The Unravelling

Prolouge - In Another Life

~ Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment,

until it becomes a memory~

Dr. Seuss

"C'mon kiddo, let's get you to bed." My dad says to me from his spot on the couch, putting his book down and looking at me with tired eyes.

Sammy's large head lays on my short out stretched legs, he's snoring softly as the fire from the fireplace crackles. "But papa, I'm wide awake!" I say even though my eyes are heavy and my body is sore. He raises his eyebrows at me peering over at my small frame over his round glasses.

"Are you sure?" He says with an unconvinced smile, I nod yawning into the palms of my hands. "Kolibri, it's your first day of school tomorrow, you need to get a good night sleep." He says with a stern tone shinning through slightly.

"Ok.." I say looking at my dad solemnly.

He stands up and walks over to me waking up Sammy, he bends down picking my small body up off the ground and starts to take me upstairs to my room. Walking through the door, the peach colored walls reflect the warm light of the stringed lights casting the room in a soft glow. My dad lays me down in my twin sized bed that is underneath the window, and covers me in the soft sheets, tucking me in. He sits down on the edge of my bed taking off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. He must be getting a headache from being outside all day.

"Past your bedtime?" I say smugly as he stifles a yawn.

He grins at me mischievously, "Oh really?" He leans over me, making his hands imitate the shape of claws. Oh no.

"Vati, no! I take it back! I take it back!" I exclaim raising my hands in defense, with a smile on my face.

"Oh no Kolibri, you're gonna get it now!" He says cheekily, letting out a sound like that resembles one a pterodactyl would make.

His hands attack my sides, I laugh and kick my feet in response to his tickles. My shrill laughs are enough to alert Sammy and make him come bounding upstairs help me. His version of help is very different to mine though. Sammy jumps on my bed and instead of tearing my dad off me, he jumps all over us, and covers us in many kisses. My dad finally stops tickling me when Sammy jumps on him making him lie back on my bed as he covers papa in large wet kisses. Sitting up against my headboard I continue to laugh as I see my dad struggle against my large Burmese mountain dog, clearly Vati is loosing the battle so I decide to call a truce and call Sammy over to me.

"Sam-Sam!" I make kissing noises, and reach out my small frail arms wiggling my fingers to convince him to leave my dad alone.

Sammy looks up at me slowly, I pat the space next to me and hobbles over laying down and offering me his stomach to rub. Resting my hand on his large chest, I turn to Vati giving him a playful glare.

"It had to be done Kerina, you brought it upon yourself." He says letting out a hearty chuckle.

"Truce?" I say raising one eyebrow. He only nods and lets out a deep breath. "Vati?"

"Yes Kolibri?" He says looking at me with warmth in his eyes.

"Can you tell me the story?" I beg with pleading eyes, I know it's late, but he just tells it so well.

"Kerina.. its late." He says sternly, but I know he's only trying to convince himself not to cave and tell me the story.

"Pleaaaase papa? I'll go straight to sleep, and I'll even do the laundry -" I pause, taking a moment to think about my decision, "- for a whole week!" I finish, grinning from ear to ear. Vati sighs and I lay back down on my bed pulling the covers up while Sammy rests his head on my chest.

Sitting up he takes a deep breath, Vati starts the tale the same way he always had...

"Long ago, the three Arcanum Tribes lived in harmony. The Lamia's, the Lupinotuum, and the Venifica (Vampires, Werewolves, and Magicians) had lived together, forming inter-Arcanum families. However that had always resulted in their children becoming mutated. Vampires with the ability to shift, and werewolves with the ability to do arcane magic. At the time there was nothing wrong with these families, however when the blood of two Arcanum are mixed the mixed DNA is unstable making them more powerful than even the most gifted of the Arcanum."

"The Brash magician Krios had used that unstable DNA to his advantage. He stole the mutants in the dead of the night, uniting them with the rest of the Magicians to make the most dangerous army the world had ever seen. Together Krios and his army launched war upon the other two Arcanum Tribes. The great leaders of the other two tribes Vandersmalt of the Lamia's, and Grio of the Lupinotuum, had decided to form an alliance between themselves to banish the corrupted Magicians and the evil Krios. They would fight against  the seemingly undefeatable army to defend their sacred land. If they were meant to go down, they were to go down fighting."

"The Great War began at dawn in the valley of Irshmonte. They all fought valiantly but the Arcanum Tribes were losing soldiers by the second. Krios had the upper hand, despite how hard the Arcanum were fighting against him. Vandersmalt wanted to retreat and regroup before they had no chance at all of defeating Krios' army. But brave Grio wanted to fight until they had lost, for him it wasn't about winning the battle it was to fight for the land and know that they had done everything they could to protect future generations.  Even if that meant he had to lay his life down on the battlefield."

"It's been said that the Gods had seen Grio's kind heart, and admired his bravery, and that they were disgusted at the way the Magicians had mistreated the gift they had been given. So Gaia had risen from her high throne, and had the earth swallow Krios' entire army. The force had created a large mountain in its wake, Krios' army embedded deep within the rock eternally stuck in the hot magma. Gaia had awarded Grio the land around the mountain to use as sacred earth that would supply his people with everything they would ever need, protection, food, and a rich forest. In honor of her gift, he named this land Incunda."