Three Leaves Left
Volume III of the Sun series
"Let me tell you a story that is both as true, as it is old. It begins like most stories begin, with a 'Once Upon a Time,' and the well-known ending is like most stories endings: with a happy, 'The End'.
"Once upon a time, there was a great king. He was a wise and wonderful man, who ruled with power, wisdom, and fairness over his people. He had many, many gardens, filled with dreams and beauty.
"But he was a lonely king, with no woman to call a queen, wife, or had children to call mother.
"The king had a routine to his day, and he wondered if it was this routine that prevented him from meeting anyone.
And the routine was this:
Each morning the king would rise, before there was a smattering of light upon the ground, and he would mount his golden chariot, and ride it across the summer sky. As he rode, his goodness followed him, and his goodness and love would fall from his chariot of gold as bright and as strong as hell flame upon his city below.
"As the goodness and love fell from his chariot, light would spring upon the Earth that was his kingdom, and life would rise.
"He would then return to his castle after his daily ride was over. His castle was buried in the darkness and the stars that flickered silently.
"One night, after the king retired from his daily ride, he decided to gaze out his tall castle window, and reflect unto himself his loneliness.
Out in the open darkness, the king saw the stars, and thought of how new and young they looked. For in those days, everything was new, shapeless and wild.
"Gods and goddesses, in those days, still roamed the Earth and lived, fought, cried, and made love like mortals.
"In that open darkness, the king saw a tiny, shiny star, that on first appearance, did not look any more remarkable than any other star.
However, there was something about it, that made the king quiver. And, for a brief moment, the king forgot his loneliness.
"On the second night, after the king retired, he had completely forgotten the star that he had observed the night before, until he passed his bedroom window, and his eye happened to catch the blanket of dreams that covers the sky ceiling every night.
"There, near the same patch of white speckled sand in the velvet black, was the star.
"As the king clutched the cold stone windowsill, so cold was it that it nipped his fingers, the king felt his heart leave his chest, and fly to the heavens that held the stars so beautiful.
"The moment the king considered leaving his castle, to travel at night abroad to chase his star, out of the sky, his very beloved star came loose, and tumbled to the ground.
"Down, down the star fell in a sheering white streak that came like a tiny tear drop, smearing with salt on the way to Earth on the sky's black cheek.
"Without hesitation, king Sun leapt into his chariot, brining the dawn with him.
He chased the star to the place where it fell.
"The Sun found himself in a small, dark forest. His horse that pulled the chariot had hair and a tail made of flames, as so when it walked, a bubble of light shielded them from darkness.
The halo of light melted away a pall mist that hung over the dead forest like a shawl of Spanish moss.
"In the spiny underbrush off in the distance, a small blue glow shivered.
"Quickly, the Sun king approached.
"Instead of finding a star there, the king was looking down at a small woman whose exterior glittered like the skin of an opal stone. Her hair fell like azure moonlight down to her shoulders. So strong was the lightening in her eyes, it was as if midnight itself was hers to command.
"Are you the star that fell from the sky?" Asked king Sun.
Instead of replying with a coy, lovely grin, or giggling like a lady, the woman puckered her lips, and spat upon the ground. The king looked upon her spittle that simmered like a shoal of little fish near his foot.
He offered his hand to her, but she refused it. She pulled herself up to her own feet with her own strength.
"I am no STAR! I am OFFENDED that you think SO poorly of me as to be a STAR. Stars are merely servants to petty gods and goddess whom can't hold their own. Perhaps from your kingdom, though, I look so far away that you may mistake me to be a star. No, lord, I am NO STAR, humph."
"Then who are you, that has captivated the heart of a great king with your beauty?" the Sun king asked as he stroked his beard that was the color of a smoldering fire.
The woman folded her arms across the breast of her torn dress, and replied with dignity, "I am the lady Moon, and I was chasing someone."
"And who were you chasing, may I ask?" The king asked quickly.
"...I was... I was chasing this... this light, to whose origin I know not. Every night I go to bed to sleep, he comes across the sky like a mighty fireball, but much too far away for me to see his face, lord. Over my shadowed realm, he brings life, and warmth. My people long for the blackness, but his light... it is... intriguing. So, leave me lord, to my quest of seeking this man."
"Aye, lady Moon, I will, perhaps then, I can find my star."
"Little did they realize, they, for all eternity chased each other--- thinking that they were chasing someone else- their true loves. The lady Moon and her darkness, and the lord Sun and all of his gold and glory.
"Many, many years had passed. Their sons and their daughters from many lovers that they each took through the course of many years roamed the Earth as gods and goddesses.
However, still the lady Moon chased the Sun, thinking he was her true love, and the lord Sun chased her thinking she was a beautiful, fallen star.
"One day, the lord Sun did not rise and take to his chariot. Lady Moon was devastated to see that light did not fall across her barren land.
"From his castle window, the lord sighed sadly. He looked into the night sky with his head rested upon his folded arms, and thought to himself that it was useless to find the fallen star that taunts him so badly.
"Now, the domain of Hell and the Sun king were both very close. Hell gained it's warmth and power from the Sun king himself. The lord of Hell, a fallen angel whose beauty was as well known as it's power, had wings of a bat, and a face of an angel.
The lord of the Sun asked in a favor to the angel of perdition and all that was Evil.
"The Sun king looked into the night sky, and asked aloud,
"Lord Lucifer, I call in a favor! If you bring me the fallen star-my true love, to whose beauty I wish to behold, and I will grant you a favor!"
"The lord Lucifer replied in a voice that seemed to come from the Heavens, but really, it came from Heaven's shadow,
"Surely, lord Sun, from king to king, I will grant you this simple favor. For a boon I ask one thing, however, in return." Lord Lucifer seemed only too eager to help.
"Hesitantly, the Sun king complied, "Then what is it, that I may grant for finding me my love-star?"
"Let me have a demon upon Earth. Let him walk unfettered. Do not touch him with your Sun ray, and burn his skin. He will be my child, and mine to command. Let him walk like a man for all eternity. And he is mine." The Lord Lucifer replied.
"The Sun king agreed.
"The lord Lucifer, lord of all Hell, showed the Sun king the star--- keeping true to his word. And to the Sun king's despair, he found out that the one that he had been swooning for, was none other than the lady Moon. Moon was a hard headed, loud mouth- nothing like the Sun king had hoped for a wife.
"The Sun king sank into sadness, having found out that his star was really the Moon, now and forever bound in a chase. For wherever Lord Lucifer goes, so does the wake of pain and destruction. Sun should have never trusted the lord of Hell.
"And so it was, that Lord Lucifer had a demon-child walking the Earth. The child learned to blend into human society seamlessly.
Lucifer also marked the child. His eyes were not that of a man's, but a demon's.
The child, when it was born, many years ago, had no idea that it was a demon, however it seemed slightly different, and had a taste for destruction.
"His parents never fully loved him, for they somehow felt that the child was not of their blood.
"And that is the story, however true it may be. There are different versions of the tale, with happy endings.
Perhaps this is why Rude never removes his sunglasses.
Perhaps this is why Rude has gone by many, many names as hundreds of years pass.
Perhaps this is why Rude never learned to love, in the true sense of the word.
He learned very quickly to hate.
"Perhaps this is why it is called, 'The Sun' series.
Volume III of the Sun series
"Let me tell you a story that is both as true, as it is old. It begins like most stories begin, with a 'Once Upon a Time,' and the well-known ending is like most stories endings: with a happy, 'The End'.
"Once upon a time, there was a great king. He was a wise and wonderful man, who ruled with power, wisdom, and fairness over his people. He had many, many gardens, filled with dreams and beauty.
"But he was a lonely king, with no woman to call a queen, wife, or had children to call mother.
"The king had a routine to his day, and he wondered if it was this routine that prevented him from meeting anyone.
And the routine was this:
Each morning the king would rise, before there was a smattering of light upon the ground, and he would mount his golden chariot, and ride it across the summer sky. As he rode, his goodness followed him, and his goodness and love would fall from his chariot of gold as bright and as strong as hell flame upon his city below.
"As the goodness and love fell from his chariot, light would spring upon the Earth that was his kingdom, and life would rise.
"He would then return to his castle after his daily ride was over. His castle was buried in the darkness and the stars that flickered silently.
"One night, after the king retired from his daily ride, he decided to gaze out his tall castle window, and reflect unto himself his loneliness.
Out in the open darkness, the king saw the stars, and thought of how new and young they looked. For in those days, everything was new, shapeless and wild.
"Gods and goddesses, in those days, still roamed the Earth and lived, fought, cried, and made love like mortals.
"In that open darkness, the king saw a tiny, shiny star, that on first appearance, did not look any more remarkable than any other star.
However, there was something about it, that made the king quiver. And, for a brief moment, the king forgot his loneliness.
"On the second night, after the king retired, he had completely forgotten the star that he had observed the night before, until he passed his bedroom window, and his eye happened to catch the blanket of dreams that covers the sky ceiling every night.
"There, near the same patch of white speckled sand in the velvet black, was the star.
"As the king clutched the cold stone windowsill, so cold was it that it nipped his fingers, the king felt his heart leave his chest, and fly to the heavens that held the stars so beautiful.
"The moment the king considered leaving his castle, to travel at night abroad to chase his star, out of the sky, his very beloved star came loose, and tumbled to the ground.
"Down, down the star fell in a sheering white streak that came like a tiny tear drop, smearing with salt on the way to Earth on the sky's black cheek.
"Without hesitation, king Sun leapt into his chariot, brining the dawn with him.
He chased the star to the place where it fell.
"The Sun found himself in a small, dark forest. His horse that pulled the chariot had hair and a tail made of flames, as so when it walked, a bubble of light shielded them from darkness.
The halo of light melted away a pall mist that hung over the dead forest like a shawl of Spanish moss.
"In the spiny underbrush off in the distance, a small blue glow shivered.
"Quickly, the Sun king approached.
"Instead of finding a star there, the king was looking down at a small woman whose exterior glittered like the skin of an opal stone. Her hair fell like azure moonlight down to her shoulders. So strong was the lightening in her eyes, it was as if midnight itself was hers to command.
"Are you the star that fell from the sky?" Asked king Sun.
Instead of replying with a coy, lovely grin, or giggling like a lady, the woman puckered her lips, and spat upon the ground. The king looked upon her spittle that simmered like a shoal of little fish near his foot.
He offered his hand to her, but she refused it. She pulled herself up to her own feet with her own strength.
"I am no STAR! I am OFFENDED that you think SO poorly of me as to be a STAR. Stars are merely servants to petty gods and goddess whom can't hold their own. Perhaps from your kingdom, though, I look so far away that you may mistake me to be a star. No, lord, I am NO STAR, humph."
"Then who are you, that has captivated the heart of a great king with your beauty?" the Sun king asked as he stroked his beard that was the color of a smoldering fire.
The woman folded her arms across the breast of her torn dress, and replied with dignity, "I am the lady Moon, and I was chasing someone."
"And who were you chasing, may I ask?" The king asked quickly.
"...I was... I was chasing this... this light, to whose origin I know not. Every night I go to bed to sleep, he comes across the sky like a mighty fireball, but much too far away for me to see his face, lord. Over my shadowed realm, he brings life, and warmth. My people long for the blackness, but his light... it is... intriguing. So, leave me lord, to my quest of seeking this man."
"Aye, lady Moon, I will, perhaps then, I can find my star."
"Little did they realize, they, for all eternity chased each other--- thinking that they were chasing someone else- their true loves. The lady Moon and her darkness, and the lord Sun and all of his gold and glory.
"Many, many years had passed. Their sons and their daughters from many lovers that they each took through the course of many years roamed the Earth as gods and goddesses.
However, still the lady Moon chased the Sun, thinking he was her true love, and the lord Sun chased her thinking she was a beautiful, fallen star.
"One day, the lord Sun did not rise and take to his chariot. Lady Moon was devastated to see that light did not fall across her barren land.
"From his castle window, the lord sighed sadly. He looked into the night sky with his head rested upon his folded arms, and thought to himself that it was useless to find the fallen star that taunts him so badly.
"Now, the domain of Hell and the Sun king were both very close. Hell gained it's warmth and power from the Sun king himself. The lord of Hell, a fallen angel whose beauty was as well known as it's power, had wings of a bat, and a face of an angel.
The lord of the Sun asked in a favor to the angel of perdition and all that was Evil.
"The Sun king looked into the night sky, and asked aloud,
"Lord Lucifer, I call in a favor! If you bring me the fallen star-my true love, to whose beauty I wish to behold, and I will grant you a favor!"
"The lord Lucifer replied in a voice that seemed to come from the Heavens, but really, it came from Heaven's shadow,
"Surely, lord Sun, from king to king, I will grant you this simple favor. For a boon I ask one thing, however, in return." Lord Lucifer seemed only too eager to help.
"Hesitantly, the Sun king complied, "Then what is it, that I may grant for finding me my love-star?"
"Let me have a demon upon Earth. Let him walk unfettered. Do not touch him with your Sun ray, and burn his skin. He will be my child, and mine to command. Let him walk like a man for all eternity. And he is mine." The Lord Lucifer replied.
"The Sun king agreed.
"The lord Lucifer, lord of all Hell, showed the Sun king the star--- keeping true to his word. And to the Sun king's despair, he found out that the one that he had been swooning for, was none other than the lady Moon. Moon was a hard headed, loud mouth- nothing like the Sun king had hoped for a wife.
"The Sun king sank into sadness, having found out that his star was really the Moon, now and forever bound in a chase. For wherever Lord Lucifer goes, so does the wake of pain and destruction. Sun should have never trusted the lord of Hell.
"And so it was, that Lord Lucifer had a demon-child walking the Earth. The child learned to blend into human society seamlessly.
Lucifer also marked the child. His eyes were not that of a man's, but a demon's.
The child, when it was born, many years ago, had no idea that it was a demon, however it seemed slightly different, and had a taste for destruction.
"His parents never fully loved him, for they somehow felt that the child was not of their blood.
"And that is the story, however true it may be. There are different versions of the tale, with happy endings.
Perhaps this is why Rude never removes his sunglasses.
Perhaps this is why Rude has gone by many, many names as hundreds of years pass.
Perhaps this is why Rude never learned to love, in the true sense of the word.
He learned very quickly to hate.
"Perhaps this is why it is called, 'The Sun' series.
