PLACES: The Kingdom of Zeal
ALEX MANN feels the black wind howl… All right, all right quit making a ruckus - I’ll tell you one more story, ONE more and then it’s time to hit the hay, agreed? *Ahem* Okay, here it goes. Before the world froze over there lived two types of people. The first were those just like you and me, people who lived off the land, knowing only hard work and harder times. The second, well they were gifted with the rare art of magic. They could use these gifts to create a whole manner of strange and wonderful things. They made books that spit torrents of fire, ships that flew through the air, and strange creatures of considerable intellect known simply as ‘Nu’. They clothed themselves in fine silks of teal and purple, lined with furs of beasts long since perished, but what they prided most was a dedicated study of all things. As the winds picked up and the world grew colder, tension arose between the two people. The magic users, or ‘Enlightened Ones’ as they began calling themselves, saw no use for those without arcane abilities and in a great display of magic lifted their whole city into the sky, leaving the rest of humanity to weather the endless blizzard in caves below the earth. Thus, Zeal *Ahem* “The Eternal Kingdom of Zeal” was born; four islands, ripped from the earth, floating serenely above the clouds. And these weren’t just regular islands either, they were four of the most beautiful islands you have ever laid eyes upon. Paths wound through lush green fields, twisting up soaring cliff-faces as sparkling blue water danced in the opposite direction. Their buildings were white as new snow, with golden domes that shone joyfully in the open sunlight - for above the eternal blizzard it was calm. No winds, no rain, no ice, only warmth. A haven, safe from the elements that raged below
One of the bordering islands housed Enhasa: The City of Dreams, a place where folk would go to rest and ponder the “art of dreaming” hoping to grab a glimpse of aeons to come. The walls were lined with arcane books and relics, and those not dreaming in one of the many communal beds would delve into the vast libraries as the sun streaked through golden windows. “The art of dreaming” was one of the Enlightened Ones’ many strange practices. They believed dreams were the key to understanding the future, sifting through the black winds of sleep in order to unveil the true path in life. Skilled dreamers were made into prophets, who could supposedly glimpse through the corridors of time itself, but the majority used it as an excuse for a nap before indulging in some fine herbal teas. A lavish, arrogant bunch they were. Travel between the four islands was was achieved via Land Bridges, magical portals that could transfer citizens from one area to another along great beams of light. While the smaller islands housed only one or two palaces each, the main island was littered with a number of exotic locations. Kajar: The City of Magic was among them, where Zeal’s Gurus studied magic and created all sorts of enchanting wonders that aided and expanded the city. Some were beautiful - others, terrifying.
But of all the places in the Kingdom of Zeal, none could compare to Zeal Palace, the crown jewel of the citadel situated on the highest peak of the island. The palace played host to Zeal’s government, led by Queen Zeal herself, as well as providing a huge inner chamber where notable citizens would gather in gossip. It was here, amidst the grandeur and power of Zeal’s finest, that the “Eternal Kingdom’s” downfall was set in stone. You see, the Queen was a lustful woman, who thirsted for power at every turn. And when her Gurus discovered that magical abilities were drawn from deep beneath the earth, she commissioned them to create a machine that would increase her powers by drawing directly from the source. And so, with the Gurus hard at work, the Queen secretly enslaved some of the Earthbound, forcing them to build an underwater shrine to house the evil machine. She then locked the prisoners away on a cold and desolate floating mountain, chained to the earth as a reminder to all of her ultimate power. The Mountain of Woe, as it became known, was a place with winds so strong that they could throw a man bodily to the crushing earth below, making any idea of rescue an impossible dream.
But not all the Enlightened were as terrible and pernicious as the Queen and her guards, Princess Schala, for example, the Queen’s daughter would often visit the Earthbound Ones via the Skyway, an amped up Land Bridge. She used to bring food and joy to the children, playing with them and sharing stories of the land above. Despite her shining eyes, it was obvious that talk of her mother’s exploits saddened her, and if it weren’t for her crystal blue hair it seemed hard to believe she was related to such a woman. But to pin the fall of Zeal on just one woman would be unfair. While Zeal herself played a pivotal role in its ultimate downfall, it was simarly due to the hubris of her Gurus, who dug too deep in their research, the hubris of her Prophet, who oversaw the construction of the Sea Palace, the hubris of her general Dalton, who secretly hungered for the Queens power, and the hubris of a nation, who thought that there was life in a kingdom above the clouds… But it is late, and that is a story for another time. For now, make like an Enlightened One in Enhasa - to bed with you! As published in Hyper Magazine #245