The Arcane

2: Levine

Eons ago, from the power of the most ancient gods, a planet was born. 'Zirtheia' was what the people called it and they said it without shame but rather pride. 

They were proud of the never ending sea of sunset colored Heum grass that glowed violently gold whenever they felt the presence of a happy soul. Or the way the towering Jeylip trees dripped down sweet water from its' cornflower blue leaves once every seven sunrises. Or the way unsheathed stars would rain down from the inky blackness of the sky whenever someone was proposed to in the night. And even the way children of Aloidia would scream with happy giggles as they tried to fly on each other's backs, shrieking with exhilaration while the warm spring air would sleek through their hair. 

More than anything, the people of the planet were together in harmony. Despite their different features, powers, cultures and lives, they grew and lived together with peace. The children grew to admire each other, taking in the beauty of differences. Kings and queens at the time lead their people will grace and empathy like no other, understanding everyones needs like their own. 

Zirtheia was beautiful, to put it in the most underwhelming description. It was the most beautiful place to exist.

Or had existed. 

As centuries passed, things began to change and for the worse. Future generations of royalty began to see other kingdoms as challenges for power. Each realm started to see their differences in each other; they began to be greedy. And under the rule and selfishness of their kings and queens, the people followed their lead. 

They would fight, argue and try to show off as best as possible to other realms, saying things like each others powers - their core - was worthless compared to their own. 

The realms grew apart, further igniting their unreasonable hate toward each other. Within centuries, none of the kingdoms spoke to each other and when they did, it was only full of malice and threats. Walls of clashing powers went up, physically separating people away from each other, both sides of that barrier believing it to be the best. 

Children grew up with books demonstrating other realms being weaker than them, being dumber than them and being the villains of their story. With each new story book, another child's hopes of seeing other realms vanished, crushed under generations of unrecognizable hate. Another generation of directionless anger. 

Finally, only a few months ago, someone made the first move.

All over Zirtheia for the past six months, a tensely excited aura was radiating from all over the planet. The newly crowned king of Levine announced the biggest, most history-changing decision ever to be made planet wide. He decided that life needed to change.

A month after the King's coronation, in the kingdom of Levine, people of exceptional control of their abilities came together and made hundreds of thousands of the same magical creature; the Cepi.

The Cepi was a big, magnificently capable bird with a famously recognizable emerald body and sleek feathers that ran around its' prominent back and to its wide wingspan. It's golden beak was short and rested just below its piercing blue eyes that could navigate anywhere it wanted to. But what was most enchanting about the Cepi was the tail. It was about twice the size of the entire length of its body and curled outwards toward the end. Each feather of its tail, which was about three feet long, could be enchanted to carry any sort of message it's creator wished it to.

Like a Phoenix, the Cepi could be reborn again, making it seemly immortal. Once all of it's tail feathers were plucked and the messages were delivered, the bird would disintegrate into a pile of beautiful autumn leaves and eventually, find it's way back home with the path of the wind.