The Golden Hexagon

CHAPTER 1

It was a bustling town, simple and beautiful. The houses were made out of bricks, and there were gardens, parks, and fountains all around the town. There were flowering plants and fruiting trees all around the town too - thriving lusciously.

"Rory! Come inside! Time for bed!" a woman called out, coming out of her house.

"Coming Monna!" lisped a tiny child from the yard, trying to unearth a small piece of shiny rock from the ground, with abandoned mud-figurines lying nearby.

The girl ran to her mother. Her mother knelt down and bundled the child in her arms.

"Rory, what have I told you about playing outside, after it is dark?" the woman asked, smiling adoringly at her brown headed daughter.

"I fovgot," the child said, gazing mischievously at her mother's eyes, the same shade of green as hers.

"Of course you did," the mother said, laughing. "Come, time for bed."

"Me hate bed time!" the child announced, nestling closer to her mother.

"But Monna will tell you a new story! One you've never heard!" her mother said.

"Really? Pwomise?" the child said, looking into her mother's eyes.

"Promise," her mother said, solemnly gazing back into her child's eyes.

The child nodded and her mother carried her inside.

She slowly lowered her child into the bed and tucked her in her green blanket. She sat down near her.

"Stowytime! Stowytime!" the child said.

"Patience, Rory," her mother said, chuckling.

"Okay, okay," the child said, keeping her index finger on her lips as if to restrain herself from talking.

"Once upon a time, God created the six Maidens of life - the Maiden of Breeze, the Maiden of the Earth, the Maiden of Water, the Maiden of Light, the Maiden of Snow, and the Maiden of Trees. These six Maidens were so different from each, and often fought like you and me."

"Me no fight! No fight!" the child said.

"Of course not. But it was the Maiden of Trees and the Maiden of Earth who calmed them down. But after a long long time, they became nice to each other, and never fought. They loved each other, and it was a time of peace and harmony. They each went in six directions and created six large cities, and connected it with golden roads. The cities, and roads, together were called the Golden Hexagon. The cities prospered, and all were happy" she continued.

"Reel gold roads?" the girl asked.

"Well we don't know that, do we?" her mother asked, laughing tightly.

"Where is the monster part! Stowy has bad part!" Rory asked excitedly.

A pair of multi coloured eyes gazed at her from behind her mother. She excitedly waved at them, trying to reach them.

"Yes Rory, coming to the part," the mother said, straightening the creases on the bed sheet, and pushing her daughter's hands down.

"One day, the Maiden of Snow was gazing at her reflection in a stream. As she was admiring herself, she noticed a black mole on her nose. The Maiden of Water materialized and began teasing her. The Maiden of Snow became angry and pulled the mole out and threw it toward The Maiden of Water's town. The darkness, hate and anger created a city of evil power. The people in it were evil, and their leader is Gar'eka. They gathered their people and tried to overpower the Maidens, but they were defeated. Many years later, The Seer said that they would come back, and that time, they wouldn't be able to defeat the Black Hole, as they called themselves, but only their Descendants would. The Maidens, distraught, went to Koralana, and left it to their Descendants to save the world from evil" she ended

"So there are Descendants? This is real?" Rory asked, wide eyed.

"Yes Rory. We are the southernmost town of the Golden Hexagon" she said.

"So Descendants have Power?" Rory asked.

"Yes, but their Powers can only be used in times of grave danger".

"Really Monna?" the child asked.

"Really Aurora. Really" her mother said, looking away, her eyes now a dangerous shade of jade.

She smoothened the blankets on the bed.

"And now, it is time for Princess Aurora of the Trees to go to bed!", the child's mother exclaimed.

"Of what?", the child asked.

"Nothing," she said sharply.

She sighed and blew the lamp out. As she lay down on her bed, Aurora tugged at her sleepily, and asked, "Monna, will the Black Hole come back sometime?"

Her mother stroked her hair and said, "Only Quanasia knows".