Aruniol and the Polmo Kingdom

Aruniol, a world full of magic, fantastical creatures, monsters, and humans. Divided into eight visible continents and two underground ones. Its surface area was far greater than Earth’s.

Long ago, when no humans were alive, there was nothing on Aruniol. It was written in history books that Firia was the first thing to appear, and from it were born all beings, trees, monsters, and more. This was why every being could use Firia to cast spells. They were born from it, as it exists everywhere.

The climate and ecosystems were very similar to those on Earth. The further north or south, the colder it became. The closer you got to the center, the hotter it was. The different species of animals were spread across every continent. It was possible to find the same species on one continent or another, whether in a cold climate or warm climate. These species looked alike at first glance, but they had evolved differently depending of the climate they lived in – and so had their powers too.

All these continents were divided into three or four kingdoms each. Every one of them had a very unique style. Compared to Earth, some had a medieval style, while others leaned closer to that of the 1800s. This gave rise to a rich cultural diversity across kingdoms.

Each kingdom was once prosperous, treating others with respect. But as time passed and kings changed, tensions arose when one kingdom possessed something another desired. Wars began. Death ruled over the battlefields, and many kingdoms collapsed as their economies were consumed by endless wars. These kingdoms ended up losing the wars. Victorious kingdoms could then easily seize the territory of the defeated, acquiring all their riches and knowledge.

Wars could break out between one kingdom and another – or between many kingdoms against one. The list could be long. But sometimes, entire continents formed alliances to attack another continent in its entirety. These were called the Annihilation Wars. As their name suggests, they annihilated continents – leaving only ruins, corpses, infertile land, and territories no longer habitable. All of this merely to satisfy the murderous impulses of envious sovereigns. 

After these wars, three continents were destroyed. During the first war, two continents annihilated each others due to their overwhelming destructive power. In the second war, one continent survived while the other was annihilated. Losses were immense, but many people fled their continent to settle elsewhere before the war – so not all lives were lost.

Today, wars were still frequent, though less destructive. Aruniol had become a world where life was no longer as good as before. Yet in some kingdoms, sovereigns tried to keep war from being the main concern of citizens uninvolved in battle, in order to preserve some semblance of happiness.

Such was the case of the Polmo Kingdom, on the Deflo continent. Located near the world’s center, this continent enjoyed a mild climate – perfect for agriculture and life in general. The kingdom resembled France in the 1800s. All the cities were beautiful, and even the villages had their charm. 

The biodiversity was astounding, with species never seen on Earth. Some entirely new, some hybrids of different animals, and others whose traits had grown far larger than their earthly counterparts. Many animals also looked similar to those on Earth, but possessed unique abilities beyond their use of magic. Some were constantly jumping, others flying – and that was just a glimpse of the extraordinary fauna inhabiting the Polmo Kingdom and the wider world. It was like something taken straight out of a novel from Earth – the kind of world earthlings could only dream of.

Despite this idyllic life, the Polmo Kingdom shared its continent with the Stuts and Murn Kingdoms, with whom it was at war. All three fought to conquer the entire continent in order to establish dominance over the rest of the world. 

The Polmo Kingdom was not in a strong position, and the tension could be felt everywhere despite the king and authorities trying to organize events to keep citizens happy. But even then, veterans, the crippled, the poor, and those whose homes had been destroyed, wandered the kingdom, telling their stories and showing how miserable war had made them. 

Tensions also simmered within the kingdom itself, directed at the king. His throne was threatened, his own people beginning to demand his dethronement.

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In the castle of the king of the Polmo Kingdom, the sovereign, dressed in sumptuous clothes, walked down a corridor alongside two armored guards. A red carpet stretched under their feet, and mirrors covered the walls. The only sound was that of the guards’ steel boots striking the floor. Sunlight shone brightly through the only two windows.

A man ran toward the king, who stopped. The man knelt and waited for the king’s approval to speak.

“What is it? I’m going to take a bath, so be quick!”

The man raised his head. It was one of the king’s advisors. He spoke without hesitation.

“My king, two trials await your judgment. All the required people and suspects are already gathered in the court, located in the garden.”

“Trials? Let me think... Entertainment before a bath never hurt anyone. I’m coming!”

At the end of the corridor, the four of them passed through a door that opened into the garden. They walked to the court, a beautiful monument made in marble. The doors opened by themselves. Everyone inside turned in surprise – some crying, all eyes fixed on the king.

The sovereign sat on a chair prepared for him. The two suspects were brought forward at once to hasten the process. They begged for their lives – they had only stolen bread, nothing more. The king stood.

“Nevermind. I thought these people would be entertaining, but they’re just crybabies. I declare them guilty of stealing food supplies intended for soldiers on the front. Their punishment will be death.”

The king laughed and applauded himself. Two guards approached the suspects from behind, placed their hands on their necks, and cast a spell. Spears materialized from their hands, piercing the two poor souls. They fell dead. Citizens and parents who had attended the trial wept and screamed insults at the king, but soldiers repressed them with threats.

“Now this is what I call entertainment! Look, people! See what happens if you commit an infraction. We live in troubled times, and every troublemaker must be punished.” The king proclaimed this in a mocking tone.

He withdrew from the back of the court. Passing through a small door, he entered the garden, where an old man in a black suit, with gray hair and eyes, was waiting. It was Rufus, his closest advisor.

The king smiled brightly and embraced him.

“Rufus, what brings you here?”

“My king, I finally found her – after all this time.”

The king knew exactly whom he was referring to.

“Why were you searching for her in the first place? I thought I made myself clear: she can die and I won't care!” The king exclaimed, his voice full of anger.

“I know that, but I needed to tell you this. She’s with the creature – traveling with it. They seem to be close friends. I found them like I found the creature two years ago.”

“What? She succeeded and never told me? That bastard! She wants to take my place, is that it?!”

Anger rose in the king’s voice. He was certain Saya was plotting against him. He clenched his fists. His anger materialized as the wind whipped stronger around him. A shockwave burst from his body, shaking everything nearby.

“Prepare my horse and a hundred men. We’re going to take her back!”

“I think we should wait a little longer. They seem to be going to Greyford Valley.”

“The Valley of the Dead? We’re going anyway. The soldiers will do their duty. I will stay at the rear. I don’t care if some of them die, as long as they bring her back.”

The king, enraged, strode quickly across the garden and re-entered the castle. He soon arrived at his bath, where he tried to calm himself. The water boiled around him, a sign of his fury.

“I should have had a boy. A girl is worthless – they all have frivolous ideas. I must stop Saya.”

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“Celi! Let’s move forward! We need to see what’s under this rock. Saya, take care of this golem, I think you should be able to control him for a bit! Let’s go!” Iwao screamed at the top of his lungs.

The three of them were running through Greyford Valley at night. It was a very strange place – an immense valley of dirt with nothing on it, except for the holes in the ground which were hiding things. Golems, zombie sheep, or entrances to strange caves – this one was what the group was searching for.

Bathed in the light of the three moons, they had awoken a golem by stepping on it. It was like a minefield; they had to grope their way forward, and a single wrong step sent unleashed a dangerous monster.

Iwao was running faster than Celi and reached the rock first. The golem’s awakening had stirred zombie sheep, which were now charging at them. As Celi ran, she cut them down with her sword, getting sprayed with their rotten blood.

Saya stayed behind to fight the golem, as she was powerful enough to face it alone. She had proven it before by killing an entire troupe of Tritors with a single spell. They were like goblins, but everything about them was multiplied by three – their limbs, their strength. Tough monsters.

Saya cast fireballs, gravity spells, and even hurled rocks at the golem. Then, placing her hands on the ground, she unleashed a spell that broke the earth beneath the golem. It collapsed into the hole, and she started shouting at it.

“Hear my voice, you, the one without a brain! I will not tolerate you crushing our plans. By the guardian of the moons, Astello, you will obey me! Termma!”

She cast an incantation to control the golem. It rose to its feet again but barely moved.

“Iwao, everything is ready here, I’m bringing it to you!” Saya shouted toward Iwao, who was far away.

She looked into the golem’s eyes. “Go to this rock and carry it next to another hole!” She thought. Without a word, the golem began obeying her command.

At the rock, Celi finally arrived, completely out of breath. She had killed all the zombie sheep that had attacked her and was now wiping the blood from herself.

“She’d better not be lying when she says that the book of The Witch is here!”

“Calm down, Celi. See, you handled all this monsters by yourself – and I know you like becoming stronger.” Iwao praised her bravery.

“Thanks, Iwao. But we’re here for you, and you’ve done nothing so far.” Celi replied.

Iwao looked at the golem trudging toward them.

“I will fulfill my role in this mission. From now on, let me take care of everything.” Iwao said with determination.

But his sad expression betrayed his words. Celi noticed and spoke softly.

“I promise, even if this cave brings us no closer to your goal, we’ll find another way. We will find a way for you to be human again.”

“You’re right… Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve always comforted us – me and Saya – whenever we weren’t feeling well. Let me repay you when the time comes. I know you’re always troubled by things in your mind.” Iwao replied calmly.

The golem reached its destination and began removing the rock. Saya arrived just a few seconds later, running behind her puppet.

“Sorry! I didn’t had time to climb onto it to get here faster – it started walking before I could.”

“Don’t worry, Saya. The plan went as I expected. But I think you and Celi will need new clothes. Celi, you have blood stains all over you. Saya, you’re covered in dust and have stains all over your white suit.” Iwao said with a laugh.

The two girls chuckled.

The golem finished its task and put the rock aside. Saya released her spell, and the golem collapsed like a boulder, shaking the ground. The tremor knocked Saya off her feet as well.

The moons illuminated the hole left behind where the rock had been. At the bottom was a trapdoor that seemed to be locked. Without hesitation, Celi tried to slice it with her sword. Nothing. She cast a laser spell. Nothing. Disappointed, she gave up and looked at Iwao. 

Saya came forward too and tried all sorts of spells, but none worked too. Then Iwao stepped closer.

“I guess I have no other choice but to use it. I will show you what my training has given me.”

He placed his hand on the trapdoor, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were bloody. A strange magic circle appeared beneath his hand.

“Pierce the rock, pierce my hand. Terva!”

The ground trembled violently, the shockwave spreading across the valley.