Asmadia

Prologue

It was just another day really, winter had come early and what little crops had been grown were rapidly being harvested. The men of the decently sized village were chopping away at the bases of stalks. Several figures were shouting as clouds rolled in from the south, snow storms were beginning. This wasn't much of a fuss for her though, long black hair hanging idly off the right side of her skull. Amber colored iris' watched out the window as men ran back and forth. They were covering up wagons of wheat with tarps, quickly tied down in chaotic fashion. It was always a fun sight when the tarps broke free, flying through the air like ghosts. She chuckled.

"Nox!"

"What? It's funny, they should do a better job."

"So, go out there and help them."

This caused her to be quiet, huffing out in annoyance, watching condensation form on the glass. She found herself dragging a finger lazily on the fog, craving out a frowning face. Maybe going outside would be better? "Noxie. Noxie." She turned around to see her little sister standing in the room holding up a pair of yarn dolls. "Wanna?" Her sister asked softly as if she would reject her. It really brought a smile to her face and she nodded, hopping off the chair and knee sliding across the floor. "Dolls then we go play in the snow. Okay, Nyota?"

The younger girl screamed and giggled tossing her bigger sister a doll, they both knew Nox didn't enjoy dolls but that didn't matter. Several hours passed by and it would be their mother's voice who broke their imaginative trance. "By the Titans. It's gotten worse." Nox would tilt her head, looking back up at the window, just as her father spoke a response. "Oh hush woman. The Titans are long dead. You act as if they're angry."

"Who knows. Someone must've angered them, speaking as if they never existed."

Nox' attention was caught.

"Titans, momma?"

Her father waved his hand in the air and spat out an unapproving groan. "The Titans were said to be God's among men. They kept the humans in check for ages, noble knights who kept the peace. One titan is worth thousands of regular humans and shifters combined."

Nox had never heard her mother speak with such interest. It drew her in and both she and her sister stopped playing and forgot the dolls. "What happened to them?"

"No one knows. Some say their own magic killed them, others say they killed each other."

"What? Family would never kill family, right momma?"

"That's right Nyota." Their mother smiled happily and rubbed her fingers through the youngest's hair.

"Momma. Where do the Titans live?"

There was a pause. Momentary but enough to send a shiver down Nox's spine.

"It was said.. They lived in the mountains in the south. Where the cold consumes everything."

A unified duo of "Wows." took over the room, leaning forward Nox found herself scrambling for the window along with Nyota. "You girls must never travel there. No one goes south anymore."

Nox was ignoring her and was about to ask more questions when their father came back into the room. A once white rag was now soiled with a brown muck, inhaling as he finished wiping his hands. "Off to bed girls." Nox hadn't even noticed how late it had gotten, and she grew upset that this meant no snow time today.

Maybe she'd be able to bargain her way into nice outside time? Surely? Nope, all sense of rebellion was snuffed out the moment her father's boot began tapping the floor. Minutes later her pale white flesh was covered in a single black gown, deep red seams gracing the edges of the fabrics. It was her favorite gown solely for the fact that it looked as flames surrounded her body.

Nyota was in the bed at the other end of the room, waving at her with a doll in each hand. "Night night!" Nyota giggled out to her and disappeared beneath her heavy blankets. Two amber eyes found the only circular window in the room. It sat near the ceiling far above the reach of either of them, and in fluttered a silver veil of light from outside. There was no way it was a full moon already. Another moon had come to pass and this meant she was growing older.

She didn't notice she had crawled into bed as her smooth features were still cranked up to the window. She wasn't tired. Not by a long shot, these stories of Titans and Gods had gotten to her. "Goodnight girls." Her Mother's voice caught her attention and she sighed, yanking the covers up and over her body.

There was a sluggish silence as the winds howled outside, pounding the window and wall with almost brute like blows. "Noxie?" Nyota whispered and her elegant voice shattered the silence like a weakened layer of ice. "Yes Ny?" Nox responded and moved the covers off her face, silky black hair sprawled in all directions on the feather pillow. "Do.. you really think that the Titans killed each other?"

As if she'd have a solid answer for that question. "I… I'm not sure Ny."

"It's sad if they did." Nyota whispered

"Why?" Nox questioned.

"Cause… families are supposed to love each other."