Waging War | The Amber Duology #1

Prologue

This goes to my granddaughters:

KotlcNinjago @skylxr- masterofstringcheese

For bringing the chaos into CGS. Enjoy girls!

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

Long before time had a name, the story was never like this. There was a time when the lands were lush and prosperous, when the skies were as clear as the sea and there was peace amongst the creatures in Ninjago. A time when Oni and Dragon lived side by side, dominating the lands with the ability to both create and destroy.

But with great power, came power hungry enemies. According to ancient Ninjago lore, the Oni grew hungry for more than what they had. They wanted not just the ability to destroy, but also the ability to create. Fueled with greed and gluttony, the Oni waged war against the dragons, with hopes to obtain their powers.

The battle was fierce and bloody. Many lives of both Oni and Dragon were lost that day. But it never came to an end. In the midst of the war, a child was born. He was known as the First Spinjitzu Master, gifted with the power of both creation and destruction. He sought to put an end to the madness in his land.

Using his abilities, he created a boundary between the two sides, tearing the country into two. One island for the Oni and one island for the Dragons. With the two sides separated by the Endless Sea, the war was put to an end at last. 

That was until a hundred years ago, when the truce was broken and Oni were found on the shores of Dragon territory.No one knew how it started or why the war broke out once more, but one thing is for sure. 

It has never stopped since.

"Till this day. We fight those dreaded demons and keep them away from our land." An old man finished.

"But, it's just a story. Right, Papa?" A little girl who sat on his lap asked. Her eyes filled with worry as her lips formed a pout. "The war is over."

The man pursed his lips, unable to come up with a response. He played with the hair on the end of his chin and decided how he wanted to play this.

"What do you think, Pumpkin?" He tapped her nose, making the child giggle in response, and listened to what she had to say.

The girl tapped her chin and hummed. Her fiery red hair falling down her shoulders. On some days, it burned like the colors of a sunset, deep red with a soft orange hue, but that was only on rare occasions. "I think the Oni and Dragon are really good friends now! And they live in peace and harmony again." She exclaimed with a cheery tone, throwing her hands in the air as if she was celebrating.

The man let out a chuckle, shaking his head in the process, and fixed his posture, his face plastered with a straight look. She was still too naive for this world, too blind to see the truth.

"Listen to me, Skylor. This world is cruel and unjust, there are people like the Oni. Filled with greed and would do anything to get what they want, even if it means hurting a lot of people. Trust no one." Young Skylor threw her arms around his neck and pulled her father into a hug.

She buried her face in his chest, seeking for protection. "I'm scared, Papa."

"I will always be here to protect you, Skylor. Nothing could ever separate me from you." He hugged back, whispering the words against her hair. I made sure of it. "It is alright to be afraid, but know that you are never truly alone."

The little girl looked up, her eyes glistening with curiosity. "What are you afraid of, Papa?"

A brief silence passed through the room. The man didn't respond, his face blank and filled with an emotion that Skylor could not read. Instead, he cleared his throat and pried her off his lap, leaving his daughter's question to hang in the air. With a quick snap of his fingers, his assistant Clouse came to the door of his office.

"You called, Master Chen?" He poked his head through the door frame.

"Clouse, we have an opening ceremony this afternoon, make sure Skylor does not leave your sight." Chen eyed his daughter for a second, as if waiting for something to make him change his mind and answer her question. "We have tons to do before the new launch. We can't afford any...mishaps."

Clouse bowed, his robes following his movement and swayed passed his feet. "Of course, sire." And grabbed Skylor's arm to drag her out of his office.

The girl followed with no hesitations—she was used to this by now—but she wondered why her father did not answer her question. He usually had the solution to everything, but this made her mind come up with different theories. Perhaps when she is older, she could ask him again.

As the doors came to a shut, Chen got up from his chair. Walking towards the glass window of the third floor, which looked past his backyard and towards the rest of the city, he tried to clear his mind. He had not expected for Skylor to ask such a question, he thought he had raised her better than this.

Turning his attention back to his desk, he pulled open the large drawer and picked up a frame that was hidden beneath piles and piles of paper. Inside was a photograph of two people. A couple, one could tell if looked at closely.

The girl had the same flaming red hair his daughter has right now while the man had slightly younger features than how he looks now. Time and age had done him no good. Underneath, was a little message written in ink.

Callista, my beloved.

A date was written below it, the day before he lost everything. It haunted him to even get a glimpse of the photograph, to remember the horrible events of that day like he was part of it once more. It haunted him in his office, in house, at his restaurant, but worst of all, in his dreams. It was like she never left their home, like her presence was still there lurking through the corridors, unseen by the naked eye.

He'd give anything to make their family whole once more.

"I can't lose you too, Skylor. Not after what they did to your mother." He answered, hoping the wind would carry out his words.

Someday, she would understand why.