Hianshu and Revhara had finally separated, agreeing to a fragile peace treaty.
Was it respected?
Was peace truly present in both kingdoms?
No.
The hatred between the two kingdoms lingered.
Revhara's people loathed those who had driven them from their homeland as if they were mere insects, while Hianshu's people—the mortals—felt repulsed that they had spent generations worshipping Gods who did not care about them.
In the small villages of Hianshu lived the low-ranking commoners, while the noble human families resided in the capital.
"AHHH!" A woman's agonized cry echoed through a modest hut among many others scattered across the village.
"Hang in there," an elderly woman urged. "Push harder. You are almost there." The midwife guided the labouring woman through the pain.
After much struggle, tears, and agony, the child was finally placed in his mother's arms.
"It's a boy," the midwife announced with a grin.
