CAZADO: BOOK ONE (WATTYS 2023)

Chapter 1

Anyways, I am still in school as I had not yet reached an age where school was no longer necessary. I had surpassed my classmates and was now in university, despite my age; and it was not because I had become a Pariah like my mother. I guess I just have a natural talent for this education thing. I was one of the lucky ones, but you will learn more about that later. My father had been teaching me marital arts as well as educating me on the history of this world which included much critical thinking while other kids were still drinking from their milk bottles. His desire for me was that I kept ahead and maybe I could also become part of the government that now controlled this continent. I had no desire to join them, but out of respect for my father, I followed his will.

He knew best most times when I was unable to see the future. All I knew was joining the government would be a life sentence for any thinking pariah who wanted change. Not joining
the government, with powers, if they ever appeared meant possible death. Even though my father's powers had never manifested, he was one of the lucky ones. Most humans thought that those with superior, incredible powers who became Pariah all became part of the government within the Star-Sea City or Mar Estrella.

A place that was considered an absolute beauty that resided where islands once existed in the Caribbean Sea. Islands that used to exist before they were destroyed by the colonialist's weapon. Most of the people who once lived on these islands had long since passed away and from what I heard, were the first to obtain great power from the colonialist weapons. The few Caribbeans who survived the initial bombing were said to have died shortly after because of the poisons that had penetrated the water, air and the earth; but my father did not believe this. Even though he never told me, I could tell from our brief conversations that there was something more sinister about what happened to those who gained powers greater than most. I just had a feeling that it was not something good.

It was not known what had happened to the people in the old world or if their situation differed from our own. All we knew, is that we know nothing of what was going on
with them. Most of the continent had been bombed. It was not surprising that our education taught us nothing really existed in that part of the world except for the Quimeeraa. Even within our region, we had a glimpse of what these creatures may have looked like; the Quimeeraa.

Further out west there was a place where people used to live. A people who had lived on this continent before any of us. Most of their kind were murdered by colonialists who considered them savages and barbarians. Just like what these new colonialists believed about the people
from this side of the world; us humans. The few that survived were placed on small areas of land and left to fend for themselves. From what my father taught me, these people were believed to have been placed there in horrible conditions.

In reading the old history I did not find much difference between old world rulers and those who had taken over the world now. These new colonialists had bombed their land as they began to fight against this new regime only to be destroyed themselves. Even with the great power they gained from the initial bombing, it was not enough for them to overcome the Colonialists' army. Not many of them survived. It was a rarity to see their people unless they had been a mixed people; and most thought even they had not survived.

After the El Grande Muerte, the land further out West became riddled with these Quimeeraa. Powerful beasts that destroyed any normal animals like we knew. They protected their forest and lands from those who wished to take them over with an intelligence like that of men. And their powers far surpassed those of the Pariah. They did not want the land destroyed by the evils of men and of Pariah. It was rare to find Pariah in this part of the world that were not officials of the administration. Others lived on the island built by our king. Some said he used his powers to do so and had survived for more than a thousand years, if not more.