In a land far away, there existed a colony of unique creatures. The colony was one of many such colonies where the residents were handpicked based on a few attributes. What was so special about this colony? About 200 years ago, a prophecy had declared that the food that the creatures of the land survived on-mainly leaves, trees and foliage- was going to be wiped out in the next 2 centuries. This led to development of colonies where the inhabitants were taught how to hunt and devour living beings which was the only alternative.The care of these living beings was however, under the control of big corporations. One had to be under the service of a corporation in order to gain access to the living beings.These corporations would, at the end of the two year regimen, choose the residents they deemed fit from a colony. How were the creatures chosen for the colony? The creatures were selected based on the intensity of the belief in the prophecy and their physical strength. Every year, a test called the PBT ( Prophecy Belief Test) was held and out of the scores of applicants, a few would be given a place after several grueling rounds.

However, it was not all work and no play at this particular colony. The residents called “Believers” were plied with all kinds of luxuries that the outside world could only dream of. The Believers partied and enjoyed the two years they had at this colony. At the end of the two years, the corporations would make their way to the colony as with several other colonies and suitable Believers were picked up. These Believers would then leave the colony and the cells they stayed in, would be emptied out by the “Workers” who would scavenge whatever they could from the left-behind possessions. The occasion would be of great excitement for these Workers and they would move from cell after empty cell cackling away with glee and eyeing those Believers who were unfortunate enough to not be picked up by the big corporations. This tale is about one such Believer named Zala.

Zala was what the colony management called a “Naive One”-the kind who display immense belief and physical strength but have no experience in knowing when and how to apply the vast reserves of the strengths they have been bestowed with. Unfortunately,most of the Believers who had been recruited that fateful year, were the ones who had had some experience dealing with the living beings they had been taught to prey. So, all Zala could do was watch in growing dismay the increasing counts of the Believers who were now officially the “Hunters”.

Zala wondered for days as to what its fate was going to be. It agonized endlessly as to what could have been and where exactly it may have gone wrong. Finally, one bright day, it decided to make better use of the time Fate had dropped in its arms. It decided to travel. It had some money stored over from what its parents had given it over the past two years and using that, it began its sojourns. It went to near lands and distant lands, fallow lands and barren lands. It traveled in the night, it traveled in the day and continued to, at dusk. It met many of its fellow creatures along the way and made some good friends, some acquaintances and some it wished it never crossed paths with again.

End of Part 1

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