Before a Golden eye

Chapter 1

It was night time, the moon sat high in the sky fighting to cast its light between the thunderous clouds that roared from the skies. They blocked out the sounds of life below it as rains flooded the earth sculpting its own path. It filled in empty depths of the earth; it filled in tunnels holding hostage to the creature inside of it for eternity to never be found. The lightning that struck the earth caused fires to burn where death lay on the grounds to spread to the brown grasses and other fauna around it. In the midst of this all, in the middle of the barren deserts, lay an oasis, hidden from the eyes of those not born from it. The storm above rumbled powerfully yet almost in comfort as if it was doing its best to conceal what was going on beneath it.

In a crouched position was a woman as she held onto the shoulders of other women. Sweat drenched her naked body and she shook in pain. Her cheeks puffed out as she breathed in and out before her teeth grinded against the other as she clenched her jaw as she pushed. Innah looked weakly to her many daughters who watched her with worried eyes as the few who had inherited their Amas natural ability of child birth helped her. One, Sanadi, wiped her face with a cloth that was drenched in cold water. She had been in this position for hours.

It happened early in the morning when she woke up and felt liquid around her legs. Once her daughters had discovered what was going on they all jumped into action. She had spent her day going as normal within her Oasis. She helped weave baskets. She helped with guiding the sheep to another area close by to graze. She helped with collecting fruits and water. Bark, tree limbs and stones. As it grew dark she felt the pains growing closer. So she was ordered to stay within her tent where she spent her time pacing around or reading books. Maybe laying down to take a short rest.

Now though? She sympathized with human women.

To think they had to endure this pain and face Ak si banu. The saying that they had one foot in their tombs made sense now. She felt as if everything inside of her was being pushed around and ripped apart especially as she slightly heard the calls of her daughters seeing a head. It took time but soon the cries of a child echoed in the tent and it was followed by a surprised gasp.

"Mama, it...it is a boy." came her daughter Safiya's voice.

She looked down and there was the crying baby. His cry was as powerful as the storms formed by her wife in the skies. She hesitated to touch it. From what she could see the child had grayish pink skin but the tips of his fingers and toes were darker in color, similar to her own skin. Thin strands of hair lay on his head and his eyes were squinted shut from his tears as he wiggled around. She took a breath before carefully retrieving him then she laid him on her chest. Slowly but surely his cries stopped and became small coos and grunts. She felt her heart pounding and disgust building within her but she did her best to force the thoughts in her mind out. This child was innocent.

It was innocent.

She looked down at him and before she knew it dark bronze eyes met her own staring at her in confusion and wonder. For some reason it settled Innah. Maybe because it eased her mind realizing he did not know of this world or even who she was. How he came to be. This child who was born of human and spirit. Born during the monsoons of her wife that flooded the lands. There she couldn't help but think of a more fitting name.

"You will be Siwa'Arash. Son of Innah. Champion of Akune. Hero of Kammar."

Some weeks had passed since that day, now she walked around her lands watching as her daughters walked about their home, each of them doing their various chores and helping one another. She smiled softly at them, they all had her wrapped around her finger. She became lost in her thoughts as she observed some things she would bring up that needed to be done until the coos of the infant brought her back to reality. She looked down at him and chuckled. He still had that stare of fascination towards her in his wrinkled face. He was like a little elderly man. It was quite odd. Apparently his features would smoothen out as he aged. She hoped so, and fast. He was quite ugly in a cute way she supposed.