Prologue
I was born early in my mother's reign. My parents, Matis and Lithan, were so proud. I think the first time mother knew there was something different about me was when I corrected an algebra equation at age two. One of my first memories is going to Calina where I first met Kelata. I remember holding my mothers hand and walking up to this beautiful female then she turned around and smiled at me. I remember how Kelata played dress up with me or helped me string beads. She is so special to me.
Another thing I remember about that trip was being given my pendant. Mother carried me into a dark lit room and showed me the pendant. I remember how the room lit up when I touched it and about how happy mother was. After that I did not have a normal childhood. Normally a child begins to follow her mother at age seven. I went to my first council meeting at age four.
I remember my father too. Lithan had long well kept white hair and two long mustaches which I loved to play with. I will always remember his smile. His yellow eyes would always glitter when I would run into the room. His mouth pulled into a dignified smile his entire face beaming with pride and happiness. Then, the second in command, would always drop whatever he was doing, bend down on one knee and open his arms wide as his tiny daughter ran happily to him. I remember how his hair would envelop me in a soft, silky veil as he kissed my forehead and ticked my ear as he whispered I love you in his deep throaty voice. Then I would extent my arms and say spin me daddy. He picks me up under my arms toss me lightly in the air then laughing spin me around. After he was done, he would hold me in his arms like I was a baby and I would grab on of his mustaches twirling it in my fingers. Mother would come in a few minutes later and smile loving as she watched her family. Then daddy would set me down and point to mother, I would dash over to her on my petite feet waving as I followed her.
The other on the ship loved me too. I would dash down the hallways until a strong arm would pick me up and how I would squeal with laughter. Then who ever had caught me would give me some little trinket they thought I would enjoy.
I remember Shelesh. She was my best friend. I met her when I was nine. We were so different and so alike. I was serious always wanting to please. She was playful doing anything for a laugh. Yet we were both smart and kind and we didn't like dolls like the other girls. I remember playing, Cheetah and tiger. I was the fast, thin cheetah and she was strong tiger and they were best friends. As we grew older, I remember late night talks about males and other things. How we would look at different pictures and tell where or not they were attractive. We talk about find our life-mates and having children. We were deathly afraid of becoming pregnant until we figure out just where children came from. We went through puberty together. Feeding on our first humans on the same day, and beginning to take on a woman's form. I remember the first time she was courted. How she stayed distanced from him and close all at the same time. We schooled together until the great sleep. I miss her terribly. Yet another loss the Atlanteans have inflicted on me.
So I live my life determine to rule my people correctly and revenge my losses. I have a wonderful helper in my mate. Who am I you ask? A question I am growing accustom to hearing. I am young and strong, intelligent and wise, kind and caring, but ferocious when needed. I wish for love and the chance to really use my mind. Who Am I? I am Matia, ruling queen of the wraith. This is my story and the story of my people from our side. Are we the cruel creatures as many believe or are we gentle and kind just trying to survive? Read and find out.
Guide to wraith culture
A basic guide to my version of wraith culture. The wraith have a strict caste system, with the ruling queen as the leader followed by the other queens and so on and so forth. I think the queen and keeper are one in the same. My basis for this is because why would the keeper give up her position of power once the wraith awaken? It just makes no sense. There are very few females because if you live almost forever you would not need lots of offspring. Because of this fact, females are highly valued and therefore higher in the caste system. There are two types of females. The queen like ones of which there are fewer and the one who take care of the hive and the young. There is one female for every thousand males and drones or so. Drones are the wraith that are not very smart and wear those bony masks. They are the lowest in the caste system and are basically living shields and infantry. The males almost have there own system separate than the females.
Reproduction. Ahh, yes this sensitive topic. Most females lay eggs which will hatch into drones and some of the males mostly lower ranked ones. These females will carry the eggs for five months before laying them in a climate controlled part of the ship. Since drones die rather quickly, there has to be a way of creating a lot of them rather quickly. These females also take care of the young and the hive as well as keep the males happy. Let's face it the queen can't do every thing. The other types of females are the queens. The queens are quiet intelligent which is another reason they rule the hives. The queen can only have one or two other females like a bee hive. She also has all the more intelligent and higher ranking males. Though the queen chooses one mate she will mate with many males in her life time and therefore having many children. Wraith females are built to have kids that's why they are there. The female will carry the unborn infant for a year. Wraith children are much like our own. The female's mate will also help in raising the child.
Children. As I have said before, Wraith children are much like our own. Slightly larger at birth but grow and experience the world in much the same way. Children are highly valued and therefore have a high rank even if this will decrease as they age. The are also rather rare since not many of them are needed to sustain the population. Young children usually stay in a nursery adjacent to the queen's quarters. Female offspring begin to accompany their mothers at a young age to learn about their duties when they are older. Males stay in the nursery longer and are often taken as apprentices by different members of the hive. Children feed on solid food until puberty when they begin to feed as the adults.
Spirituality. Most of the wraith believe in a god or in their case goddess since it is a matriarchal society. Some worship her but most simply go about their day lives unaffected. The wraith have a mythology which comes mostly from the time when they first evolved. During this time, there were many wars between the wraith and their human prey. Many of the victorious battles have become holidays. The wraith have there own form of dragon. A vicious beast, long like the Chinese dragon but with large wings and four legs each paw has an ellipses in the middle very similar to the wraith's feeding slit.
Taboos and other culture items. It is taboo for any wraith to enter another's mine with out permission. Never startle a wraith. They hate being surprised, though a female's heightened senses make it nearly impossible to surprise her. Mating with a human is just wrong though there are some indents of this happening.