The Twenty Virtues Book 1- The Twenty Generals

1- The Prophecy

Amidst a dense forest, a man wandered alone. Well... I wouldn't necessarily say alone, after all, this young man is somewhat peculiar. His name was Pedro, around twenty years old, dressed in casual clothes, with a short beard and thick but not long hair. He walked carefully, trying not to break any branches and make noise. It wasn't because of the animals, but the creatures. What creatures? There are so many that it's impossible to describe them all. Seven years ago, the world was destroyed by them; they appeared out of nowhere, spreading despair and chaos everywhere. Some flew, others were fast, some were strong, and some could even transform into humans, disguising themselves.

But that's not all. Something else peculiar began happening in the world. Some humans started awakening powers to protect themselves; they were rare, probably less than 1% of the world's population. Which had drastically decreased due to recent events.

But back to Pedro, remember how I said he wasn't alone even though he seemed to be? It turns out Pedro is one of the humans who awakened a power. The ability to understand and speak to any living being, whether animals or plants. 

Pedro walked, stressed because, once again, the animals were mocking him. The truth, which only he knew, was that most animals were conceited and arrogant, or at least, they were rude. Even the kindest of animals didn't hold their tongues, and if they did, it was out of fear, not pity or anything like that. And for someone as sensitive as Pedro, overly sincere words hurt a lot.

"You think so?" asked the man to a bird flying beside him.

"Definitely, Pedro!" the bird replied. "You're really stupid when coming to these parts. That's why you can't make friends with humans—you're so anxious it's ridiculous."

"But I think nobody likes people who talk too much or are too rude. I certainly don't."

"Do you live your life for yourself or for others?"

"What others? You know very well I can't stay near other people. It never ends well..." The bird rolled its eyes in disappointment, and meanwhile, a squirrel appeared among the branches of a tree, chiming in.

"Is the baby crying again? You never get tired, huh, Pedro?" The man remained silent, walking with his head down. It wasn't that the animals disliked him, but certainly, most of them constantly pressured him. Luckily for him, though, roots and tree branches moved and grew, creating a sort of barrier between him and the animals.

"Thanks, girls," the man said, and the plants swayed their leaves in response, telling him not to worry too much because the animals were too focused on their own perspectives. "I just hope I can finish this quickly. Anyway, are we too far from getting there?"

The trees responded that it wouldn't take long to reach the camp. Pedro had no idea what camp this was because he mostly just followed his plant friends' instructions. But he couldn't help but wonder about the kind of people and things that might be there. Just hoping he wouldn't bother anyone.

The Camp

Well, what to say about this place? It was what remained of what was once the United States, or rather, a small camp of fifty people that represented what was left of that country. It was actually quite common; there were a few other "countries" like this one still alive, communicating through carrier pigeons, ships, and cars. Which meant it usually took days, months, or even years to receive news.

There was a small group of children in this camp, no more than ten, and they were taught by a woman who used books she found on the streets to educate them, probably as a way to distract and occupy their minds. But if I were to focus on those who really matter to this story, I would highlight two twelve-year-old girls, Emily and Lysa, who had opposite personalities—one extroverted, the other quieter—but they shared a few things in common. Both were orphans, cared for by the camp, and both had a strong desire to help the elders, a wish to be useful.