Star Wars: The Great Awakening (Book I)

Part 1: Chapter 1 - The Beginning

He often wondered where it all began. The stars, the distant planets and their moons, the great Wyzhlyn trees and the creatures which resided within the protection of their canopy, his people...

Are we just mere accidents or is there some sort of purpose to our lives?

Resting upon the large boulder which sat on the edge of the cliff that led down to the Low World, Jolis often let his imagination run wild as he stared up into the bright night sky. Countless stars illuminated the dark void, including the approaching moon which signified that the cold season would soon be here.

For now, however, the evening was warm as he lay across the surface of the rock, staring up into the sky. This was his spot, the same spot he'd been coming to as far back as he could remember. It was just far enough away from the village that Jolis could let his mind wander in peace, but just close enough that, if needed, he could return home quickly.

He focused his eyes on a bright star as it glimmered in the distant sky. Separated by eons of time and space, his mind always seemed to return to the inevitable question.

Are we alone?

Exploring the bright star with his eyes, Jolis wondered if there was a kid just like him sitting on a rock just like the one he was sitting on staring up into the night sky and seeing a bright dot that was his world.

There's gotta be someone out there.

Ulepi, the village wiseman, used to tell stories of their origins. He would go on about how their people were placed here by the so called ancient ones who then vanished into the stars.

Jolis' father, Torek, always disagreed with Ulepi, often publicly.

"Old fool," said Torek on one occasion as a crowd had gathered to hear the latest ramblings of Ulepi, "I'd love for these ancient ones to come back so we can thank them for dropping us on this delightful green rock. Maybe then, they can teach us how to grow wings like they did and fly into the sky."

The crowd would always laugh with Torek at his comments about Ulepi. It was easy to. Most people thought Ulepi—once revered for his wisdom and knowledge of not only their tribe, but of the dozens of other tribes that dotted the planet's surface—was nothing more than a crazy old man.

Now, however, he was simply a social castaway.

"His mind has left him," some would say. "No point in listening to his words anymore."

But even so, Jolis often found himself wondering if there was any truth to his words. If these ancient ones had indeed placed his people on this planet, could they have placed other beings on similar planets?

His eyes became fixated on a different star as it glistened in the night backdrop. Slowly, he visually examined the red dot in the sky which flashed in shades of blue and green every so often.

Where did these ancient ones go? How were they able to fly away? And why have they never come back?

Jolis often wondered if the Krayton—enormous dragon-like winged creatures who were able to fly to the approaching moon once the two planets' atmospheres briefly crossed paths every year—were indeed the ancient ones Ulepi always mentioned. They were the only creatures he knew of that could actually leave his world and travel to a different one. Jolis knew from experience, however, that the Krayton were about as large as they were dumb. What they lacked in intelligence, they made up for in their size. If the Krayton were in fact the ones who'd started all life, it would not be a pleasant tale.

Still, many in the village assumed the people here were simply part of the planet. Throughout the ages, their people—who had once all lived together in a massive city carved out of the Triguilden mountains to the south—began to split into smaller tribes. As time went on, each tribe began forming their own unique identities and cultures.