Prologue
“Father! Father! You’re back!” A young boy, eight years old, reached for his father to pick him up. His father had just gotten back from his job as a stonemason, a humble profession, but it paid relatively well, and they got by just fine.
“Oh, Edward, you’ve returned. I was just about to start preparing supper. We will be having boiled Suilla. Does that sound good, my love?” Allysa spoke as she swept up, getting ready to prepare the food. Although in the city of Iniustus, women were given little thought in regards to their rights and worth, Allysa was treated very well and held in high regards by her husband, Edward, who loved her dearly. He began wiping down the table, to help his wife in preparing for dinner, despite his weariness after working long and grueling hours.
Life in Iniustus was good. The workers were paid well according to their performance, and even the women were given more freedom than in the rest of the kingdom of Empirium, all thanks to the much beloved leader, Elder Prince Viradante. He cared deeply for his people, and considered himself an equal, rather than a superior. Because of his generosity and kindness, the city prospered, and all were satisfied with his rule. The only concern was that he was advanced in age. He had ruled the city for fifty years and was nearly a century old. He grew more and more frail by the day. This would not be so worrisome if his heir was a more reasonable person, but it turned out his son, Avarus, was a selfish, conceited person, who was unfit to lead a household, much less a nation. It was rumored in Iniustus that he murdered his wife, because she would not produce a male heir, and murdered his daughter because she was not the heir he desired. There was plenty of evidence to back this, but his loyalists, The Bereft, fiercely defended him and silenced any accusers. His father was far too old to understand any of the charges, much less do anything about it. The people’s fears came to pass as Viradante died in his sleep, or so his son claimed. When he took power the quality of life for the citizens of Iniustus only waxed worse and worse. Taxes increased, the city began to degrade, as less money was being put into infrastructure and upkeep, and resource production was at an all time low, because the evil Prince Avarus refused to fund any of it. He kept the money, enriching himself and those he wished to gain favor with, leaving his people to suffer. Still the people of Iniustus pressed on, making the best of a bad situation, among them was the Frange family, Edward, Allysa, and their son Oliver.
Oliver went out frog hunting at the oasis with his best friend, Claire White, and his two other friends, Barry and Amellia Abbott, who were cousins. Oliver and Barry grabbed at the slimy creatures, barely missing them each time, as they leapt out of reach. Just as the two boys began to give up, Claire lunged head first at the frog, catching it tightly under her body, while at the same time, making a horrible mess of the dress she was wearing in the mud, “Got it! See, Oliver! That is how its done! You two never stood a chance!” She giggled as she stood up, clutching the frog tightly in her hands. It looked like it might pop.
“Claire! Let go of it! You are squeezing it too much!” Oliver shouted. Claire puffed up her cheeks in frustration, but ultimately let go of the frog. It began to hop away, but just before it made it to the water a cat dove out from the bushes, catching the frog in its paws and killing it cleanly with a bite to the back of the neck before carrying it off into the bushes.
Claire’s tough mask quickly slipped away, and her eyes teared up. She fell to her knees and curled up into a ball, sobbing. “I killed it. It’s all my fault!”
Oliver gave her a hug from behind, comforting her. “Hey, it’s not your fault… think about it. If the frog hadn’t been there, the cat might have not had a meal to eat. You helped the cat find food so it could survive.” Oliver hoped his words would help her.
She looked up at him, her crying stopped, though tears were still pooled in her eyes. “Really? You really think I helped?” Her eyes were wide.
“Yeah, you definitely did! I am sure the cat is really thankful!” He took her hand and helped her stand up, “We should head home. The sun is going down, and maybe you can eat at my house today!” He grinned.
“Okay! Thanks Oliver!” Claire replied, and after saying goodbye to Barry, who was still trying to catch frogs, and to Amellia, who much preferred just sitting down with a book beneath a tree, Oliver and Claire headed off to her house to ask her parents if she could eat at his house.
Six years later, Claire and Oliver were still best friends, and they still hung out with Barry and Amellia often. Oliver was fourteen, and Claire was only a year younger, so they both started to understand more about what life in Iniustus was like. Claire was still somewhat tomboy-ish, but had filled out quite a bit, and had become closer to being a woman than a girl. Her hair, having been tied into pigtails when she was younger, was now left down, but still neatly kept. Her hair had darkened a bit from bright blonde to a slightly darker shade, although the ends of her hair were bright as ever. She kept it just past shoulder length. The freckles she once had as a child, while faded, were still somewhat present, but her skin was even more fair than it had been before, an unusual sight in the desert. Oliver on the other hand, had tanned quite a bit, and his hair had become more coarse and darkened to a light brown. His features became sharper and his muscles more pronounced. Both of them helped in taking care of their families. Oliver was an only child, while Claire had two younger brothers, and a younger sister, who was only four, and yet, they were very close, especially since Claire’s mother had died three years previous of an illness, so Claire ended up taking care of her younger siblings while her father worked. Oliver and Claire’s fathers were very close friends. Recently Oliver’s father had joined the senate, so they were far better off than they had been in the past.
Oliver and Claire were walking down the road toward a small meadow that, despite the desert heat, flourished with flowers and vegetation of many kinds. The two of them walked with their hands intertwined, and at a first glance, one might have thought they were a couple. Despite this show of affection, neither of them had ever really considered the idea of being anything more than friends, although some light flirting occasionally took place, and they shared just about anything and everything with each other, no matter how embarrassing or secret it was. They were on their way to meet up with Barry and Amellia. Barry was a rather portly child with short, curly brown hair. Despite his appearance he was actually very strong, even stronger than Oliver. Amellia was a tall, slender girl with exceedingly long black hair. She favored the color purple over all others, and always wore her favorite purple headband which had daisy patterns sewed onto it.
As they were walking Oliver began to talk, their arms swinging in tandem as they made their way down the road, “Excited for The Festival of Dusk? I am sure there will be good food as always, and the iridescent lights are very beautiful.”
“Mmm, I am not really a fan of it. The festival always gave me a dark feeling and- Wait! Why was the first thing you mentioned to me food?! What is that supposed to mean, hm?” She glared at him in a mostly false rage.
Oliver raised his hands in defense, “I meant nothing by it! Maybe you could stand to gain a few pounds. You are thin as a rail!” He joked, but quickly regretted it after she smacked him over the back of the head.
“Maybe one day you will learn how to talk to a lady!” Her voice was indignant, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice, and a glimmer of humor in her eye.
