Topaz Moon: The Beginning

The Great Alignment

            It was a brisk fall morning as the sun began to rise above the colorful rolling hills of trees.  The dew drying from the patches of grain in the fields.  The little village of Stonelock sets in a valley between two hills.  It’s a little village the homes are no more than 1 floor homes, they are simple but big enough for a family.  As the sun rises higher the people of Stonelock start to awaken there is only three more days till the big alignment of the three moons.  This is a big event as it only happens once every two-hundred years.  With this alignment come a magical force and so the people of the village will celebrate it. 

            Aiden the local blacksmith a tall tanned man with short brown hair and hazel eyes opens his shop.  There probably won’t be many customers today as people are busy getting ready for the festival of the moon.  His wife Keely a medium height woman with long strawberry blonde hair and green eyes is the towns baker and she is extra busy today getting cakes and breads baked for the festival.  Keely is also well into her eighth month of a pregnancy the baby is due to be born at any time now.  Aiden and Keely already have a four year old girl named Ciara.  She likes to help her mommy in the bakery eating the scraps of cake or cookies.  Ciara has blonde hair and blue eyes; she is a lot of fun to watch as she runs around the bakery staying away from the hot ovens of clay. 

            As the day goes on the people coming to and from the square to help decorate for the festival increases.  Even the mayor a short plump man is seen out at the square helping decorate.  He shouts out orders to place a banner here, a flag there, clean this up, the food will go there.  In the end he has to do part of the work himself as not many people seem to be listening since they are all busy with other things.  By the end of the day everybody is satisfied with the work of the day and all begin to shuffle back to their houses for some much needed rest before the start of the festival tomorrow which will last two days.

            As the sun rises the next morning the village square starts to fill with people from all over the village.  There are tables of meat, cakes, bread, vegetables, and even the rare fruits of the land.  There are games for all to play.  The parents let their children run and have fun while they all move on to the table full of ale and wines.  As more people arrive at the square you can’t help but notice how all the shops are closed and they will remain closed for the next two days.  As the adults stand around drinking and eating food a tall man approaches Aiden.  “Sir I have heard you are the local blacksmith” says the stranger.  “That is correct,” replies Aiden.  “Well sir my name is Manius, and I would like to hire you for a job.”  Aiden looking at the man and pausing a minute, “I will be closed till the end of the alignment.”  “This is a very important it cannot wait, I will pay you 50 gold if you can get this order done before the alignment.”  Aiden pauses for a minute thinking of how much gold that is, and how much food he could buy.  “What do you need made?”  “I need a sword and shield made before the alignment.”  “Ok,” Aiden replies please give me the measurements u need and I will get to work on it right now.  “Thank you kind sir,” Manius gives Aiden the measurements of the sword and shield and hands him a bag of 25 gold telling him he would get the rest when the job is done.

As Aiden slips off to start working on the sword and shield we need to take a look at another part of the world.  It is a dark place completely different then what we see in Stonelock.  This land is cut off from the light of the sun by the dark clouds that are always in the sky above it.  This land is far from reach of any other place.  Here only a few people survive and they have to fight for the little food that grows here.  The name of the island is Hemlock even the name sounds evil.  This island is ruled by an evil man by the name of Ryu he is a tall man with red eyes, some say they are as red as blood.  He has scares on his face from all the battles he has been in.  Ryu is more evil then ten men combined.  He rules his land with great might anybody not following his rules is killed on the spot. 

It is in these lands of evil that a change is underway one that will shape all events to come.  As unlike in Stonelock where the festival of the moon is taking place here in Hemlock a ritual is about to begin, one so terrible and horrifying that nobody ever speaks of it.  This ritual will bring more evil on the entire world worst then even Ryu has in his body. 

As the sun starts to set Ryu calls forth all the people of his land to come to the capitol for the start of the ritual.  During this time the women of the island will not be allowed to wear clothing and they will be used as sex toys for the next three days up until the alignment of the moons happen.  During this ritual Ryu will take his turn with each woman in his bedroom and when he finds the perfect woman she will bear his child the spawn of true evil in all its senses.  For this child will not be born out of love but out of hate, hate for the entire world and for all men.  This must be accomplished before the alignment or there will be no hate in this child and it will surely be the end of Ryu and all of his people. 

As the women start to file into the chamber of Ryu hoping they are chosen to bear such a honor as to have his kid the men stand around outside in the square drinking and preparing for the ritual.  In the ritual the men will each day cut off a finger to show they are not scared of the pain of what is sure to come.  The fingers will then be thrown in a giant pot and cooked over a fire and the people will eat them to let the spirits of the fingers flow thru their bodies, and so the ritual begins and each male cut off one finger and places it in the pot.  After several hours of being in his chamber Ryu comes outside and quiets the crowed of people.  “I have found a female worthy of bearing my child,” he announces.  A young woman walks out of the chamber she can’t be more then eighteen years old.  Skinny, dark skinned long black hair, and green eyes.  She has a slight smile on her face.  Knowing she will bear the child of the king is an honor. 

So the ritual goes on for three days the young lady in the king’s chamber the entire time.  The only time either of them comes out is to eat.  As the days pass from night to morning the king is sure he has laid his seed in the young lady and releases her to go home.  As the last night approaches it is evident that she bears his child.  When the moons align the put of a topaz glow and a beam of light goes down and touch her belly which holds the unborn child.

As this all is taking place we need to remember that over in Stonelock, Aiden is in the process of making a sword and shield for Manius.  He heats the metal to a red glow then starts to pound it into shape.  Aiden starts working on the sword, as it is the most work to get into the right shape and size that Manius is asking for.  All the while Aiden wonders what is so important with this sword and shield that he had to miss the festival to make it.  Then he remembers the fifty gold he is getting for this job, and how much food, clothing, and toys he will be able to buy his family.  His wife is after all nine months pregnant and still out working.  He wonders for a moment if she is ok and if Ciara is having fun with her friends.  As the sun hits the highest point of the day Aiden sets down his tools and the material he is working on and goes and finds his family for a little lunch break.

As the family sits down to eat Keely looks at her husband and notices he has been working.  “Aiden, why have you been working during the festival,” Keely asks.  “I was offered a job for 50 gold that needs to be done before the alignment” he replies.  “Wow must be important for someone to pay that much gold for it.”  “I have no idea the man never told me what it was for, just that it had to be done before the alignment.”