Chapter 1

It is cut up into 3 parts. The very beginning explaining Dagmar, Adair and Oberon.

Since there is no better place to start let's start at the very beginning. Of course I don't mean the first organism to be alive or even the first human. Instead let's start where the magic begins. This is a story of three people. A man, a woman, and a teenage boy.

Part 1

This piece is about a woman. She is 38 and her name is Dagmar. Her husband has recently died and there has been a vacancy in the leadership for 3 weeks now. The elders have offered her a place among them and she accepted the offer. Today is the fifth day since her husband's death.

She is currently standing just inside the hallway leading to the altar of the temple. Dagmar tries to keep her head calm by slowing down her breathing. She keeps reciting the lines she will have to say in her head and trying not to focus on what she will need to do. After what probably was 10 minutes she can't do it any more and looks around at the walls with the paintings on the Guardians and their stories.

She then hears the steady beat of the drums and turns toward the altar. She sees Talib of Xol step forward to stop just before the fire with her husband's heart roasting above it. She hears the cheer of the crowd below the temple then sees Talib raised his left hand. The crowd stops cheering and the drums stop beating immediately. After a moment of silence he begins. "This is a glorious day," he yells out over the crowd making sure everyone can hear him. "While Masika of Flanto has fallen a new Elder has been chosen by Flanto. He has chosen a child of love and freedom. From now till she dies she shall be known as Dagmar of Flanto."

With the introduction done Talib walked back to stand with the other four elders and Dagmar walked up behind the fire. The crowd cheered and the drums beat fast. When she looked out over the temple square she couldn't believe how tall even the center of the temple was compared to the trees surrounding Xollied.

She then took the heart into her hands and held it up for all to see. Like before the cheering almost immediately stopped but this time they all bowed. And when she brought it down everyone stood up. The other Elders took two steps forward and began saying their lines one by one.

"This first bite shows your devotion to destiny no matter what the cost," recited Talib of Xol. Dagmar took the first bite slowly a little scared. Luckily the elders put enough spices on it so it was well preserved.

After she swallowed Agnes of Lima said, "This second bite shows your love of your husband and contentment with his death." Dagmar took the second bite.

"The third bite shows your dedication to make our towns prosper," says Cadoc of Mesque.

"This fourth bite represents the death and the promise of Malen to bring your souls together," said Achim of Malen. She takes the fourth bite as she recites in her head what she will need to say.

"This fifth bite represents the secrets you will learn in the journy in your life," says Kadri of Zeenal. Dagmar takes the fifth bite from the heart.

Now it was Dagmars turn. "This sixth and final bite represents my detication to Flanto to build grand buildings to the skys and great roads to welecome travlers and traders." And with that she took the last bite and when she was down she dropped the heart into the fire.

The crowd and drums went crazy one last time. The other Elders now put the elder robes on her. The robes had a large hood and were dark gray with a blue gem sewn into the top to represent the eyes of Flanto. They all walked down the stairs down the pyramid in pairs of the gods. First Talib and Agnes making the pair of Proas. Then Achim and Cadoc making the pair of Adoz. And finally Kadri and Dagmar, the pair of Nams. Then when the stairs split to make way for the doorway Talib, Achim and Kadri went left while Agnes, Cadoc and Dagmar went right.

By the time they reached the ground the people of Xol had started making a path through the crowd towards the forest.

As they walked forward the people of Xol closed in behind them and the crowd, still cheering, followed them till they reached the forest. The crowd and people of Xol stopped at the edge while the elders kept walking.

Part 2

Now part two is about a trader, a man of Flanto, by the name of Adair. He lives in Limadol, the ocean city. Four times a year all the traders go around to all the towns and trade the goods from their respective towns. Although with an Elder dead this year everyone who can be at Xollied will be making it a perfect time for trade. Only the sick, old, and the people of Xol would be home to make sure there would be no trouble. Adair brought his son for the first time to Xollied and his wife also went with them. His son's name was Femi and his wife was Mesika.

It was early when he awoke to the noise of a crowd gathering in front of the temple. They had set up a tent close to the temple a little bit in the trees. It was still dark out. He waited for fifteen to twenty minutes before waking his wife and son up.

They changed into their nice clothes. A tunic for Adair and Femi while Mesika had her best pants and a nice shirt. They all had their cloaks on because it was cold. As he had hoped they were too late to get close to the pyramid. And they stayed fairly close to the tent so they could get ready fast.

Soon enough he saw five figures step out onto the altar and the drums started. One of the figure walked forward to stand behind the fire. The figure addressed the crowd below the temple. To seeing the temple like this was even more ominous than it was in the day. The way the fire illuminated only the altar and the torches leading down the stairs. It almost scared him to think that six people could control thousands. His father said the temple was created in ten years. Six years to reach what was the original top, the altar, then the made it taller and put the four pillars holding up the second half from collapsing on the alter. The second half took four years and the Elders never decided to put the last pieces at the top to complete it. The stairs went around the main entrance and then came together above it and ended at the alter.

He felt a tug on his tunic and he looked down to see his son. "Dad I can't see anything," Femi complained. "Why can't we get any closer?"

"Because we woke up late. Here," he said and reached down picking Femi up and putting him on his shoulders. "Is that better?"

"Yes."

"Good now shh we need to listen to the Elders."

The new elder had just had just walked onto the alter and everyone started cheering. Not being able to bow well because of his kid on his shoulders he kneeled. He quickly got up and glanced at Mesika. Her fists were clenched and lips were pressed hard together. The people of Xol didn't seem concerned with her so he just turned back to the ceremony.

Soon enough it was over and the elders were coming down the temple. The people of Xol were heading their way so he put Femi down and said, "Let's go get set up for the day." Mesika had already started to head back to the tent to set up the stand.

"Ok dad," said Femi running to his mom.
Adair took a glance over his shoulder to see the new elder and as he started walking back to the tent he had to do a double take. He realised it was Dagmar.
He closed his eyes and gave a moment of silence for his friend. He thought to himself that everything that happens is how its supposed to be. He then headed back to the tent to set up the stand.

Part 3

Our last piece of the story is of a boy who has been recently recognised as a man in this society. He is now a man of Lima and over the next few years he will choose what he wants to do as a child of love and freedom. He is fifteen and his name is Oberon. In this ceremony we find him off to the side near the edge of the forest so that no one would be near him.

This isn't to say he wasn't proud of his aunt its just he hated this place. It seems barbaric to say the least especially since they all lived in huts and had huge temples to worship old gods.

Before fourteen he thought he'd be a part of the people of Xol like his brother or the people of Malen like his parents. Either way it was pretty straight forward as to what he would do for a living. His aunt and uncle had been trying to teach him how to be a person of Lima by teaching him art and music. But now his aunt Dagmar will be busy running the country and he can't learn from his uncle. That's about all there is for him in this chapter.

~Our story starts with 3,
3 who will change the world,
3 who will die

The leader who has lost everything,
But has gained all power in return,
She has everything but no relation to it

The merchant with wife and child,
The perfect family of the common man,
He has everything with no power

A child who has need for nothing,
A child who wants to control destiny like many,
But will truely guide the world in a way he could not foresee

Author's Note

Would really appreciate feedback. Be honest and please help me with a real name for this book.