Disclaimer: I've already said, I do not own SoA, or it's characters
but I really, really want to! If you have it, I will be your servant for
life! PLEEEASSE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I own all the other characters except the
name Arain. I also own the name Karoe. I made it up myself, so please don't
steal it (like you would want to).
Authors note: I am revising all my chapters, and I added cpt #4, which doesn't need any work so far. I do need help though cause I cant get italics to show up, so if you know, please put it in your review, and if you don't know, please review anyways! ^_^ Merci beaucoup tout le monde!
Chapter I
I sat on the cold railing of my ship, the Cobra, thinking about my country in despair. I am the Princess of Darklings, people of the banished black moon. Our history is long forgotten by the outsiders, but to us, it is a long and proud one. We have dwelled beneath the clouds for centuries, ever since the other continents banished our moon from the sky and sunk our country into the depths in hopes we would perish. However, we did not. We survived due to the power of our black moonstones, with the power of time; we created a shell of frozen time to protect ourselves. But enough with history, it depresses me, so much like everything else.
You are probably wondering, whoever you are, if I am as powerful as I say I am. Well shall I tell you then, that I've shattered priceless statues? Or that I've even been known to blow up entire buildings with my mind? I've never meant to do this, of course. It only happens when I am under extreme amounts of pressure, which is frequently, much to my dismay. My mother didn't show signs of this power until she was in her teens. I, however, started right after I was nine. I broke all the glass vases in a room every time I was angry, and furniture fell apart every time I was frustrated. It became so bad that I could not be alone with anyone but my mother until I learned to control it. These powers were the reason my family suffered.
After my so-called brother took over, my country and its people have suffered so much. He has unleashed a new reign of totalitarianism. And the worst part is, even with all of my powers, I cannot stop him. We are bound by blood, and my powers have no affect against him. That is why I must circle the globe for people who show signs of powers similar to mine. I have gathered only a few, but they are enough, and in the process, they have become my friends.
The first member of my crew is named Artemis, but is called Sparks, unless you have a death wish or you are her mother. She was born and raised in Maramba, and specializes in the magic of the red moon. Her mother wanted her to grow up and become a world-renowned dancer, like her mother before her, and her mother before her, but Sparks was soon sick of her mother's consistent prying whenever she made the stage burst into flames (Sparks is hardly graceful). She is more of a tomboy; with apple red hair cropped short, tanned skin, and plenty of freckles. Her weapon is the chucking star, but mans the cannons during ship battles. She is kind, but will explode if you get on her bad side.
Karoe is next. She is the youngest of my crew, only twelve, making her a novice at battles, but not stopping her from being the greatest cook, so I have made her healer. She is much more feminine that Sparks, with her elbow length gray-green hair and modest demeanor. Orphaned as a young girl in Ixa-taxa, she was sent to work in the moonstone mines as a slave for most of her young life. She almost died when a boulder fell on her, but because of her extraordinary ability to heal herself, she lived with only a few scars.
Sula is from Yafutoma, and thusly knows all of the blue spells. She has quite an attitude much similar to Sparks. Her black hair is shaggy with cerulean streaks in it. She is an expert in Yafutoman style sword fighting, and carries a samurai blade with a tear-shaped blue moonstone in the hilt. Along with that, her lightning quick reflexes make her perfect for helmsman. She is only here because in her home, her family thought her a disgrace because every time they would try to find a suitable husband for her, she would accidentally blow them onto the top of Mount Kazai and sent her away, where she met me and joined the "merry band of misfits".
Last, but not least, there is Emma. She is from Valua, so she, like every one on my ship, knows all the magic of her moon. Her weapon of choice is a whip. She is not helping me because of any favor, but because she wanted to escape Valua. Not lower Valua, as you may think, but Upper Valua. Her parents wanted her to marry off to a man who treated her like rubbish, just so they could get his family's wealth added to their own. Although it pained her leave her brother, she could no-longer stand to be in the same house with the rest of her family. She's quiet with strangers, but with us, she's a livewire, with curly naturally blonde hair to match.
This is my "motley crew". We sail on the ship, named the Cobra, I made out of Harya trees, the only wood that grows in the dark city, with a coating of black moonstone polish, so it will be protected if I ever need to go back into deep sky. But to continue.
There I sat with one knee hugged to my chest and the other dangling dangerously over the edge in the dead of night, alone, staring at the stars. I can't go out in the day without something over my eyes. I was born and raised in darkness, so exposure to too much light would blind me. I started to hum a wordless melody from my childhood, and it seemed to echo through the sky. The breeze making my knee-length black hair and black robes flutter. The stars calm me. I like the way they always form the same patterns every night and their light seems to twinkle like silver dust.
I was interrupted by a slight but intended cough from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Karoe. "Cant sleep?" she asked.
"No, its not that," I replied, "I get enough sleep during the day. I come out a lot at night to think."
"You think of your people?" she said. She may only be twelve, which is nine years younger than me, but she is not stupid.
"How did you guess?" I said in a cynical tone.
"You are always one for sarcasm."
The memories of that day so many years ago were forever engraved into my memory, and seared into my mind. I had only but a little hope left, and when that was gone, I was afraid to think of what I would do. I was always afraid. For my life and for my people. I was always on the verge of tears whenever I was alone, but I never cried. I had forbidden myself to cry ever since mama died, and I was not about to let go now.
"Someday," I said and interrupted the silence, "Someday I will save them. I will save them all and I will show no mercy to those who made so many suffer."
"You mean you will kill them?" she whispered ", what of your fear of blood?"
How did she know? I had never told anyone that the sight of blood made me relive the gruesome memories I was forced to deal with. Did she see my face every time someone defeated an enemy and I had to throw the corpse over the side of the ship? I had always been careful. She must have just guessed.
"I will do as I must." I said brusquely. Just then, I heard a loud rumbling in the distance, the made the earth tremble, and it came from the north. Soon, I had all four girls on deck, night robes and all.
"What in the heck was that?!" came Emma's melodic voice as she crept out the door.
"I don't know, but what ever it was is gonna PAY for waking me up! I was having the best dream!" I recognized the irritated voice of Sparks, and I could tell she hadn't had enough sleep yet, because her fists were curled into tight balls and she had an irked expression on her freckled face, and she was stomping all about. She is not a morning person.
"Ugg! Shut up Sparks! The last thing we need now is to hear you annoying griping!" I could tell Sula was irked too, with her arms crossed and tapping her foot in an annoyed way. I could tell that the thing that started that noise was not in for a pleasing welcome.
I knew what that noise was, and I knew where it was ", Get to your stations everyone! We're heading towards The Silver moon territory!"
"Aye Aye!"
Authors note: I am revising all my chapters, and I added cpt #4, which doesn't need any work so far. I do need help though cause I cant get italics to show up, so if you know, please put it in your review, and if you don't know, please review anyways! ^_^ Merci beaucoup tout le monde!
Chapter I
I sat on the cold railing of my ship, the Cobra, thinking about my country in despair. I am the Princess of Darklings, people of the banished black moon. Our history is long forgotten by the outsiders, but to us, it is a long and proud one. We have dwelled beneath the clouds for centuries, ever since the other continents banished our moon from the sky and sunk our country into the depths in hopes we would perish. However, we did not. We survived due to the power of our black moonstones, with the power of time; we created a shell of frozen time to protect ourselves. But enough with history, it depresses me, so much like everything else.
You are probably wondering, whoever you are, if I am as powerful as I say I am. Well shall I tell you then, that I've shattered priceless statues? Or that I've even been known to blow up entire buildings with my mind? I've never meant to do this, of course. It only happens when I am under extreme amounts of pressure, which is frequently, much to my dismay. My mother didn't show signs of this power until she was in her teens. I, however, started right after I was nine. I broke all the glass vases in a room every time I was angry, and furniture fell apart every time I was frustrated. It became so bad that I could not be alone with anyone but my mother until I learned to control it. These powers were the reason my family suffered.
After my so-called brother took over, my country and its people have suffered so much. He has unleashed a new reign of totalitarianism. And the worst part is, even with all of my powers, I cannot stop him. We are bound by blood, and my powers have no affect against him. That is why I must circle the globe for people who show signs of powers similar to mine. I have gathered only a few, but they are enough, and in the process, they have become my friends.
The first member of my crew is named Artemis, but is called Sparks, unless you have a death wish or you are her mother. She was born and raised in Maramba, and specializes in the magic of the red moon. Her mother wanted her to grow up and become a world-renowned dancer, like her mother before her, and her mother before her, but Sparks was soon sick of her mother's consistent prying whenever she made the stage burst into flames (Sparks is hardly graceful). She is more of a tomboy; with apple red hair cropped short, tanned skin, and plenty of freckles. Her weapon is the chucking star, but mans the cannons during ship battles. She is kind, but will explode if you get on her bad side.
Karoe is next. She is the youngest of my crew, only twelve, making her a novice at battles, but not stopping her from being the greatest cook, so I have made her healer. She is much more feminine that Sparks, with her elbow length gray-green hair and modest demeanor. Orphaned as a young girl in Ixa-taxa, she was sent to work in the moonstone mines as a slave for most of her young life. She almost died when a boulder fell on her, but because of her extraordinary ability to heal herself, she lived with only a few scars.
Sula is from Yafutoma, and thusly knows all of the blue spells. She has quite an attitude much similar to Sparks. Her black hair is shaggy with cerulean streaks in it. She is an expert in Yafutoman style sword fighting, and carries a samurai blade with a tear-shaped blue moonstone in the hilt. Along with that, her lightning quick reflexes make her perfect for helmsman. She is only here because in her home, her family thought her a disgrace because every time they would try to find a suitable husband for her, she would accidentally blow them onto the top of Mount Kazai and sent her away, where she met me and joined the "merry band of misfits".
Last, but not least, there is Emma. She is from Valua, so she, like every one on my ship, knows all the magic of her moon. Her weapon of choice is a whip. She is not helping me because of any favor, but because she wanted to escape Valua. Not lower Valua, as you may think, but Upper Valua. Her parents wanted her to marry off to a man who treated her like rubbish, just so they could get his family's wealth added to their own. Although it pained her leave her brother, she could no-longer stand to be in the same house with the rest of her family. She's quiet with strangers, but with us, she's a livewire, with curly naturally blonde hair to match.
This is my "motley crew". We sail on the ship, named the Cobra, I made out of Harya trees, the only wood that grows in the dark city, with a coating of black moonstone polish, so it will be protected if I ever need to go back into deep sky. But to continue.
There I sat with one knee hugged to my chest and the other dangling dangerously over the edge in the dead of night, alone, staring at the stars. I can't go out in the day without something over my eyes. I was born and raised in darkness, so exposure to too much light would blind me. I started to hum a wordless melody from my childhood, and it seemed to echo through the sky. The breeze making my knee-length black hair and black robes flutter. The stars calm me. I like the way they always form the same patterns every night and their light seems to twinkle like silver dust.
I was interrupted by a slight but intended cough from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Karoe. "Cant sleep?" she asked.
"No, its not that," I replied, "I get enough sleep during the day. I come out a lot at night to think."
"You think of your people?" she said. She may only be twelve, which is nine years younger than me, but she is not stupid.
"How did you guess?" I said in a cynical tone.
"You are always one for sarcasm."
The memories of that day so many years ago were forever engraved into my memory, and seared into my mind. I had only but a little hope left, and when that was gone, I was afraid to think of what I would do. I was always afraid. For my life and for my people. I was always on the verge of tears whenever I was alone, but I never cried. I had forbidden myself to cry ever since mama died, and I was not about to let go now.
"Someday," I said and interrupted the silence, "Someday I will save them. I will save them all and I will show no mercy to those who made so many suffer."
"You mean you will kill them?" she whispered ", what of your fear of blood?"
How did she know? I had never told anyone that the sight of blood made me relive the gruesome memories I was forced to deal with. Did she see my face every time someone defeated an enemy and I had to throw the corpse over the side of the ship? I had always been careful. She must have just guessed.
"I will do as I must." I said brusquely. Just then, I heard a loud rumbling in the distance, the made the earth tremble, and it came from the north. Soon, I had all four girls on deck, night robes and all.
"What in the heck was that?!" came Emma's melodic voice as she crept out the door.
"I don't know, but what ever it was is gonna PAY for waking me up! I was having the best dream!" I recognized the irritated voice of Sparks, and I could tell she hadn't had enough sleep yet, because her fists were curled into tight balls and she had an irked expression on her freckled face, and she was stomping all about. She is not a morning person.
"Ugg! Shut up Sparks! The last thing we need now is to hear you annoying griping!" I could tell Sula was irked too, with her arms crossed and tapping her foot in an annoyed way. I could tell that the thing that started that noise was not in for a pleasing welcome.
I knew what that noise was, and I knew where it was ", Get to your stations everyone! We're heading towards The Silver moon territory!"
"Aye Aye!"