A strange desert stretched as far as the eye could see. Though the sun was high in the sky, the temperature remained surprisingly mild, like a pleasant spring day. The only sound they could hear was the constant stomping of the Tomo-O, a giant lizard whose scales blended seamlessly with the surrounding sand. One of the few creatures in the desert friendly to humans, the Tomo-O was the swiftest mode of transportation available. Kanami and Luka were riding this remarkable beast a few kilometers south of the capital, Eran.
Their destination was the land of Ryuuji, the sole nation occupying the southwestern appendix of the continent, which reminded Luka of Italy. To the northeast lay the empire of Fyr, encompassing the holy land and its capital, Tolemac. Counting Sora, those three countries were the three known human powers in this new world.
Tamia, the continent, was roughly oval in shape with each country occupying a distinct segment. The northwest and southeast corners remained uninhabited by humans.
"As you can see, Sora is surrounded by a ring of desert that stretches to the sea and the northern mountains," Kanami explained to Luka, skillfully reigning the creature.
Luka nodded, his book open with a map of the world inside it. For the first time, he was able to situate himself and his surroundings. His first thought was that the world felt strange.
He didn't voice this to Kanami, of course, but he noticed only two islands on the map with no known countries or landmasses beyond the surrounding sea. The desert of Kaal, as written on it, was peculiar, as it covered a significant portion of the continent from the middle to the southeast, as well as encircling the country of Sora in a near-perfect ring.
As if someone had drawn a circle around it.
"I know, it's weird isn't it?" Kanami chuckled, sensing his confusion from behind.
Luka, seated behind her, clung to anything he could to steady himself. Despite this, the creature's smooth, serpentine movements made for a stable ride, unlike a horse's jarring gait.
It had been a while since they left and Kanami was getting a bit bored from the lack of conversation, so she decided to tell a tale.
"A long time ago, I think it was during Luvon's period..." she began, trailing off in thought. "Anyway, the dragon god Kaal, the dragon of death, was enraged and was surrounding slowly the country of Sora, planning to swallow all of its land with its desert."
"Wait, dragon gods? What are those?" Luka asked, intrigued.
"Oh, the creators of the world if you prefer," she explained, leaning back and counting on her fingers. "There are four in total. Veo, the dragon of creation; Eran, just like the city, is the dragon of life; and Kaal is the dragon of death, residing in the desert, hence the name on the map."
"And what's the last one? Destruction, I suppose?"
"Yes, but..." she hesitated, looking straight ahead. "This one no one talks about." She then coughed and continued. "About the desert, Luvon managed to stop Kaal from swallowing completely the country and instead he laid dormant around it for a few hundred years until two years ago."
"Wait, two years ago? What happened?"
"Sora was cut off from the rest of the world for a long time. Anyone who dared cross the desert died almost immediately, his life snuffed out by Kaal. But two years ago, while defeating the king of mages, a man managed to create a miracle."
Wrimbo, huh... Why didn't she say his name?
"By killing the king of mages, Kaal disappeared too. I don't know why. It just happened, and now, Sora is open to the world again."
YOU ARE READING
A Tamia's Tale
Fantasy"A world full of mysteries and interesting people, sure. But what if I wanted to go home instead?" Luka, a young man, is summoned by accident in a fantasy world. But his arrival isn't without problems: kidnapping, political betrayals, a sickly king...
