Opavia

Prologue

There was the heavy, dreadful stench of ash lingering in the air of the burning island. It was an island hidden deep in the seas of the New World, recognized by the large oak tree which was located in the direct center of the island. There were no remote towns nor cities, but small shacks and cottages. There was plenty of lush trees and forest coating the island, with a single large building near the base of the large tree.

Although covered in flames, it was a marble castle. The tree behind it remained untouched, although upon closer inspection there were many hammocks and other cloths hanging on its large branches.

Sobs echoed within the deep forest, blackened with smoke. Faint gunshots and yells of war rained over the blazing plains, creatures and people stumbling and fleeing to the shores desperately, where ships were docked.

Navy ships were beginning to close in on the island, invading the shores and running deep into the island. Islanders were being dragged to the Navy ships, screaming and sobbing in jargons and their native language. They wielded bows and various crafted daggers, broken arrows scattered on the ground.

"Shut up, you rat!" A navy man yelled, throwing a woman to the ground. She had blonde hair, stained with dirt and blood with light blue face paints underneath her eyes, looking about 16 years old. They followed her cheek bones to create a gently curved line, matching her crystal blue eyes. She had a tail the color of her skin, flicking furiously in the ground.

"Skylar!" A woman cried out in worry, Skylar's paints glimmering faintly.

"Skylar, huh?" The marine cackled, "What are you? Some warrior?"

"She's a royal guard." An admiral approached them, staring down at her calmly. His lips curved in a faint smirk as she hissed, revealing sharpened teeth.

"Opavia will never fall." She warned with a thick, native accent. the admiral's smirk immediately turned into a scowl. He lifted his foot up, a swift breeze causing him to tumble back. He looked up, a small cloud hovering a few yards above them.

On it stood a brown-skinned Opavian, around the age of 16. He was shirtless, wearing chains of gold with his hair pulled back into a ponytail. There was a small tuff of hair left out, yellow face paints decorating his face. He glared down in pure rage as the admiral gave a scoff.

"Prince Kendrick!" A woman cried, Kendrick narrowing his eyes.

There was a darkskinned woman around the age of 16 who sat in a tree, watching silently as the navy men ran below her. Her hand crackled with electricity, leaning forward slowly as she crept down the tree and landed silently on the ground.

She had a human appearance, minus her faintly pointed ears and brown tail which she swept across the ground gently. She had a lean figure with dark curly hair that fell about midback. She wore a thin purple top with no sleeves, tied around her neck and black pants. Waist beads and ankle jewelry decorated her body, a golden plate armoring her forearm. She had dark purple paints below her hazel eyes, a "y" shaped line of purple paint on the center of her lower forehead. She bubbled with anger, her eyebrows visibly furrowing furiously as she crept after the men.

"Vitani" She froze at the hiss, turning to spot a darskinned man behind her. He had thick curly hair up in a high poinytail and a dark tail. He had similar hazel eyes, black face paints lining the center of his forehead, with an additional line spraying outward on each side of the single line. He had two lines on each cheek, one going straight before falling downward with another pointing upward. He had a black scarf on which fell just below his chin, a skin tight black shirt hugging his muscular figure. He wore baggy black pants, a dark grey crotch guard hanging onto his belt.

"Umpscravisto. (Brother)." She whispered, glaring up at him. "Why would you stop me, Oboiye?"

"Father wants to see us." He responded, looking up at gunshots ahead. The ground shook fainty, a marine shooting up into the air.

Another woman sprinted towards the two, although she was much smaller than the pair. She looked about 14, lightskinned with shared hazel eyes. She wore a white short and a brown skirt, the back of her shirt torn. She had clay-red face paints, two lines leaning outward above her eyebrows and below each cheek. She panted, her dirty-brown curls falling over her face as she skidded to a hault.

"Kierra.." Oboiye started although she briefly shook her head. Her cheeks were stained with tears, panting furiously.

"We have to go. Father is waiting for u-" She pushed Vitani out the way and slammed her foot on the ground, drawing her arms up. At the action, a wall of rock exited the ground, protecting them from a furious blast which slammed into the wall.

It crumbled to the ground, the three taking fighting stances as a large figure approached from the shadows. Vitani's ears seemed to pin in recognition, stumbling forward in desperation.

"Kuma." She whispered in a sob as the warlord slowly approached them. "Kuma, you have to help us. Please! You know my father, youre his friend?" She froze as he calmly moved past her, Oboiye watching in pure horror as Kuma lifted his hand.

"Wait a minut- Kuma!" Vitani reached out, Oboiye reaching out to grab Kierra.

"Kierra!" He roared, Kuma's hand passing through her body. She disappeared, Vitani frozen in shock as Oboiye stared at where Kierra previously stood. His gaze shakingly ran up Kuma's body to meet his gaze, his paints glimmering. Oboiye's shadow grew, connecting to Kuma's although before he could proceed, Kuma lifted his hand.

"Oboiye, no!" Vitani stumbled forward as Oboiye slowly looked over at his sister.

"Navacto!- (run)" Oboiye's body disappeared, Vitani skidding to a hault. She stared in horror, swaying faintly as she swallowed. Kuma was turning to her slowly, her eyes slowly looking up at him. She backed up, turning quickly and sprinting in the opposite direction. She shot through the flames of the forest desperately, leaping over branches and other objects desperately until she spotted a clearing ahead of her.

An older woman stood there, her back facing Vitani. She wore a beautiful green skirt, dusted with blood and dirt with a similar colored tube top. Her curly hair was up in a bun, greying faintly of age. She had face paints the color of her shirt and skirt, wearing various beaded bracelets. There was a sense of elegance among her look, her hazel eyes turning swiftly at Vitani's arrival as she broke the tree line of the clearing.

"Vitani-" She froze, Kuma's hand reaching out for Vitani as she sprawled out in desperation.

"Ma!!!-" Her sob broke the air as Kuma's hand passed through Vitani's body.