by Orr, Krystal
Her tribe fought in her name. They had believed her to be dead and their attack on the Esu had become twofold: They fought to protect themselves and their way of life, as well as to ensure her safe and assured passage to Aitla.
Their respect for her was staggering and breathtaking. For being no more or less than who she was, she had earned the reverence, favor, and esteem of her fellows. She knew that was to be her everlasting legacy. That was the purpose behind her being the Child of Whispers, for when her sisters had looked upon her they had seen an image, so fair, of what they had once been. They had seen what Aitla desired of them so long ago.
Not being aware of the reasons behind their adoration and awe of her, Arizira's sisters had simply come to accredit her appearance and her easy and gentle nature as some portent of a much greater destiny. They had been without the knowledge that their title was to be a truth, that Arizira was to be important to future events.
Cynra's face formed before Arizira's eyes next. The older woman was suspended in a half-stooped posture as she attempted to help a young warrior who had been blinded by a flash of light from the Esu outside of the village.
Inside Rae'kir, a dozen or so children sat around a healer. Their small bodies were immobile and their faces each mirrored the fear and distress the whole of the world was experiencing. Frozen tears and reddened cheeks told a story for the heart of every child.
All of this and more Arizira took in as she rested on her knees with her hand in Talliea's. Her eyes opened and she tilted her head back to gaze upon her love. Talliea was watching her, unflinching. Silver-white and yellow-golden energy crackled across her body. The two of them stared at one another.
They were two women, two simple women who had been leading simple lives until fate brought them together. Two women who had overcome decades of prejudice and generations of hate and bias. They were two people who had not allowed gender or race or beliefs to color or taint the attraction they each felt.
Instead, they had allowed their hearts to lead them. They had given in to the astounding emotions that had pulled them toward the other, all the while not being aware that their desire for one another was a part of a larger whole.
Talliea allowed Arizira's hand to slip from her own. She gazed past her and to the far rim of the world where the sun had bid farewell not an hour before. Above them, the moon was full and white and cast a silvery halation. Talliea extended her hand toward the west. Her body grew taut.
Arizira looked over her shoulder and toward where she knew Li'nas Dei to be. She watched agog as a different shade of light began to rise in the sky and caress the world. Rich and radiant golden rays slowly broke the horizon of the forest as the sun rose back into the sky. Two celestial bodies graced the heavens; one pale and incandescent, the other bright and effulgent.
Arizira, along with all those held in the forest and beyond, gazed in wonder and horror as both the moon and the sun held the sky at once. Those who would later recall the event would come to know this day and its affairs as The Eclipse War.
Talliea directed the sun to a higher point in the sky until it came to rest slightly above and behind the moon. The effect of light, the spectral shades that came to life by such a wonder, created a result that left the world in a state of dawn and dusk at once.
There was no day. There was no night. The world now existed in a frame of time that simply was, for both the power of Aitla and Esuval now resided in the forest. It was an occurrence that had not been witnessed in the world since before the dawn of a different age. Every Esu man, woman, and child that lived and breathed in the world at large bore witness to Talliea's power, just as every Arniran and child across the realm did likewise.
Talliea's power was not limited to the immediate area she was in. It extended beyond her, far beyond her, to lands she had never seen and to people she had never before encountered. As those people beheld the phenomenon that lay in the sky above them, their hearts and minds were opened as their long forgotten history was returned to them.
Arizira stood up on shaky legs. The splendor of the sun and moon above her was nearly crippling with its overwhelming beauty. Slowly, she walked over to where Talliea stood and took her hand in her own. Talliea, kissed by her power and the energy it carried, as well as the light and rays of the sun and moon, was never more beautiful to Arizira than in that moment.
As the two women locked eyes, everything Talliea had learned whilst with Tareya, became known to all. Every detail; every moment; every war, battle, love affair and turning point throughout history, now breathed new awareness into the sons and daughters of the Sun and Moon…
In the beginning, in a time before remembering, there was the Sun and the Moon. The Sun was the ruler of the day. He was passionate and believed in action and decisive thinking. The Sun was fury and violence and abundant power. He represented masculine energy. All life relied on Him for growth and renewal.
Crops followed His seasons while His rays provided warmth and comfort to all manner of animals.
Conversely, the Moon was the matron of the night. She embodied mysteries and secrets and wisdom. Her nature was one of nurturing gentleness, yet fierce protectiveness. She was the master of both wind and ocean. Her realm was one of caution, philosophy, and deliberate thought. She was the epitome of female energy.
Together the two powers, Sun and Moon, watched over the world when it was young. They brought to life trees, plants, and animals as numerous as they were various. Everything that grew and lived and thrived under the heavens owed its existence to the Moon and the Sun, as all life also held a place and purpose in a greater cycle.
The years passed and the world became a wild place full of exotic seas, lush forests, massive mountains, and endless grasslands. Then, a time came when the Sun desired more, for He was the heart of creation and multiplicity. A new kind of being did the Sun breathe to life. This life was to be different from all that came before it.
Instead of walking on four legs, it stood upright and was capable of thought. The life was complex and made to be the image of the Sun's disposition. Like the Sun, His children were passionate and demiurgic. Their bodies were covered not in fur or feather or scale, but by dark caramel skin; and they possessed, as well, dark features.
They came to call themselves Esu after the name they chose for the Sun, Esuval, meaning Light God. Soon this new creation became the sovereigns of the land and all its creatures. They learned to hunt and sow crops, as well as how to build marvelous structures of wood and stone.
Over the years their society grew and their culture was formed. They began to expand across the land and take away more than they returned. The Sun, Esuval, viewed this expansion as a testament of His children's greatness. Their passion fueled their endeavors and this Esuval blessed.
To reward His creation for its achievements, Esuval bestowed unto them, and all future generations, a portion of His power. It was His belief that His followers should be able to heal their sick and defend their weak. This gift was given to all, men as well as women, and helped to shape a more cohesive and ritualistic society.
Towns became cities and the disciplines of forging and smithing and sculpting became the pulse of all Esu pursuits.
Unbeknownst to Esuval, the Moon had observed His children for generations upon generations. She had watched with distaste as they grew and disrupted the balance of nature. In their belief that they were supreme, the Moon had watched them become disrespectful and vainglorious.
When Esuval granted this new creation a portion of His power, the Moon deemed that Her time had come to act. She knew the Sun would never see His own folly, viewing instead His children as wondrous over calamitous. In an effort to restore balance, the Moon created in secret Her own children. Instead of possessing both men and women, the Moon chose to have Her new life be solely female, as She was the manifestation of all things feminine.
It was Her belief that female energy was gentle and caring and more perceptive to change and peace. She
named Her new life Arnira, meaning 'protectors.' The Arnira were not like the Esu. Their skin was fair instead of dark and their features were light and reflective. To them the Moon gave heightened senses and agility, for it was Her desire that the Arnira be stewards of the wild.
She distilled in them a connection to the plants and animals of the world and made them prone to follow instinct over earthly desires and riches. The Arnira, though standing upright and being capable of thought like the Esu, were at times more feral than mild.
To ensure that Her children could continue to watch over the wild, the Moon granted the Arnira the ability to procreate amongst themselves. This act would be more spiritual than physical and would deepen the bonds of community. Love, pleasure, endless joy of life and adventure, exploration, hunting and gathering -- these were the passions the Moon bestowed upon the Arnira.
They were not interested in conquest or being lords over the land. They did not deem themselves as above the wilds, but a part of it. When their society was introduced to the Esu, it was decreed by both the Moon, now being called Aitla by her children, which meant 'life giver', and Esuval, that both of their creations were to live in peace.
The Esu were to be guardians of the day, while the Arnira would be protectors of the night. Each people taught the other new arts, new crafts, and new beliefs. It came to be that when the Esu expanded, breaking off into different clans, that the Arnira did so as well. Each clan was matched and paired with a new tribe. This arrangement was favored and blessed by both Esuval and Aitla.
The Arnira continued to be protectors of the land and also tempered the lust and passions of the Esu, while the Esu instilled in the Arnira a greater desire to see the world and taught them of combat and making weapons of steel, copper, and iron.
Later, as the years evolved, the Esu and Arnira would come to enjoy their pact. New types of settlements arose, each consisting of one Esu clan and one Arniran tribe. These settlements were called e'mae'leyos, which translated rather un-poetically as 'the dual settlement.'
Trade was common in an e'mae'leyo. The Esu would trade breads, crops, blades, and fine cloths for fruits, bows, jewelry and wooden carvings. Over time, communication between the two peoples slowed but each remained true to their respective duties. Commerce soon became the only times when the different clans and tribes of any given e'mae'leyo interacted.
That was not to say that any hostilities arose during that time. Both the Esu and the Arnira remained amicable toward the other, but as the years passed and communication became less, each came to view the other indifferently.
Over time, a small number of Esu men, desirous and passionate, came to resent the Arnira who lived behind their wooden walls in their homes of trees. They greatly desired to lay with the Arnira and conquer their independent spirits. To the rest of their brothers, these select men became outcasts for their lustful thoughts and dark intentions.
Barred from their clan and shunned from their e'mae'leyo, these men were cast out into the open wilds and left to die for their heinous thoughts. Their people informed them that they would be allowed back into their hearts only if they put aside their libidinous would-be actions.
The men cursed their brothers and fled into the wilds. In time they came upon another e'mae'leyo. When they spoke of claiming the Arnira for their mates to another small group of men, they were heartened to find ears more eager to hear their words. A darkness crept into the hearts of these men and a shadow fell upon their spirits.
During this time, Esuval's influence over His children began to wane. As the men's hearts became darker and more came to believe in their views, Esuval's strength wavered while the men's increased. Like a sickness and a disease, the dark hearted men spread their beliefs among the whole of the clan they had traveled.
They began to speak out against the Arnira, viewing them as abhorrent and against nature. The few men and women who spoke against them were soon also under the sway of the men's elocution. The men preached that the world was divided into two halves. Those halves were masculine and feminine and anything that deviated from that was evil. They taught that men had their duties and women had their duties and none of those were to ever be shared.
This, the men said, was also against Esuval and nature.
Now, belief is a powerful yet silent force. Of all the great and noble, or the villainous and ignoble acts a person can or will commit in life, all stem from a single catalyst: belief. If a person believes they are defeated in battle, that end shall come sooner than if the person believed otherwise. By believing in doubt, that person assured their defeat.
If a person believes in love and goodness, those things shall prove true, for the person shall see them in all acts of kindness and all simple words of praise. Belief is the root of war, the stem of change. From a belief comes action.
So long as the Esu believed in the pact with the Arnira, they saw in it a mutual arrangement. So long as they believed that Esuval and Aitla were equals and so too were their children, they kept to their ways and allowed themselves to be taught and shown matters not of the Esu heart.
However, that belief works also in favor of ill intent. The first Esu men to begin questioning the pact became the root of a new belief. That belief, that lack of faith in Esuval, caused a change in the Sun's power. Already less in strength than He was in the beginning of time due to sharing His power with His children, Esuval now became a translucent shadow of His former glory. His children's betrayal of Him and His teachings began to weaken him.
The women of the Esu were also weakened during this time. Fearing that these new Esu men spoke true, they began to believe that by harnessing Esuval's gift they were an affront to their god. They came to believe that they had been given the gift, not because they were deserving, but because they were weak. The power and gift of Esuval, the men said, was a curse and a test to see what strength lay in the hearts of women.
By rejecting this gift, the men said, the women would fall into their true place and come to see the full glory of Esuval. Fear, like belief, is a powerful force. By believing something to be true, the Esu of this new e'mae'leyo made that belief thus. Radical changes came about and in the months that followed, the Esu men that had been banished from their homes found strength and power at the dawn of a new era.
The women became servile property to the men of their clan. Their belief that Esuval's gift was not theirs to keep slowly began to spread. No longer were they equals of the men, but servants. The men, conversely, grew in their power. A new order was formed in this single clan, an order that would spread far into the future and lay a blackness across the land.
This order was called the Lat'sa'val.
Far removed from this e'mae'leyo, while corrupted men committed evil deeds, another great change had been taking place. An Esu woman and an Arniran acolyte had fallen in love. Each woman had been of the same e'mae'leyo. When trade was exchanged, the two women had become curious of one another. That curiosity led to a friendship and later a passionate love affair.
Taking leave of their peoples, Ir'ra and Tareya perceived to travel the lands together and see all the wonders there were to see. Esuval and Aitla, both mindful of the changes taking place farther away, descried this marvelous occurrence. With dark hearts clouding their influence in other parts of the world, both the Sun and the Moon blessed this love, for each woman had not paid mind to their differences.
They each bestowed upon Ir'ra and Tareya a special connection which would allow them to always feel the presence of the other. It would allow them to share memories and experiences and ensure they each became closer to the other.
Ir'ra came to call Tareya, and their connection, her Doira'Liim. Her spirit mate. The two women traveled far and wide and named their love and connection a gift of the gods. Their time was joyous and without harm or deceit or gloom.
As fate would chance after a time, Tareya and Ir'ra came upon the e'mae'leyo that was diseased with the malcontent of the evil-hearted Esu men. Not b
eing aware of events that had taken place, both women entered the settlement in peace. They spoke firstly to the Arnira, who like them were unaware of such changes, and proceeded to the Esu clan some small distance away from the tribe.
The Lat'sa'val, upon discovering the nature of Ir'ra and Tareya's relationship, used the two women as a means to further their dark intentions. They claimed that the Arnira were evil sprites that desired to foul and corrupt their women with their unnatural ways. They yelled on high that the children of Aitla were the mortal enemies of the children of Esuval.
'Night and day do not exist together,' they said. 'Why then should our peoples?'
Believing the Lat'sa'val spoke truly, the men of the clan attacked Ir'ra and Tareya. The women of the Esu, though being filled with heartache and dread over the abuse Ir'ra especially suffered, stood idle and made no action of aid. They viewed the event as a test of faith by Esuval and so chose not to intervene.
The men separated Ir'ra and Tareya. To Ir'ra, they beat and raped and defiled, as they had always been wont to do. To Tareya, the men tried to reason. They attempted to convince her that she had been deceived by Ir'ra and that by repenting her sins to Esuval, her spirit would be saved.
Esuval, upon learning of His children's heinous act, despaired greatly. His children's actions held sway over His power. In a moment of haste and desperation, Esuval the Sun god of passion and decisiveness, blessed Tareya with the fury of His power. To her, Esuval granted great destructive capability and command over the elements. It was His belief that she would be His champion and would strike at the heart of the sickness spreading amongst His children.
However, Aitla did not bless this action. She saw it as more careless folly and warned Esuval that power corrupted and absolute power corrupted absolutely. She turned away from the Sun in that moment. Her only concern was for Her children.