M.R. Short Story: Vetaers and Meryls

Vetaers and Meryls

A long time ago, the alligators ruled the world. Though the trolls and dragons overlooked the worldly matters, it was the intelligent alligators in control when it came to the lower species of the land. They were on their way to being as high as the trolls and dragons, as the only other intelligent species.
Most of the time, the alligators would stick to small groups or live in solitude. They'd use their intelligence to worship the dragons for their magical abilities. They'd use their magic for both survival and fun. There wasn't much system to the alligator societies, which mostly lay in the southern lands. Some alligators spread to the desert, becoming more lizard than alligators over time. These desert alligators soon mated with giant desert lizards, creating a new species of lesser intelligence. This action greatly surprised the dragons, who did not think that the two species were similar enough to mate. Either way, this mixed breed is where the alligators' problems began.The strange half-breeds journeyed to the south, where the many alligator societies lived. They used their intelligence unwisely and claimed to be bigger and better than the alligators—their own ancestors. They did not worship any dragons, and scoffed at the dragons' existence. The alligators quickly lost their temper with this new species and resorted to violence, learning how to use their magic for harm.The dragons were quick to act. A few months after the trouble had started, they selected one group of alligators and mix-breeds to help the situation. This small group of eight was the only society where the two species thrived together. The dragons termed them as "vetaers" and taught them how to use their magic to its highest potential. Instead of learning how to cut and bruise with magic, these species learned how to create sandstorms and tidal waves to awe any spectator.As the overall situation worsened with the alligators and half-breeds, the vetaers acted fast. A full-scale battle had broken out in a swamp, and the vetaers used their magic to freeze the water and therefore the alligators within. Though the species tried to get out, the vetaers' magic was stronger, due to the dragons putting a part of their own souls in the selected few. The vetaers swiftly thought up a solution. The alligators were so engrossed in tradition and worshipping. The half-breeds were the complete opposite. Intelligence was hurting both species. The alligators would need to be "dumbed down" in order to get along with the lesser half-breeds. They'd have to forget their intelligence and traditions, or learn that there was no difference between the species.The vetaers went to the dragons, seeing if there was some way to set a spell on the two species. They knew the creators, Mo and Ruo, had a spell placed over every creature to exist. They knew the dragons had gotten permission from Mo and Ruo to release the spell on one species—that of the alligators. Therefore, there had to be a way to return a partial spell, to keep the alligators in check.The dragons told the vetaers how to make a spell by combining their magics with purpose behind each magic: light, water, earth, fire, wind, frost, lightning, and cloud. Sandstorms swept the desert, winds passed through the grasslands, and hurricanes battered the coastlines. The vetaers took most of the alligators' intelligence away.Yet fights still persisted. The alligators and half-breeds continued to use their magic against one another, killing many that same week. It seemed the species could not live alongside one another, and they were causing chaos across the world as a result. The vetaers therefore brewed up another spell, making the alligators' magic no longer work in fights. The battles soon stopped, as the two species were now forced in close combat situations instead of striking from afar. The alligators had lost most intelligence and some abilities of their magic. The half-breeds mostly returned to the desert or left the swamps at the very least, growing bored with the alligators—who were now their equals.The vetaers and dragons had come up with a solution together, fixing a possible catastrophe within a week, only months after it had first started. In return for their quick thinking, Mo and Ruo personally thanked the vetaers, and made them into guardians of the world, like dragons and trolls themselves. The new guardians were gifted with immortality, and the ability to pass through the physical realm and the spirit realm. They were able to shift between alligators, lizards, and dragons themselves, no longer one species but many combined. Several chose to stay in the desert and some in the warm southern lands; a few went to the creators' islands to guard portals to the spirit world alongside several dragons.The time when alligators ruled the world was centuries ago, and a new species had already come into power: Humans. Shortly after the alligator problem was solved and the vetaers were made into guardians, Mo and Ruo told the trolls that they could choose one species to gain intelligence. The most respected and wise trolls chose the humans, their descendants, just as the dragons had chosen their alligator descendants. However, there needed to be more control over the humans than there had been with the alligators. The humans were already quite social and lived in large groups—any issue that might pop up would spread like wildfire to other human populations. The humans were therefore not told that they had magic, apart from a collection nearest the trolls. This portion of land became an experiment known as the Kaster Lands. The Kasters were told they had magic, thanks to the creators, trolls, and dragons. The people were soon worshipping these creatures as immortal and powerful beings—just like the alligators had before them. In return, the trolls developed a system for the Kasters to live by, to learn how to control their magic. Kaster Form used martial arts to put intention on and control magic. The Kasters would also hold competitions between villages in order to use their magic for "safe combat" instead of full-on war. They were indeed forbidden to use magic for bloodshed, as law of the land.Eventually, the trolls and dragons faded from the Kasters' societies, sticking more to themselves instead. The dragons mostly left to the spirit realm, growing bored with the physical world. The trolls became figures in tales, and very rarely did the average Kaster see a troll. Of course, there were some exceptions: Several individual trolls and dragons would choose to live amongst or near the humans, providing them guidance with their martial arts and magic. But it was mostly the high leaders and martial arts masters who spoke to the troll and dragon tribes. Monarch Vundur's own tribe traveled so often across the land that he hardly saw humans himself growing up. He learned how to survive harsh winters in the stone mountains, he learned to hunt only old and sick animals (including humans) who'd have no impact on the world, he learned his heritage and the story of the alligators, and he learned all about the magic the troll guardians held themselves. Yet he always came back to the tale of the alligators, and his mother's voice rang in his ears as he looked at the story etched on stone. "One day, you might need to do something similar to what the dragons did. We already know humans have violent tendencies sometimes, and it's only due to their ability to love others so easily that we have not needed to act thus far. But if war breaks out, the humans must be stopped. Remember, Vundur, we cannot control much, not with our own species under the creators' spell. You will have to choose humans to help the humans—or else call upon the creators themselves to take matters into their own claws. But we must try to solve any problem that arises ourselves, to prove to the creators that we are responsible and worthy of making decisions. Do you understand, Vundur? You will not only be ruler of this tribe, but the monarch of all trolls in this world. You must be ready for this responsibility and make the correct decisions..."Monarch Vundur sighed, knowing he'd eventually have to show his face to the humans. He knew that he'd need to make vetaer versions of the humans. He knew, deep down, that he'd require these special people in the coming century. The humans were getting more violent within recent years, and it was thanks to their "lack" of magic that the small wars weren't larger. He would need to be ready whenever things got out of control—if they did. Maybe his gut feeling was wrong, and he'd never need to do anything with the humans.But it was always better to be safe. He was not only in control of the trolls now, but the fate of the humans. He'd have to be responsible, and so he'd choose several people who'd have special abilities to restore order should the need arise. Monarch Vundur could always just choose one or two people; he doubted he'd need to get as many as eight, like the situation with the alligators—at least, not at this time.Monarch Vundur merely hoped that these special people—who he'd term as "meryls"—would never be needed in his lifetime...