Chapter One: Once Upon A Time

This story takes place at a distant time in the mysterious and exotic Kingdom of Moskova (known by some people as "Golden Eagle Domains"), a small principality of beautiful landscapes, surrounded by several tribes which this was conquering. However, a single tribe, the Kozzakhi, remained independent for longer than the others. They used to be a very special culture, formed by skillful horsemen and warriors, as well as wise nomadic erudites who lived in democracy and harmony with the nature of the big and flat savannahs.   As part of this ancestral community there were two especial children, Aliosha and Dylara. They were inseparable friends, almost like siblings. They loved playing with the animals, traveling in caravans with the adults and listening to the stories and legends about stars and magical beings that Vladek, father of Aliosha, used to tell every night by the campfire before going to sleep. Vladek was not just a good storyteller, he was a sensitive leader and incredibly patient - sometimes his patience exceeded the limits designed for a human being. He also was really generous and passionate about stargazing. He loved to transmit his knowledge with other members of the clan, but also his special personality allowed him to appreciate the beauty and peace of loneliness, something that not everyone are capable of doing.
Aliosha was a naughty and cheerful boy with brown hair and gray eyes, who was always dressed in wide pants tied with a bow, a shirt of colorful embroidery and a red jacket. He also wore a brown fur hat with some feathers, characteristic of his culture . He liked to use the sword a lot, because he imagined himself fighting like his father. Although sometimes this did not go very well, he never gave up.
As for Dylara, she was an ingenious and strong girl with reddish hair and honey-colored eyes, who wore clothes similar to Aliosha's although hers had some differences such as, for example, that her hat was attached to a veil and over her shirt she wore a kind of tunic or poncho. She was very skilled in the risky jumps and acrobatics rypical of the traditional dances of their culture,as well she liked a lot riding horses with her dad.The little Kozzakhi used to have very pleasant moments during their childhood with their cheerful and eccentric people, but unfortunately the good thing do not last forever. The days of happiness, prosperity and independence for them vanished in the air like the smoke left over from a campfire at midnight.
The current prince of Moskova has left the world and the Eagle Throne was occupied by a new regent, whose name was Ivarosovic. It was said that he was a descendant of the ancient founding tribe of Moskova. He had spent his childhood in the kingdom, to have mysteriously disappeared and then returned from far away to take his place, expelling the council of leaders that functioned as a parliament. Ivar, as he used to be called, was a very ambitious ruler, as he began a campaign to expand the kingdom that was more brutal than the previous ones. He changed his nobility title to Tsar (which means, emperor). One of the first peoples against which he attacked to subdue them were the Kozzakhi. They were not going to give in so easily, so they fought against Tsar's troops. Vladek led the battle, but despite having resisted and fought, he lost the confrontation. In this battle, not only the flame of autonomy was extinguished, the life of its beloved leader was extinguished as well.
Several years passed since that fatal loss, winters became increasingly raw and the children grew and matured like flowers do when spring arrives. There were no more traces of the adventurous nomadic life of the kozzakhi people more than just fading memories that ended dissapearing. Most features of their culture as history and traditions were erased from books and collective mind, their true identity fell into oblivion. Many of them had settled in some cities and towns of the kingdom, and others had no choice but to join the ranks of the grumpy Ivar, who ended up earning nicknames as "The Scary One" or "The Rabid" thanks to his not very kind temper and the absurdly violent punishments - sometimes quite gross - that he applied to those who disobeyed or simply were not to his liking. The kingdom grew in size and diversity, and the lifestyle of many people had changed markedly. Dylara and Aliosha, for example, had settled in a village called Barkistán, where they had a rather monotonous life compared to the one they used to have years ago, which they had forgotten.