I dunno if y'all love me for creating a new story or hate me for adding to my work list XD I promise, I shall try not to let this new story affect my updates- even if it means working harder. It'll be worth it for all of you lovely readers :)
ALRIGHT! Please, allow me to introduce my new story: The Black Bird and the Red Beast. It is an OCXMuu, because let's be real, Muu is pretty much one of the most desirable Magi men at this moment (lol). Also, this story is a prequel to Starry Skies, which you don't have to read before this one. I hope you like it, and my OC- we'll be starting out with her and backstory on her tribe.
The Black Bird and the Red Beast
By Gold Sparrow
FIRST ARC: Birdcage
CHAPTER 1: Her Homeland
Though the sun is raised high in the sky, casting golden rays of light upon the earth, it's still dim in the forest. Green and brown spots of color dot the landscape, trees selectively illuminated like how the night sky is brightened with stars. The thick woods spread only throughout the east of the territory, but being at the heart of it, she can't help but think that they extend endlessly in all directions. It's hard to remember the limits to her tribe's land when she's standing in the middle of one of it's natural beauties, hearing the birds chirping wildly in early summer glee and the crickets getting an early start to their day.
Snap.
Her blood jolts in her veins, a stop-and-start movement that alerts her to the presence of another. She creeps closer to the tree she hides behind, the bark digging into her skin. She licks her lips, excited, as her eyes scan her surroundings for others. Her partner hasn't caught up to her, leaving her alone during the hunt. She slowly lifts her leg, fitting her foot into a crack in the bark, and hoists herself up, hands grasping the branches. Higher and higher she goes, peaking out to look for her prey. She finds him leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath as he wildly looks around himself to see if he's been found.
A slow smirk grows across her face as she continues to climb, carefully picking her way up so that no sound is made as she goes. Her prey drops to one knee, clutching his ankle. He lifts up his pant leg, revealing to her a nasty cut.
She rolls her eyes.
Jabari needs to work on his aim.
If her partner had aimed higher, ultimately this criminal would've been stopped long before he could've made his way into the Eastern woods. It was an honest mistake, but her partner's underestimation of the escaped convict was something that she knows could've been avoided. Unfortunately, Jabari never learns and his arrogance often leads them into tricky situations...Not that they're uninteresting. But she wanted to get this creep back into a jailcell days earlier; especially since she had to sacrifice a trip to the Western Farmlands in order to track this guy. She had plans to see her mother, something that she doesn't get to do very often considering her father's strict nature and her job's time restraints.
Two weeks prior to today, there had been a breakout at the Visurbis jail. Considering the tight security of the tribe's prison, she finds herself amazed that anyone had gotten out, not to mention twenty prisoners. Of course, the military was instantly contacted and informed, and the people living in the capital had a spasm. Of the twenty escapees, ten were captured within twenty four hours of their escape. This is mainly due to the efforts of the Alpha squadrons, whom rarely have so much excitement and were prepared to prove themselves. She had captured two of the convicts together with Jabari. That number would've been higher if Jabari hadn't messed up and allowed the third to escape. They were then blamed for that mistake and shouldered with the responsibility of hunting down the escapee. As it turns out, said escapee is smart. Smarter than she was expecting. He had been planning his escape for months, possibly years. He had hideouts and escape routes planned out, and tracking him turned out to be the ultimate royal pain.
But it stops now. She's finally caught up, though it meant leaving Jabari in the dust, and she's going to capture this guy. After all, there is only one more place for him to run to, and letting him get there is the ultimate failure. She digs her nails into the brown wood. If she fails now, she'll be placing the whole tribe in danger-
"Over there!"
The convict's eyes widen, and so does hers. She looks instinctively toward the sound of Jabari's war cry, before hissing at his stupidity and swinging up onto a branch. The convict stumbles to his feet, his eyes catching her movements and widening. He takes off running, and she goes after him, jumping from branch to branch. Luckily she's done Alpha training in these particular woods before; otherwise she'd be going after him on a foot-race or crashing to the pine-needle carpeted ground.
The criminal takes a sharp left, causing her to have to pause in order to change directions as well. Below her, Jabari appears in a flash, his black ponytail whipping over his shoulder.
"Aishia!" He calls, pointing toward the criminal as if she hadn't been chasing after him. Huffing, she's off, her boots slamming against the branches as she continues to jump from tree to tree.
"I comin'," Aishia whispers under her breath, controlling her breathing so that she doesn't run out of steam. They come up upon the barrier trail, causing her eyes to widen.
Crap. We were this close?
The forest seems to extend in all directions, which is why she can never seem to remember that there is an end to their territory.
No, no, no, no, no!
She chants this in her mind, gritting her teeth to go faster. Jabari throws his spear, his aim spot-on. The convict sees the weapon mid-air and dives to the side, but fails to dodge completely. The spear cuts his side, letting crimson blood splatter against the ground. The criminal hisses, but keeps going, his feet pounding against the ground. He passes over the barrier trail.
The barrier trail.
They're not allowed or supposed to cross that trail, no one is. It's considered a taboo in her tribe, which is why the escapee does it.
But…
Aishia crosses over the brown dirt trail.
"AI!" Jabari shouts behind her, a warning. Aishia ignores him, jumping off of the branches. She hurtles downwards feet first, angling her body so that she lands on the convict. The impact is harsher than she was expecting, but luckily her relaxed muscles allow for her to absorb the blow easily. Her prey goes down, his body slamming against the soil. She goes down as well, rolling to the side.
Jabari yells at her some more, alternating between 'get him!' and 'let him go!'. She'd like him to shut up, but is too focused on regaining her balance and her loose hair, which flies into her face, freed from it's ponytail by a broken band. She sits up, lunging for the escapee. He sees her, and, with the quick reflexes of an Alpha, rolls out of her way, diving forward.
Aishia is about to spring forward to grab him when-
"The barrier!"
The escapee stumbles to his feet, looking behind him. Aishia stands on her knees, shocked. Golden ripples spring from where the convict had passed through, growing wider and wider as they flow through the air.
The barrier.
She remembers as a child throwing rocks through the barrier. It was a forbidden passtime, but she loved to do it; if for nothing else than to watch the ripples flow across the barrier's surface the same way they do in ponds. It's mesmerizing. Enrapturing. The convict squints his eyes, searching for the people he had just been chased by, before shock coats his face- a face that's witnessing the miracle of the barrier's magic. He smiles, his grin victorious and alight with glee. Then he clamps a hand down on his bleeding side and begins to limp through the woods, knowing that he won't be chased.
Aishia is stuck there, watching him go. She falls back onto her butt, staring at the ripples that continue to coat the barrier's surface. She watches until they disappear, and then watches some more, digging her fingers into the soil. She's never been this close to the barrier before. It sits just a foot away, an enthralling, invisible wall that tempts her with it's limitless bounds.
"Ai." She closes her eyes, pretending that she's on the other side. She's heard that the barrier is a "cloak", that one cannot see what's truly on the other side from the outside. She's also heard that it's magic leads travelers away, a strange misdirection that has allowed for the peace and preservation of the Amala tribe for hundreds of years.
"Ai." What lays on the outside? What kind of people are there? Do they know there is an ancient society hidden right under their noses?
"Ai." Aishia jolts. She looks behind her, at Jabari. He looks solemn and tired, standing at the edge of the barrier trial. He hasn't dared to move past it. His orange eyes glisten with regret, but also with something else. Holding out his hand, he motions her to come back. Slowly, she raises herself up and walks towards him, slipping her hand into his. He pulls her to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"It's okay. You did your best." Aishia nods, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Don't tell the Generals I went over the barrier trail." Jabari is silent for a moment, contemplating her request. Then he laughs lightly, kissing the top of her head.
"Why would I do such a thing to my beautiful girlfriend?"
She just smiles slightly at him in response.
She lives in a hole in the ground.
Quite literally.
Visurbis is called the city of life, but it also revered as being the legendary city of the Amala tribe: the underground city. It can only be accessed through a large hole easily a hundred times her height, which, in the day, allows one to see the buildings sitting far below. There are other entrances as well; long tunnels made especially for Betas and Omegas who don't have the power to access the lifts used for transportation down from the main hole over the city.
Aishia puts her hand out, breathing in and out calmly.
"I call upon thee, Typhon!"
"So," Jabari breaks the ice, slinking his arms around her waist. "Whatcha wanna do later?"
Aishia half-laughs, half-scoffs.
"You mean after we get screamed at for losing the prey?"
"Yes," Jabari laughs, and she elbows him to gain space, focusing on the spell. From her arm an orange light glows, and she feels the pull of the magic summoning Typhon. She urges it to come faster, annoyed by Jabari's playful nature after they lost the criminal; and she also feels in a sour, pensive mood after coming that close to the barrier. She feels shaken by it. Being that close to something so powerful yet invisible…It's awing and frustrating. If the barrier hadn't been in the way, she would've caught that guy.
Her hands fist.
And, of course she knows their superiors will be furious. It's not as though they can do much about it, being the Head Alphas of the 1st division comes with perks and downfalls. They are expected to be the overachieving role models for the lesser packs. Even though they captured and aided in the capture of many other convicts, the fact that they did failed once will overshadow that. It's unfair, but losing once in the Amala tribe is all it takes to fall from power.
Their lift arrives. A giant, bone hand raises out of the pit, the joints held together by the same orange glow she emits from her arm. She guides Typhon's hand to rest beside them, and then steps up onto the awaiting pearl-white palm, plopping down onto her bottom.
"I'm tired," She whines, pointing at Jabari. "You pilot today."
"What?" Jabari jolts back in shock, genuinely shocked at the request.
"What, is it too much work?" She challenges, leaning back onto her elbows. "Is it too hard to work little ol' Typhon?"
"Please," He clambers aboard, scowling. "I'll show you real necromancy."
"Please do." She leans against one of Typhon's fingers, laughing as she watches Jabari begin to work his magic. A similar orange light to the glow she had used coats his arm.
"Lower us, Typhon."
Typhon's hand lifts up from the ground, jolting Aishia. She doesn't mind it, though she knows it's dangerous to lay so casually on a finger joint. The gaps separating each finger lay on either side of her, and as they lower themselves down into the hole, the distance between them and the ground grows. She relaxes her arms, letting them hang on either side of her. One wrong move or jolt, and she'll go crashing down to the city below.
"What a beautiful city," Jabari says, plopping down beside her. His hand lays flat against Typhon's palm, flowing his magic into the giant skeleton. Speaking of Typhon, they near his face, and watch as his eye sockets, filled with orange light, follow them even as his other hand transfers passengers to a different station. To farming Omegas first visiting the city, the sight of Typhon or the other two giant skeletons transferring citizens to and from the city stations is a terrifying and gawk-worthy sight. "You know, Ai, you start to really enjoy this view when you know you're gonna get yelled at by the Generals."
"True," She laughs, looking upon the city. Necromancers work the walls, which they overflow with magic. The result is an orange light flooding the underground city, coupled with what little sunlight they get. The towering spirals of the capital are all painted white and orange, brightening the darkness of the cavern. At the very bottom of the pit, Aishia is barely is able to see the net strung for the unfortunate few who fall from Typhon or another skeleton's hand. It's not a very fun trip down, but if you're lucky you'll land without breaking anything- Aishia knows from experience. Typhon brings them down past the towering buildings as Jabari navigates toward the closest and highest delivery station.
They eventually arrive at the station, Typhon resting his hand upon the wooden deck. Both she and Jabari jump off of the hand, moving past the Amalas who get aboard. From then on it's a trip through the city, climbing stairways and crossing bridges to get reach their destination. As they go, They receive looks from those surrounding them, who recognize the famous Head Alphas of Division 1. They point sometimes, and courageous women catcall Jabari and- a few times- Aishia from the safety of their windows. Jabari smiles up at them and offers to come up, prompting Aishia to harshly elbow him in the stomach.
"Yeah, you're definitely husband material," She sarcastically says, glaring at her so-called boyfriend. Jabari frowns at her, looking less teasing and carefree. Suddenly he's serious, and she inwardly groans once realizing that she's crossed over into "that" area.
"Ai, come on. We've been talking about that for months now."
"You've been talking," She reminds him. "I'm not ready to get married."
"We've been together for practically ever!" Well, that's an exaggeration, but she knows what he means. They met as ten year olds in the advanced Alpha courses in a high-class Visurbis primary school. From then on she, Jabari and their other friend, Faraji, were best friends. At fourteen she and Jabari started dating, and it's been two years since then. But...Sixteen? That's too early, even by their tribe's standards. She's not ready to settle down and start having children. There are still things to do, adventures to be had.
(Aishia won't say it aloud, but...She's not sure if Jabari is even the one. She can delude herself all she wants, but she doesn't love him.)
But the middle of the city is not the place to be having this conversation. She shuts herself up, shaking her head.
"Let's have this conversation after we report in."
"Are you mad at me? For loosing the prey?" Well, she certainly had been trying to reign in her annoyance with him. "Is that what this is about?"
"Jabari, please, not now." Aishia turns away, not ready to give him a chance to try and charm her. Or start a fight. With an annoyed sigh, Jabari follows her to their final destination: the Visurbis military base. It sits in the middle of the city, the head base for the Alpha military and Visurbis police.
Aishia stares up at the tall, tall building, and tries to be calm.
"...Ready?"
"...As I'll ever be."
"What were you thinking?" Two hours. While not the worst lecture she's ever had to sit through, Aishia still feels exhausted from being subjected to the council's wrath. The seven Generals sit in a half-circle, all stern and intimidating, but they don't look nearly as furious as the eighth General speaking. Of course, Aishia understands why.
It must be embarrassing for a General to have to reprimand his rebellious daughter so publically.
It truly is. But General Zuberi Exsos has never been the type to cover up Aishia's mistakes, nor downgrade her accomplishments. She's famous for being a wildcard, and he can't stand that side of his daughter. She knows he'd prefer it if she'd calm down and be a respectable, productive member of society...Someone that he can brag about to his subordinates and use as a comparison to her weaker half-siblings. In his eyes, her only redeeming quality must be her strength and skill as an Alpha. In the Alpha governing system, there are three groupings: Alpha, Beta, and Omega. One can raise to the top of any of these groupings, if they have the necessary qualities: for Alphas, strength. For Betas, smarts. For Omegas, economic prowess. As a Head female Alpha, Aishia is ultimately considered one of the most highly trained and top-ranked Alphas in the whole military; a fact that usually wins her father's favor and patience.
Now, he just looks livid.
General Zuberi Exsos of Division 1 is considered somewhat of a brute, but in a way that cause Amala women to desire him. In a tribe where strength is considered very attractive, Aishia can see why women like her step-mothers can see past his straight-laced and superior attitude for the sake of his high position and looks. His shoulders are broad, and he's built like a boulder- all muscle. A tall and wide man, his face is hard-set in a way that the bones underneath look strong and firm. He has the face one imagines when thinking of a sword-wielding warrior. Generally, when he isn't scowling, he appears proud and dignified, his black hair holding only a touch of silver. With these physical aspects in mind, it's understandable why the sight of his teeth bared in anger as he hisses at Aishia and Jabari is a terrifying thing.
She feels jealous of her younger sister, Eshe, whom the family has recently learned is an Omega. It's not surprising, Eshe is a sweet little girl who doesn't understand that her 'three mommies' aren't all her mothers and that Aishia isn't even related to any of them. As the youngest, Zuberi is kinder to her than his other children, though his frustration and disappointment upon learning that she's an Omega still disgusts Aishia till this day.
Biases are cruel.
But a bias against one's own child solely because they were born as a domestic Omega…
Aishia looks at her father. Really looks.
I really can't stand you, after all.
"Do you have any idea what you were doing?" Aishia forces a smile.
"Please, forgive us, Father. We've learned that the prey had been planning his escape for months, if not years. We miscalculated."
Jabari messed up.
But blaming him is wrong, and she knows that.
"You should've known better, Aishia." Zuberi growls. "Do you know what you've done? There is nothing keeping that criminal from returning to the Amala tribe. There is nothing keeping that filthy prey from telling the whole world about our barrier!"
Aishia flinches at the steady rising of Zuberi's voice.
"He could bring armies down upon us. Have you forgotten the reason we formed the barrier in the first place, Aishia?!"
"..." Aishia lowers her eyes. She hasn't.
It's because of…
"The slave trade." She murmurs.
"The slave trade." Zuberi confirms, using a voice like a furious adult to a small child. "Have you forgotten how badly they thirsted for our tribe's magic? The only thing protecting us is the barrier. The fact that you failed to capture one man has put the whole tribe in danger. You have both been trained to be better than that."
Well, that's certainly true. Alphas start their training at young ages and progress it throughout their life. Unless they don't join the military, an Alpha is expected to dedicate their life towards furthering their Amala magic and training their bodies. If an Alpha does join the military, they learn to be crisp, punctual, resilient and strong. They spend every day diligently training to protect their families in case of outside attack. They are the pride of the tribe, though they rarely get chances to show their strength. It's a warrior's life.
(It's a dull life.)
Aishia frowns. She's been feeling strangely pessimistic today. Sour. It must be because of the prey. But she think it has more to do with her encounter with the barrier, the strange reminder that...
(There is more to the world than the tribal lands.)
"Forgive me, Father." She murmurs, dipping her head apologetically. A feeling of wild rebelliousness springs up in her chest. She wishes that she could stand up against him and present her argument more clearly. But she knows better than that. She has been trained to remain calm and in control, traits that are necessary for a good Alpha leader to have.
Zuberi scoffs, sitting back down.
"Dismissed. You're both suspended until further notice."
They both present a salute to the generals, their right hand curled into a fist over their hearts. Then the two exit, remaining quiet even after they are far away from the closed doors of the meeting room.
"That was...Not fun." Jabari decides, grumbling. Then he smirks at her. "Wanna go do something fun?"
"..." She scratches the back of her head. "Not really."
"Huh? Hey, that's not like you."
"Yeah, I know. I'm gonna hitch a ride west. I promised to go see my mother at some point...And we're suspended, soooo..."
"Jeez, you really are mad at me." Aishia sighs, seriously tired of Jabari's neediness when it comes to their relationship. He hardly lets her talk to other men, nor will he entertain the idea of either of them transferring packs or divisions. Not to mention that he's been pushing his marriage proposal towards her more and more lately, despite her refusals. It's like he's afraid that she'll leave him behind in the dust if he can't tie her down somehow.
But…
She doesn't want to become a housewife. She knows that's what Jabari means by 'getting married'. He means for her to quit the military and raise their children in Visurbis; to become a wife awaiting her heroic Alpha husband. But she can't quit the military. She won't give up fighting. That's the only thing-
(That's the only thing that makes her feel free.)
"Jabari, I'm not mad at you. I just made a promise to my mother, okay?"
"Why won't you marry me?" He demands, his Amala-orange eyes fiery. An annoyance like nothing else before crawls up her throat
"Because I'm not ready. Could you please respect that?" She tries to say it politely, but it comes out as a growl. Not eager to hear whatever response he has cooked up, she turns on her heel and rushes to the exit.
Hitching a ride west is quite easy, if one has a few coins on their person.
It required her to walk quite a-ways through the Amala cities set up around Visurbis, but she eventually found an Omega farmer delivering food from the farmlands. She paid him and sat in the back of his now empty wagon, laying against a bail of hay.
She watches as the sun begins to set, unbelieving that just that morning she had been chasing a criminal. It feels like an eternity since then, her eyes dipping closed as she lazily studies her surroundings. Nothing has changed the last thousand times she's seen these buildings, these people. Black haired men and women, children with orange eyes...Amalas bred pure and strong, bustling through their daily activities. The buildings of the Alpha cities are still sturdy dark stone, home to the families of Alphas working in the military and government.
Meanwhile, The complexes of the Beta towns are made of brick, appearing tidy and neat. She spots intellectuals reading scrolls and hypothesising formulas, doctors and lawyers heading home from long days of work. The particular one she's passing through is home to the Beta Council, which creates laws for the Elder Council- which is in Visurbis- to debate and/or pass. It takes a long while, but eventually the towns melt into farmlands. The most food produced for the Amala tribe comes from the Western Omega Farmlands, sometimes just called West. There are farmlands all around the outer "ring" of the territory, but none are as fertile as West- and land there is famously hard to come by. Not necessarily because of the price, though it can become expensive, but because land is transferred down a family tree.
She's let off at West village, the tiny town made mostly of wood and dirt roads. Still, it's large enough that alley ways are formed by the tailor's shops and blacksmith's workshops, homes and businesses patched together in a rural form of architecture. She goes through the village, getting called to by old friends. Once leaving town, she follows the main road out toward the scattered farmhouses and cute cottages. She follows the windy roads and slips between the hills, feeling more and more tired as she goes. Strangely, she also feels enormously relaxed. There is something about the way West smells, how kind and welcoming the people are. She spots her mother's cottage, a tiny thing standing on a nice patch of land. She practically skips up the pathway, knocking on the door.
"Mom, it's me!" Aishia sings, smiling goofily. A moment later the door opens, and her mother smiles wryly back at her. Her mother goes by only one name, Kamaria. Born and raised in West just like her daughter, Kamaria inherited her land from her Omega father. According to her, Zuberi came by on a trip to the north-west military base and took a trip into West, which is where they met. Of course, Kamaria doesn't particularly hold any fondness towards Zuberi after how things ended between them.
"Look who the cat dragged in," Kamaria quips lightly, reaching forward to pinch Aishia's nose. "Come to see your mother, Head Alpha?"
Aishia giggles childishly, hugging her mother. They then take a seat at the kitchen table, Kamaria serving up her delicious (and infamous) stew.
"I've missed this!" Aishia sighs lovingly, bringing a spoonful of potatoes and chicken to her lips.
"I'm glad," Kamaria laughs, an aged sound. "Ah, listen to me, I sound so old."
"You're not old!" Aishia interjects, frowning. Kamaria has only a few wrinkles gracing her face, mostly on her forehead and drawn in around her eyes. Other than that, she is still lovely, with black hair gently peppered with white threads and eyes a rare peach-orange.
"In my youth I was so beautiful," Kamaria continues to complain. "Your father fell in love with me because of that."
"Hey, Mom, why didn't you guys get married?"
"He said having a third wife would make him seem promiscuous," Kamaria sighs, exaggeratedly. "As if getting a girl pregnant before marriage wasn't promiscuous enough!"
"But he has three wives now." Aishia says, setting her chin in her palm. The older woman scoffs, crossing her legs.
"They're all Betas, right?"
"Well, Nuru is an Alpha."
"What an-" Kamaria stops herself, calming down. "I suppose he didn't want to marry me because I'm an Omega."
"He's such an ass," Aishia bursts out, unable to keep it in.
"Language," Her mother cautions, but Aishia continues.
"He's like that with Eshe, too! He treats her like an idiot who can't do anything. And Sefu. They're his children and he doesn't even care about them!"
"Darling, you and your-" Kamaria stops. "How many siblings do you have?"
"Three younger, four older."
"You and your seven siblings are very lucky. You have food, shelter, a rich life in a wonderful city. Yes, Zuberi has his faults, but he would never do anything to harm you."
"I wish I never went to live with him," Aishia mutters. Kamaria looks up to the ceiling.
"It has been quiet ever since you left." Her hand is swallowed by an older one as Kamaria smiles softly at her. "But let's not talk about that. How has that idiot Jabari been? And Faraji?"
"Ah…" Aishia explains the predicaments she's run into, the prey that they lost and Jabari's carelessness. She also explains how Jabari continues to ask for her hand, an annoyance she doesn't know how to deal with.
"Oh, darling," Kamaria tuts. "That boy...You don't particularly like him, hm?"
"What? No, of course I do!" She protests, her cheeks coloring.
"As a friend I'm sure you love him dearly. But as a husband…" Kamaria sighs. "Don't marry him, Aishia. I know you, and I know that you won't be happy with him. He's always been so pushy."
"He's not that bad."
"Uh-huh."
"Mom!" Aishia puts her head on the table, groaning. "You should just make me marry him! Give me motivation!"
"I cannot do such a thing," Kamaria laughs. "What a silly child."
There is silence. The sun has long set, candles now the only source of light filling up their little cottage.
"Aishia?"
"Yeah?" She snuggles into her crossed arms, her eyes feeling heavy.
"...You went pretty close to the barrier…"
"Yeah…"
"..." Her mother reaches across the table, gently stroking her loose hair. "You hate that thing, don't you?"
"...I do." Kamaria lifts her face, cupping her cheeks.
"You've always been fascinated by the outside."
"I feel…" Aishia's eyes lose focus. The world becomes blurry, her mother disappearing. It's like she's in the Eastern forest again, feeling the freedom of an endless world only to learn that there are limits to what she's allowed to do, what she's allowed to be. "I feel so tired lately. I feel tight. Like this whole barrier is just a…A cage."
…
She realizes what she said. She sits up quickly, laughing off her words.
"Ah, well, it's late, huh? Can I stay the night?"
"Of course," Kamaria says, standing. She reaches over and pats Aishia's head, smiling slightly. After a moment, she says softly, "I would not blame you."
Aishia stares at her mother, even after the woman begins to clean up from their dinner.
I would not blame you.
For what? For choosing to not marry Jabari? For deciding to stand up to her father?
Or…
Is it about something else entirely?
First Chapter = done!
Yay! I'm so happy that I was able to get this done so quickly. I really wanted to provide information and background info on the Amala tribe- my plan for this story is for a lot of world-building and detail, so I didn't want to skip over the Amala tribe, especially since it's an important setting in Starry Skies. And, while I wish I could've written Muu into this first chapter, skimping out on Aishia's backstory and tribe would make it hard to understand her later reactions to other civilizations. But still...Muuuuuuuu~! *pouts*. Oh well. I hope I was able to provide an interesting first read!
Aishia: I hope she's come off as a friendly, courageous person. I want her personality to be nearly identical to Catrina's from SS, but considering the situation she's in during this chapter, I fear that she may have come off as more serious and deep-thinking than Catrina. During the chapter I imagined being stuck in a cage while I was writing, and then having Aishia express that without openly saying it...Hopefully I was able to convey those feelings.
Other Characters: Zuberi and Jabari were hard to write! I'm very bad at writing unlikable characters. Zuberi is supposed to be a proud, intelligent man who often lets his biases control him, and Jabari, while charming and funny, is supposed to be arrogant and sometimes a little dense when it comes to other people's feelings, especially Aishia's. I'll try to express this more in the next chapter!
The next chapter is where the plot begins to pick up! Please, stay tuned~! AND ASK QUESTIONS! I HAVE SO MANY DETAILS THAT I WANTED TO INCLUDE BUT COULDN'T!
Got any questions or suggestions? Something wrong about the chapter? Grammatical errors, something you didn't like? PM me or leave it in the reviews, I will reply and see what I can do to make the story better/clearer for y'all to understand. ILY MY DARLING READERS!
BYE~~~~~~~