The Star Weaver

The Darkest Night

Destruction, in its purest form, can hold a sense of beauty. An older fellow, by the name of Genrick, had whispered this when the town's earth chapel had burned to the ground several years before. The entire village had stood outside, watching as the brilliant flames devoured enormous pillars and colorful stained-glass windows, leaving behind nothing but ashes and splintered wood. The only other person who had heard his mutterings, a young mother whom Asteria had never learned the name of, had scolded him for his words, saying that such ideas were suitable only for the uneducated fools in the East. Back then, Asteria had agreed with her stance, finding the man's words to be utterly atrocious. But now, as she watched the glittering collection of stars swirl down towards the earth, winking in and out of view as they were turned by the wind, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he had made a good point.

She moved slowly, lifting her hand to touch the glass that separated her from the outside world, when a loud victorious scream pierced the air, spiraling downwards like a spear aimed at the heart of a dying dragon. The wonder was instantly replaced by fear and she flinched backward, nearly tripping over her feet as she fled back towards the safety of her bed. The scream was followed by a joyful voice, singing what could only be described as a song of victory, the words of which were spoken in a foreign tongue. The sound was soft and musical, chasing the cluster of stars from the sky with a flowing calmness that, although lovely, was edged with a sharp and deadly malice.

Asteria shivered, watching as the sky itself seemed to sag, shifting the remaining stars out of place and angling them inward, towards the surface of the world. There again came the sound of tearing cloth and slowly, as if in the hands of some gentle god, another group of constellations parted from their brothers, floating through the air for several long moments before vanishing behind the towering trees that loomed in the distance. The world seemed to grow a bit darker, and the haunting song from above continued on, seemingly unphased by the hungry shadows that were encroaching on the little planet below. How, in the face of such destruction, could anybody sing?

"The Sun Master lacks a heart in which to feel for others." Asteria bit back a scream as the voice from before, which she had forgotten about in the face of the falling stars, again spoke up from somewhere within the walls of her room. "I would not be shocked if he were to celebrate for days, if not weeks."

Asteria, eyes darting around her room, shifted closer to the edge of her bed, searching carefully for the intruder who was surely hiding somewhere within the growing darkness. Clenching the fabric of her blanket between her fingers, she swung her legs over the side of her bed, wincing as the singing from outside grew louder "W-who's there? How did you get in here?"

"Oh, you foolish child. Asking such a question when you carried me in yourself." The voice, which to Asteria's horror, seemed to be coming from somewhere off to her left, was gruff and deep, though a vague feminine tone hid inside each syllable. "As for who I am, well, I do not believe that my name can be properly spoken with a human tongue. So, you may call me Aquila."

Asteria, reaching for a small leather-bound notebook on her desk to use as a makeshift weapon, slowly rose from her bed. "What do you mean I carried you in here myself?" She questioned, ignoring the shakiness of her own voice and the loud singing that still rained down from the sky, falling yet another group of stars that twirled through the air like little glowing ballet dancers. More darkness crept in through her window, spreading across the floor like water overflowing from a cup.

The voice chuckled, and Asteria lifted the notebook a bit higher, prepared to swing at anything that moved. "Come now, child. You're not really that ignorant are you?" Asteria didn't answer, spinning around to face the direction the voice was coming from and doing her best to look fierce. "Fine," The voice said, a clear note of irritation ringing in its words "If you can't figure it out yourself, then I suppose I have no choice but to tell you...though, he told me that you seemed rather smart. I'm disappointed."