Though the high rise towers of Gan'eve were a mighty display of pride and power for the Adamah, their king had designated certain areas of the city to remain undisturbed. These areas were a safe haven for all who were beset by worry or burdened by their labor, imbuing them with peace while also providing a glimpse into their distant past- a time before neon lights of bright blues and deep reds, and hologram displays saturated the land.

The king, Avlot, always had his fair share of concerns, too, so it was no surprise that he affixed such a sanctuary outside his palace. His palace was a tan color and stout, not even half as high as the tallest tower in the city. He was a man of humble nature, one who stuck to his belief of identifying with the poorest of his people who could not even afford housing and were thus relocated to short buildings, similar in height to his own palace, scattered across the capital and all over the kingdom of the Adamah.

Though the former king dwelt in a mechanical marvel of a fortress outside the city, Avlot lived with his two children in the heart of the city, his palace hemmed in by giant transparent effigies that took on the shape of renown animals: a stag, a bull, a lion, and foremost, an eagle. These simulacrums were the most advanced form of weaponry in the land, thus providing much needed security for the king.

The eagle effigy had its wings spread wide, forming a rampart with an entrance located between its two feet. Though originally, the main source of worship for the Adamah was not attributed with any such physical form, throughout the centuries, the eagle, deemed "king of the sky", had been identified with Nesher, their god. Before their rise to glory, the Adamah were said to have been delivered from the clutches of a malevolent demon king by the hand of Nesher. That event was said to have taken place more than a millennia ago...

Nesher had communicated with his worshippers by his prophets and priests, yet, he stopped speaking one day- presumably (definitely) because his people went astray after other gods. Still, most of the Adamah worshipped Nesher, although some in their own manner with total disregard of the original prescribed form of adoration; and most called upon him day and night through prayer.

Avlot was one such person. Dressed in sackcloth, divested of his usual kingly garb, the king sat by his favorite tree on a wooden bench with his face buried in his palms. The tall tree had its pale, pink flowers in full bloom and thus sufficient shade was given to the king. As the king tilted his head up, he let out a sigh and during a moment's respite, admired the floral glory of nature: the sun shining through the petals of countless flowers, creating a spectacle of shadows and flickering light as a gentle breeze swayed the thin branches. A faint smiled manifested on his worn down face. He was still fretful. 

Today marked the day when, two years ago, his closest friend and most trusted advisor, his queen, died. She was always sickly, but one day, she caught an unknown disease which disallowed frivolous visits. Alas, the king's vehement love and sheer passion prevented him from restraining his wont to see her. With the pregnancy of their second child she had suffered much travail. Despite all their advances in medicine, the disease which assaulted her could not be cured.

She had made clear her wishes, that if she were to be on the verge of death after giving birth, then to let her rest. This was a decision Avlot obviously opposed, but if there was something he could not do, it was lie to her. He could not lie to his wife, especially when it entailed her final wish. For she wished for her children to grow with their mother as a memory, rather than see her frozen inside a Preservation Chamber for who knows how many years until a cure would be found.

Yet, today also marked another significant event. Today was the day in which the new king of their neighboring dimension (Kershe) would be crowned. Around a decade ago, Avlot's scientists opened a door to a mysterious dimension, one filled with amazing beasts and breathtaking magic. Avlot, curious and in need of a power source to sustain his people, dared to venture through said door. Fortunately, the king of the inhabitants, Iel, formed a pact with him.

In turn for providing the people with a special sort of energy, the Adamah were to provide the Sanritem (that is, the magical beings known as faeries) with one of each species of animal found in their world. No Adamah person was subjected, of course, only animals were given over. Besides that, the Sanritem held a great fancy for history, so they demanded full disclosure of Avlot's entire world. The pact had been upheld for the span of a decade, even during the years of civil unrest that the Kershe world experienced.

With Iel now dead, Avlot wondered if the new king of the Sanritem would honor their pact or not. Up until only yesterday, Avlot had received zero messages from the paralleling dimension. Yesterday, he was relayed an audio message from the next heir to the throne, simply, "On the 'morrow, set a time apart. Around the time of the sunset. Your sunset". 

It was now high noon, with several hours' worth of free time before Avlot had to isolate himself in preparation for the, as he assumed, meeting with the new king. Rubbing his temples and glimpsing at the luscious grass (still wet from having been watered twenty minutes ago) before looking at his own twiddling thumbs, he wondered if Nesher would answer his supplications. Since he first got word of the message, Avlot had fasted all his meals and clothed himself in modest (poor) attire, to the shock of all his attendants and young son of 7, Myungsoo. He then insisted for all his people to do likewise, hoping Nesher would cast his compassion and favor upon the display of humility. 

A voice, young and gentle like the sound of a flute, called out to him, "Father!"

 Avlot looked back to see his heir, Myungsoo, run toward him. He tripped on his sandles and fell face first onto the soft ground, "My child, my child," Avlot said with a pleasant look. His eyes lost their dimness and brightened up at the sight of Myungsoo sitting up.

 Approaching his son, Avlot extended his arms in anticipation of a warm embrace. Myungsoo looked up from where he sat and a tear welled in his eye. The tears flowed forth and he continually wiped them away with his small hands, but they wouldn't stop. His face was all muddy now.

 "Come now," Avlot said with a sigh as he knelt to caress his child's downy hair that was blacker than the vastness of the cosmos.

Myungsoo, stubborn and wishing to make proud his father, got up by himself and wiped his hands on his sackcloth, making it even more muddied. 

 "It's okay to receive help, you know."

 Myungsoo nodded, not wanting to have to sit through yet another lecture. His father had a tendency to speak for an hour, and at times for even longer, when it came to sharing his moral platitudes and wisdom. Myungsoo glimpsed at the sight of a dove flying overhead, casting its shadow on the ground below. It was a rare occurrence, since most animals made their domain outside the main capital because of the high-frequency whirring and humming noises of flying crafts and shape-shifting edifices.

The bird called to mind his new friend. Myungsoo turned back to look at the palace entry and whistled quite loudly. At first nothing, but then a deep, boisterous howl answered.

Within the moment, Myungsoo was tackled onto the grass by his new non-organic pet, a robot made after the image of the long extinct species known as the "canine". He called it "Doggy".

Doggy wagged its tail to and fro, incessantly and ever intensifying. "Calm down boy! Sit!" Myungsoo commanded. The robot Myungsoo with its synthetic tongue before doing so.

 "I see you have tamed him quite well," Avlot said.

 "Yeah! I need to check the manual so I can make him transform into different stuffs! Like a hover-chaser!" Myungsoo replied with gleeful eyes.

 A rotund woman, the maid, rushed to meet with Avlot. Still trying to catch her breath, she said, "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to be alone! But the boy!"

 Avlot motioned with his hand, indicating her to not worry. "I think Nesher sent the boy to uplift my soul. You may go now," he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

 "Father! Myungeun started speaking again! She said 'I love poopy!" Myungsoo exclaimed while pulling on his father's garb that dragged to the ground.

 With a raised brow, he said with an inquisitive tone, "Really? Poopy?"

 "Yeah! Come see her with me!"
 
 At Myungsoo's behest, Avlot allowed the boy to drag him by the hand to see the babe in her special room. See, she was forced to reside in a special incubation chamber where her health was monitored at all times through various holographic displays and interactive monitors. The child had, unfortunately, inherited the same disease that ended her mother's life. The difference laid in the fact that she was more resilient and, though still weak in that she was a baby, her tiny body accepted the laser treatments quite well.

Turning a hard left, past the kitchen and hall of justice, and right before the throne room, the boy and his father stopped before a steel slab, adorned by stickers of colorful heroes and extinct species (all the boy's doing). Myungsoo extended his hand to touch the steel door and, with a loud hiss and the escape of vapor from underneath, the door opened, vanishing before their sight.

The two entered, but Myungsoo commanded Doggy to wait outside, afraid his cyber-receptors would interfere with the complex mechanisms that made up this room, Myungeun's room. Avlot knew Doggy's presence would never interfere, but he thought it cute the way his son commanded it, so he kept quiet with a warm grin.

Myungeun was encased in a tall tube-like apparatus. The important aspects of the machine rested on top of it, allowing the babe to be seen though the clear, green glass. A special liquid filled the tube, but the child had a nasal cannula inserted into her small nostrils that enabled perfect respiration.

Myungsoo pressed his face against the glass and contorted it to make funny faces, every now and then banging on the glass with his balled up fist. He really wanted his sister to speak.

 "She's sleeping," Avlot told his son as he rested his hand on the boy's shoulder.

 "I wasn't lying, though!" Myungsoo protested, wanting to make sure he got his message across.

Avlot nodded and gazed at his daughter with a tender look that decorated his wrinkly face. Not even three years old, yet he was obliged to recognize the stark similarities she shared with her mother, his only one, true love. The two were scarcely exiting the room when he thought he heard a small cry, "Appa'!"

 Avlot turned back to catch a final glimpse before the door reappeared. 

 "What's wrong?" Myungsoo questioned.

Avlot met the chestnut-colored eyes of his son and patted his shoulder. "Always protect and love your sister."

 "Like you loved and protected mommy?"

 Avlot paused, a subtle smile full of warmth appearing on his face shortly after. "Yes... And never forget where god dwells, my son," he added with a squeeze of his son's shoulder.

"In my heart?" 

"Yes, that's where Nesher, the eagle, soars."

 The king looked at the time projected on his golden bracer, "Around a couple of more hours before it's time..."

In need of quiet solitude once again, he charged his son to play with Doggy outside.

                                         .......

Now inside his throne room, a rather simple room devoid of any exuberant amenities, Avlot sunk into his golden throne. The golden throne was the only elaborate piece of furniture in the room. Avlot knew the plight of the poor firsthand, so he avoided extravagance as often as he could. The golden throne, however, was more than simple luxury.

It represented a reminder: a reminder that whoever sat on its cushioned seat was the sole one upon whom the people depended upon. The king held charge over the kingdom. Yet, to Avlot, it was Nesher that supported all worlds. And it was to Nesher that Avlot was praying to.

 "Have mercy and answer us with grace, as you did the fathers in ages past. Remember the merit of the fathers who followed your every word and help us then do the same. May you, in your mercy, answer us with favor and so have the Sanritem display compassion and lovingkindness."

 The bracer on his right began to glow. It was demanding a communication to be carried through. Avlot took a deep breath and pressed on the monitor located in the center of his device.

 "Hello, King!" a raspy voice said.

Avlot brought his bracer closer to his eyes to get a better look at the speaker. A figure armored in a dazzling white with shining green eyes was the one speaking. His face was obscured by the grille of his helm, yet his emerald eyes pierced through with a glowing intensity.

 "Who are you?" Avlot questioned, doing his best to suppress his concern. All his days, Avlot never once knew of a faerie, a Sanritem, who wore armor. This being, then, brought the fear of the unknown to him.

 "The new ruler of the Sanritem. Oscuridaon. And new ruler of your world, too!"

 "What?!" Avlot exclaimed with a fury.

The signal cut off, and Avlot was left alone to question the meaning of what he had just witnessed.

"I have to prepare for war! The new king is no friend!"

His brows furrowed in worry and his hand, balled up into a tight fist, smashed into the armrest of his golden throne. Suddenly, he felt his throat dry and was unable to breathe.

He grasped at his throat, coughing and coughing. He wheezed and his eyes nearly bulged out their sockets. In the space of a second, he had lost all his strength and hope, falling off his throne into a heap. His body was now lifeless on the cold tiles that made up the floor.

 "Father! Father!" Myungsoo all the while cried, banging on the door.