In the beginning there were the moons; seven of them in all, each
watching their small portion of the small planet of Arcadia. For almost
all of time there has been peace between them, each of them functioning
almost as one. The gods of this planet had each joined their powers to
create all life on the empty planet, bestowing the crowning achievement of
their creation, Man, with a soul and a spirit. Little did they know that
one day their pride would turn itself upon them. For even the gods of this
world can die.
Arcadia had just hit its golden years. One groups in particular; the Silvites under the silver moon had swept far past the others in terms of technology, knowledge, and the powers of their moon. The powers of the Silver moon being those of life and death itself, the Silvites took to bioengineering, most of their technology being, in some sense, alive.
The Melanites, the people of the lost black moon, however, held the powers of the black moon. The power of the black moon was chaos. It turned positives to negatives, good things to bad things, power to weakness. And in this, laid their strength. The Silvites had guarded the secrets of flight from them, knowing that if they were ever set loose on the planet war was inevitable.
War-like by nature, when they had finally escaped their continent, it had been to conquer all other lands. It was this war that spurned the others to create the Gigas. But all the power the Gigas had could not stand against the powers of the black moon. Their strength was turned to weakness. It was then decided that they would have to take out the source itself. The entire black moon had to be destroyed. It was Arcadia's only chance.
And so Zelos was created, through an alliance of the free people's of Arcadia, each giving up their ultimate power, their moon crystals, to the Silvites with their promise that they would ride the world of the Melanities. And rid the world of them they did. For the first time, the rains of destruction were called down on the planet of Acadia. Zelos targeted the continent of Melosia and unleashed its full fury. The Melanite's own moon pelted down upon them, until there was nothing left of neither moon, nor continent, a swirling black rift left in its wake.
For a time, the people of Arcadia rejoiced, their seemingly only threat now destroyed. The peace was short lived. Now that Soltis had gathered all six moon crystals, it was now the ultimate power on Arcadia and refused to give that up. Already war-weary, the Arcadian's united once more, only to have their homes bombarded by the Rains of their own moons, the judgment of Zelos swift and final.
However, life goes on.
******************************************
"What's going on?"
Celeste looked up at Ryne, her blonde hair in tangled masses around her face as if she'd rushed out of bed, and the billowy white nightgown that she wore seconded that thought. Her sharp grey eyes studying him for a moment then blinked when she shook her head.
"Where have you been?"
"Trying to get Jay a room in the Inn," He replied, shucking off his thick overcoat and throwing it to the deck, "I figured that she should be in something a little better than a ship cot."
Ryne's head snapped over to his home when he heard what sounded like a muffled scream from the lit rear cabin.
"Yeah, well, it's a little late for that." Celeste said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along, "You're just in time for the fun part."
Ryne wrenched free of Celeste's grip, outrunning her and a practically ripping the door to the rear cabin off its hinged. Inside he saw his laboring wife, her legs wide open and propped up, a white nightgown adorning her plumped figure, and a look of excruciating pain on her sweaty face. Ryne rushed to her side, taking her hand in his and wiping her face with his free hand.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice dripping with worry.
"Like... I'm trying to shove a watermelon... through a bottleneck." She managed to say through her ragged breathing.
"I've tried that before, it's rough, but it can be done." Ryne said, trying to lighten her up a bit and get her mind off the pain. Jay chuckled, her face relieved for a moment.
"Remind me... never to do this again." She said, puffing her cheeks in a breathing exercise that one of the crewmember's wives had taught her. Her grip tightened around his hand, turning his fingers purple.
"How much longer does she have to take this?" He half-yelled at Celeste who was watching for the new arrival.
"Do I look like a midwife? How would I know?" She said coolly.
"Well... do you... y'know..." Ryne stammered, uncomfortably. "See anything?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary yet."
Ryne kissed her hand and told her that everything was going to be alright as a harsh yell escaped her lips. Ryne was frustrated. Wild animals and pirates he could protect her from. This was something she had to take on all on her own... and seeing her in so much pain was tearing him up inside. If he'd of expected the baby to be born this soon, he would have made sure there was a midwife aboard.
Ryne didn't know how much time passed that night. It seemed like an eternity of hell on earth listening to the screams of the woman he loved. Finally, her cries were joined by a new voice. Ryne felt Jaycera's grip loosen, and finally let go, exhausted. He looked up to the source of the new noise, and gazed in wonder as Celeste held up a child... his child.
"It's a girl." She announced, drying and wrapping it in one of Ryne's shirts. She offered the bundle to Ryne, who took it with a look of awe in his face.
He hadn't thought that he could love anyone as much as he loved Jaycera... but as he looked into those blue-green eyes, something inside him melted. He reached his right hand up to stroke her small cheek and was surprised to see her forehead give off a faint glow. Ryne shrugged it off, realizing he should have expected his Silvite heritage to come through.
Ryne gently got up on the bed beside Jaycera, whose blue eyes shone through half-lidded eyes when she saw them. She was too weak to hold her new daughter however, so she contented herself with resting her head on Ryne's shoulder and gazing lovingly at their child. Slowly, she managed to reach up a hand to rub the wispy layer of white hair that adorned her pale head.
"Welcome to the world, Selina..." She said before drifting to sleep.
Arcadia had just hit its golden years. One groups in particular; the Silvites under the silver moon had swept far past the others in terms of technology, knowledge, and the powers of their moon. The powers of the Silver moon being those of life and death itself, the Silvites took to bioengineering, most of their technology being, in some sense, alive.
The Melanites, the people of the lost black moon, however, held the powers of the black moon. The power of the black moon was chaos. It turned positives to negatives, good things to bad things, power to weakness. And in this, laid their strength. The Silvites had guarded the secrets of flight from them, knowing that if they were ever set loose on the planet war was inevitable.
War-like by nature, when they had finally escaped their continent, it had been to conquer all other lands. It was this war that spurned the others to create the Gigas. But all the power the Gigas had could not stand against the powers of the black moon. Their strength was turned to weakness. It was then decided that they would have to take out the source itself. The entire black moon had to be destroyed. It was Arcadia's only chance.
And so Zelos was created, through an alliance of the free people's of Arcadia, each giving up their ultimate power, their moon crystals, to the Silvites with their promise that they would ride the world of the Melanities. And rid the world of them they did. For the first time, the rains of destruction were called down on the planet of Acadia. Zelos targeted the continent of Melosia and unleashed its full fury. The Melanite's own moon pelted down upon them, until there was nothing left of neither moon, nor continent, a swirling black rift left in its wake.
For a time, the people of Arcadia rejoiced, their seemingly only threat now destroyed. The peace was short lived. Now that Soltis had gathered all six moon crystals, it was now the ultimate power on Arcadia and refused to give that up. Already war-weary, the Arcadian's united once more, only to have their homes bombarded by the Rains of their own moons, the judgment of Zelos swift and final.
However, life goes on.
******************************************
"What's going on?"
Celeste looked up at Ryne, her blonde hair in tangled masses around her face as if she'd rushed out of bed, and the billowy white nightgown that she wore seconded that thought. Her sharp grey eyes studying him for a moment then blinked when she shook her head.
"Where have you been?"
"Trying to get Jay a room in the Inn," He replied, shucking off his thick overcoat and throwing it to the deck, "I figured that she should be in something a little better than a ship cot."
Ryne's head snapped over to his home when he heard what sounded like a muffled scream from the lit rear cabin.
"Yeah, well, it's a little late for that." Celeste said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along, "You're just in time for the fun part."
Ryne wrenched free of Celeste's grip, outrunning her and a practically ripping the door to the rear cabin off its hinged. Inside he saw his laboring wife, her legs wide open and propped up, a white nightgown adorning her plumped figure, and a look of excruciating pain on her sweaty face. Ryne rushed to her side, taking her hand in his and wiping her face with his free hand.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice dripping with worry.
"Like... I'm trying to shove a watermelon... through a bottleneck." She managed to say through her ragged breathing.
"I've tried that before, it's rough, but it can be done." Ryne said, trying to lighten her up a bit and get her mind off the pain. Jay chuckled, her face relieved for a moment.
"Remind me... never to do this again." She said, puffing her cheeks in a breathing exercise that one of the crewmember's wives had taught her. Her grip tightened around his hand, turning his fingers purple.
"How much longer does she have to take this?" He half-yelled at Celeste who was watching for the new arrival.
"Do I look like a midwife? How would I know?" She said coolly.
"Well... do you... y'know..." Ryne stammered, uncomfortably. "See anything?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary yet."
Ryne kissed her hand and told her that everything was going to be alright as a harsh yell escaped her lips. Ryne was frustrated. Wild animals and pirates he could protect her from. This was something she had to take on all on her own... and seeing her in so much pain was tearing him up inside. If he'd of expected the baby to be born this soon, he would have made sure there was a midwife aboard.
Ryne didn't know how much time passed that night. It seemed like an eternity of hell on earth listening to the screams of the woman he loved. Finally, her cries were joined by a new voice. Ryne felt Jaycera's grip loosen, and finally let go, exhausted. He looked up to the source of the new noise, and gazed in wonder as Celeste held up a child... his child.
"It's a girl." She announced, drying and wrapping it in one of Ryne's shirts. She offered the bundle to Ryne, who took it with a look of awe in his face.
He hadn't thought that he could love anyone as much as he loved Jaycera... but as he looked into those blue-green eyes, something inside him melted. He reached his right hand up to stroke her small cheek and was surprised to see her forehead give off a faint glow. Ryne shrugged it off, realizing he should have expected his Silvite heritage to come through.
Ryne gently got up on the bed beside Jaycera, whose blue eyes shone through half-lidded eyes when she saw them. She was too weak to hold her new daughter however, so she contented herself with resting her head on Ryne's shoulder and gazing lovingly at their child. Slowly, she managed to reach up a hand to rub the wispy layer of white hair that adorned her pale head.
"Welcome to the world, Selina..." She said before drifting to sleep.