Shadows So Bright

Prelude

The young man and woman lay on the roof of a keep just outside the castle walls. Sneaking past the guards had been no small feat. The clay tiles dug uncomfortably into their backs and the city below was alight with depravity, but neither of them minded. Here, amidst the constant maelstrom of their lives, they found a moment of peace. The pair didn't need to speak to understand each other. Instead, they stared at the two moons that illuminated the sky. The girl remembered the stories she'd been told as a child, in a homeland she was still too frightened- no, ashamed- to tell the boy of.

The fabled origin of the two moons was one the young woman had been skeptical of as a child, the sheer goodness of it was something she could not imagine in a world so rotten. The story claimed there was only one moon many eons ago. The Chakora were the only creatures alive then. They had four sets of feathered wings attached to lithe bodies, with antlers crowning the tops of their bird-like heads and ferocious claws on all four limbs. As they flew, a translucent shimmer followed. It was their life force, and they drew it from the moon.

The moon was a gift from their goddess, but she warned them that it was not infinite. In their thirst, the Chakoras did not heed her warning and were indulgent. For a time, they prospered, but slowly the moon began to wane, and famine struck. In desperation, the Chakora begged the goddess for help. 'Life blooms life', she told them, and they understood that they must make a sacrifice.

Mothers clutched their children and friends said their goodbyes as everyone feared who would be chosen to send to the skies. Fights and turmoil erupted as they tried to decide who must be the one to bear the responsibility, whose life was worth just a little less than the rest of them. One brave Chakora volunteered to become the moon, giving her life source until it too eventually faded to nothing and another would have to take her place. Her lover tried to stop her, tried to make her realize it was futile if the cycle continued. But she could no longer bear to see the strife and chaos that was destroying her people. She urged him to find peace in his life knowing she watched over him, but he knew he could not live without her. Anguished, he flew to her and became another moon- no less vibrant- to forever be by her side. Their love was an energy so powerful it continued to sustain them both, and even in their new forms the two forever gravitated to each other.

As the young woman stared up at the sky, she realized with startling clarity how deeply she'd fallen into the pull of the man beside her. His hope and determination to reshape the world was a light that beckoned every fragmented piece of her. At that moment, she felt like the hungry Chakoras, and he was the only thing that could sustain her. But she knew she would never be so reckless with his life, couldn't even imagine the possibility of his spirit waning. The young woman would give all of herself to him if he asked. She only hoped to see him shine brighter.

The young man shifted as if trying to get comfortable, and the slight movement closed the small distance between their shoulders. The young woman tried to hold still, tried to clear the thoughts that were too close to breaking free from her lips. She didn't know if they were words and feelings she was ready to voice. But then, ever so slowly, she felt his pinky inch toward hers. An innocuous touch and a heavy question.

Her heart thumped so loud she could no longer hear the debauched activities of the night below. She hesitantly slid her hand over his and gently closed her fingers over his palm. The touch was light, but she felt it shoot through her body like a bolt of lightning. He flipped their hands and clasped hers firmly, giving it a light squeeze. Unable to bear the tension any longer, she turned her head towards him, only to realize he was already watching her. Her breath hitched at the adoration in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to speak but she quickly cut him off, still not ready to have these feelings bared to the world. He gave her a knowing look.

"Did you mean what you said, Theron?" A distraction it may be, but the question had been eating at her for too long. His answer would hold more weight than he would ever know.

"Every last word, Amari." The man smiled, and just being near him was like basking in the sun. "We are going to change everything."