Rogue. (IN REVISION)

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PROLOGUE: The Story Of Desolate.

"Long ago, way before our time. A weary traveler left home to find new land for his family to thrive off of. Drought engulfed almost all of Elysium, called The Great Heat. The man traveled far and wide just to find a sign of life anywhere. It took him days and several hundred miles to find anything worth nourishment and care.

He braved sand storms and blistering heat, his throat was dry and his feet could hardly carry him any farther. He collapsed onto the ground, his hands burning under the heat of the crackled dirt.

His vision blurred and mirages played with his suffering senses. His mind projected a tree into his line of vision, withering away but it's branches holding one single fruit.

Besides his beliefs of it being a figment of his imagination, he crawled his way to it, bringing himself under the weak shade that it provided.

He looked at the glistening white fruit, what was it? He reached up to grab it, expecting it to fall through the image projected before him. His fingers wrapped around the fruit and he picked it from the branch, The fruit was real!

He eagerly bit into the fruit and its red juices trickled down his chin, marvelling at the reddish orange color on the inside . He sat back and relaxed as the food nourished his body, he drank of its juices and picked out it's single glass like seed.

He dug a deep hole until he felt moisture in the soil, planting the seeds into the ground. As it grew over time, the man used the old tree to build his home around the new one, tending to it religiously until it bared fruit. He brought his family and they lived there, planting trees and passing on the seeds for other places to spring life. Within five years the drought was over, Elysium was breathing again."

Young Fallon giggled in amusement as her father, Leo, told her the story of how the country of Desolate earned its name.

"Soon, people came to see the famous Pearl tree that enriched Elysium, it became an attraction, then a country. The man became the Olori (leader) of that country...do you remember his name?" He asked his daughter who was hugging a pillow to her chest.

"Oliver Stagg." She chirped.

"That's right my Little Wisp." He ruffled her hair making her laugh again.

"This beautiful country grew from one desolate tree, One desolate seed in a desolate place. The Staggs still oversee and govern this land, a rich bloodline with the same purpose to this day. To keep the pearl tree alive and to care for the people of Desolate."

"I love that story." Fallon said, adoringly.

"So do I, sweetheart." He kissed her head and turned off the bedroom light. "Goodnight."

Fallon snapped out of her flashback and sighed, looking up at the famous massive Pearl Tree that stretched high above the capitol of Lyosh, like a giant looking down upon the city, dead and wilted. It's naked branches still stretched high past the top of the clock tower that protected it. No leaves, not a single Pearl grew from it's branches.

"Desolate indeed." She gave the tree one last glance and walked away into the dead, rotting city that once was the booming metropolis she loved. The country now really defined its name once again.

Venner looked out the window of his elaborate loft, staring down at the destroyed town below him. Ash and rubble at every turn and grime of unknown sludge stuck to the streets. Snow started to fall from the blue-grey sky and the clock tower with half a face missing rang out a crooked croon, signaling it was midnight. His heart sank to his stomach, oh how his ancestors would be disappointed in him if they saw the state of Desolate now.