Welcome to my first book!
This is the first volume of my first series, plainly called "Land of the Blossoming".
I hope you enjoy!
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Those Who Protect Our land (prologue)
In a time where our land lay untouched by humans, animals were the only creatures who roamed our land, said to be placed there by the gods themselves and to be remained untouched and roaming freely and happily.
The animals, of all kinds, kept a strong bond to the heavens because of one thing; a present given to them by the divine gods, the Fortune Jewel.
The Fortune Jewel was to remain in the center in the land and no animal was specifically in charge of the Jewel. The Jewel was shared by all representing that no one was better than the other. Everyone had equal power, and the animals were content that way.
At least, it remained that way for a while. All until one the Ten Yama Kings, King Xue whom was in charge of reincarnation, reincarnated one of the spirits as a human. It was a big mistake on his part, as this started the downfall of the peaceful land. Humans weren't part of the land and placed by the gods for a reason. They were greedy creatures of sin who couldn't be trusted, of all past experiences.
One day, the man came across the Fortune Jewel. He couldn't help but feel drawn by it. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
He remained there for a while, entranced by it's beauty, until suddenly his greed got the best of him. With the possession of this jewel, he could not only have the most beautiful thing in the universe, but he could have the power of a divine soul and take control of all the land. These measly animals couldn't fight him off either, as he was a self-important human better than any other creature. It was a win outcome in any way he viewed it. Feeling no reason to not take the Fortune Jewel, he picked it up off of it's resting place.
Right away, the ground started to tremble. Animal cries everywhere were heard .The man stands trembling in fear, as the next thing he knows is all of the gods surrounding him. He needed to receive a punishment now, the gods and animals were angry. He could tell by the sudden raging earthquake, tsunamis, and chaos. Their land was falling apart, all because of the stupid human who stole the Fortune Jewel.
All of the gods spoke in unison, their eyes flashing in anger,
"Who dares to steak the Fortune Jewel?"
"I….It is I." Said the man, his voice slightly trembling.
"And you dare disturb the Fortune Jewel; the thing that keeps our perfect land functioning in peace?"
"Please.. forgive me my lords! I'll do anything!" Says the man, the Fortune Jewel back on the ground. He was on his knees, bowing down with his forehead touching the ground. He had only realized the stupidity of his actions at that moment, before being blinded by greed.
The gods didn't even need to think. They already knew the punishment.
"This land shall prosper with humans. Greedy and foolish creatures full of sin. Together, you shall build a new land from the ground up. This land will never be close to the peaceful, perfect land you once had. You foolish human, now there will be a land full of sin instead of just one individual.
From there, it is said the Fortune Jewel was broken into six separate gems
An Amethyst.
An Emerald.
A Sapphire.
A Diamond
A Topaz
A Pearl.
These gems were then scattered.
"I, the horse, shall be the guardian of the Emerald. With my proud and royal air, the way I flawlessly gallop across the land… Every animal would be charmed by my grace to the point of intimidation. And if that isn't enough, I can run faster than the wind. No one shall ever take the Emerald again."
So, with the permission of the gods, the horse was then given the Emerald.
"I, the dragon, shall be the guardian of the Amethyst. My solitude and mysteriousness will come in handy, as I am rarely in contact with others. With my speed, ability of flight, and fire, No one shall be able to take the Amethyst from me."
And so, with the permission of the gods, the amethyst was given to the dragon.
"I, the dolphin, shall be the guardian of the Sapphire. With my ability to swim deep in the ocean and swim fast, no one shall be able to find the Sapphire while I am in the endless ocean."
And so, with the consent of the gods, the Sapphire was given to the dolphin.
"I, the shrew, shall be the guardian of the Diamond. With my endless burrows underground paired with my quick and lithe way, no one shall be able to find the diamond."
So, the shrew was given the diamond to protect.
"I, the Scorpion, shall be the guardian of the Topaz. With my stinger to assist and my deadly poison, no one dares to come near me."
So, the gods gave the Topaz to the scorpion.
"I, the monkey, shall be the guardian of the pearl. My quickness in the trees is unmatched, with my cleverness no one shall be able to catch me or the pearl."
And so lastly, the pearl was given to the monkey.
From here on, more humans appeared. The animals with the six fortune gems were then known as "The Protectors of the Land". However, no one was able to track down these animals as they blended in with the rest of their kind. Therefore, the Six Fortune Gems were never found. If they were all found, they would act as the original Fortune Jewel, and give their holder the original divine power promised.
It is said that the Protectors of the Land are still alive among animals today, as with the gems they were also granted immortality. And so, one day, all six of the gems may be found. Somehow, the gods have the feeling that may happen in the near future…
When that is done, the new leader / bloodline of Fāzhǎn will be chosen. It will be an all new start for the nation. Who knows if that will be good or bad, though?
We are the ones who blossom, who prosper, who advance.
We take pride in our nation, an independent country.
We take pride in our centuries worth of culture.
We take pride in ourselves.
We are ones of the blooming land, the Land of Fāzhǎn.
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(Pronounced Fah-Chahn. It means, to bloom.)
Thanks for reading! This is only the prologue. First chapter will be up within the next week! Please give me your feedback.
Keep this tale in mind as I create the story. It will help.
