-Prologue-
Johnathan Kent was a researcher for The Valkyon Federation stationed on Stepstone Island for as long as the Gifted children remained there. He was one of the twenty researchers tasked with observing the Gifted children and making sure everything with Tiaran went well. After all, the Gifted children were one of the Federation's first lines of defense against the Argon threat.
Johnathan lived with his wife Martha Kent, who was also a researcher for the Federation stationed on the island. They had lived on the island for a year now, having acclimated to the small island. The Gifted children were only three years old by now, but they had already begun serving their purpose thanks to the mage corps from the Collegium Arcane in the mainland city of Velika.
What the Gifted children were capable of was seeing the future through dreams. Thus they had been taken from the mainland and lived on Stepstone Island, hidden away from the world, and most importantly, the enemies of the free people of Arborea. While some people would consider the practice of broadcasting the dreams of a three-year-old to the military unethical, the process had saved the continents of Arun and Shara from disastrous invasions many times in the past two years. The children were treated with utmost care and compassion while awake and the dream broadcasting process was not painful, it still was unethical.
Johnathan and Martha were both in the division that tended to Tiaran, the massive tree that covered a good portion of the island. No other tree on Arun or Shara rivaled it's size, standing at almost a mile high and three times that or more with it's roots. It pulsed with an ethereal bluish-white energy that spread about it's canopy and silver bark like a misty haze. It's leaves if you could call them such were the size of normal leaves of your average maple tree. They were silver and looked like dagger blades that were wide at the tip.
Johnathan was hitting his mid-fifties, a good five or so years away from retirement if everything went right. His wife was in her early fifties, just a short amount behind her husband before her eventual retirement. They were both hard workers and diligent listeners with bright pasts and good jobs.
Johnathan was a human of about five foot ten inches in height. He had light skin with a sign of wrinkles coming about on his brow and forehead. His eyes were a clear blue and he was about ten or so pound overweight, sporting a little bit of a belly and slightly flabby but muscled arms. His hair was graying and slightly white. He wore a simple plaid blue shirt and brown pants with brown boots.
His wife Martha was of a similar height, standing at five foot seven, her hair gray and her skin a light shade. Her eyes were green under thin wired square glasses. She wore a similar blue and brown outfit to her husband. Her days of skirts and dresses long past. Her gray hair tied in a neat bun propped on the back of her head.
They lived near the temple at the top of the island at a small cloister where the other researchers and the Priests stayed. It consisted of small apartments for everyone.
It was seven o'clock on a Saturday night and Jalka, one of the locals of the island who had been a close friend of both Johnathan and Martha had decided to join the two at the daily dinner the Cloister held. He sat across from them at a long wooden table covered in blue cloth with gold trimmings. On the table was a mean of Struthio breast and Freeholds flame salad.
The flame salad was composed of various vegetables and coated in a spicy dressing.
Struthio was a large bird with two long featherless legs, a brightly colored body, a long neck and a small head. It stood about five feet tall from clawed foot to long beak. They were quite fast birds, so over time the Federation domesticated and bred them for the softest meat with the best taste.
Jalka was an elderly man much like Johnathan, with short curly white hair, lightly tanned skin and a very large build. He was built like a wagon with large broad shoulders and huge arms. He was a farmer, tending to the Islands Verida, Whiteleaf, and Beetroot Crops.
As they dug into their food, Jalka spoke up resting his arms on the table and leaning forward for emphasis to his words. He seemed quite inquisitive and excited.
"So Martha, what's the situation up at the Temple? I heard the creaking and moaning of Tiaran all week. It seems somethings going down, but nobody from the federation is telling us. They say it's classified. A load of bull is what I say"
Martha laughed and responded to the knowledge-hungry friend of hers with a happy demeanor, glad her friend was still interested in work after al this time.
"Don't tell my superiors, but I heard the team that works with the children say the kid's dreams have been all about some insane things. About a lad that can fly and shoot fire from his eyes fighting gods and such. It's a bit overboard and looney. Even the handlers and scholars here are wondering if it's just their dreams from the storybooks they're read to by the maids and not actually the prophetic dreams at all. If you ask me it's probably just their imagination's running wild" She said before leaning back with a sigh of bewilderment. The whole situation was out of her pay grade if she was being honest.
"I agree, You don't see anyone flying around without those pegasi or according to my Aman friend from Kaiator, wyverns. And shooting fire from your eyes is a bit odd. As for fighting gods, that has to be their imaginations going a bit off the deep end. Remember when the Giants tried to rebel? That didn't end well that's for sure" Johnathan piped up, giving his take on the whole situation.
"Yeah, they didn't get the easy treatment, that's for sure," Jalka said with a frown. The giants that rebelled had been enslaved and cursed by the Gods. Many of them were killed, leaving the remaining number of giants barely five percent of what once was. Their fortress cities were smashed and crushed. Their magic and culture were destroyed and erased.
Leaving off on that topic, they spoke on some other inconsequential topics before returning their plates to the washers in the kitchen.
-Two months later-
Martha and Johnathan were called back to the City of Velika to give their reports to the Federation's various ecological and magical departments. They did so every four months aside from the letters along with getting a two-week vacation from the small island.
They stood at the long wooden flight pier at the far right side of the island. Airships would come to bring the Federation researchers off of the island. The airships were long metal ships held aloft by hot air balloons and magical fuel. The one they were to ride was one hundred and thirty meters long and held a large crew with enough space for quite a few passengers.
The hull had many cabins for the passengers. It had the usual amenities involving recreation rooms, study hall, mess hall, storage, bathrooms, and various other necessities. It was lit by magical orbs of light and heated via magical stones that could be changed via captains orders and the ones in the cabins were the passenger's discretion.
The two researchers settled into their cabins, each having their own furnished with a desk, bed, cabinets, drawers, a table, and three chairs. There was a window at his left looking out at the sky they flew through. There was a sink and cooler box along with a stove and kitchenware. He had a small mirror implanted into the wall next to the bed. A bathroom for him and the cabin next to him was in between them on the wall out front.
All in all, it was a simple setup, not exactly luxurious, but not so bad it would be impossible to live in.
John sat at the table with parchment and inkwell with a feather quill. He was writing a letter to his sister over in Crescentia.
"Dear Hannah, it's been about one month since I last got your letter. I am sorry for not writing sooner but it seems age is starting to catch up with me. I can feel it in my bones more and more these days. It is so awfully boring on the island these days. Every day I look over the tree and there is nothing changing. It sounds simple, that must be what you are thinking. Just checking the tree for any abnormalities like any other tree, but I don't think any one of us could tell what an abnormality on this giant tree would look like.
Oh, look at me rambling already.
Anyways, I hope you are doing well. How is your son James doing? If I remember correctly he wanted to be a mystic last month. Or was it a priest? He changes so much I can't keep up with all the plans he has.
I wrote to dad the other day, but I have not heard back yet. He must be having a good time over at Bleakrock.
I heard that Jason was given a medal of honor the other day. He must have worked very hard for it. Tell him I am proud.
Well, that is about it from me.
Your brother - Johnathan"
Johnathan waited for the ink to dry before folding the paper gently and placing it in an envelope, placing the address on the front and signing it, before placing his hot was signet on the fold, sealing the letter closed with a hiss of hot wax.
-The final day of the Kent's Vacation-
Johnathan and Martha were outside of Velika's massive city walls, riding their personal carriage and enjoying the summer sun on the fields while various other couples and their children ran around picking large orange Moongourds off of vines to bring home or sell.
They were silently enjoying their time when they saw something glinting in the sky, it was moving quickly towards them. Looking around them it looked like nobody else saw it or paid it any mind.
It came closer and closer before landing a good few hundred feet away with a thud in the grassy plains.
"Martha, should we go investigate?" Johnathan asked, looking to his wife at the carriage head. They both sat at the coachmen's bench while Johnathan held the reins of the two horses that pulled the small carriage.
"Yes. Let's go" Martha said with a hint of excitement.
"Alright, let's go. HEYAA" Johnathan said as he reigned the horses further to have them turn towards the fallen object. The carriage began its trek over to the strange object.
They took a minute or so to get over to the small crater the object had made.
Dropping down from the steps of the carriage sides, Johnathan and Martha made their way over to the crater. In the middle of it was a long blue tubelike ship. It looked to be about five feet long and three feet wide in the shape of a bottle with fins at the end. in the middle was a red glass window that Johnathan touched causing the glass to slide to the side revealing a baby boy wrapped in a red blanket.
His skin was light like theirs, his hair was black and curly, and he looked no older than two years old.
"Johnathan, what should we do? Tell the Federation?" Martha asked, but Johnathan shook his head.
"No Martha, this is a sign from the gods above," He said, picking up the baby and holding it close.
"He's gonna be our son," Johnathan said with a smile passing the boy to his wife.
"And you're going to name him" He told his wife who was overwhelmed by the situation.
"What if he has a family? We can't kidnap a child!" Martha shot back, appalled by her husband's words.
"He came flying in from the sky in that ship thing. Whoever sent him here isn't coming to get him. Besides, I'd rather him be with us safely than in some Velikan orphanage where he could grow up to be a ner do well" Johnathan rebuked, firm in his stance.
"Well I suppose you're right, but if anyone comes looking for him, we have to return him okay?" Martha said acquiescing to her husband's logic.
"Good. Let's get this thing on the carriage and get this boy some food before we do anything else okay?" Johnathan asked as he walked over to the craft and knelt down putting his hand on the sid of it and gave it a push.
"Wow, this thing is light. I think I can pull it over to the carriage with no problem" he said grabbing the ship by it's top fin and pulling it over to the carriage ten meters away.
Martha brought the baby back to the carriage and sat in the back on a bench as Johnathan hauled the craft inside and tied it down.
"If anyone asks, its just a machine I'm making nothing to worry about," Johnathan said seriously to his wife who was holding the sleeping baby in her arms.
"I know, Don't worry so much," She said to her husband with a warm smile that he returned to her.
"Of course, I wasn't too worried about it. We're always on the same page" He said as he finished tying the craft down and jumping down off the back of the craft. Walking around to the front and taking the reigns, he turned his head back to his wife and asked her a question.
"You reckon you have a name for the boy yet or you need more time?" He asked her with a laugh.
"I have a name for him" She said with a wide smile.
"And what would that be?" He asked.
"Clark" Martha said before continuing.
"Clark Kent" She finished.
"I like it. I like it alot. Clark Kent it is" Johnathan said before springing the horses into action.
The two began the journey back to Velika with a new life in their hands. Little did they know how much this boy would change the future of Arborea.
He would change the future of Arborea forever. He would be the world's Superman.