The Nation: Bloodline of Fire

I watched my father, Zubotu, gather respected high-ranking Zuli and a few Ninji elders into our celebration hall, for a speech that I have heard a thousand times. When will this stop? I grew tired and sick of being a future leader of the Zuli. I only care about the ceremony itself. I am so close to holding the true power of the Zuli in my hand. I am tired of playing show pony. I looked over and my father stood at the end of a sixty-foot-long table. Chairs lined each side and carved into the table were lightning bolts that stretched in every direction. Each seat was carved from the wood found in the Forest of Tears. I was actually surprised there was any wood there. When the Zuli took control over Suffering many years ago, there was almost nothing left of it. The Samerian rulers, before their undoing, decided to destroy the Forest of Tears. I never really asked why and I don’t think anyone else did either. I mean what do I care? Zuli is the strongest ruler ever seen in Suffering. People just do what we tell them. My eyes fixed back to my father, who had begun talking to everyone. “For the last 100 years, the Zuli have ruled this great nation. Suffering has seen many rulers in the past, but none as strong as the Zuli. Faced with what seemed an impossible task. The Zuli before us found the Lightning Shard and used its strength to strengthen our Zuli people and overcome those who threatened our very existence. Zuli, who had tamed the Lightning casting within their very own bodies, began to take over the nation from the Samerians. They wielded their swords and lightning shards and began to cast out the Shadow Casters and their Obscurations. They ensured none of the Samerians lived from those faithful days. Ensuring safety for all our nation! We will celebrate this year, over 100 years of Zuli's reign. We will do as our ancestors did with the Lightning Shard many years after finding it. Come with me now brothers and sisters, let us start the ceremonies with food and drink!”, Zubotu continued after clearing his throat from a cough he was holding back. “Our nation will continue to grow and prosper if we are here together with no more fear. Whether you are of Zuli blood or not, we are here to celebrate! Please see, dear friends, we have prepared a meal of the finest vegetables grown by our Pagonian slave fields nearby. Let all the Ninji and Zuli celebrate our great partnership.” After a long awkward pause and cough, he sat back down and looked directly at me. With a low voice he said, “Alekius, don’t look so grim. You know we must do this for our people. This year is very important. This year you learn to fully tame your lightning casting and gain the ability to pass on your unlimited power for generations to come.” I tried to turn in my seat so the Zuli guards next to me couldn’t hear me. “Why must we parade around with these dinners? I am ready to cast lightning when there are no storms. Feel my sword heat with the power of lightning. Instead, I am here entertaining these weaklings with you.” “Alekius, stop now.”, my father said as he balled his fist and lightly hit the table. A small bolt of lightning could be seen in his eyes. “I do not know why the power of the Lightning shard didn’t carry into your blood, but once you drink of the Lightning shard lake, you must have the responsibility to use it when necessary. You will be the leader of our people one day. You must use it wisely. You are 15 years old. You should know your time will be soon. I grow weaker every day and drinking from the lake will not cure me. I have been cursed by Azusa herself.” He grew silent for a minute and began talking to the table once more. “Come everyone. We must fill our bellies with this delicious food.” The Zuli and Ninji who were listening, took their forks and began to eat. All except for Ofeus, who’s eyes remained on my father. My father noticed and looked at Ofeus and said, “Now Ofeus, old friend. What is it that you wish to speak to me about?”. Ofeus, was a frail old man with white and grey-tinted skin. His hair was white with blue highlights. The Ninji are born with white hair but highlight with color as to what they do. Blue is the color for leaders. My father couldn’t be more the opposite. He was a large man with skin darkened by the sun. His hair was very dark with small yellow highlights. This represented his ranking among our people. As no one other than the Zuli leader could color their hair yellow. He towered over most of the people he met. His left eye was marked with a blue bolt of lightning to show he had a true bloodline of Zuli power. “Leader Zubotu, I would first like to thank you for your continued partnership and hospitality here today. Our people, however, still wonder why no Ninji people are allowed to enter the palace and call it home. Our healers come and go daily and see no other place for the Ninji elders or leaders. We understand that the Zuli control Suffering, but many of our people feel that the Zulis are held to a higher worth.” Ofeus continued after taking a small drink of wine from the table. “Fear has sparked amongst my people. As some of our Ninji are still seeing more of the Baro Scouts looking for our villages,”, said Ofeus with a half frown. “Our Ninji are peaceful people, and we are not looking to overthrow what the Zuli have provided to our people. Simply to be shown, we are equals. This is a time when we must bind together. Your son Alekius is of age, he should marry one of our Ninji daughters to show these bonds.” Said Ofeus as he pulled out a small satchel with a bottle full of water. “Only sons are able to become Ninji water casters, so our daughters are free to mix bloodlines when necessary.” “Ofeus dear friend. You know that the Zuli cannot risk their bloodline by mixing without Zuli Blood. Even so, for the Zuli leading bloodline. You are aware our abilities within our people are very fragile, and the Ninji seem to know this. My guards report daily if Ninji is unwilling to cooperate. . We cannot risk instability in our nation. Look at the Samerian uprising against the Pagonians. The Samerians almost destroyed this nation after taking control. You know what they did to our Zuli people. Alabaster blamed the Zuli for the death of his mother. His father was half Ninji and half Zuli. Both Ninji and Zuli had to hide away so they would not go extinct.” My father paused to cough into his sash, and took a drink of his wine. “I can talk to the other Zuli leaders and see if we can finish the expansion and put more Ninji in the palace. As for the Baro Scouts. I will order more Zuli guards to patrol and kill any and all Baro Scouts who come within the Ninji village perimeter. This should keep Baro Scouts from coming too close.” Zubotu continued after coughing into his sash once more. "Ofeus, we want to ensure both Zuli and Ninji, are taken care of and continue to make this nation an easy one to live in." I could tell by the look on my father and Ofeus faces that they were irritated by each other's words. Ninji are respected and very essential to our very existence. Recently, I overheard guards coming from outside the gates talking as my father had said. They were discussing how the Ninji were becoming harder and not backing down from commands or requests. Maybe the Ninji realize we are nothing without them. They are the ones who created the lake for the ceremony, so we can use the power of the Lightning shard. I continued to listen and placed my hand on the handle of my sword. I wasn’t about to be caught off guard by Ofeus. "Easy nation to live in? Zubotu, are you blind to the things going on outside these palace walls?", Ofeus said, as he slammed the bottle he had removed earlier from his satchel on the table. "Here Zubotu." Ofeus opened the bottle and let the water spill onto the table into a puddle. "Look into this viewing well." Ofeus told Zubotu. "In this very well you can see all that is going on outside this palace. I will show you what has become of this easy-to-live in nation." Ofeus said in a sarcastic tone. He motioned for both my father and I to look at the puddle he made on the table. As we came closer to the puddle, we began to look into the puddle that had started to swirl and was turning black like the night sky. Jumping back from it my father exclaimed, "Ofeus, is this blood casting?" When he said this it reminded me of the dreaded name. Blodhiers, Blodhiers were nasty casters. Dealing in blood casting, and only doing so by freshly killing animals or people. They are said to be the latest generation of the Ninji who live in Xosnijan. Xosnijan is a neighboring nation consisting of wading pools and caves. Xosnijan is not a part of Suffering, but within the Wosmil Islands. Ofeus replied quickly. "No, simply a water casters way of seeing through the viewing wells. If you remember from our ancestors, we installed these around our villages to keep a close eye on our people." Ofeus waved his hand over the puddle as he continued. "This one in particular is at the Pagonian gardens just outside the gates. Here you will see what wonderful things are going on outside of the walls." Ofeus said in his sarcastic tone again. "Please understand Zubotu, this is not a vision, but truly what is happening." My father and I once again leaned to look into the puddle. Before it was black like the night sky, but now it looked as if small specks of stars were swirling around it and becoming clear again. I felt the hair on my neck begin to rise as I continued to stare into this mysterious starry puddle. I then felt as if my eyes were shut and I couldn’t open them. It startled me when Ofeus touched my forehead.