Today’s A to Z writing challenge is the letter “S” for Slavery. Here is a definition:
the condition of bondage.
a state of subjection.
severe toil; drudgery.
In my mythology, “The Chosen One of Allivar”, all of the seven living races are bound into slavery by the actions of a King whose mind is ruled by an evil immortal. Slavery is used to keep people in fear and ignorance. It was used to keep a large number of people physically weak so that they might not rise to their own freedom. Slavery is no doubt the worst action of human kind. I am a white man – I will never know how a Black person feels inside. I will never know the feelings of the Jewish people, or any race that has experienced slavery.
This last Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I stopped at the battlefield of the siege at Vicksburg, Mississippi. There I saw a battlefield were a siege lasted four months. I heard the history of how Black men gathered in the cause. Most Union leaders were surprised how valiant Black men fought. Why, I am not sure. But it led the Union to recruit 200,000 Black soldiers. Why do we fear people of dark skin? Why do some fester hatred and bigotry for those different than us? I recall being moved by the film “Glory” of the needless deaths that wars bring. I was brought to an emotional reality when I saw the headstones, some unmarked, at the Vicksburg cemetery. War and death are senseless.
It is these questions that I hoped to answer in my trilogy. The race of the Vanavaran is black skinned. Through time and separation from interaction with the Vanavaran, the other six races come to fear them, when they are no different, except in external appearance. I also created the race of Bermules who are tall, strong and docile. Two races; the Kernsh and the Cayden are very similar in appearance – short with white skin. Then there is the Dayanaran, who you could liken to the Indian race of Asia. The Kassaran are similar to the race of Asians and finally the Nephilliad are the white race. In my story, the seven races must reconcile and defeat the plans of a rebellious immortal, who despises all the living, regardless of their skin color.
In particular, I created the Bermules to display characteristics all human races here on earth should aspire to be. Because the Bermules do not look anything like we expect a living being to be, we should have no prejudices against them. Yet, by their size and strength alone others will fear them.
One of my characters is named Beloth. He is a Vanavaran general raised by a tormented King for the sole purpose to instill fear in the races and against his own race, only due to the color of his skin that the others have been told is evil.
As the story progresses, the seven races are freed and are united to make a final stand against evil. In many respects, it is an issue that has played out for thousands of years in our real world. It is an issue that may destroy us all yet. For the impact of slavery is never completely healed or forgotten. Evil forces test our abilities to coexist and it is their plan that we fail. We can rise to a great purpose and defeat evil, or fall by our differences. We have the free will to make that decision. My story is an allegory of the world we live in, where we, the living, will decide its ultimate fate. How will we respond?
To learn more about my mythology, follow this link to my website.
