3 The start (01)
It was a quiet peaceful evening just like every other day.
A small village situated at the bottom of the mountain surrounded by farms and trees.
People doing their work on the farm, some bringing their hunt from the forest, women doing chores by the river and taking care of the toddlers, children playing with one another or listening to the elderly people telling stories. Just like any peaceful village, this village was also going along the rest of the world growing and living. In one of the small garden beside the ordinary stone house, an old couple was seating drinking their evening tea and watching the hustle and bustle of the neighbouring children.
The old man had a long beard reaching his chest along with his long white hair looking at an old lady sitting in front of him with a tea table between them. The old lady similarly had long grey hair with some black streaks in between and even though it looked like she was looking at the children playing her eyes were lifeless as they couldn't reflect light.
The old couple both had wrinkled face showing their years of wear and tear but still sat straight without slouching on the chair.
Despite being blind the old woman still smiled from time to time hearing children laugh and shout.
The old man looked sideways towards the children and said to the woman "It is a relief knowing that the future still has laughter and joy." His voice was calm and collective while showing no particular expression on his face.
After a moment of silence, the old woman slowly opened her mouth " They are the future so that is to say even in most dark times they would be able to shine." Her voice was soft and caring while talking about the children.
The old man remained silent as he starts to sip his tea and looked towards the children again. "What meaning is there for light if there is no darkness to allow it to shine."
"True." the woman replied calmly.
The old man looked at the woman and then at her hands which were holding the teacup as she begins to drink and starts to drink his own again.
The woman after taking a few sips put down her cup.
"Is the time approaching soon?" she asked in her gentle voice.
"Yes, it should be about time. I think it should be the last time I may be able to drink this." the old man said in his calm voice with his still maintaining neutral expression.
"Still searching for meaning meaning of life I suppose even as this is the last time you would be able to drink tea made by me." the woman said.
"No, I've already done that. My journey should be coming to an end this time for the last time." the old man said looking at his half-empty cup.
The woman smiles after hearing his answer
"So your road searching for meaningless meanings is coming to an end."
After the woman said that it became quiet and they both started to drink their tea again.
After finishing the tea the man stands up and started to walk the woman who stretches her arm towards him for support.
The man took her hand and supports her while walking to the entrance of the small house.
He lets her sit down on a comfortable armchair while he starts to walk towards the door so he could clean up the tea table.
As he begins to walk towards the door he stops midway and turns back again.
He saw that the woman had a smile on her face as she faced him.
The woman says "Darkness truly lets the light shine the brightest."
As soon as she stopped speaking she begins to turn into particles of light from the bottom of her legs to her knees and towards her still smiling face and disappears.
After the woman completely disappeared the floor, the walls, the chair, the windows and everything outside the window starts to slowly turn into the light particles and disappears turning everything into darkness.
The man too looked towards his arms which started to turn into particles and slowly close his eyes.
....
Suddenly the voice breaks the silence of the darkness, it was of a man with strong and ethereal feeling to it.
"Wake up"
It was just one phrase but enough to break all the silence.
In a small room consisting of only a bed, a study table a mirror and a closet, and a small bookshelf, a young man in his mid-twenties opens his eyes. He was lying on the bed wearing a soft white shirt and brown pants.
The young man opened his eyes slowly and starts to get up from the bed walking towards the mirror.
Upon seeing his own reflection into the mirror the man slowly raises his hand and sets his short white hair straight and after that, he begins to walk towards the door opening it.
The young man starts to walk towards the stairs leading to the downstairs.
He descends the stairs and looks towards the source of the voice that woke him up.
He was a man of late twenties of age sitting on a couch reading a book, and beside him, a grey-haired pony chewing on some kind of plant.
After the young man entered the living room the pony looks at him and enthusiastically asked.
" Tell me how many women did you seduce this time? Quickly."
While saying that the pony quickly gulps down the plant without bothering to chew on it as if it would run away if she lets it down.
The young man stops for a moment looks at the pony and walks again to the couch and sits down adjacent to the man.
The man who was wearing purple robe looked at the floating table in front of him and said.
"It's about time you start to learn the basics. You should be ready by the time we depart."
The pony who had dissatisfied expression suddenly tensed up and looked at the man in purple and started to shout.
"What! What do you mean time to depart? My followers are still in need of me."
"Not followers, prisoners." the man said correcting the pony.
The young quickly looked towards the pony and asked.
"Gran Bitsy you held prisoners again?"
"It's Zurga- The Dark One, when are you going to respect elders kid?" the pony said with a snort.
The man in purple who was looking at the table waves his hand not giving any chance for the pony to continue and they appeared outside their three-storey house beside the lake.
The pony, however, appeared directly on the water.
And as if she was expecting it she immediately started to move her legs and begins to swim.
The man in purple appears floating 2 feet above the ground with the young man.
Immediately after the three figures appeared beside the lake, the animals surrounding them looked in their direction but started to do their own things again.
The man in purple looks in the direction of the pony and lets out a sigh.
"Don't be like that after you grow up, understood?"
The young man too looked in the same direction and said with a serious expression.
"Yes, grandpa."
The scene of a young man in his mid-twenties calling a slightly older man grandpa looked odd no matter how many times the animals heard that as they kept peeking in their direction from time to time.
Becuase even though they looked like normal peaceful animals they were in actuality kings and emperors of their own species and quite intelligent.
But they too understood that age was just a means to represent experience for mortals.
"But how much should I grow up?" the young man asked.
The man in purple suddenly looks at the young man and said in a powerful voice.
"Until you die."
Suddenly the atmosphere became silent and the only sound that was made was from the pony who was swimming around in the lake.
"Don't listen to him kid, he is still without a woman even after all these years and power hahahahahahaha." the pony said with a burst of loud laughter.
Along with her laughter there came another laughter which was of a young girl.
"Hehehehehehehe..... that's right even plants and trees in the forest had multiple partners and he remains alone."
The young man turns and looked in the direction the voice came from.
It was from a young girl in her late teenage years. She had light brown skin and light orange curly hair going down to her hips, green eyes, long eyelashes and had a natural and gentle aura to her as if nature itself was decorating her. She was wearing a green gown with a crown made from the leaves and flowers which had birds and butterflies sitting on it.
The man in purple looked in her direction and said.
"I know a lot of the things that happen in this forest."
Just this one statement was enough to make the girl's laughter stop abruptly.
"W..wha...what did you see exactly?" the girl asked stuttering and with a light red-faced as if she was caught red-handed.
"Hehe... life is full of twists and turns wouldn't you say?"
The man said with a smile on his face and looking in the girl's direction.
the girl after hearing that looked at all the animals in the surrounding in a clear agitated manner.
Immediately after all the animals started to raise their paws and claws putting them on their heads as they had been practising it all along.
The girl only then looked somewhat less agitated and turns towards the young man.
"I didn't hear anything, big sis Arasine." the young man said and he too puts his hand on his head even though he himself wasn't clear what he didn't hear.
But he knew if anything this big sister of the forest didnt liked being on the wrong side.
The young girl looked satisfied after hearing that and took the position of sitting.
A small bear-like animal comes running and lies behind her to let her sit as if on cue.
Meanwhile, the pony remained swimming in the lake without bothering about anything and enjoying the warm water.
After all that the man in purple looked toward the young man and said.
"Now then, I would not be teaching you any big explosion moves but basic things enough for you to be able to walk down the path you would create."
