The Carnelian Sparrow

Preface

Many great lands drift along the sea of clouds that blankets the world. To all who live and die in these times, the clouds may as well have been the surface of the planet itself. It was the ocean and the land and a barrier that none dared to breach, save for those who did not have any delusions about returning alive. The floating continents never came into contact with one another. They may as well have been alien planets that happened to share a single, common atmosphere.

On one such continent, a vast kingdom of a race of avian people held dominion over nearly every inch of land. Some had sharper features befitting predators, with others being softer, like songbirds. They all came in various sizes and shapes, but were alike enough to live together in something resembling harmony.

None dared to oppose the kingdom in its seven hundred sixty four year reign, whether the King or Queen was a tyrant or benevolent in any given era. The kingdom itself flourished, the land rich with fertile soil and minerals innumerable, as well as progress in the fields of alchemy, science and technology.

The secrets to the land’s longevity were closely guarded among the Cross Royal Family, passed down only upon coronation. The only people to know these secrets outside of the Royal Family were the High Priests, royal Advisors, and a mysterious being known as the Oracle, an individual rumored to have lived since the Great Fracture that tore the land into the floating continents known today. Not even the Princesses or Princes knew these secrets until acceding to the throne.

Security and stability were maintained through the Royal Military. They acted as guardians of the kingdom, as well as peacekeepers or enforcers throughout the realm. Usually, a Prince or Princess would appoint a singular General, who would name a small number of Captains, each taking a division of their own appointed Knights to oversee their own districts. Captains often acted as regional Governors. (Though many villages and cities elected their own, they ultimately answered to the Royal Military in matters of dispute.) Knights, in turn, would often take on Squires, training them from a young age to eventually rise through the ranks, and ultimately to keep the system in place.

This year marked the seven hundred sixty fifth year of the Cross Kingdom’s reign. It was an uneventful year under the current reigning King, Alexander Cross VI. He was not anywhere near the cruelty necessary to earn the “tyrant” moniker, yet neither was he benevolent that he was beloved by his people. Order was maintained, food and homes were plenty, and work was fair, along with compensation. Taxation, meanwhile, was a bit heavier than the predecessor, Queen Catherine III, and the presence of Knights was, at times, stifling. Still, life was more or less peaceful for all who lived and died under Alexander Cross’s rule.

This year’s anniversary was set to be one of the most uneventful celebrations in all of history.