran, Edelaviel, Edelaviel-esprit, Jiradus, Ereignfall, Legridian, Corinth, and lastly Solaris, the nation dubbed 'the exiled country.'

The thousands who arrived in the capital came here to celebrate the yearly festival of Survivor's Day, and although that was reason enough for the taking such a journey, the festival was not all they had come for. They were here for another thing, too. They came to the capital with the hopes of witnessing the new marvel of the north, the popular talk of the empire for the last two years, the twentieth effigy. This effigy, though it was as grand and monumental as the nineteen that were built before it, was unlike all of the others. Where the previous nineteen effigies were constructed in the forms of the old idols like the King of Gods, Zeus, this newest monument was created in the honor of a separate deity, one belonging to a different faith.

The event, as tradition, was held in the Solstice Coliseum and the monument was rumored to be somewhere in the citadel, but the people who did not live within the capital had little more than anecdotes and rumors to try and satiate their curiosity. It was rumored that it was near the coliseum but the coliseum was very large, a stadium so grand, in fact, that it occupied a decent space of the summit, which was several acres wide. The stadium hosted several events from musical performers to shows performed by actors, to jousting and chariot racing, and at a time even showcased gladiator battles, a practice long outlawed in the empire. It could accommodate ten thousand people.

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Some time had now passed and the people found themselves settled in the Solstice Coliseum. They were all staring at the balcony of the Opal Castle. The emperor's wife, Belle, and their two daughters and two sons were perched upon their royal thrones, looking tiredly at the several round rows filled by electrified people.

But, where was the Emperor? This was a question on several of the spectators' minds. The children too were anticipating their father's presence.

To pass the time, the crowd engaged themselves with loud chatter and thunderous screams for what felt like an eternity. All the while, a shrewd, hunched over figure emerged from the shadowy part of the balcony where the dusky light of the dawn did not reach. With hair as red as magma spewing from the mouths of volcanoes and eyes as crimson as newly blossomed roses, their emperor had finally appeared.

"My people today! My family today! You are looking all so beautiful...almost as beautiful as I," he laughed wittingly, the audience joining him in his laughter.

He waved his hand and became serious, his eyes peering into the unified soul of the large crowd.

"I am well aware that you all know who I am, that I am little doubtful of, but I shall say it nevertheless for the few who may not. I am Alareiks Menhara! The rightful emperor to this glorious empire despite what others may have you believe and I am so gracious and tender-hearted to see that all of you steadfast people have found yourselves at home within my capital on the break of this wonderful dawn! I know it must have been a grueling journey. Some of you may have very well traveled weeks, for some it might have been days, and for others it may have been no longer than some few hours, but no matter where it is you have traveled or how long the journey was, you have all made it here on this glorious day joined together in good health and high spirits as brother and sister!" He paused abruptly, his lungs pulling the cold wintry air down into his belly.

"You have all made it to the Fatherland!" He roared passionately, his hands thrust into the air!

"I bid you all welcome. My home is yours. You are all wondrous children of the Sun God! Enjoy yourselves, for today marks a great day of ours. No matter what issues we nations may have had, today is the day where we always put aside our grievances to honor this day of unity, prosperity, and hope. But, I know what you all must be thinking today...the state of our empire is on the brink of war and ruin and as result of all this turmoil, we are all living in extremely unpredictable times, unpredictable times where humanity has exposed its darkest colors. And I am not speaking only as a king or even an emperor when I address the several grievous wounds our empire has suffered in the past years.

No! I speak as a father, I speak as a concerned countryman, I speak as a believer of justice when I say that the time where brother turns on brother, neighbor attacks neighbor, shall be no longer! That atrocious attack that occurred on Legridian soil four months ago, and no I have not forgotten that tragic day, evil wrongs like those that scar a nation cannot go unpunished! Those confessors from esprit who committed that senseless violence against those Legridian municipal officials will be apprehended and brought to justice. The Sun God's judgment shall shine down upon them."

The emperor peered out into the masses, "Are those the Legridian colors I see in the crowd," the Emperor asked as he pointed out a young woman standing in the audience with a fluffy white cloak and blue scarf.

Observing that the emperor's notorious red eyes were fixed on her, the woman in the crowd stood up proudly and shouted loudly enough for her emperor to hear her, saying that she was in fact from Legridian and sharing her condolences for those officials who were attacked and murdered by the confessors.

"This is a promise I am making today, not a threat and every man knows in the lands of the Menharas we handle our affairs in full and so to those who wish to do harm against the innocent shall understand why our motto is Blood for Blood! I shall say it once again and no longer. Those confessors who committed the crime shall be captured and forced to face their deeds. We Menharas do not extend our mercy to the wicked! By the power endowed in me by the almighty Sun God, those men shall be brought to justice as well as the many other confessors and their sympathizers!

This confessor insurrection shall be stopped! They have terrorized our empire's peace with their radical distrust and attack of the very government that has fed, clothed, and defended them, their children, their parents, and their ancestors for hundreds of years and now they take arms against us, their own government! We will not live in fear of these confessors any longer! They will not trample over our glorious government! The righteous shall win! The enemies will lose! The history...the history books," the Emperor suddenly felt woozy, his eyes were blurring and his legs twitching uncontrollably. He clutched the lower part of his hunched back as if he was experiencing severe pain. His hot red forehead was thumping and his hands were visibly trembling. It seemed that the emperor's searing passion was beginning to overwhelm him at his old age.

"The history books will tell of our victory against those traitorous apostates known as the Confessors!" Emperor Menhara began to cough into his hands. He looked at his palms and saw spots of blood. Belle hurried to his side with wide open arms. He held his bloody hand high, signaling to her that he was fine. She returned to her seat and watched her husband with a piercing concern for his well-being.

A true Menhara is a conqueror! A cough will not kill me, yet war amongst our nations can and millions more will die unless this scare is put to a quick and severe end. It is true, their numbers have grown formidably in the past few years but this insurrection will be crushed, and we will conquer, we will rise, and we will for once in our lives live in our beautiful empire without the threat of fear! Now, today in the newborn month of January, upon our seventh day, in the year eight hundred forty-three with the harsh cold season on the skirt of its final days, no longer is there a Survivor's Day, I declare it to be Conquerors' Day! I have placed small sky lanterns and fire strikers attached under each of your seats! Take them and light them. Parents, please light your child's lantern."

The Emperor watched the crowd as they began doing as he said and within time the coliseum was burning with light. He commanded them to let them go of their paper lanterns.

Watching the lanterns progressively leave the coliseum and rise to the sky like tiny suns, Alareiks widened his jaws, and as raw as the fires which blazed in his eyes, he yelled aloud to the crowd, leaving echoes rippling across the hill, "AND NOW BEHOLD THE TWENTIETH EFFIGY!"

Menhara directed the crowd's attention to the southwestern direction with an aged index finger pointing waywardly and there it stood: the towering monument that had drawn the thousands in attendance. It was sculpted in the visage of the Sun God Oseraphime, the god of the new monotheistic faith the emperor had adopted two years prior to today. The lights from the thousands of sky lanterns illumined the tall statue which stood slumbering in the shadows. The audience was only left to wonder its size. Some were thinking it was over two hundred feet tall; whereas some believed it was three hundred. But, they all could agree that it was certainly a beautiful statue.

Its right hand was raised to the sky and its left hand was pointed to the ground. It was sculpted purely from athenglass, a common mineral found and mined in Aeryngrave. The mineral was a glossy black and reflected the light of its environment, so when it was dark it would be nearly undetectable to the eye, but when bathed in light, it shone like a star. The statue of Oseraphime stood solitary between the slanted portion of the large hill and the scorching waves of the Hephaestus Sea. The entity was bald, masculine and had the symbol of the sun in his left palm and the moon in his right. It was certainly unique...

"NOW, MY BRETHREN, LET US REVEL ON THIS WONDROUS DAY," The Emperor roared!