A Story to Be Told: The Empire of Myths
Prologue: The Beginning
The rain tapped softly on the windows. Night was closing in as blond twins, a girl and a boy, sat in on the rug, watching the sparks of the fire dance within the frame of the fireplace.
“It’s about time for you two to get to bed,” their mother said.
“But Grandfather hasn’t told a story yet,” the little girl argued, her face lit up by the fire.
“Now, Ashleigh–”
“It’s perfectly fine,” the grandfather said.
“But–”
“May we please listen to a story, Mommy?” the little boy pleaded with his mother.
“It will help them get to sleep easier,” the grandfather commented, “especially on a night like this.”
The mother sighed, saying, “Okay, then. But only one story. Then you must both go to bed.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Ashleigh said, but the little boy remained silent. “Say okay, Matthew. This is the only way we can get a story.
“Okay,” Matthew whispered.
“I want to hear a love story, Grandfather!”
“I want a story with fights in it!”
“What about a story with monsters and spirits?” the grandfather suggested, knowing what his grandchildren would like.
“Do the characters fall in love?” Lillie asked.
“Some do, Ashleigh. Some do.”
“Are there fights in it? Do the good guys fight the bad guys?” Matthew asked.
“Yes, they do, Matthew.”
“Tell it, grandfather, tell it!” Ashleigh pleaded.
“Please, grandfather?” Matthew asked desperately, joining in on the plea as he climbed upon his grandfather’s lap.
Their grandfather smiled at their enthusiasm. “The year is 1319 in the Empire of Myths. The five kingdoms had been united under an emperor for three centuries, and many of the people thought that nothing could break the peace of the empire. There were, however, two kingdoms that the other three kingdoms had grown suspicious of in the past years; the two kingdoms were Hell and the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice. For fifty years, the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice had been under the control of Satan, the ruler of Hell…the Devil. Satan had mocked God for many of those fifty years, often by controlling the people to make human sacrifices to God. However, Satan had gotten bored with the control over the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice and let the inhabitants of the kingdom rule themselves.”
“Is that why the other kingdoms grew suspicious of Hell and the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice?” Ashleigh asked, the sapphire eyes of her and her brother twinkling with excitement.
“Yes it is, Ashleigh. In addition to its ruler being the Devil, the control of the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice is also why, even though it is part of the empire, Hell is often shunned by the other kingdoms.”
“But Hell wouldn’t necessarily care about being shunned. Would they?” Matthew asked, quite confused.
“You are quite correct, Matthew. Hell didn’t care about being shunned, nor did Hell care about what the other kingdoms did.”
“What are the names of the other kingdoms, Grandfather?” Ashleigh asked.
“Well…if we have Hell, then can you guess the name of another kingdom?”
“There’s Heaven!” Matthew and Lillie said together, both giggling.
“Heaven, Hell, and the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice are just three of the five kingdoms. The other two kingdoms are the Kingdom of the Gems and the Kingdom of the Fires. As their names imply, the Kingdom of the Gems, located in a valley at the center of five mountains, is known for their magnificent gem mines. The Kingdom of the Fires, a desert kingdom, is a very arid kingdom. They retrieve their water from a nearby sea that connects the Empire of Myths to its neighboring empire, the Empire of the Spirits.”
“Start the story, Grandfather! Start the story!” Ashleigh pleaded.
“Okay, Ashleigh. Now, where to begin…” The grandfather paused for a brief moment. “Ah, yes…once upon a time, in an empire far away from here…”
“It’s about time for you two to get to bed,” their mother said.
“But Grandfather hasn’t told a story yet,” the little girl argued, her face lit up by the fire.
“Now, Ashleigh–”
“It’s perfectly fine,” the grandfather said.
“But–”
“May we please listen to a story, Mommy?” the little boy pleaded with his mother.
“It will help them get to sleep easier,” the grandfather commented, “especially on a night like this.”
The mother sighed, saying, “Okay, then. But only one story. Then you must both go to bed.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Ashleigh said, but the little boy remained silent. “Say okay, Matthew. This is the only way we can get a story.
“Okay,” Matthew whispered.
“I want to hear a love story, Grandfather!”
“I want a story with fights in it!”
“What about a story with monsters and spirits?” the grandfather suggested, knowing what his grandchildren would like.
“Do the characters fall in love?” Lillie asked.
“Some do, Ashleigh. Some do.”
“Are there fights in it? Do the good guys fight the bad guys?” Matthew asked.
“Yes, they do, Matthew.”
“Tell it, grandfather, tell it!” Ashleigh pleaded.
“Please, grandfather?” Matthew asked desperately, joining in on the plea as he climbed upon his grandfather’s lap.
Their grandfather smiled at their enthusiasm. “The year is 1319 in the Empire of Myths. The five kingdoms had been united under an emperor for three centuries, and many of the people thought that nothing could break the peace of the empire. There were, however, two kingdoms that the other three kingdoms had grown suspicious of in the past years; the two kingdoms were Hell and the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice. For fifty years, the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice had been under the control of Satan, the ruler of Hell…the Devil. Satan had mocked God for many of those fifty years, often by controlling the people to make human sacrifices to God. However, Satan had gotten bored with the control over the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice and let the inhabitants of the kingdom rule themselves.”
“Is that why the other kingdoms grew suspicious of Hell and the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice?” Ashleigh asked, the sapphire eyes of her and her brother twinkling with excitement.
“Yes it is, Ashleigh. In addition to its ruler being the Devil, the control of the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice is also why, even though it is part of the empire, Hell is often shunned by the other kingdoms.”
“But Hell wouldn’t necessarily care about being shunned. Would they?” Matthew asked, quite confused.
“You are quite correct, Matthew. Hell didn’t care about being shunned, nor did Hell care about what the other kingdoms did.”
“What are the names of the other kingdoms, Grandfather?” Ashleigh asked.
“Well…if we have Hell, then can you guess the name of another kingdom?”
“There’s Heaven!” Matthew and Lillie said together, both giggling.
“Heaven, Hell, and the Kingdom of the Thief’s Sacrifice are just three of the five kingdoms. The other two kingdoms are the Kingdom of the Gems and the Kingdom of the Fires. As their names imply, the Kingdom of the Gems, located in a valley at the center of five mountains, is known for their magnificent gem mines. The Kingdom of the Fires, a desert kingdom, is a very arid kingdom. They retrieve their water from a nearby sea that connects the Empire of Myths to its neighboring empire, the Empire of the Spirits.”
“Start the story, Grandfather! Start the story!” Ashleigh pleaded.
“Okay, Ashleigh. Now, where to begin…” The grandfather paused for a brief moment. “Ah, yes…once upon a time, in an empire far away from here…”
♠ ♠ ♠
As mentioned in the note in the story description, this first part is in 3rd person narration.