A long time ago in an ancient land, powerful beings known only as Gods roamed the Earth, in full power. The humans who managed to colonise and flourish were able to by making peace and giving offerings to the various different Gods among them.
Some worshipped the fearsome black panther, some to a great man of thunder, and others hailed to the mighty kraken. We gave our graces to the great serpent. We placed our belief in eternity, in wholeness, in ouroboros.
Everyone did their part in the community to keep it working as a unit. Serena did her part too. She took after her mother. The great and beautiful Maria. She was a dancer, a songstress, a teller of stories and so that's what Serena became.
Everyone had their place in the delicate working mechanism of their settlement. Everyone except, unfortunately... Her older brother.
A loud explosion thundered over the once quiet atmosphere. While people jumped with fear, Serena bit her lip and took off running. She ran towards the explosion, just in time to see Tony running out of a smokey cloud, coughing and waving his arms to try to clear the smoke.
"Tony! Not again!" Serena scolded as her eyes scanned his body for injuries. "Another invention?"
"I was SURE I had it this time." Tony grinned his cheshire cat grin.
"Tony you are going to get in trouble again." Serena frowned. "Whatever trouble will be worth it Serena. This IS the future! We're never going to get anywhere if we stick with the old ways and no one will ever get anywhere without first getting into trouble."
"I know I know, 'life is about progression' right?" Serena said as she sighed, she loved her brother, really she did! But the machines, the inventions, the alchemy, it was trouble. Tony originally followed in the footsteps of their late father, building weapons to make our armies stronger, protect our people. No one dared invade us lightly. Except, things happened... Bad things... and after Obadiah had died Tony changed.
Admittingly she liked her brothers new attitude and ambitions but no one else did. Especially the elders and the Chief.
"Don't worry sweets! I know what I did wrong this time!" Tony said still grinning like a megalomaniac. "Next time!" He started muttering to himself, equations and things she didn't entirely understand.
"ANTHONY!"
Serena and Tony both flinched and looked at eachother as they heard the deep bellow of their Chiefs voice boom in anger.
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"SEVEN INCIDENTS IN A SINGLE CYCLE!" The Chief seethed in anger as he chastised Tony. A small group had formed to watch as Tony took it all in stride with an aloof attitude. So he was getting yelled at? Nothing new.
"If it weren't for who your father was you would of been exiled years ago!" When the Chief said that, it struck a nerve deep down inside him. Raw and exposed.
"I DON'T need the protection of the memory of my father!" Tony snapped as he glared at the chief. "I'm going to do great things and I won't be held back by his name!" Tony straightened his shoulders, turning his back to the Chief and towards the people. "I, ANTHONY DISOWN THE NAME OF MY FATHER!"
"Choose your next words wisely boy." The Chief said, dangerously low as he grabbed Tony's shoulder, forcing Tony to face him as he narrowed his eyes.
Tony stood firm and unafraid, glaring right back. "I revoke the protection he bares on me." He spat back, pulling his shoulder from the Chief's grip and walked away.
"You'll pay dearly for this boy."
"I'd like to see you try." Tony challenged as he continued to walk, pushing through the crowd that had gathered, who were murmuring and whispering amongst themselves.
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"TONY!" Serena exclaimed in exasperation, entering his lab to see him hunched over his desk. "You are a CHILD!"
"Well I'm older then you, so that makes YOU a baby!" Tony said, back to her as he waved her off.
"TONY!" She quickly broke the distance between them and smacked his shoulder.
"Ow! Hey I'm sensitive..." He whined.
"This is serious! You heard the Chief! One wrong move and you'll be exiled!" She was almost in tears at the thought of her brother exiled. All the different terrains and settlements were encircled around a great forest where the great Gods lived. Exile meant certain death. No one who entered the forest lived to tell the tale. The great forest was massive, some say it contained whole worlds within, each settlement had a terrain, a territory that was protected by a God. Our community is assured safety if our God is appeased.
"Calm down sweets I can survive an exile. I always have a plan remember." Tony winked at his sister.
"Oh." Serena placed her hands on her hips. "You expect to be able to just walk into the realm of the Gods and be fine?"
"I have a plan." Tony patted the lump of metal on his table lovingly.
"It better be a good one because if you get exiled I get exiled." Serena's eyes softened. "You promised remember." Her voice cracked. "Together forever right?"
Tony flinched physically at her words and turned from his work bench to look at her. Looking at the tears sliding down Serena's cheeks he saw not a young woman, but his frightened baby sister. The baby sister he promised to look after when their parents died. He delicately took her into his arms in a protective embrace.
"Together forever."