Destined Couple

Drops of Magic

Eons ago, a cosmic event in the heavens occurred with the clashing of the sun and the moon. During their dispute, both released single drops of their power down to the world below. These two drops took the shape of the Moonstone Opal and the Sundrop Flower. Both were very powerful and, when they were discovered, two kingdoms formed around them to worship and protect them.

Well, something went wrong for the Sundrop's protectors and they vanished, being replaced by a whole new Kingdom that knew nothing about the Sundrop aside from legends. The Moonstone, however, was kept secret and protected for generations.

The Kingdom of Lunos, known simply as the "Dark Kingdom" by Outsiders, built itself around, worshiped and adjusted to the whims of the sentient Moonstone Opal. For generations, the Moonstone chose up to three personal guards that would be granted special abilities and blessings. These three were called the "Dark Brotherhood", and they served the Moonstone with their very lives.

In recent years, however, the Moonstone had been cruel to the kingdom and people were dying of a plague created by its decay magic and impaled or chased out of their homes by the black rocks theMoonstone created. No one knew what they did wrong, and when the Queen fell ill and passed away, King Edmund decided that he was done with the tradition and sought to destroy it after sending his son  away with the remaining castle staff, leaving only himself and theBrotherhood in the castle.

The Brotherhood this generation were King Edmund, his loyal crow Hamuel, an Outsider warrior named Adira, and two warriors that had been birthed and raised by former Brotherhood members named Quirin and Hector. When King Edmund set out to destroy the Moonstone, Quirin chased after him while Adira and Hector argued, with the crow flying overhead letting out caws of alarm.

"My King, you mustn't!" Quirin cried as he struggled to stop the man.

"My people have suffered enough!" King Edmund insisted, reaching in to take the Moonstone out of its protective cage and destroy it. The Moonstone retaliated and blasted them all back out of its Chamber. The wave spread out and hit the Brotherhood and they all felt its power rush through them.

Quirin, in particular, felt the power move through his body like a wave of water and let out a soft gasp as his Mark of the Brotherhood glowed and he heard a whisper in his ear. He had been chosen, the Moonstone whispered, to bring into the world the Moonstone's human vessel. As what was once prophesied, the Moonstone would walk among man, and he would be the one to bring into the world the child that would bear the Moonstone's power.

And so, Quirin left the desolate Dark Kingdom with Adira by his side, Hector and the King staying behind to keep people from approaching the Moonstone. He kept the Moonstone's words to himself, not wanting the King to act rashly at this point. Perhaps in the future, he would tell him. Once they were on their way, though, he confided in Adira and she agreed to be nearby if he needed it.

The question, of course, was who would birth the child? Quirin had no wife, no lover, no woman to accept his seed and bear the Moonstone's vessel. His task would have to be put off until such a day came.

And, several years later, it came. He met a beautiful woman, an alchemist, and they had a son together. A beautiful son with eyes that shone so brightly when he laughed, and a blue stripe in his black hair – black as the black rocks of the Moonstone – that could not be cut out. They named him "Varian", and he was the light of Quirin's life.

He didn't know how to explain to his wife about the Moonstone, about him, the Dark Kingdom, everything and by the time he made up his mind to finally tell her, she had left with a friend on an alchemy-related adventure.

She didn't return. With only remnants brought back to remember her by, he put them in her old lab and contacted Adira to come and live with him.

And so, the little Moonstone was raised with his father and Adira watching closely over him, teaching him, training him to fight, teaching him about himself and the Moonstone and his powers. He was very interested in the Sundrop Flower, which had been found and used to cure the sickly Queen Arianna and save her and her unborn child four years before his birth. The young princess was born with long, blonde hair that shone like the sun and had been taken away someone the night of her birth.