Once upon a time, a long time ago, before humans, before animals, before the world, there was darkness. The darkness took up the space of everything that was not and the darkness was painfully lonely. The darkness had a deep yearning for something but it didn’t know what. So the darkness sat alone for thousands of years with the painful longing reminding it how lonely it was. Until one day…the darkness’s yearning turned into what it had been wishing for. A friend.
A small light began to glow, softly at first, until it became a radiating beam and split the darkness in half. And so the light came to be. The darkness stayed on one side and the light, the other. The darkness was so happy to have a friend and the light was so happy to exist. But time passed and the darkness noticed that the light was sad. It wanted something to care for, something to love, something that was delicate, unlike the darkness.
Seeing that the light was sad, the darkness became sad for it and felt that same deep yearning again, except this time, it was to make the light happy. So the darkness wished and hoped with all its might and one day, the ground came to be. It was a harsh and rocky terrain but nestled deep in the dry soil was a small seed. And the light shone down on it each day until one day, the small seed became a sprout. It began to grow every day, little by little, longing to be next to the light in what was now the sky. One day the small sprout grew big enough and tall enough that it reached the light and both the sprout and the light were overjoyed.
But the darkness was angry because the sprout never came to visit the darkness on its side of the space. The sprout only gave its affection to the light and the darkness because jealous and vengeful. And slowly but surely, the darkness’s anger took the form of something new. Fire. The fire hung high in the sky and it was so full of the darkness’s rage that it unleashed a blaze on the sprout. The poor sprout withered up and sank back down to the ground, scorched and in pain.
The little seedling lay on the rocky ground and the light cried in agony as it watched its creation suffer. The breath from the light’s cries were so forceful, they became a wind that swept down to the ground. The wind swirled around the plant, listening to its troubles and woes. In one quick motion, the wind extinguished the flame, taking away the plant’s pain.
But the plant was dry and withered now, nothing more than a shriveled twig. The light was so distraught. The one thing it had loved was destroyed. It had nothing to care for. Nothing to shine down on. The ground felt a loss just as equal to the light’s. The plant was the only thing the ground had in its difficult terrain. The sadness was so overwhelming, that it took shape. Cold clear water burst from a crack in the ground and ran through the ragged earth. It washed over the poor plant and the sprout sprung up, rejuvenated. The plant, with its new strength, began its endless journey to reach the light. It was joined by new plants that the water had coaxed to life. Day after day, they stretched to the sky. Day after day, they were burned.
The seven elements lived together in a harmonious lifestyle for several hundred years in what they began to call Almadoa. It was somewhat monotonous and just like in the beginning, the darkness became lonely and bored. It was tired of watching the same simpleminded plants trying to reach the sky and the cruel fire casting them back to the ground and the cunning water and wind whispering false encouragements to the plants.
The darkness wanted something alive, with its own mind and freewill. So the darkness sat, stewing about this mysterious being until one day, it came to be. A jet black dragon with brilliant blue eyes slid out of the darkness. It was a monstrous being that was looming and frightening but calm and reasonable. They resided with the darkness and tended to stay away from the other elements. They declared their name was to be Asra.
Naturally, the other elements saw this creation and began to lust after a being of their own to care for.
The pompous fire was the next one to create a mythical beast. A magnificent lion came to be in an eruption of flame. They had a mane of pure fire that would burn evildoers and could soothe any pain. The fire deemed the lion Rath and the beast was proud and haughty but incredibly intelligent.
The wind wisped up a mighty snake of great length that swept and shifted through the sky. It was called Zyra and they travelled everywhere, listening to the woes and joys of the world. If the elements wanted knowledge, they visited Zyra.
The water ran swiftly through the earth and produced a sleek wolf that was just as swift. The wolf was called Tyne and they proved to be the most temperamental: calm one moment, harsh and unforgiving the next. Tyne and Rath rarely got along and were the most quarrelsome of the creatures.
The plants brought forth a gentle but sturdy elk with massive antlers that produced eternal bounties of fruit. The elk was called Xylia and they were the caretaker, able to cure any illness with a single breath. They did not pick fights like Tyne and Rath but if needed, was a fully capable warrior.
The earth was not one to be outdone so it brought forth in a mighty eruption from the ground a bear with claws as sharp as honed metal and a hide as hard as diamonds. It was named Occryx and they were the most stubborn and silent of the creatures. They labored hard day after day to make the earth a livable place.
Finally, the light created its own creature; a brilliant white fox called Antole. Antole shone brightly and could guide even the most lost person out of the darkness. They were unusually close to the great dragon Asra and the other creatures could not understand it. The opposing creatures both shared the same brilliant blue eyes but they truly were complete opposites.
The elements dubbed these incredible creatures the Caretakers and instructed them to guard Almadoa. The land was split up into seven parts and each Caretaker received a section for themselves. As time went on, Almadoa prospered greatly and the land supported human life. The humans worshipped the Caretakers and offered them their shares of what the land had given them. Seven kingdoms were established and peace was plentiful between them.
The elements, their care no longer needed, resided in the fabled land of Ixra, a heaven of sorts. They watched down from the skies and gazed proudly at all they and their Caretakers had done. But though the peace was abundant, it was not eternal.
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