Millenium ago, before the last great ice age, there existed the great land
of Antarctica. Antarctica was unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Its technology unsurpassed by that of even a hundred millennia from our own
time and its sorcery of a potency not to be seen even in the days of myth.
But even a civilization such as theirs was not immortal. As the great
nation was about to celebrate its one hundred thousandth anniversary, every
man, woman and child suddenly felt a chill to their very soul. They went
on with their celebration, but over time, their temperatures dropped. At
first, they were not concerned, thinking it was merely the change in
seasons. Winter came just a bit earlier than expected, but nothing to be
worried about. Winter lasted longer than usual, but nothing to worry
about. Then, when winter was set to start again, but had never ended, just
gotten worse and worse, the people truly realized how dire their situation
was. Consulting his chief advisors, King Antar realized that the change
was natural, but easily corrected. However, he also realized that saving
Antarctica would doom another land for the same snowy fate. Seeking a
better way, Antar used the land's magic and technology to slowly alter the
people. Evolution that should have taken eons took mere centuries, leaving
the people perfectly comfortable in their frigid environment. But,
Antarctica's glory was still to be lost.
Through civil and external wars, primarily with the firewomen of Themyscra, Antarctica plunged backwards in their social, mystical and technological evolution much faster than their temperatures plunged. After many centuries, they rebuilt their civilization, but never its former glory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- Orin was happy in life. His father was king of Antarctica, his mother of course Queen. The girl of his dreams was letting him escort her for the day to wherever he wished. (Of course, what girl wouldn't give such a request to her prince?) Life couldn't be better.
That evening, while out with his date, Orin ordered his coachman stop that they may enjoy the view. The coachman pulled the wagon to the side and left them, that they may enjoy their privacy. As Orin and the girl talked, the door to their coach was suddenly ripped open.
A hoodlum holding a small flame tosser (an antarctan weapon. Basically a flare gun, but much deadlier to people made of ice than to humans) told the two to leave all their valuables and get out of the coach. Knowing that they had likely murdered the coachman, and that he and the girl had no hopes of getting back to the castle, even if the hoodlum did let them live, Orin used the command of all Antarctic life handed down among the royal family to summon a nearby polar bear. However, the closest one was very far away. Fearing the worst, Orin madly attacked the rouge, tossing the gun from him. The two fought fiercely, but Orin was victorious. Then, the Atartic army showed up and escorted the rogue to jail. As it turned out, the hoodlum hadn't noticed the coachman who had carried his communicator away from the coach so that it wouldn't disturb the prince. He had managed to call for help. As they congratulated the brave prince, the soldiers froze in horror. Then, the chief among them attacked the prince and arrested him.
Throughout the kingdom of Antarctica, the news had spread. The Prince had committed an unforgivable crime. His blood was red, that of an inferior flesh creature. The trial was swift, and the king himself passed judgement. Orin was to be executed. As was the custom, he was placed in a steam chamber to melt. As the audience watched, the King pondered what he did to deserve the loss of his only heir, to be forced to execute his only son.
As the steam rose up around him, Orin could feel it melt his ice skin. He knew soon he would be dead, and did not truly know why. How could his blood run red when every other Antarctican had green blood. How could this happen? As he stared at his now melting hand, he started to feel his eye melt as a great sadness swelled in his heart. He would never again go hunting with his father, never hear his mother's retelling tales of ancient Antarctica. Never again live. It was then that he realized he should have already melted. As he looked at his hand, he was more confused than ever. Where a proper ice skin should have been was a strange soft . even warm substance, covered by droplets of water. He touched the strange material that his skin had become. As he pressed harder, he could feel something hard underneath. As he looked to the audience of his execution, they were all cowered away from him, even his father. The icey spikes that were once his cage had now melted, much as his true skin. He broke them easily, then cautiously walked over to his father.
"Father, I."
"Aaah.. Away from us all, you human freak. You are banished never to return to Antarctica!"
With this, Orin finally realized his life was truly over. As instructed, he left the kingdom. He wondered the land, receiving help, mostly from animals. In particular, was a family of penguins who tried to adopt him. But he knew he had to leave Antarctica altogether, as was his father's last request to him. Orin managed to build a ship of ice, and set it to sail the waters, hoping he would come to a land that would give him peace if nothing else. --------------------------------------------------- Arthur Drake lied down, staring at the clouds. He had been fishing all day and hadn't had a bite. Not surprising, he supposed. Ships had been passing by all day, and that disturbed the fish. Better, he supposed, than at night when his nets were out. Odd, he mused to himself. I run a lighthouse that keeps the ships coming, yet their coming disturbs my food source. Then, something more interesting than fish caught his eye. Floating on the water was a mass of clothes. He managed to snag the mass with his line and reel it in. To his surprise, the mass contained what seemed to be the body of a boy. As he felt for the boy's pulse, he realized that the body must have been frozen. After all, no way he could be that cold in waters this warm. Then, he got the shock of his life. The boy coughed. Arthur, realizing the boy was somehow alive, Arthur picked him up and took him inside the lighthouse that was his home.
Because he had no contact with the outside world, and his nearest neighbor was many miles away, Arthur was forced to care for the boy himself. As the boy recovered, Arthur realized that his grasp of English was rather weak. The two managed to communicate some, but not with any initial fluency. The boy spent many years with the old man. He became the first Antarctican in millennium to learn of human culture, and the man was the first human to ever learn of Antarctica. They went on for years, but one day, Orin realized that he could do much to help the world. His unnatural ability to create ice and to command Sub-temperate life was unheard of to the human world. As he explained this the old man simply smiled.
"I knew this would someday come. Can't say I knew when, and can't say I looked forward to it, but I've enjoyed havin' you around."
"Arthur.. I know you've given me so much," Orin said, "but I want to ask you for one more thing."
"Name it."
"To my homeland of Antarctica, I was Prince Orin. But to that name has no meaning to the human world you have taught me of.."
"And."
"Well, I was wondering if you'd mind if I borrowed your name."
Awestruck and overjoyed, the old man just hugged the boy and cried.
Arthur Jr wondered the land for a couple years, helping whoever he could until he met a scientist who believed he would be a good addition to a team of heroes he was forming.
Through civil and external wars, primarily with the firewomen of Themyscra, Antarctica plunged backwards in their social, mystical and technological evolution much faster than their temperatures plunged. After many centuries, they rebuilt their civilization, but never its former glory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- Orin was happy in life. His father was king of Antarctica, his mother of course Queen. The girl of his dreams was letting him escort her for the day to wherever he wished. (Of course, what girl wouldn't give such a request to her prince?) Life couldn't be better.
That evening, while out with his date, Orin ordered his coachman stop that they may enjoy the view. The coachman pulled the wagon to the side and left them, that they may enjoy their privacy. As Orin and the girl talked, the door to their coach was suddenly ripped open.
A hoodlum holding a small flame tosser (an antarctan weapon. Basically a flare gun, but much deadlier to people made of ice than to humans) told the two to leave all their valuables and get out of the coach. Knowing that they had likely murdered the coachman, and that he and the girl had no hopes of getting back to the castle, even if the hoodlum did let them live, Orin used the command of all Antarctic life handed down among the royal family to summon a nearby polar bear. However, the closest one was very far away. Fearing the worst, Orin madly attacked the rouge, tossing the gun from him. The two fought fiercely, but Orin was victorious. Then, the Atartic army showed up and escorted the rogue to jail. As it turned out, the hoodlum hadn't noticed the coachman who had carried his communicator away from the coach so that it wouldn't disturb the prince. He had managed to call for help. As they congratulated the brave prince, the soldiers froze in horror. Then, the chief among them attacked the prince and arrested him.
Throughout the kingdom of Antarctica, the news had spread. The Prince had committed an unforgivable crime. His blood was red, that of an inferior flesh creature. The trial was swift, and the king himself passed judgement. Orin was to be executed. As was the custom, he was placed in a steam chamber to melt. As the audience watched, the King pondered what he did to deserve the loss of his only heir, to be forced to execute his only son.
As the steam rose up around him, Orin could feel it melt his ice skin. He knew soon he would be dead, and did not truly know why. How could his blood run red when every other Antarctican had green blood. How could this happen? As he stared at his now melting hand, he started to feel his eye melt as a great sadness swelled in his heart. He would never again go hunting with his father, never hear his mother's retelling tales of ancient Antarctica. Never again live. It was then that he realized he should have already melted. As he looked at his hand, he was more confused than ever. Where a proper ice skin should have been was a strange soft . even warm substance, covered by droplets of water. He touched the strange material that his skin had become. As he pressed harder, he could feel something hard underneath. As he looked to the audience of his execution, they were all cowered away from him, even his father. The icey spikes that were once his cage had now melted, much as his true skin. He broke them easily, then cautiously walked over to his father.
"Father, I."
"Aaah.. Away from us all, you human freak. You are banished never to return to Antarctica!"
With this, Orin finally realized his life was truly over. As instructed, he left the kingdom. He wondered the land, receiving help, mostly from animals. In particular, was a family of penguins who tried to adopt him. But he knew he had to leave Antarctica altogether, as was his father's last request to him. Orin managed to build a ship of ice, and set it to sail the waters, hoping he would come to a land that would give him peace if nothing else. --------------------------------------------------- Arthur Drake lied down, staring at the clouds. He had been fishing all day and hadn't had a bite. Not surprising, he supposed. Ships had been passing by all day, and that disturbed the fish. Better, he supposed, than at night when his nets were out. Odd, he mused to himself. I run a lighthouse that keeps the ships coming, yet their coming disturbs my food source. Then, something more interesting than fish caught his eye. Floating on the water was a mass of clothes. He managed to snag the mass with his line and reel it in. To his surprise, the mass contained what seemed to be the body of a boy. As he felt for the boy's pulse, he realized that the body must have been frozen. After all, no way he could be that cold in waters this warm. Then, he got the shock of his life. The boy coughed. Arthur, realizing the boy was somehow alive, Arthur picked him up and took him inside the lighthouse that was his home.
Because he had no contact with the outside world, and his nearest neighbor was many miles away, Arthur was forced to care for the boy himself. As the boy recovered, Arthur realized that his grasp of English was rather weak. The two managed to communicate some, but not with any initial fluency. The boy spent many years with the old man. He became the first Antarctican in millennium to learn of human culture, and the man was the first human to ever learn of Antarctica. They went on for years, but one day, Orin realized that he could do much to help the world. His unnatural ability to create ice and to command Sub-temperate life was unheard of to the human world. As he explained this the old man simply smiled.
"I knew this would someday come. Can't say I knew when, and can't say I looked forward to it, but I've enjoyed havin' you around."
"Arthur.. I know you've given me so much," Orin said, "but I want to ask you for one more thing."
"Name it."
"To my homeland of Antarctica, I was Prince Orin. But to that name has no meaning to the human world you have taught me of.."
"And."
"Well, I was wondering if you'd mind if I borrowed your name."
Awestruck and overjoyed, the old man just hugged the boy and cried.
Arthur Jr wondered the land for a couple years, helping whoever he could until he met a scientist who believed he would be a good addition to a team of heroes he was forming.