Four Hundred Years Ago

What I learned from Zeal was... frightening...

Four hundred years ago. So far out of reach, so unrealistically long that it would be hard to believe that the time itself even existed. Zeal often discussed a 'game' where humanity's limits were pushed to the brink to decide who would 'evolve'.

His talk about this game was scattered, none of it seeming to make sense. The things that he described coming to life were bewildering. Some of the things sound like he made them up. Monsters of all kinds, blood that wasn't ours, killing each other for more power, I almost didn't want to believe him... but at the same time, I knew the tone of his voice and how sincere it sounded.

We come from a background of murder... as humans. He put that part in there frequently. He made sure to back up all of the horrible things that happened to us four hundred years ago with the will of humans.

Such a selfish race, to Zeal and now me after his explanation. The humans killed us for more power for their own. Standing around us at that beach were Arkians, but Zeal believed the other people of this Isle to be humans, waiting to strike at any moment.

Zeal talked about several important figures, but the one he talked about the most was one who only went by 'Deity'. Deity seemed to be some powerful figure... or figures.

He went on and on about some destruction they caused. I stopped paying attention after a while because as much as I believed him, it almost seemed like a fairy tale to keep me in check. On the off chance he was telling the truth, I had to keep what he said in mind.

The stones were supposed to mean something, they were something sentient. Supposed to be a 'guide for our corruption' or whatever that meant. He was all philosophical now... sort of annoying.

"Okay Zeal, you can stop now," I told him. I tried to show off my uninterested gaze on him, but he was still so adamant about telling me about the past.

"You have to learn this! We're doomed to go extinct if we repeat history!" He would repeat that every time I tried to leave this conversation.

"I'm telling you this because I'm afraid of the future. Other things are going on in the world we can't control... but to what extent? Why were we reincarnated? What is our true purpose here on this beach, when we should be guiding humanity to a brighter future?" Zeal asked me. I shrugged.

"Enough about this brighter future... maybe this is our brighter future. We need to worry about how to get to these people you talked about for so long. So, you need that transporter up, right?" I asked Zeal. He nodded.

"I'll help you get that transporter, but after that, I'll be establishing order here. You'll handle Earth, and I'll get this area, right?" I proposed to him. Zeal agreed to the terms. If we were supposed to be guiding humanity... then we should each have our territory.

"We can talk more about this later, but we really should get to hunting. Food is scarce since we're between growing seasons now." Zeal explained.

"Shouldn't your crops be wilted and dead since it's the winter? Why are they growing?" I asked Zeal. He turned to me slowly.

"How do you know what day it is of the year? Where did you learn that stuff?" Zeal returned another question, and I paused for a moment, looking around.

He was right, there was no snow around, no sign of it being winter at all, but based on his response, I seemed to have been right.

"See? You have prior knowledge of some things like time. But the people around me? They didn't know. We are special because of these stones... and we should help the people out as much as we can." He told me. Zeal and I walked deeper into the forest.

"So the first thing we need for this transporter is a ton of metal located deep within the Isle's volcano, near the center of the Isle. Problem is, that many Dire Wolves and other carnivorous predators reside there. I took a crew in once with a cart and spears and shields as we imported some of it back here. The metal was interesting, it floated when I touched it, but as soon as I let go of it, it fell back to the ground." He continued.

"The instructions said that melding it together would create an anti-gravitational field to the White Stone touching it. It would sync up between the other transporters on Earth and we would be sent there through some 'magic' or however he explained it. There's a ton of other components, but the last thing we need is that metal." He finished. Zeal began to pick emerald green leaves off of a plant down towards the beach.

"Then let's organize a team and get there fast. I have to prove myself to one of your people, and you need to get down to Earth. With me as an addition to your fight, I can help out a lot." I told Zeal. I joined him in picking the leaves.

"We'll figure it out when we get back." He explained.

"Hah? Who are you two?" We heard.

Zeal and I shot up from the bush and stared at a girl on the beach. She had red hair and dark red eyes, wearing white clothing that contrasted well with it. I took notice of how she didn't seem fatigued at all. Was she stationed close by?

"We're both White Stones, Zeal and Orion. And you are?" I told her. She put her hands against her hips in a closed fist.

"People call me Nova. So, Zeal and Orion, why are you on my territory?" Nova asked us.

I didn't like the way she was beginning to talk to us. Not as if I felt offended, but she had a big mouth for such a tiny girl.

"We were just looking for some more food... but we've always been in this area, why are we just now seeing you and just learning it's your territory? Are you new here?" Zeal asked her. He mimicked her body language to try to lighten the mood.

"Quite the opposite, I've probably been here longer than you two have. So, why don't you leave this area before things get bloody?" She told us.

There it was. Our sign to leave. I wasn't trying to die on my first day here, but her aggressive nature and tone reeked of 'human-based on Zeal's standards. She must not have been an Arkian.

"Let's go, Zeal. Don't want to anger this nice lady any more than we already have. Say, should we establish borders so we don't run into each other?" I asked her.

She simply nodded with a smile and pointed towards the beach behind us.

With Zeal's people on it.

"I own all of this. So if you're here, then get out." Were her words to us, but that stirred a reaction in Zeal.

"Bullshit lady! We've been here for four years, you can't just come in here and claim my land! That's unjust and not fit for a leader to go around loosely declaring shit like that!" He argued.

I started to look around our position. I noticed people slowly closing in on us from around the forest, deep within the leaves and bushes. This was a trap.

"I don't give a shit what you have been doing for four years. This is my land now. Leave, or die." She declared. I bumped Zeal's shoulder.

"She's trapping us. There are people all over that forest, some in the trees, some in bushes, we should leave." I made sure to exclaim it in front of her.

"Your friend is perceptive, we could use somebody like that. Oi, guys, what do you say we strike a deal?" Nova asked. I waited for her to say her piece before agreeing to it.

"I want the perceptive Stone in my ranks. That would grant me a lot more power over this Isle, don't ya think?" Nova said. She wickedly smiled, I could tell going with her would be bad news but... getting Zeal off of this Isle, and proving myself to Moonlight, all lined up with my goals. I could gain control of this Isle over time, I'm sure.