All worlds have a beginning and this one begins with dragons. Eight mighty dragons ruled over it.

They were the Fire, Earth, Sky, Sea, Lighting, Light, Wood, and Darkness dragons.

Each controlled an element and all together, they controlled the world. For thousands of years these dragons ruled our land and to aid them, they called upon the humans.

Humans were granted the ability to command the elements. Tattoos markings on both arms were a sign of this honor and before long, every human had them.

These tattoos and the power they symbolized came to be known as Kinks. The tattoos ran from one arm, across the back, and to the other.

For thousands of years, humanity helped the dragons manage the world, but it was not to last forever.

One day, the dragons looked to the heavens and longed to fly among the stars. They assembled the humans and divided them among the two continents. Each would house four kinfolks.

The western continent housed the Lighting, Light, Wood, and Darkness kinfolks, while the west housed the Fire, Earth, Sky, and Sea kinfolks.

In the center of the two continents, the dragons built the dragon tower. A large tower that reached towards the heavens.
At the very top was said to be a pool of golden water. Drinking this, would allow one to ascend from kinfolk to dragonkin.

They hoped that humanity would come together as one on our own and reach the realm of the dragons.

We didn’t.

As soon as it was discovered that the tower only allowed one person to enter every year, war broke out among the kinfolks.
Not just with one another but within the kinfolks as well. Clans formed within each kinfolk and civil wars broke out as well.

Because of this, the world was dragged into a bloody and never-ending war.

All hope seemed lost until, 8 mighty warriors rose.

Each of these warriors came from each kinfolk and they were unmatched. The leader of these warriors was the immortalized Kuramoto Yoshii. Leader of the fire clan Kuramoto.

It was said that he's never seen before blue flames could burn anything that came their way. Even lighting was no match for them.

Together with his companions, Yoshii put an end to the war and brought peace to the world.

To prevent conflicts in the future, it was agreed that a tournament would be held every year to choose who would challenge the dragon tower.

The tournament was called the dragon quest and only a dragon sage could enter it.

A dragon sage is the title held by the most powerful member of kinfolk on each continent.

While in the east, anyone can become one by winning a large battle rumble, the west went in a different direction.

Yoshii believed that the person to conquer the tower would be from the future generations.

He established the Yoshii academy. Any potential contender for the sage title must enroll in the school and win its yearly battle tournament.

The Dragon faith tournament.

Many have enrolled in this academy in the hopes of becoming a dragon sage and now, I stand on its doorstep with my beating heart, ready to take that very step.

This was a day I dreamed about ever since I was young. If I become a sage, then I will prove my grandmother's faith was not in vain. I will prove that I am much more than a Haffu.

Haffu…

This is the term given to people like me.

In this new world, there are two absolutes.

One. Power is everything

My mother’s husband was born into the Kuramoto clan. The Kuramoto was an old and distinguished clan and how could they not be? They were the clan that gave birth to legendary Yoshii.

Over the centuries, however,  the Kuramoto clan’s power and influence greatly reduced until it was no longer relevant.

Other clans were now leading the fire kinfolks instead.

This was a stain on the Kuramoto honor, and one they sought to remove.

Marriage was strict and training for future generations was harsh. All this in an attempt to return to the good old days.
The clan finally saw hope in my mother’s husband. He was a genius from the get-go. At age 15 he could fight with the adults with little effort and win.

He was destined for greatness, however, in his final match at the dragon faith tournament, he was seriously injured by an Earth Kink user.

The Earth Kink user had developed an art that allowed an Earth Kink user to envelop themselves in an armor that was said to be unbreakable.

Ever since then, the Earth Kink users have dominated the  Dragon faith tournament.

My mother’s husband did recover, but by the time he was fit for battle again, it was already too late. He had graduated from the academy and was no longer eligible to compete.

It was at this time that the Kuramoto clan turned to the future again. My mother’s husband married no less than five women, with the hope that a future him would be born from them.

It was during this time of marring and child birthing that he found and fell in love with my mother.

However, the Kuramoto clan would not allow such a thing.

My mother was a Sky kinfolk. In terms of power ranking, first is earth, then fire, followed by sea and finally sky.

The Kuramoto clan would prefer he married a fellow fire or even an earth kink user.

They would never allow a union between him and a weak sky kinfolk.

My mother’s husband however was not to be denied. He challenged his father for the right to lead the clan and won.

My mother became his 8th wife and his favorite, much to the dislike of the other wives who constantly bullied her. She, however, was unfazed by the treatment.

Her love for her husband stood firm until she was blessed with his child. She spent countless days caressing her ever-growing belly, as she waited to see her firstborn child.

What was supposed to be a glorious day, however, turned into a nightmare for her.

The baby was born with only one arm covered in tattoos. He was what the world called, Haffu.

As centuries passed since the dragons bestowed the Kink on humans. Some children were born only bearing tattoos on one arm and not the other. These came to be known as 'Haffu'

They possess half the power as regular kink holders and were often ridiculed in society.

However, that is not the reason why my mother's face had turned white as snow.

In this world, there are two absolutes. The second absolute is the fact that when two people of different kinfolks have a child. That child will have the Kink of the father. This rule has no exception.

That is why, you can understand my mothers' shocked expression, when she saw the sky kink tattoo, on my right arm.