Alasla: The New Age

Prologue

It was five centuries after the 'Great Raid', when Alasla was officially split into five regions. These five regions are separated into the Dynasty of Garavia, the City of Ling, Flow Jungle, the Dark Island, and the Luana chained islands. Apart from the five regions, there is also a savannah land owned by no one. The largest of the lands were Garavia, ruled by Emperor Velinzhag, and Luana, ruled by Queen Kumira. Garavia is the coldest and most isolated place with strict laws and clear differences between the wealthy, poor, and royals. Luana chained islands, on the other hand, is a tropical place that had a tribe of happy-go-lucky people, where barely anyone worried about food shortages because there were coconuts and reef fish available all year round.

The Ling City was a large territory set across the East with advanced technology ruled by gangsters. Surrounding Ling is a large desert named the Drain-Rain desert. It was mainly inhabited by camps of refugees scattered across sandy cactus-flourishing dunes. The Flow Jungle consists of the largest library and collection of the world's famous literature, art, and architecture masterpieces, including their own temple set in the middle of the undergrowth. The jungle was ruled by a Pope.

The Dark Island, however, was not inhabited by any humans. It had no flora and almost zero wildlife— only black rocks and mountainous volcanoes that shot smoke, smudging the sky day and night. No one dared set foot on that place, as it was the territory of a large dragon named Shelly. Rumour had it that she was the dragon who participated in the 'Great Raid'. She defeated her enemies and collected hundreds of tons of gold into her cave— so much that she never entered her cave if she didn't have her eyes closed, or she would be blinded by the scintillating light of it, amplifying the light from the glow of the underground lava rivers that flowed through her cave.

The savannah was all empty except for a large town in its center, where people from all lands met, traded, and performed in large events. Even Shelly the Dragon visited that place sometimes— for it was the largest feeding area with humans of different tastes from everywhere. Only Luana islanders didn't fear her, since Shelly the Dragon detested coconuts.

But for today, the sky was grey, and there were no smiling faces or noisy traders in Town Nile. The dried, yellowish grass of the savannah bristled quietly in the cold, sharp breeze as troops of people trotted down through the pathways of the town. Even the most isolated ruler, Emperor Velinzhag sat solemnly in his carriage with the Prince by his side, guarded by hundreds of soldiers riding on snow leopards. They waded their way into the town along with Queen Kumira, weeping quietly on her throne decorated with coconut leaves and hibiscuses, carried by heavy, muscular men. The head of the gangsters, Jerron Wedrag, was in a black limo surrounded by pure, velvet black horses ridden by his mobsters dressed in grey, carrying guns and knives. The Pope had arrived in Town Nile a day earlier and now sat on one of the red velvet chairs on top of a wooden stage some distance off the ground. In front of him was a man kneeling, chained to the floor.

There were thousands of people gathered beneath the stage, whispering to one another, stirred and curious. Emperor Velinzhag and the other rulers filled up the red velvet seats beside the Pope one after another until rulers from all four lands sat ready. The crowd slowly faded down to silence.

Out of the blue, the clouds above twisted and glowed in flaming red as Shelly the Dragon roared and shot out of the sky, her black scales shone fiercely in the light of her flame as she landed on top of the roof of the town center tower, slowly exhaling a boiling breath. But just for today, she did not come for a delicious snack.

She was there, along with everyone else, to watch the execution of Abronze Lasbender; the last person of the ancient family who had the power to control nature.

Shelly breathed, and the four rulers stood up, fixing their gaze coldly on the man's scarred back.

But Abronze was very young. Twenty-one years old, with everyone's fate controlled except for his own.

"For twenty-one years," Jerron began sternly. "There had been no rain in our land."

"For twenty-one years, the fish in our sea died in large waves, being washed up to our shore, poisoned and inedible," Queen Kumira went on.

"For twenty-one years, our museums and temples have been destroyed by earthquakes that happen one after another in high frequency," the Pope carried over.

"Young and brainless. Abronze Lasbender," Emperor Velinzhag finished coldly, his thick Garavian accent having a different effect. "Any last words, dying at such young age?"

"We're all facing death," he laughed wildly. "Every second of our lives. We're all dying." He paused. Wheezing.

"I left my family's powers on this world," he continued in a barely audible voice seconds later. "I hid them in the stones. Whoever finds it may inherit these powers. Of course- That is, if you dare to bare its costs." He smirked and looked up at Shelly the Dragon. "Goodbye."

Shelly the Dragon shook out the spikes around her neck and twisted her tail around the tower she sat on. Spreading her large black wings, she bowed.

Abronze smiled back at her. The four rulers furrowed their brows at Shelly's unusual behavior. But the executioner raised his rusty ax, and fresh, warm, cherry red blood splattered over the old, stained ones. The four rulers wiped the blood that had lightly spattered onto them off with disgust. The Garavian Prince, who was the only participant with pity in his eyes, walked up to his father. He collected the cloaks the Emperor took off just as the sky started to rumble with thunder and rain poured down, pattering onto the dancing crowd beneath, sinking into the cracks between bricks, washing down the sides of the streets. For the first time in twenty-one years.

Brief Settings Introduction:

Hey guys! Hope you've enjoyed the chapter; it's been edited and polished already before I posted it on Wattpad so I really hope it went well. This book would be wholly told from a third-person perspective. I'm planning on making this a series, in every book, I'll take you guys throughout the story by introducing two major characters' story line. (Hint: There are 6 in total, and would all be introduced within the first book!) 

As for this book, as you would've guessed from the blurb, the two major characters will be Ralph and Kanitha. You would learn more about them as the story move on, and my last request: Please enjoy!