Hello its me Love Starshine back again!
Hopefully no more writers block especially with this story! If its not usually your cup'o tea just give it a chance first... you might be surprised!
Anyway, happy reading!
Prologue
Mankind has walked the earth for thousands of years. Their beginning started with primitive tools and progressed to technologies so advanced, they became our ruin. Earth started out as a young planet, bathed in fire and toxic gas but life rose through the ashes and the first living organisms started to develop. Eventually full functioning biomes and ecosystems were formed. Within this natural phenomenon, the constant struggle for equilibrium has echoed through the ages to keep the delicate balance of life stable. Balance. For every predator there is prey and when one outgrows the other, mother nature restores the balance. When prey is abundant, predators hunt more successfully. But what happens when the predator outnumbers the population of prey? Natural order restores the balance; predators die out when competition is high and prey is low. So what about mankind?
Humans have dominated the planet for thousands of years but at what cost has their success demanded? From small farming villages to industrial colonies, our greed has seen no end to the ever changing future we seek to build. Mankind's advancements came with a heavy cost as resources reaped from nature, brought damage and destruction but it was too late to reverse the effects. Species were wiped out, ecosystems collapsed and earth itself became a dead planet. The technology that mankind did create was their only chance of salvation. Through all the destruction, man did find a way to keep our genesis in this universe.
A group known as 'The Elders' formed miniature planets known as 'Arks' containing prehistoric and synthetically made life forms. Each Ark contained three obelisks, radiating strange energy that ultimately enclosed the Arks, and prevented them from malfunctioning. The strongest survivors on earth were selected for genetic cloning and alteration; a special diamond shaped metal implant located in the left wrist was fitted to synchronise the cloned survivors to the Ark. The clones were uploaded into their designated Arks with nothing but memories of their former lives. The clones were the last chance to preserve mankind in the hopes that they would survive the impending destruction of their species and continue the bloodline. The last group to enter, were the females chosen to attempt the hostile environment of the Ark. The males instinctively built up settlements to protect their tribes and the females would look after the children and the home. Once the last of the chosen survivors were transferred, The Elders destroyed the transmitter to earth so the clones could never return to their dying planet.
Man had gone from prehistoric cave dwellers to technological pioneers in a few millennia. Then in the space of a century, the clones sent to colonise the Arks slowly dwindled back into the stone age. Fighting with stone axes and wooden spears against some of natures most gargantuan life forms. The strange energy that powered the Arks also connected with the creatures that lived there. Like synapses and neurons in the brain; an intricate network that syncs all biological life. Many Arks were formed but only the dubbed 'hostile' Arks were successful. In total 6 Arks were successfully generated and ready to receive inhabitants after stabilisation. No one could understand why but chances of the Ark stabilising were greatly increased with a particular group of life forms. The Elders had no choice. They were running out of time so watched over the Arks for years. Some would drop supply crates to help their favourite tribes and slowly you could start to see a difference in advancement. Other tribes started researching new methods of farming and hunting whilst others researched stronger weapons and ammunition. They were even able to transfer between Arks. The Elders could see that no matter how many times you hit reset, life always finds a way. But with advancement, comes greed and this soon unsettled the peace amongst the tribes. Science could not outwit Mother Nature as she placed mankind to face the most formidable test of our time. The test of survival. It was our reckoning for all the destruction we could not undo.
Survival on the Arks was not easy. The environment was hostile; everything from the harsh cold rainfall to the devastating Swamp Fever, could kill you. The creatures that shared this world with the tribes were known as Dinosaurs collectively based on the earliest memories of education they had whilst on Earth. In truth, there were creatures from all different prehistoric timelines and some had never been seen before; a glitch in the Arks formation or our atonement from the universe? Forming a large tribe helped overcome a lot of problems. One of the biggest being predators. They were abundant on the Arks and responsible for wiping out whole tribes. The tribes knew one thing. Survive. Survive the Ark. The 12 original explorers to the Arks wrote their experiences in their individual journals. Everything from a dossier detailing all of the Arks creatures encountered to recipes and survival notes, were recorded with the purpose of helping navigate through the Arks. The first Ark, known amongst the tribes as The Island, was the first to be generated and receive clones. Helena Walker, Mei-Yin Li, Sir Edmund Rockwell and Gaius Nerva wrote the first journals detailing their experiences on The Island as the first pioneers. After some time, their notes were lost and scattered across the Arks.
As with all humanity there are good and bad people. Some tribes were tyrannical and craved more power and more resources. They raided, plundered and pillaged villages and small tribes in the name of advancement. Women and Children were imprisoned as slaves and taken from their families. The men were either executed or sent to mining camps to live out the rest of their days digging up the earth to mine precious metal, obsidian and crystal. Those who tried to escape or run were never seen again. These valuable resources paved the way for siege weapons and new technology. Very few tribes could resist them and fell in to despair. The Island became one of the most hostile Arks to inhabit and many travellers dare not transfer through, even for trade. It seemed as if all hope had deserted The Islanders, until Mei-Yin Li.
Mei-Yin Li was a solitary soldier who didn't enjoy village life and stuck to herself whilst exploring the various Arks. Upon her travels, she came across a village that had been burnt to the ground with seemingly no survivors. As she walked through the rubble she heard a faint sobbing sound nearby. As she followed the sound, she saw a little boy crying over the body of what could only be presumed as his mother. The little boy saw Mei-Yin first and then froze in fear, clutching onto his dead mothers hand tightly.
"Are you okay? What is your name?" asked Mei-Yin as she knelt down to help him. The little boy was petrified.
"No! Please! Don't hurt me! I don't know what to do or where to go!" he wailed desperately looking at Mei-Yin and his eyes darting back and fourth to a spot slightly behind her. Mei-Yin frowned.
"Why do you think I'm going to hurt you? I'm trying to help you. Can you tell me your name?" The boy froze for a moment. His dark ebony hair hid his unmistakeable icy blue eyes as he plucked up the courage to look at Mei-Yin again.
"M-my name i-is.." he stuttered "Clow" he took a deep breath "and you are the Beast Queen" Mei-Yin smiled at him. "I'm Mei-Yin actually"
The boy gulped as he stared into her eyes. Her brown eyes reminded him of the earth that his village worked so hard to reap and sow from. He shut his eyes tightly and bowed his head slightly, all this time never letting go of his dead mothers hand.
"Please, if you're going to kill me just do it quickly. Don't let that thing do it!" Mei-Yin was taken back in surprise. Now why on earth would he think tha-
Oh. Of course. That's why. She chuckled to herself and stretched her hand out for the boy to take hold of. He looked at her cautiously, as if his next move might be his last.
"It's okay. Everything is okay, you're not dying today. Say good bye to your mother. We can't stay here." The boy looked stunned, like the realisation that he would have to leave his mothers side had just hit him.
He knew she was dead but there was something so final about saying goodbye that made her death feel all too real. He let go of his mothers hand and placed it gently on to her abdomen. With one last tear rolling down his cheek he turned his head towards Mei-Yin and took her hand. She helped him on to his feet and he clutched tightly on to her hand when he saw the shadowy figure with glowing eyes behind her. He could see the figure perfectly as they stepped closer towards it. Glowing eyes like diamonds reflecting sunlight, razor sharp claws on the hands and feet, and a long, weighted tail that helped it stand on it's strong, muscular legs. He had heard of these beasts before but had never actually seen one. His village did not co-habit with beasts.
"Please, tell me... What is that? Is it one of your beasts? Is it going to eat me?!" he whispered frightfully. Mei-Yin patted his back and walked right up to the beast.
"This is Wuzhui. He is my most trusted friend and has saved my life more times than I can count. He is a Raptor but I suppose he is a little beast at times" she smiled as she patted the side of Wuzhuis neck. She looked at Clow who was still eyeing them both cautiously. This kid was smart. He wasn't very trusting which, on this island, was a good trait for survival.
"Come here Clow. Come and say hello."
"N-no no I'm good thank you. Momma said to never approach beasts. It's not safe" Mei-Yin smiled.
"Don't you think that if he was going to hurt you, he would have done it already? I promise you're completely safe" Her reasoning began to make him think.
She was right but the beast, he was still so scary. He swallowed a huge lump in his throat and walked forward. One step at a time, not rushing incase he spooked the beast. Wazhui just stood there patiently as he watched Clow approach him cautiously. His head bobbed around in jerking motions, similarly to a bird, as he inspected the child approaching him. As Clow grew closer he became even more nervous but as his hand stretched out to touch Wuzhui he shut his eyes tightly. As his palm made contact and he could feel the grainy pebbled tough skin beneath his palm he opened his eyes. He was quite warm to the touch. Not cold blooded at all like what the villagers told him in their stories. He smiled and chuckled nervously at Mei-Yin. She smiled down at him.
"See that wasn't so bad was it" and he continuously stroked the spot on Wuzhuis neck.
"How did you do this? How does he follow you?" the boy asked full of wonder, his fear long forgotten.
But suddenly the earth trembled slightly and then a few seconds later, another tremble. Wuzhui jerked his head up and gave a series of short, high pitched shrieks and looked at Mei-Yin almost urgently. She nodded in acknowledgement and turned to Clow.
"I'll tell you another time but we have to get out of here now!" and she picked little Clow up and placed him on the back of Wuzhui before climbing up and onto his saddle.
"Put your arms around my waist and hold on tight. This could get a little rough!"
She pulled on the reigns and Wuzhui sniffed the air above and around his head and disappeared into the nearby undergrowth. As they were running through the forest, Clow could see more beasts joining them. They looked like Wuzhui but with different colours and they ran in formation, like a pack. As he turned to look behind him he could see a slight gap in the undergrowth and the remains of his village. Before he could turn to look away he caught a glimpse of a huge foot come crashing down in front of the village and a huge tail swing by after it. A huge roar echoed through the undergrowth and this seemed to cause the raptors to pick up the pace and run faster until you could no longer hear the echoing roar in the background.
After some time running through the bush, the raptors slowed down and Mei-Yin helped Clow down from Wuzhui.
"Where are we?" asked Clow. He looked around. They were on the beach. He could hear the waves of the sea lapping against the shore. He could see the red obelisk towering high into the sky in the far west. To the east he could just see the green obelisk in the sky. He had never been so far from home. Mei-Yin helped him down from Wuzhui and lead him up the sand dunes and into a small clearing of woodland. They walked up the hill and Clow could see the raptors zipping through the undergrowth, hunting as they went through the bush. He was struggling to see as Mei-Yin had no flaming torch to guide them through the forest. They were completely in the dark. Suddenly, Mei-Yin stopped walking. She could smell something. A putrid smell. Clow covered his nose.
"Why have we stopped?"
"Shhhh!" responded Mei-Yin hurriedly. She beckoned for Clow to stay behind her as she slowly lifted her spear up. She then heard the sound. An incredibly high pitched shrill. She knew what that sound was; Dilophosaurus. Just up ahead. At the entrance of her camp. Probably just curious and wandered in. She gave a low pitched whistle and the raptors leapt into action. The moon came out from behind the clouds and cast just enough light for Clow to see what was happening. Wuzhui lead the raptors into the clearing and began nipping and shrieking at the Dilo. It was not a hunt but it was a serious threat display. Wuzhui was alpha and the other raptors followed his lead. They had encircled the Dilo until he was almost cut off from escaping. Immediately the Dilo took off running, the raptors pursued the chase to make sure they drove it far enough away from camp. The raptors gave a final victorious shriek and Mei-Yin crept carefully into camp.
In the day, it was dangerous on The Island but at night it was even worse. You couldn't light a fire because that would attract unwanted attention from predators and tribe scouts and when you can't see, you can run into all sorts of danger. The spot where Mei-Yin had set up camp was in a good spot. No huge predators hunted here, Spinosaurus stick to the river about 5 miles east, Therizinosaurus were abundant in these woods and did not like human contact at all. Luckily they are diurnal and less likely to be awake at night. That just left the Troodon. The werewolves of The Island. Pesky bipedal lizards by day and ruthless pack hunting monsters at night. They were the Jekyll and Hyde as the sun rose and fell each day. It was like the moon had this hold on them and they became more easily provoked. The only way you could spot them was by the glowing yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. The ironic part to all of their scary demeanour is that they were no taller than 2 feet with some variation between males and females. A simple kick could send one flying but their secret weapon was in their venom. One bite from an adult Troodon could knock out a fully grown man in seconds but a bite from a pack of wild Troodons, that would be fatal. To address this problem it was merely wooden palings placed around the camp and the unforgettable smell of raptors.
Mei-Yin lit a small campfire within a small cove etched into the rocky cliff that the camp was backed onto, whilst the raptors settled back into camp. Clow watched as they all seemed to settle down in different spots and with certain individuals. Almost like they were.. couples!
"Do they always pair up like this?" he asked as he sat down next to the campfire. Mei-Yin smiled and looked at him curiously.
"What makes you say that?"
"They are pairing up, well- most of them are. I imagine the younger ones huddle together like they're still in a clutch. Not found a mate yet." Mei-Yin handed him her waterskin and he took it carefully.
"Drink" she commanded. "You need to hydrate here. The forest gets very humid, even at night. It's easy to dehydrate out here" he nodded in confirmation and took a few even sips from the waterskin.
"You were right they are cuddling. As couples. Raptors are pack animals much like wolves. They have social bonds and are drawn to certain individuals but the pack leader, thats Wuzhui, is the glue that holds them all together. He breaks up conflict in the group, organises them, leads them, tells them where and when to hunt. They trust him solely. As do I."
Clow looked at her for a moment and then asked
"How did you tame them?"
"I didn't tame them all. Some of them were born into the pack. But egg incubation isn't always easy here. The constant changing winds mean the weather and the temperature goes up and down. One minute it's hot and humid and the female raptor doesn't need to sit next to the clutch and then the next, its icy hail storms that cause the eggs to freeze and the embryo to die"
Clow looked somber for a moment.
"Life is a miracle. It's a miracle that even we are here. I wasn't born here like you were. I came with the others. The first pioneers. And in here you have to survive." she pulled out some meat from her satchel and placed it onto a wooden skewer resting above the campfire.
"Do you have a last name Clow?"
The boy looked confused for a moment.
"Whats a last name?" Mei-Yin blinked. Did he really not know what a last name was?
"It's a name that follows your first name. I am Mei-Yin and my last name is Li so my full name is Mei-Yin Li."
The boy acknowledged that he understood what she was saying.
"No we didn't have last names in our tribe. Just first names. I am Clow, son of Sheng. Thats how we formally introduced ourselves."
Mei-Yin also nodded in understanding.
"How did you tame them?" he asked again.
Mei-Yin looked at him for a moment deciding on whether she should tell him.
"It's complicated" she responded
"I can keep up" he said as he sat down opposite her in front of the fire, crossing his legs like he was ready for a bedtime story.
"I had to force him into submission, and keep him sedated until he knew I was no longer a threat"
Clow looked slightly confused. Submit? Sedate? How did this even make sense?
"But how does that work? Surely he would've just killed you once the sedation wore off"
"Not quite. You see that implant there in your wrist, you were born with it. All of mankind has this implant. It helps translate the Ark and its life forms into a way that we can understand each other. If you didn't have that implant, you probably wouldn't have a clue of what i'm saying right now. It translates everything even language. The organisms here still behave normally; they hunt, they forage, they mate with each other. But when we can bring one down and into submission, usually by tranquilising it, we feed it what it likes. Berries, meat, prime meat and even kibble"
"Kibble?" asked Clow looking confused.
"It's made from Dinosaur eggs, mixed with other ingredients. Like a special recipe for Dinosaurs, which they love. It increases their umm... how do I put this... health vitals. They become stronger though thats the common observance. We have yet to find a species where their stats lowers from the wild baseline." Mei-Yin went off talking to herself all while Clow just looked at her blankly like she had gone crazy.
"So you're saying that you had to knock out Wuzhui and feed him cobbler-"
"Kibble" Mei-Yin corrected.
"Kib-ble" Clow reiterated slowly "and then he trusted you?"
Mei-Yin smiled "That's right"
Clow leant back on his hands and released a breath of exasperation. "Woah" was all he could muster.
"Like I said it's complicated"
"Yeah no kidding. But if it works then thats great! So what do we do now?"
"Well Clow, I can take you to another village tomorrow. One thats safer. Maybe try and find you a new home?"
"Can't I stay with you?"
"No thats not possible" there was no way she could look after a kid. She'd never taken care of a kid in her life before.
"But why not? I can learn your ways and maybe tame one of my own beasts! I want to become a great warrior someday so I can avenge my family and my village from the tyrants that enslaved my people!"
"Hey!" she called out "you want every predator in this area to know we are here? Settle down! Lesson 1. Never make too much noise!"
Clow smiled.
"So I can stay?" Mei-Yin looked at him blankly and then rolled her eyes.
"Yes you can st-"
"YAAYYY- Ohh I mean erm..yaayyy" he whispered silently so only Mei-Yin could here. She handed him some more water as she sat and contemplated in the silence surrounding them.
"Do you know who attacked your people Clow?" Mei-Yin asked as she rotated the meat on the campfire.
"No. They wore strange suits. I have never seen them before. Do you know who they were?"
"It was the New Legion, lead by Gaius Nerva. He has been plundering all throughout this island. There are few tribes left that oppose him. He is becoming more powerful each day. His stronghold resides on Cragg's Island just off the southwestern shore of The Island."
Clow sat and thought for a moment, taking in all the information that Mei-Yin had told him.
"Well one day I will fight to avenge my family" and he looked firmly at Mei-Yin.
"That day is far into the future. First you must learn how to survive"
And with that, Mei-Yin and Clow started their training. They went from village to village inspiring the tribes of The Island to join the fight against the New Legion. They bargained with the Tribe Leaders so that once the common enemy was destroyed, each tribe could claim its own territory and establish a unified peaceful alliance to last through the ages.
Through a hard battle that cost many lives and countless losses, The Island was once again peaceful. Gaius Nerva was executed and his army was disbanded. The slaves and prisoners he had taken were released and offered help to start their new lives as free men. Each of the tribes leaders took command of territories and established the new alliance. One of the conditions set by Mei-Yin and Clow was that they could claim a territory of their own as compensation for teaching the tribes how to tame their own beasts and bring them into battle. Soldiers that fought alongside them were now loyal to Mei-Yin and Clow and swore their allegiance now and throughout the generations to come. There was some dispute amongst the leaders after one of Mei-Yins strongest tames, the Demon King, had undeniably won them this great victory but had almost cost them the war. The clans agreed to give the territory to Clow as its heir, but Mei-Yin had to destroy the Demon King herself so that he may never be used for mass destruction again. By doing so, she left Clow in charge to rule over their new clan at Far's Peak on the northeastern tip of The Island, and as homage to her greatness, he took her last name and declared her the 'Mother of the Li Clan'. Mei-Yin departed The Island using one of the great obelisks and took the Demon King with her so he could be destroyed. After that, she never returned.
Clow lead his clan into decades of peace and prosperity, where people and Dinosaurs coexisted together to build a great empire with the other clans. He took a wife and soon his first male heir was born. The start of his legacy that would be passed on from generation to generation. His clan loved him and followed him without question.
Under Mei-Yins tutelage, Clow understood that there was something bigger happening surrounding the Arks. She had discovered huge monsters hidden deep in The Islands core, and that defeating them would allow ascension to a new Ark and obtain the treasure that the monsters guarded. Mei-Yin had only ever defeated one of them and it nearly cost her life. In a bid to try and relocate Mei-Yin, he decreed that any soldier who was strong enough to kill one of the monsters and travel to the next Ark could take his only daughters hand in marriage and the huge dowry that came with her. Many brave soldiers fought the monsters for this opportunity but only one prevailed.
As the brave soldier slayed the monster in the most gruelling battle ever seen, he returned victorious and revealed himself to Clow Li. Clow was stunned to see it was his first born son, Xiao Lang, who had returned victorious. The prince knelt in respect before his father and stated that he had no desire to marry his sister and that his true intentions were to build his own fortress on the new Ark he had discovered. He wanted to create his own legacy whilst expanding the great Li clan that his father had built from the ground up and to hope that the great Mei-Yin Li would one day return to them. Clow was reluctant to see his heir leave The Island. He had another son who could take the throne when he came of age but he did not want to see Xiao Lang leave.
Xiao Lang reasoned that as a victor in battle, he could open the obelisks and allow their people to travel safely between The Island and the new Ark known as Ragnarok. The young prince was a curious man and believed in the value of researching the obelisks to better understand the world they inhabited. His father reluctantly agreed to let him go and make his legacy on a new land. Xiao Lang left Far's Peak, with the loyal men and women who chose to follow him, to head for the green obelisk near the eastern plains. He understood that the obelisks would take tribute from survivors and so he took out his sharp dagger and cut his left palm, allowing the blood to trickle into the terminal. As the blood disappeared, the terminal interface opened allowing anybody to use it and move freely between the Arks. With a bright blinding flash, they were gone.
Thus began the dawn of a new age...
Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think via the reviews!
Next Chapter up soon!
Love Starshine x