"In the beginning, the nations were one. We all once were the same; before the division; the famine; the war. Life was simple, we spoke the same. We lived the same. It was united. We were all one people, the Ink. But in all walks of life there will always be one to change it all. Someone who will stray from the path to create and build an ideal for themselves. With their own selfish desires, the ones with power will sculpt the land. The birth of our era was believed to have began with one unnamed Inken man, the first one to witness the true glow of the moon. A man considered the highest or the lowest depending on which side on the border you reside. He was the first. "
"As the legend goes, the moon was hidden away on the earth after being banished by higher beings, set away far from intervention from creatures. It was never meant to be for anyone, yet its supreme power lured all to it. The moon spoke many a day to the people, below the ears of those who punished it. The moon told stories of itself, and beckoned others in with his promises. It bestowed a blessing yet a curse on itself; that anyone to witness or touch the moon would get what they truly wanted in life. For many, that was enough and they set off to comply to his summons. After journey upon journey, the first man emerged and set his eyes upon it. It is believed that the first's subconscious wish was to become just as the moon, and more. This man's outer intentions were stripped away until all that was left was the core. The transfer of power split our world. It began the first of 40 days of concealment."
"The first period of the concealment caused the mass division. There was no longer light, and not one torch or lamp could be lit. They lived blind for an age, and the population was almost completely killed off in a short span of time. By the 40th day, the sun had returned and the lights could be set ablaze, but the Ink were no longer the only, and many creatures and peoples had been birthed. A term passed without documentation, yet the system of the beings had been rewritten. Towns and cities were once again formed, with races sticking by their own races. But no longer was the idea of harmony fresh, and through changes of language, and a newfound greed in the land sparked the first grand war. The Ink and Baer allied and came out with victory, but the bitterness across the lines of the others still burns deep inside. As things began to settle, and wars began the cease, the moon spoke yet again but only once. It reminded that our fight was not yet over and that it was still waiting for us, hiding in plain sight. It again beckoned us with alluring ideas causing the battles to revive. Yet this time it was a hunt in which every race wanted to compete in. Everyone wanted a taste of the unimaginable power, and so began the wild quest; the great chase of the Moon."
The theatre was packed to the brim, not one of our thousand seats left unfilled. It was not unusual for our regular sunday evening performance to be like this; everyone adored our work. From my place behind the stage, I could see my father through the crack in the deep red curtain. Dressed in his finest, his voice echoed around the room. He sung the ballad of the Broken, harmonized by none other than his wife, my mother. My mind wandered with the guidance of their song, their melody perfectly holding my attention. I had heard the song many times before as the soft duet was a staple on one of my favorite plays. I learned the song by heart and no matter the countless times I sung it to myself, I could not get enough. The play was about a man who met a demon under the canopy of a pear tree. The demon lured him in with her song and the promise of love in hopes to turn him into one of their own. The man sung back to her, encapturing her in his voice. She fell hard for him, sacrificing her own beliefs and stepping past the line. They devoted to each other under secrecy. She was eventually caught and forced to kill him in punishment of her treason against the demons, and eventually killed herself in guilt. It was called The Forbidden Emotion. It was poetic and elegant and written as if it was meant for my parents to perform it. My mothers fair complexion and platinum hair fit the part of the demoness perfectly and my father's dark skin and hair made just the right contrast. I, myself got a perfect mix of both and it is easy to tell that I was their son.
As the play drew itself to a close, and my parents took their bows along with the supporting cast. The first time my parents had presented the play, I had cried for hours upon end. Their devotion to both each other and their acting was incredible, and could bring a man with the coldest heart to shed a tear. The applause was deafening even from where I sat. Watching the plays gave me a deep longing to be beside them, with my feet on the stage and my presence displayed to the masses.
"Cae'loh, you are needed to help the other workers. Don't be slacking off now." My younger brother, Ruin, was using all the power in his thirteen year old muscles to push a wheeled prop off the now curtained stage. I rubbed my cotton sweater against my face to dry my eyes, and rushed over, taking some of the weight off from his side and shoving it forward. The cast members being pouring into the backstage, flooding the space with excitement and the typical after show sweat. Leaving Ruin to the prop, I stepped off to congratulate my parents on another perfect show. When I couldn't spot either the white silk dress, or the satin blue suit, I shuffled through the group and towards the dressing rooms. I found myself humming the tune of the ballad, and I stopped myself before entering. The wooden door swung open easily and there inside was my mother. She had removed the dress, and was now in her usual clothes. I always laughed at the transformation she had on versus off stage. Her glamorous style was swapped for a more boyish one but underlying it all you could still tell she was gorgeous. Her symmetrical face and piercing blue eyes couldn't be hidden so easily.
"Your eyes are red, did you cry again?" She teased, rising from her seat. She pulled me into an embrace and ran her warm hands through my hair.
"How could I not? With something as beautiful as that, it could bring anyone to tears." I chuckled and pushed away her arms. "If only I could do something like that... It would be the best experience of my life."
Immediately she saw through my sham and her light demeanor turned sour.
"For Retehs sake Cae. We've gone over this dozens of times! We can't have you on stage until you turn seventeen. I can't change the rules for you, you'll have to get over it." She sat back down in her chair and flicked her hand at me. "If you are just trying to manipulate me you can leave."
I knew enough not to cross her, so I left without another word. There was nothing more in the world that I wanted but to be but the star in a play, but theater rules legislated the age and I was still a month shy of my sixteenth birthday. I don't know if I could wait another year. Easily in that time my acting talent could go to waste. I passed Ruin as I headed out. He gave me a pitying look, telling me that he had overheard everything, per usual. I wanted to punch his face in, but I knew better not to, and headed back to the home.
The residence was just behind the theatre, about a five minute walk from the back entrance. I walked briskly, as the sun was going down and I didn't have anything to act as a light. Before I could knock, I was greeted by Anne, the housekeeper, who swung the door open and pressed a finger to her lips frantically.
"Your sister is sleeping. Don't make a sound." Anne ushered me inside and gave me a nasty look when a floorboard creaked far too loudly under my foot. She led me by the arm into the living room and handed me a letter.
"This was delivered today," Anne's voice was quiet but slightly panicked. "There was one for your brother as well."
I took the letter from her hands and ran my thumb against the wax stamp. The royal crest made my heart jump. The kingdom didn't send letters unless it was for two different reasons. Either you were in legal trouble, or you were being drafted. Breaking the seal and pulling the white paper from the envelope, the first line confirmed my suspicion.
"You, Cae'loh Beccan, by royal order of the Inken king, Tarken Jan'il, have been summoned upon the duty to become a member of the Moon Chasers."
YOU ARE READING
Moon Chasers
FantasyCae'loh was a theater boy, not an adventurer. Not one bone in his body was made to climb across mountains, but his incorruptible pride and will to win kept him moving. He would sacrifice anyone and anything to capture a piece of the moon.
