Robyn Fox sat on the roof of his house and gazed upon the seemingly endless stretch of the land he grew up in. Aside from a few trees, all Robyn could see was plain barren lands that were once fertile. His father had told him stories of their land that was once filled with farmers, fertile soil and flourishing crops that fed most of the Cromagnon Empire. A land that was once praised for giving rise to farming and allowing humans to truly master the Earth, South Nation was said to be blessed by Mother Gea herself. Robyn could now only see a few starving farmers now, tired of the fields that yielded few crops. Even the animals were starving. How ironic. Robyn though. Created and destroyed by the Gods. Did the King know that by allowing people to learn Water Crafting, that it would bring a new God? Did he know South Nation was against this ruling? If he had listened to the protesters, would he have prevented the multiple civil wars that destroyed the nation? Robyn shook his head, his head flooding with questions. 

A familiar voice boomed asking for the people to gather around, breaking his line of thought. His eyes followed the sound to his Uncle Will. He watched the people gathering in front of a stage, below him. He keenly watched the crowd, his brown eyes shimmering under the hot, golden sun. He always liked a crowd. It fascinated him to hear people preaching ideas in clever ways that had the power to draw people from their homes or stop them in their tracks. And his uncle wielded such power. It never failed to bring a smile to his fifteen years old face. Its almost time. He thought as he watched his uncle waving his hands beckoning people to come closer. He combed through the crowd carefully till his eyes met his father’s, who almost immediately gave him an ever slight nod. Robyn focused into the crowd, his eyes noting the people carrying items, especially anything that shimmers under the sunlight. As his mind paved the route he should take, he heard the crowd cheering and chanting - "Mother Gea". 

Despite being from the South Nation, where people lived and breathed religion, Robyn couldn’t care less about it. His father had made sure of that ever since he found that Robyn was smarter than most his age. Don’t waste that head of yours for Gods he had told him, and Robyn took the words to heart. He had instead used his brains to learn to farm while the rest left to protest and preach. He learned about the different crops and when and how they grow. He mastered it by the age of thirteen and continued until the guards of the King came from Sapios. Sent to prevent another civil war from arising, the guards used their time to scout for farms and freely used the king’s name to steal food. With their arrival, the South Nation went from a nation that supplied food to most of the Empire to a nation that could barely feed its own people. Robyn had seen the ruthless injustice done in the name of the King plenty of times to the point where he understood to stay away from the colors of the king and even more so to stop farming.  

"People of the South. Back in the days of the First King, there were no nations, no Gods, no dwellers and settlers, just Humans. The Wolves were our friend as was any Human that loved Earth." His uncle screamed with passion to the cheering crowd. Robyn got up and in one quick motion slid down to the ground and landed on his nimble feet. He saw a figure flash skillfully within the bobbing crowd. As quick and talented as his father was, Robyn knew he was better. As immediately as he was on the ground, he vanished into the crowd for the routine he was so familiar with. A quick scout of the crowd, slip in, weave about and come out with the pockets full of items that could buy enough food for the day and if lucky, maybe even the next. Religion was, in a way, how his family makes a living, stealing from the masses that came to listen to the preach. While his father was busy focused on the next day’s meal, his uncle had plans and ideas of his own. Firmly rooted to the culture and history of the Humans, he had preached his way to the leader of the Rebels. "This ruling King Leo has made WILL separate Humans. We have started to learn a craft not given to us. A new craft and now a new god? What is next? A new leader for them? A new King that rivals our own? More Wars? Humans survived the darkest of days united!" His uncles persuading voice reached his ears followed by a deafening cheer. 

Robyn walked out of the crowd slowly, his hands in the full pockets of his ragged shorts. His brown dusty shirt covered the expensive necklace around his neck and his black hair merged with the shadow of a building as he went out of sight. "Let there be no more wars in our land. Pray let there be only one King and more importantly, let us believe in and worship only ONE God!" The crowd roared in response, still transfixed to his uncle. He crouched against the darkness of the building, waiting for his father; the squeaks of concerned rats all around him. It was the spot he always meets his father before they were on their way to the next town. "The Prince shall be crowned in a few weeks and we shall have a new King. Tomorrow at dawn, a group shall start the journey to the city Wolfs Den in Sapios to meet and educate the new King!" A thunderous roar followed. A rumble of unease danced around the pit of his stomach as his uncle took a bow, a signal of the end of the speech. They were to leave the area before this. Where is Father? Robyn thought to himself impatiently. He shuffled slightly to peek at the crowd whose excitement had begun to die down. He felt his heart pounding in his throat as he watched a section of the crowd break their formation to circle someone. Could it be that his father was caught? His mouth started to go dry as he saw a flash of recognition on his uncle’s face as he quietly watched the scene unfolding, stunned. His uncle’s expression confirmed it. His father was caught. Robyn had known this day would eventually come and although he had replayed this scenario in his head a million times, he realized it wasn’t enough to deal with the actual moment. He knew what he had to do, his father had made him repeat it over and over, yet he couldn’t move his legs. His heart told him to go help his father but his brain held him back. He glanced helplessly to his uncle who returned a steady nod. With a sense of reassurance that his uncle will help his brother, Robyn found the strength to move his legs. 

He emptied his pockets and ran under the cover of the shadows, the sounds of the angry crowd slowly getting farther and farther away. He dashed between buildings and farms, running west. Most of the Rebels lived in the towns in the far west of South Nation. West was where he would be safest. He would wait for his uncle there. His legs ached from the sprinting and his lungs cried for air and yet he dared not stop, not even to look back. He had never cursed himself for not being able to craft Earth more than now. He ran till he started seeing the woods that divided the towns. If any guards were following him, they wouldn’t go into these woods. He slowed his pace as he entered the group of trees. He paced around a few trees and quickly climbed up one tree and hid among the leaves. He didn’t hear or see anyone following him but his father always taught him to be cautious. He steadied his breath and strained to listen for footsteps. Once he made sure he was alone, he felt his emotions catch up. He let the tears flow as he thought about his father. The guards always kept a close watch on crowds and would have certainly been around to take him away. What was he to do now? 

A rumbling of earth distracted Robyn. He wiped off his tears and waited as the rumbling grew louder and louder. It was coming close. He reshuffled the leaves to get a better look. It was two people using the earth to move. As they came closer, Robyn could see a tall, well-built man in a mud-colored attire with a nasty scar across his right cheek. He had a grim unchanging expression like he was always given a job he didn’t want to do and his curled mouth told Robyn that he seldom smiled. He kept glancing at his partner while riding the earth like he was having a secret competition with him. Robyn felt a sense of relief when he saw that his partner was his uncle. The towering figure of his uncle and his calm, purpose-filled brown eyes had always made Robyn feel safe. He jumped from the tree and landed with a soft thud on the ground just as the rumbling earth stopped in front of him. 

"Robyn. Are you okay?" His uncle’s voice was filled with concern. 

"I am Uncle, Is father okay? Where was he taken?" Robyn replied concerned. His uncle’s expression saddened at the mention of his brother. 

"I told Jack this day would eventually come. That he would pay for his crimes. The guards and I stopped them from killing him. But they are to take him to Sapios at dawn to the King at Wolfs Den, for the King’s justice." 

"Sapios? The King will decide his ruling? After all the things the King did to our nation?" Robyn felt hatred and anger boiling up inside him at the mention of the King. 

"Your father and you chose to do this and you both knew the risks." His uncle said with a hint of disappointment. A scoff from his side made him turn to look towards his scowling partner.

"What is it, Alden?" His uncle urged his partner to speak. 

"The kid is right. If the King chooses violence, so should we. You are too soft Will." Alden replied, his scowling expression unchanged.

"Violence achieves nothing. We must make the new King understand the thorns of the current rules. Have faith Alden."

"The Rebels you sent to spy on the new Water Crafters don’t think so. Have you heard the latest word from them? One of them was found dead along with a guard. Those Water Crafters are out of control. Only fear can subdue them." Alden argued, staring at Uncle Will, his expression turning cold.

Uncle Will held up his hand with a sigh of exasperation. " You are much too hot-blooded Alden. We are not here to start a war. We are here to compromise a solution. And we shall do so in a peaceful manner." Uncle Will glared at Alden as if challenging him to continue arguing. 

"Every generation of South Nation has stories of a civil war against the King ever since Water Crafting was allowed. If our ancestors found it a good enough reason to go to war for it, we should too." Alden exclaimed proudly. 

"And what good has come of it? Generations of people dying or the barren lands that came after the bloodshed?" 

"There wasn’t another choice. Kings and their Wolves only listen to the man with the biggest sword right before a bloody battle." 

"Enough Alden. We must try everything before we put a sword in the hands of another farmer and ask him to fight for a cause he doesn’t care for." Will raised his voice and gestured Alden to stop the argument. 

Although Robyn couldn’t care less about the conversation, part of him knew Alden was right. Blood must be paid with blood. But another part of him wanted his uncle to succeed through words and inspiration first. What a victory that would be. An entire empire brought together against the King using mere words. 

Will sighed, deep in thought as he scuffled his nephew’s thick black hair. Then he turned to Robyn as if he had finally decided something. 

"Robyn, from today you stay with me. You help me and go wherever I go. You need to learn the ways of the world if you are to survive." He said firmly. 

Robyn nodded, relieved. Desperation had made his father turn to steal. And although Robyn never liked stealing, he couldn’t let his father do it alone. 

As they walked slowly towards his uncle’s home, Robyn glanced at the trees and farms. He loved his nation and it’s people and he missed the old farming days and his nice neighbors before the King’s Guards had come. He made a silent promise to himself that he will one day, save his nation and restore its former glory. He will wait for his father and they will go back to farming. He felt the cold of the metal against his chest and saw that he still had the necklace he had stolen. After thinking for a moment, he decided to keep it. A reminder of the promise he made. 

"Will father be okay?" Robyn wondered.

"My brother is a resourceful man. He will somehow find a way to survive. He always has and always will." Uncle Will reassured. 

Robyn knew it was true, yet he couldn’t help but worry. 

"And pack what you need to tonight. We leave for Sapios at dawn."  Uncle Will declared.