to be or not to be
... woman in the world. Anthos, with his power of water, blessed her with grace and serenity. And so, as the years passed, the gods retreated back to their temple on the summit of Mount Caje (Kah-ji). Kona and Ilia fell in love and married, giving rise to generations of children. Kona was not only a great ruler, but a talented warrior too. He was respected by many, and even envied by the gods. He was a mortal who was bound by the fate of all mortal men: to die. But for a mortal man who was destined to die, he lived a long and prosperous life. Folk Tale The gods created many creatures and humans too. By the will of the gods, Kona was made the emperor of the land he called Caje, named after the mountain which was home to the four divine gods. Caje was Kona and Ilias' homeland and they decided to remain there. Under the leadership of Kona, the Caje people grew from a small tribe to a vast empire. He was loved by his people and immensely popular. All the gods cherished and envied Kona. All but one. Anthos, king of the gods, hid his hatred for Kona. He was a mighty god who had power over the other divine gods, which is why two-thirds of the world was covered with his water. He was also very flawed and corrupt. He was jealous of Kona and favored Kona's young son Anima over the chosen heir to the throne, Kunazki. Kona was proud of his son Kunazki. As a young child, he displayed prodigal talents as a scholar and a farmer. He helped his father harvest many crops and even mixed crops to create new crops. As a young man, he established many plantations throughout the land and beyond. He also inherited his father's talent as a warrior, showing incredible prowess in battle. He was one of the only men after his father who was powerful enough to wield the sword of Iris, a holy weapon that Iris herself forged deep inside the volcanoes. The other gods favored him, too, and said that he would become the next emperor. His younger brother Anima, however, was the opposite. He did nothing for his father and disobeyed his parents. He secretly worshipped Anthos and prayed that he would one day become the ruler and that Anthos would kill his brother to make it possible. He was also a great fighter like his brother, but only fought for glory and wealth. Nevertheless, Kona loved him as a son, even though he did favor Kunazki. Kona was becoming old. As he grew old, he grew frail. He only hoped that Kunazki would be equal to the task. Kunazki took charge while his father was ill and strengthened the might of the military even more. He was responsible for bountiful harvests, which led to population blooms and more prosperity. Kona was so happy that he recovered more quickly. Meanwhile, Anima would travel to the temple of the gods on the summit of Mount Caje, which was only open to royal family members. Anima and Anthos had long talks about world domination, death, and other subjects that fascinated Anima. They together plotted to kill Kunazki after Kona died and rule the world together. Iris, Phyxus, and Daldaeus did not know of the conspiracy and remained dormant. Then one day, Kona died. The gods awoke from their slumber and mourned his death for three days. For those three days, Iris summoned sweltering heat waves and set off dormant volcanoes. Phyxus summoned heavy windstorms and destroyed villages. And Daldaeus summoned massive earthquakes and rockslides. However, they left the Kunazki's plantations and Kona's buildings untouched. But Anthos remained calm, and he did not summon floods or do anything destructive. He remained in his temple, silent, as he waited for Anima to carry out his orders. Kunazki wept for days and at his father's funeral, he almost committed suicide. However, he knew that he must continue what his father had started. His mother, Ilia, remained taciturn and somber, spending the rest of her days within the palace walls. Kunazki was soon crowned emperor of the Caje Empire. Anthos became more jealous of his brother and despised him even more. His plan would be executed soon. Kunazki had a family. His wife, Isadora, had a newborn son named Oluski, who, like his father and deceased grandfather, was destined to become a great ruler and a great warrior. Kunazki was preparing for another harvest one day and was walking along the shore of Lake Kosimo. The lake was said to be Anthos' first creation. Kunazki was looking for a rare fruit that grew on the shore of the lake. Then he heard a voice whisper. "Come hither, your majesty. Come hither," whispered the voice. Kunazki turned his head and saw no one. But he did see something odd in the lake. It was a...