THE CIVIL WAR
After years of being ruled by the wealthy upper class, many humans and kalons who chose to stay on land had become impoverished and malnourished. Streets were littered with filth and vermin. Maris didn’t see much of this due to his home town being a sea-side village, but once he’d been brought to the inner city walls for trades and updates with his captain time and time again, he could no longer stand to watch the decay of his beloved home. He had to do something, and fast.
After deciding to stay on land, he eventually got word of an uprising. Whispers spread through the streets, and though it took some time, he finally heard of a kalon who knew more about the rebellion. Maris followed the cobblestone paths of the city to a back alley, letting himself inside of an old shop with no name. As he stepped inside, an old kalon stood at the counter, polishing a knife.
“Don’t have much to offer. You’re better off goin’ somewhere else.” Maris shook his head, stepping up to the counter. “I heard you’re in charge of the rebellion.”
The kalon’s brows raised, eying Maris briefly as he continued to polish his weapon. “I am. It’s not gonna be easy, I’ll tell you that. We’re going to get started soon here, and there might be bloodshed. You really think you can handle it?”
“I can handle it.” The man sighed, shaking his head. “If you think so. Don’t have the energy to turn you crazy kids away anymore. Head down the hall. You’ll get a better explanation there.”
As Maris entered the next room, there were many people seated at a small table, playing poker with a small collection of coins as the prize in the center. They all stopped to look at him, though they returned to their game with little difficulty. One of the kalons ushered him over, and briefed him on what was going to happen in the next few days. Maris was surprised at how much had been planned out already. Had his home been in such bad shape for so long? It was hard to imagine, and yet here he stood, a member of the revolution, about to overthrow the government. He didn’t know what to think.
The kalons set out a few mornings later, determined to change the way their kingdom was run. The leader and a few kalons marched up to the palace, demanding that the ruling class step down, or they would rebel. Of course, these men and women didn’t think much of their threat, and told them to go ahead. With this, Maris and the others began their work.
Shops closed their doors. Workers left their jobs. Suddenly, the entire world was empty, the streets barren except for those walking home. At first, not much was accomplished by this. But as time went on, the kingdom grew further into its fall. The aristocrats, no longer being served by their maids and butlers, grew irritated. Food and cloth became scarce as no work was done. Trade routes closed down, and those who didn’t live in fishing communities had nearly no food. This went on for months. As the hospital began to fill with sick kalons and the only food that remained went bad, the aristocrats finally conceded. They left the palace and were exiled from Sul Maren, being sent off on a boat with supplies and a captain to be taken to one of the islands that held no kalons.