i dreamt of heaven

prologue

long ago, a band of individuals resided far out into the jungle. their nature was full of vibrant colors, trees greener than anything you've ever seen. the flowers were so beautiful and full of magic, previously seen or experienced little to nowhere else. the creatures were all peaceful and kind to anyone who would come across them.

they were a peaceful people. violence was not heard of among them, and they spread messages of peace and understanding. there were really no worries for the people, their main focus was to survive and keep the peace among the people. though there were no elected rulers here, the people had unanimously chosen a pair of rulers to oversee their lives.

the pair were of a select few who had been blessed with magic, and they used it only for good and the benefit of the people. the people trusted them with all their might, and the pair knew this and took great pride in caring for their people. every decision had the peoples' approval, and they made sure everyone felt included and had a part in their tribe, the banditos.

for the most part, this system was successful and no one had any complaints or concerns. that was until one particular bandito began to see himself as higher than those around him. he didnt understand why the pair was selected, and not him. he had magical powers as well, so why would they not choose him?

eventually, jealousy took over the man, and he attempted to overthrow the pair. he was unsuccessful, the combined power was too strong for him, and he was banned from their tribe. this, of course, was a result of much thought and consideration.

"nicolas, your behavior this week has been absolutely horrendous. this will not be accepted among our people. we would offer a second chance, but i am afraid that simply cannot be done. and for this, we have ultimately decided you will be banished." alpha spoke.

there was a collected gasp among the common people, while nicolas stood still and cold.

"so you will go. and never. come back." alpha slammed his fist on the wooden table that was made, and waved his other in the air.

a group of four banditos arrived and carried nicolas away, as he yelled curses and threats to the leaders in front of him.

since this moment the banditos have lived relatively peacefully once more, only now accompanied with stricter rules and ideals. knowing that nicolas was out there presumably increasing his power was seen as a threat by the banditos, especially with a new child on the way between the pair.

and they should be afraid. for although it was not seen, nicolas was recruiting fellow banditos who had been blessed with magic, manipulating them to feel rejected and unworthy for anyone in the camp. he was growing his own army behind the scenes.

first it was the flowers. all of them had been stolen of their beauty, slowly dying and losing their color, all except one, that is. then it was the animals. they slowly started to become more aggressive, particularly the vultures, the birds that were once used as communication, and were now fleeing the area.

this had obviously raised suspicions among the community, but the pair had convinced them all to remain calm. this was relatively easy to do as there was no real threat that they were aware of. and so, for the next few months it was just that. calm.

of course, they had to make some new adjustments to their living habits. they had domesticated some of the vultures again, though they did not have nearly as many as they once had. they had also gathered a few pigs, cows, and sheep for the necessities.

the pair were quite pleased to have their son born into such a thriving environment. he was to grow strong and take his fathers place one day, and so they must give him a strong name. they had decided on "joshua", meaning "to save".