The Sundering

Chapter One

(Leena's PoV)

"Come on, Zephar!!" I continue to climb the biggest tree in the western forest while my little Hujavi companion fly around me.

"Can you wait, Leena? You've been climbing for 30 minutes while I'm carrying all your things!" I ended up chuckling while Zephar complains to me. It’s because I’m running to the biggest tree in the planet while he’s carrying a bag bigger than him full of my favorite fruits and roasted meat.

I stepped my foot on another branch and grab another branch above me, continuously climbing for another 10 minutes before I finally reached the peak of the tree. "You know, Zephar, if I can fly like you, you wouldn't even be here with me." I saw him rolled his eyes before putting my bag on the tree branch.

Anyways, Zephar is a Hujavi. He is a fox, with wings like an eagle. He has a combination of green-amber fur that helps him blend with the nature. Hujavis are actually our people's personal companion and spirit guide. Every people in our planet has one. Mine is Zephar.

"Hahaha! Is that supposed to be a compliment?" He asked sarcastically and I just chuckled before looking at the sky in front of me.

It's so beautiful...

"I know there's seven more planets out there, Zephar, but I kept on wondering what's out there in the cosmos." I said before taking a bite of my apple. "Well, Chief Radwien said that the cosmos is dangerous." Zephar replied to me, and I just rolled my eyes.

"I know that, Zeph, you don't have to say it again." My gaze went up into the stars again and smile.

"Leena, stop being curious!" Zephar said while shaking my shoulder. I snapped him off and push his hands away. "Would you stop doing that?" I asked.

He sighed and sat beside me on the branch. "Leena, your father, the Chief, is always worried about you because of your curiosities. You're the only Hujan in our planet whose thinking about the outer cosmos. What's wrong with you?" He mumbled before snatching one of my apples and eat it too. I smiled at the fact that Zephar's right. I am the only curious Hujan in the whole planet.

Before you might get confused, my planet's name is Hujandra, and the people living in this planet are called the Hujan. The leader of our planet is my father, Chief Radwien, who rules the whole planet with peace.

Our planet is filled with tall trees, green surroundings, rivers of clear waters...more like a forest, but a whole planet of it. It's the greenest planet among the eight planets in the cosmos. They said that our planet is created by the Great Nature Mother named Lyridia, who used her breath to give life to our planet. My mom named Narra, was once a devoted priestess of the great mother, before she died of childbirth. She got my name after Lyridia, thus, the name Leena. Although, I still don’t know where’s the connection to it.

I turned to my side when I heard the trees rumbling, a way of my father to call me from a great distance. "Let's go, Zephar." I said and jumped down from the very top of the tall tree to the ground. Hujans are very agile people, so jumping from a tall tree to the ground is a piece of cake...although, I have never seen a cake before.

I ran through the vast forest towards our tree village, our beloved "Val’thyr" which means "Home" in our language. It is the biggest tree in our entire planet, and all of the Hujans build their nests in this big Val’thyr. Our nests look like big cocoons that can fit seven to eight people within one family.

My feet ran across the grassy forest, excited to go home. But as I drew closer, I heard screams and loud growls. Fire started to grow near my home. My heart started beating fast as I pushed forward faster, fear starting to grow in my chest.

“L-Leena, I think we should run!” Faxi stuttered beside me as I’m running near to the val’thyr with Zephar flying around me. When I finally burst into the clearing, I skidded to a halt, my breath catching in my throat.

Val’thyr is under attack.

“No…” I know these giants, from the books in our forest libraries. They’re twice our size, probably more. The giants in the planet Dulakhan…the Dulas. They’re like walking fortresses, wearing their tribal garments and metal armor, covered in intricate tattoos that symbolizes their victories. They swung heavy, huge square-headed hammers that quickly destroys everything our people have lived on, shattering our beautiful cocoons.

I stared at the destruction in front of me, tears blurring my vision. A sound tore from my throat. “NOOO!!!” I screamed in horror and anger.

“LEENA! RUN!” I heard someone shouted, one of my people, running away to escape. But anger burned hotter than fear in my veins.

‘I am the daughter of the Chief of Hujandra, descendant of the great nature mother Lyridia. I will not watch my home be destroyed!’

“Leena, let’s go!” My hujavi tried to pull me away, but I shove him off. I am not going anywhere. My people need me… I am not running away!

I grab my bow and nocked an arrow tipped with hardened crystal, glare at the giant walking towards one of my people. I let out a raw, furious cry—and released my arrow. My arrow scraped the shoulder of the giant but for me, it wasn’t enough. It’s barely a scratch on the giant, and it’s making me mad. I run closer to them, then leap on a high root to the nearby high tree, firing arrow after arrow. Each of my arrow whoosh through the air with precision, but I barely make any casualties.

“Ugh!” I groan in anger when one of my arrows missed. I was fast, trying to protect my home and drive them away. But in every attack, I do to them, twice return back towards me.

“LEENA, HIDE!!” I turn around when I heard someone yelled again but what I saw is the largest Dulas, glaring at me with his fiery eyes, roared and charged at me. I prepared my arrow to shoot but he swung his square-hammer in a wide arc, smashing the tree where I stood on. I felt the wood exploded beneath my feet. I lost my balance and tumbled to the ground hard.

“LEENA!!!” I heard Zephar called me and saw him flying through the giants’ legs just to get to me, but then a giant Dulas catch my Hujavi pet.

“Zeph!!!” I called out to him and tries to stand up.

Before I could even rise, a heavy hand grabbed my arm. His grip was like iron, completely unbreakable. I struggled, kicking and trying to reach for another arrow, but he was simply too strong.

“Hey!! Let go of me!!” I screamed at the giant when he lifted me effortlessly into the air and throw me on his shoulder, causing my bow to slip from my hand and fell into the ground few feet down from the giant’s shoulder height. “No…No!”

I looked out one last time with tears falling from my eyes, seeing my beautiful val’thyr falling, my people fighting desperately in the smoke. Then, everything went dark as a rough sack was thrown over my head.

“NO, LEENA!!!”