1st Daynion, Sevnion I

Damned war ! They even talk about it in the newspaper ! Everything is destroyed. The continent, the cities, my people. There are only a few islands left here and there... That's so unfair I live while my parents, my brothers and sisters, my friends are dead. And here I am, 28 daynions* old, alone on that stupid-named island. Well, not exactly alone. There also are the refugees. We are on a bit of land spared by war by now. A bit of land where men and women can still live in the illusion that nothing had happened.

My name is Arthur Paris. Well, it's the name they gave me once I landed on Seagull Island, last place to live in this destroyed world. Here, all the refugees inherit a new name. We forget the past, everybody can begin a brand new life. Seagull Island... Tol Maiwi in my language ! That's how I'll call this place, this bit of land where I am resigned to live on until my last days.

I settled in the valley that is in the very heart of the island. Most of the refugees live on the coast for they could leave quickly if war came here. I've nothing more to loose for the war took anything I had. There is less inhabitants on this side of the mountains ... less people who will stare at my ears.

Apparently, I'm the only elf on this island and everybody make me fell like I'm different. I can't stop but to think about my family who perished during that stupid war. If only I had done something... But here I am in this house they call Pine Cottage. For me it's Ampano Thôn. They took my true name, they won't take my language.

I quickly found a job as a Campaign Worker in the local City Hall. Because Tol Maiwi does have a city hall. It's surprising to see that people still need things like a city hall, a police station or an hospital so they can have the illusion of a normal life, a life they chose, without the war. But nobody decided to live here. It's just the only place where refugees can live...

Near my shack is the Seamen Pub. My part of the island is no more solitary since this pub was built. Those refugees might have despair to stack up on the shore and came in the valley. I met Mélissa Brunet. A silly girl if you ask me.

"You'll see, soon this war will be over !" she said

"But they destroyed the continent with an atomic bomb ! There is nothing more here, do you understand ? Just a bit of lands scattered on the ocean ! Even if the war does stop some day, there is nowhere to go !"

"You are such a defeatist ! The war will stop, you'll see !"

Everybody here sounds stupid ! What do they hope ? Do they think we will survive all this ? That our families are waiting for us and that we will find them in a Sevnion** or two ?

Later that afternoon, other refugees came to pay me a visit. This Magalie girl immediately caught my attention. At last, there was a wise woman on this island !

"I do intend to find love here !" she said. "We should create a little community and build everything from scratch ! That's what the mayor try to do, here's an intelligent man ! There is no future beyond the sea. The old world is over. And I completely approve the new calendar, it is the sign of new beginnings."

"A new beginning ! You're kidding !" said Benjamin, a creepy-looking guy with a long nose. "The mayor takes benefit of the situation to create a new domination upon us. It's a new war that will happen, but on this island this time !"

The girl who was wearing pants seamed to approve Benjamin and while they talked passionately in my garden, me and Magalie were thinking of ways to improve our daily life on this island.

"Yes, the shore is the perfect place to live. But here, it's like a desert !"

"That's mostly why I came here at Ampano Thôn ..."

"What's that ?"

"Oh, that means the little house near the pines in elfic. It's the closest name I could find for Pines Cottage..."

"You know, when I was a girl, I was constantly dreaming about elves ! You were like such a great civilisation ! Prouds and braves, nothing could stop you ! And then, there was the war !"

"And then there was the war." I repeated on a sad tone. "But I'm still there and I'm sure other elves survived ! I can't be the only survivor. And still, I will fight for my people to survive through my descendants !"

I had no idea about how I was going to do. I didn't even know if elves and humans could have elven children, but I had got to try. That was the only way for me to found a new population of elves, here, on this island. I didn't know what future was made of, but I did know that I would fight not to belong to the past.