The story of the god Sol and the goddess Luna is one that has been lost over the ages. The warrior king Sol, master of earth and fire, falls in love with the goddess Luna, mistress of wind and water. Few know of their tale... and their tragedy.
The characters of Golden Sun will be hinted at in this story, but it is basically a legend that will go along with my actual story.
CH.1: The Sun Meets the Moon
In the Land of Gaia, there were two, main powers. The Golden Empire, which ruled the land and the sun that shown down upon it, were valiant, strong warriors. The numbers of their forces were not as grand as many would think, but every being knew that one Golden Soldier was equivalent to ten mortal men. Their magic was of earth and flame.
The second power was the Promised Ones. These beings of elegance and grace dwelled in the skies, surrounding themselves with wind. Their cities are said to be the source of the rain that gives the earth drink, and the snow that begins life a new. Their magic was of water and wind.
Though both powers were not hostile towards the other, a long stretch of isolation formed a rift between them. The Promised did not mingle with the Golden People, nor did the Golden People make merry with the Promised Ones. Before long, stories of the other formed among the common folk in the grand, floating cities of the Promised Ones, calling the Golden People, "Barbarians that feast upon the wings that adorn the backs of the Promised Ones" for their wings were their lives.
In the same way, the Golden People referred to the Promised ones as, "Winged demons who wish to suck the blood from our children" for their children were their future.
Now I, being up in age, but still strong in mind, shall portray to you a tale of valiance, zeal, strength, loss, and tragedy. This story is one that has been lost to the folk that dwell among Weyard, their eyes and ears being blocked out by the spell of the Ancient Ones, but that is a tale you have already heard. No, I will not repeat that tale, less I bore you with details you have already formed for yourself.
No, our tale begins elsewhere, deep in the Golden Lands, in the mountains that enclose the capital, Thangoran, in a snug natural blanket of earth herself. Many tell stories of how this city came to rest in the bosom of Gaia herself, but the truth, once again, is another tale meant for another time. Our sight goes down to the Southern Mountain named Steelix, for much ore from there is used to smith weapons. On such mountain, a boy witnesses an inhuman event, one that shall leave him and his friends in awe.
From the sky, one could get a better view for the scene that begins out story. There was a formidable crowd of young children, ranging from as young as eight to thirteen, who encircled a pit, formed by a series of tall and sturdy boulders. The bottom of the pit held dirt and sand that haled from the rocks that loomed farther up the tall mountain.
There, in the center of the pit, stood a man, his face clean and young. His eyes were like burning coals that had tasted the fullest fury of a dragon's mighty inferno. His hair looked to be made of pure gold, glistening in the bright sun that watched from its heavenly perch. His body was well toned, chiseled to perfection. His legs slowly shifted as he circled the beast that roared in front of him. It was a large boar, whose eyes were hot with rage at the man. The warrior let a small smirk appear on his face as he shielded the quivering figure behind him, "Be on your way beast, I do not wish to slay a child of Gaia in her own bosom." His voice held no form of taunting, but of respectful warning.
The boar glared at him harder and snorted, its breath looking like steam out of the spout of a tea-pot. The beast lowered its head, pointing its sharp, experienced tusks at the warrior. With an indignant snort, the boar charged at his opponent, its hooves beating the ground with the might of hammers. With a sigh, the warrior held out his arms, readying his feet for the mighty impact. With his bare hands, the warrior gripped the tusks of the boar with an iron-hold, displaying the might he gained after years of fierce combat.
"I deeply apologize child of Gaia, but I must protect those who follow my light." The warrior redirected the momentum of his opponent, driving the boar to the ground, wrestling it with Herculean strength. He held firm, as the boar kicked against the ground, trying to pry the warrior off of its breathing passages, for it was unable to attain the oxygen its lungs screamed for. The amber-eyed warrior solemnly closed his eyes, feeling the boar relax its muscles as death came. With a quick jerk, the warrior broke the boar's neck, ending its suffering, "I wish honor upon you." He whispered before standing again.
The golden-haired man turned away from the dead beast and at the quivering child that watched behind him, "Are you alright child, did I come too late?" He was thrown off when the child clung to him tightly, wishing for the protection only an adult could offer. He chuckled and patted the boy gently, "Dry your tears boy, for this experience will help you become a man."
"T-Thank you Lord Sol, thank you," The boy sobbed, but he dried his tears, just as Sol told him. The children who had watched from above cheered for the safety of their friend, as well as for the heroic actions of their king and ruler.
"Run on home children, I am certain your parents are worried about you, seeing how that beast's roars echoed with such might." Sol watched the children begin their way towards the capital, watching them like a hawk. He gave a tired sigh when they were far enough off, knowing the way was more than secure thanks to the Golden Guards that watched over the city. His eyes turned towards his home that stood over the other buildings in Thangoran, "I am sure Walter will have my ear for being out alone." Sol quickly scaled the boulders and gave a curt whistle, summoning a golden stallion. He hoisted himself onto the broad back of his stallion and patted the side of its neck, "Come Arvak, we have to get back as soon as possible."
'Afraid of what the old man will say?' Arvak replied, speaking to the king inside his mind. Arvak, along with the other horses of the Golden People, were capable of speaking to their masters through telepathy, their voices gaining volume along with their trust. Arvak gave a curt nay, as if laughing at the face Sol had on.
"Your mouth would be best used to breathe while you run Arvak." Sol shot back as his stallion sprang forward, sparks of flame trailing its pounding hooves. Displaying legendary speed, Arvak arrived at the gates of Thangoran, blowing passed the guards in his rush.
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Elsewhere, an old man was fuming at the absence of his king and charge. He paced to and fro in front of the large, golden throne that belonged solely to the rightful Lord of the Sun. The throne room itself was a sight to behold. Two, mighty oak doors guarded the entrance, as drapes of fine silk hung from above to flow in the wind that drifted in through the open windows that ran overhead. Mighty pillars of marble held the walls aligned, designs of the sun carved into them for all to see.
"Where is his highness?" The old man tapped his foot impatiently. However, his fretting ceased as he heard the mighty pounding of a familiar horse. The old advisor let out a very deep sigh, his old eyes glaring at the door in disapproval. As he expected, a golden horse burst through the oak doors, stopping as it always did when his master was late for some sort of event.
"I'm back Walter, and still with thirty seconds to spare." Sol allowed the guards to lead Arvak to his stall, ignoring the taunts his horse shot towards the old man. He promptly started for his throne, plopping into the seat readily. It no longer bothered him, the massive suns made of pure gold that adorned the back of the throne, for he had grown accustomed to them years ago, "What news do you have for me?"
Walter stared at Sol in disapproval, but little could be done since he was early, "The people of the blackened lands speak no longer my lord, it seems they were overtaken by something very recently." Walter pointed to the map that rested in front of Sol.
"I see, what do you suggest be done Walter?" Sol looked at his trusted advisor expectantly, for he had given counsel readily many a times. However, Sol's face faltered when Walter's expression showed hoe perplexed he was.
"I don't know my lord, there is too little information for us to make a sure move in response to this occurrence." Walter reached into his robes and removed a scroll, "I reluctantly suggest sending a squad to find out more my lord."
Sol stared at the scroll intently, carefully considering what he was doing. If he signed such a scroll, he would be sending a squad of men to their more than likely deaths, "We wait Walter; I cannot easily send men away to fight an unknown battle."
Walter nodded and placed the scroll in a pouch beside the throne, "A wise choice sire, now for other matters…" Walter continued on, telling Sol of the economic situation, as well as the living conditions of the people throughout their territory.
Sol's eyes sharpened upon hearing the report he had just heard, "A band of robbers to our west you say; how far west Walter?" He looked at the point his advisor indicated. It was fair sized town that rested just inside their borders, a ripe place to be terrorized by bandits and scum of the like, "I will ride out with a small band of men to dispel the bandits, such deeds are punishable by death under my rule."
Walter glanced at Sol, "Sire, the bandits merely hunger for food and seek riches, you must try to quell your anger with understanding."
Sol nodded, "Of course Walter, however, there is no hint of famine in my lands, and no one is without their own riches." Sol stood up, a golden glow surrounding him. He calmly stepped down the stairs of his throne and left, heading for the barracks. Walter looked after him, a small smile on his old face.
Thus, in no less than two days, Sol and twenty knights left the walls of their capital, their horses thundering through the lands towards the town of Sungol. It is said that their banners, in that moment, shown brighter than before, which was a sign of something grand preparing itself to happen. Within two more days, the small band approached a green forest, the natural gates of Sungol, Sol was once told.
"We rest here men, ready your weapons and get some rest. I hope we will not need to fight these bandits, but we must be ready for anything." Sol hopped down from Arvak and aided his men in forming a solid camp. Normally, the soldiers would incist on doing all the work, but after a long rule, they had learned that Sol would have no such attitudes.
"Sire, go wash in the stream to the north, for its waters are clean and healing." One knight, Sai, urged his now filthy king. Sol slapped Sai on the back, thanking him kindly for the information. Sol quickly checked the camp, finding it to be satisfactory for even the most experienced of woodsmen and started for the stream, with a few men at the ready and at a good distance of course.
Sol carefully navigated his way to the stream, following the bubbling sounds the waters often made. When he removed the final branch that obscured his vision, Sol gazed long and in amazement at the stream before him. Just as Sai had said, the water was clean and seemed to be made of liquid crystal, a flowing treasure. By this time, the moon had taken the place of the sun, casting down a silver light upon the surface of the water.
"A fine place indeed," Sol promptly washed his face free from the muck he had gained from setting up camp, enjoying the cool waters. However, the trained warrior king's ears perked upon hearing a beautiful tune, that of a woman humming. His amber eyes searched his views, only to see a large rock splitting the waters in two. Figuring the source of the tune was beyond it, Sol ran back into the brush and made his way around, 'Such a voice must belong to some sort of bird, one I have yet to see.' He reasoned.
When Sol saw who was making the melodious song, he froze where he stood. His eyes examined the maiden who bathed in front of him, her white skin reflecting the light of moon, as if it were her mother. Her long, baby-blue hair cascaded down her back, the tips dipping into the water. Now this is usually where the man makes a poetic comparison of this beautiful woman to something equally beautiful, but Sol was no normal man, "Holy son of a crazed mole, she's freakin' hot." Sol turned around, wanting to keep some personal dignity for himself.
Then, like a knife to his ears, a sharp yelp was heard instead of the ongoing melody. Sol whipped around and looked to see what was wrong, 'What the heck is that thing?'
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It looked as demonic as any beast could look. Its body seemed to be made of some sort of black mist, its large maw being the only solid looking part of its body. The wolf-like body slowly started circling the bathing woman, who was now glaring at the beast intently. She prepared to cast some sort of Psynergy, but something hit her in the face, ruining her focus.
"Get out of here, I'll hold it off!" Sol burst out of the tress, revealing his battle dress to the woman. She looked in awe at the black colored armored with golden crests and adornments. The armor itself looked Roman in style, the plated shoulder guards having golden edges. In place of a cape, there would've been a cloth hanging from the belt, but this cloth was what the woman was using to shield her naked form.
Sol sized up the wolf-like beast, noting that it was definitely not a child of Gaia, for he could feel such a thing from any normal beast. When he saw the monster reel back, ready to spring, he pulled a small strap on his left wrist, the folded shield on his forearm unfolding to form a circular, golden shield. This was the first weapon of any Golden Soldier, the Rising Shield. The beast's fangs met the shield's surface with a resounding clang, sparks flying into the waters at their feet.
Sol cursed as the beast clawed his leg, leaving three gashes at his shins. Sol fell to his knees, taken by surprise by the tactic. He stared into the fangs that prepared to rip his head off, but spikes of ice pushed the monster back. He looked behind him to see the woman wearing her undergarments, his cloth wrapped around her wrist firmly, 'Ice Missile, a Mercury style Psynergy,' Sol was decided to leave this truth for later, focusing on the beast before him.
The woman opened her mouth to say something, but what happened next caused her mouth to snap shut. Sol had just drawn his sword, the golden steel shining in the moonlight as if it were the sun itself. Then, as if seeing the blade of a Golden Knight weren't enough, she heard the warrior's thunderous voice speak his spell.
"Searing Beam," A searing beam of fire shot towards the beast, striking it with immense power. While it was stunned, Sol charged it, driving his shield into the face of the wolf shadow, blotting out its eyes in one motion. While the monster howled its pain, Sol drove his blade into its neck and dragged it to the side, severing the beast's head. Sol sighed and looked back at the still gaping woman, "Are you alright?"
Silently, the woman nodded and stepped towards him. With caution, she bent down before Sol and examined his injured leg, "Thank you Knight of the Sun, but your leg was injured in this fight." She stood up and looked at him when Sol took a proud step back.
"It's nothing; it will heal with time and rest." He gave her a small smile to try and satisfy her, but it soon left his face when the woman gave him a scolding look.
"I don't think you have the time knight, and insist on healing it, now sit." She pointed a rock, which was soon occupied by one Sol. She focused her energies and placed her hand over the wound gently, her soft fingers glowing the same shade of blue as her hair. Sol watched in amazement as he felt the stinging of the gashes leave his leg.
"Amazing, I never would've guessed you were a Promised One." Sol said as he flexed his healed leg, "Thank you, I owe you much from this encounter." Once again, his amber eyes met with the violet eyes of this woman, the light in her eyes dripping with a certain type of spunk.
"Owe me you say? I think this makes us even knight of Sol." She then examined his armored form with much scrutiny, "Though I am surprised, I've heard that your kind is barbaric, but you just showed extraordinary chivalry."
Sol chuckled, "And you do not look like much of a demon, that is unless you changed your appearance to ensnare me."
The woman giggled lightly, "I am Luna, child of wind and water," She gave him a graceful curtsy and started for the bank and towards the rest of her clothes, "who might you be?"
Sol was slightly surprised, few did not know of him, "I am… a mere knight Lady Luna, nothing more." He answered. It was not a lie, for Sol never thought himself above a knight to those who served under him. He was the servant in his own eyes.
"A nameless knight, now aren't we getting a bit cliché." Luna playfully shot at him. She unwrapped Sol's cloth and held it out to him, "I believe this is yours."
Sol shook his head, "Keep it, so you shall not forget me when we part ways."
Luna gave him a playful look, "Careful knight, I'm beginning to think you're trying to court me." Luna flung the cloth over her shoulder, accepting the gift none the less, "Well, I suppose that ends my relaxing time in this stream."
"So how did you get here? I don't suppose you stayed in the town just ahead." Sol questioned. There had been no sightings of the floating cities of the Promised Ones near their location, so it was even stranger to see one here.
"I flew, I've heard many things about the pools on the land, and it seems they were true." Luna stretched in her white and blue dress. It was fairly simple, seeing how she was from an angelic type of people.
"Oh?" Sol chuckled again, "So what makes our humble pools more interesting than the grand polls that adorn the Floating Cities?" Sol's features softened when he saw the passionate look on Luna's face. Her eyes softened as she looked at the ground under her still bare feet.
"It's the earth that the water runs over." She knelt before the river and scooped up a mixture of water and dirt, "Here, water and ground meet as one, showing that though they are different, they can work together just fine."
"That is very interesting, I've never thought of it that way." Sol was amazed by this woman completely. Her display of strength caught his attention, for few women could do such things in such a situation. Her mind was obviously sharp, perhaps sharper than his, and her beauty was, needless to say, something to be drooled over.
"I better start home, I'm sure I am missed." Luna smiled at Sol, "Thank you again knight, I hope we see one another again. It was… fun." Luna turned towards the north and extended her wings. Sol watched in awe as the two white wings flexed in a display of strength. With one beat, Luna was in the air and on her way out of sight.
Sol watched the direction she left, the sounds of his men approaching becoming muffled to his ears. His mind was focused on one subject that he could not shake. Yes, the fair Luna had very well captured his attention, but his thoughts dwelled on the beast he had slain. It was like nothing he'd ever seen, and he had fought many a creature before, 'Something stirs beyond our borders, something dark.'