Maquia FanFiction

Chapter 2

Maquia

It was just another day for Maquia in the village of Seren, where the Clan of the Separated lived isolated in the mountains. This Iorph village remained untouched by mankind, on the outskirts of the kingdom of Mezarte. The ethereal buildings in Seren, almost as ancient as the Iorph themselves, overlooked the gorgeous waterfalls streaming to the lakes surrounding the peaceful village.

Maquia chased her best friend Leilia throughout the winding streets, followed by Krim. After weaving the Hibiol throughout the day, it was a relief to have some fun. It was their turn to cleanse the newly made cloth in the crystal clear streams of the Eternal Falls. Maquia set down her basket of cloth, only to see Leilia sprinting past her!

Leilia, ever the free spirit, held out her cloth to catch the wind and leaped down one of the shorter waterfalls and shrieked, "Maquia!"

Her head bobbed above the water as she giggled and spoke, "Maquia, come join me! The water is fine, just take a jump and fly!"

Maquia leaned over the falls shyly and hollered, "Maybe next time!"

She gave Krim a look and they shared a laugh at Leilia's expense. It was always hard to get work done around their best friend Leilia. 

As the trio walked back to Seren after Leilia dried off, Krim ran to his parents who were showing off their spoils. They had ventured further up the mountain and gathered precious flowers to create dyes for the Hibiol. Maquia longly as her friends raced to their parents.

"Leilia! Silly girl, you should not mistreat the cloth like that," Leilia's mother scolded her gently.

"I can't help it, it is so much fun to fly over the Eternal Falls!" Leilia giggled.

"Father, did you find any good flowers today?" Krim asked as they started towards their home. Maquia could hardly hear the answer as she walked slowly to the Spire to finish weaving for the day. 

As the chief's assistant, she was not afforded the luxuries of carefree evenings with her parents. She lived with the elder Racine, in the small home beside the Spire where the Hibiol was weaved. 

Maquia wove the sacred Hibiol faster and faster as the tears streamed down her face. It was lonely being the only one in her group of friends without parents. The playful breeze floated through the Spire, gently teasing the many variations of Hibiol.

All of a sudden, Racine appeared out of nowhere and gently wiped away Maquia's tears, with the words, "Maquia, do you know why we call ourselves the Clan of the Separated?"

She shook her head no, slightly embarrassed that Racine had found her crying over the Hibiol.

"To the outsiders, we are but fairytales. The Iorph are longer-lived than any other race, but despite that fact, we remain eternally youthful," Racine started to explain the origins of the Clan of the Separated.

"Only centuries ago, an existence such as ours would be commonplace. There were magical clans with wings, flowers that would sing at daybreak, and the leviathans of the seas. Now, all of that magic has departed the world, except for what remains of the Renata and the Iorph," her voice faded softly as she reminisced about the past.

"This is why it is so important that we continue to weave the Hibiol and remain separated from man. We will never be alone here in Seren, as the Hibiol weaves together the magic and memories of the past," Racine gently caressed Maquia's hair.

Racine further explained that the Hibiol contains emotions and that the people of the past are weeping with her. "They- they are weeping with me?" Maquia's eyes grew wide.

"Maquia, listen. If you ever leave Seren or meet an outsider, you must never fall in love. For if you fall in love, then you will truly be alone," Racine bent down to Maquia's level, with a serious expression on her face as she spoke.

"But how will I be alone if I meet someone?" Maquia seemed confused.

"This is our fate. It is why we must remain as the Clan of the Separated," Racine softly explained to her young pupil.