Omar Prologue

• Tallara Pengilly, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2012

There are two things you need to know. One the world is flat. It always has been and always will be. Long ago, so the ancient stories tell the land of Omar used to be bigger but then there was a drastic shift in the Earth’s core and the land of Omar trembled like nothing before. Huge chunks of land broke away and melted into the sea. Leaving a new island standing and shaking in the aftermath.

The second thing you need to know it that there are three goddess’ Menaya goddess of strength, Elvane goddess of wisdom and Orcana goddess of power. They calmed the new island and gave it life. Each goddess, a sister to the others, created a race to govern the island Humans, Elves and Orks. Each goddess took the race that bore their name and gave them gifts. The humans were gifted with incomparable fighting skills, the elves were given magic but Orcana, who was selfish gave the orks both powers but with selfish decisions come consequences. The power was split between the orks and only some could fight and others use magic. Orcana was livid with rage and blamed her sisters. She broke away from them and vowed to have revenge.

Life was peaceful on the island of Omar. Then Orcana started to poison the minds of her orks, suggesting that they were the better race and they should control the whole island. This idea festered and grew until they decided to band together and claim what they thought was theirs.

Although war was an unused word on the island it was not unheard of and soon it was echoing all around. The elves and humans banded together but although their numbers were impressive the orks outnumbered them. The armies faced one another along the border between the ork territory and the human territory and outnumbered, as they were human and elf alike all bowed their heads in silent prayer to the goddesses’. Orcana had been hiding what was happening from her sisters but her power wasn’t as strong as that combined prayer. Menaya and Elvane saw what was about to occur and took each other’s hands to use the power that they very rarely exercised.

The armies were still, each waiting for the other to say something, to fling an insult into the silent abyss and start the war. Someone sneezed, a small sound that didn’t carry very far but that was all it took. The armies rushed at each other but before one blade could cross another there was a deafening roar and everyone was thrown to the ground. The land under their feet was groaning and moaning, heaving first one way then another. When the world stopped shuddering the humans and elves stood and looked about them. There where the ork army once stood was now a cliff, much like the ones surrounding the island and forever separating the orks from the humans and elves.