Chapter 1: Dod and Danaël
Over a billion years ago, planet Earth was hit by a wave of meteorite falls. 90% of humanity was exterminated by these falls.
The contents of these meteorites, which contained a bacterium previously unknown to man, contaminated all living species on Earth and altered several ecosystems.
The Earth's surface was reshaped. The symbiotic era began, and with it the creation of the world of Fantasia.
Fantasy year 2476, city of Goliath.
Danaël had been watching the old man for some twenty minutes now. The sun from the city of Goliath was hitting the back of his neck sideways, leaving a red mark that the young man was scratching vigorously.
The alleyway in which he found himself was particularly narrow, the cobblestones on the ground upturned and worn, and the walls surrounding the young man obscured by dirt.
The few passers-by were jostling each other, and the smell was so unbearable that it was advisable to wear a mask to avoid nausea.
Young Danaël was there, crouching at the end of the alley, in the only place where the shade partially protected him from the extreme heat.
Dressed in black, he wore a long cape that fell to his knees and tight, long black boots. The hood over his head enveloped and masked the faint sheen of his black hair, slightly curly and covered in soot.
He had fine, almost feminine features and equally fine but bushy eyebrows. Two beauty spots on either side of his right eye, starting from his forehead to the entrance of his cheekbone, formed an imaginary line on his face.
Danaël's saffron eyes were still riveted on the old merchant who ran a potato stall a few yards from the boy and directly to his right as he exited the alley.
The thirteen-year-old's jaw tightened, and his gaze intensified, his dry lips mumbling inaudible words, he seemed to be giving himself words of encouragement.
At last, the boy strided in the direction of the merchant, the sun hitting him completely now. Danaël found himself masked by the agglutinating crowd in the mall's central aisle.
Every solstice, the city came together, and merchants from every corner had the opportunity to sell their best wares. The hubbub in the city was at its height. Between arguments and jostling, people could barely hear themselves think.
Danaël subtly hid behind a tall man in his forties and was now just a few meters from the stand. On tiptoe, he approached and managed to grab a few potatoes.
The old salesman seemed to be deep in conversation with a customer and didn't notice the young boy at the time. Danaël folded his coat pockets as best he could and as quickly as he could. He managed to get his hands on a dozen of them before the salesman noticed him:
"Hey, you !!!" He snarled. "Put that down right now, kid!"
The old salesman's greying beard concealed the angry expression on his face. The young boy took to his heels, still pursued by the old man's shouts.
Danaël navigated his way through the crowd. He wasn't being chased, but "I'd better get a move on before the militia arrives", he thought. Whistles sounded, Danaël knew they were for him.
He suddenly turned right and crossed the side street to the central alley as quickly as he could. After crossing this street, he stopped behind a pillar and followed the militia at his heels, running in the opposite direction.
The boy took the time to breathe and wipe a few beads of sweat from his forehead before resuming his route, this time at a brisk pace.