Story: A Beginning Song (chapter 1)

Authors: VioletLotus

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Chapter 1

Title: A Beginning Song

[Author's notes: This was written as an attempt to give a in-world introduction to Aldaliss, as told through the myths and "songs" (rather, told by a bard, so stories told with music) of the Danaane, one of the sapient species of Aldaliss. A "genesis" kinda story, if you will.]

The sky was turning dark purple, only edged in fiery orange at the horizon when the Bard's Heart began to sound, strings plucked in a gentle cascade to accompany the soft murmur of the Bard herself. Sitting on a collapsible stool in front of the assembled audience, the Bard smiled and nodded to the youngest child.

"So what do you want to hear? Adventure? Myths and song, romance or history?" Her voice was a sing-song rhythm that made several sigh in anticipation and shift to get into better place on their cushions, and the youngest, merely six, smiled eagerly.

"The beginning! Mommy told it to me yesterday, but I want to hear a real Bard tell it!" Her voice was high and bright, a tumbling storm of spring leaves, and one of the adults laughed and buried her face in the shoulder of the one beside her.

"She did, did she?" The Bard smiled and the antler-lyre sounded a brief rain of glittering notes. "It's history then, but before we come to how things came to be, I'll tell you how things are..."

 

This is the world that Mana, the Horned Goddess, created. The skies are blue, decorated with birds in uncounted numbers. The land is in greens and violets, lush and rich with all its animals and flowers. The oceans are blue, deeper than the sky, and teem with fish and graceful shapes.

This is the world that Mana, Horned Goddess, created. The dragons rose from the earth, warmed by the sun. A few flew in the air with wings, others rose without. But graceful were they all, scales like rainbow amber in the sun. The greatest of those beings, ignored all rules laid onto them, and dominated world and skies, until all they fell but the old one in the north.

This is the world that Mana, Horned Goddess, created. In the south, her children there, took her name as their own. The sun was hot upon their heads, and hair they lacked on all but their rounded heads, lacked a lushly tail and long, graceful ears. In the north, the greatest dragon, lonesome in her might, gazed jealously upon the children the Goddess had breathed into life. Her magic huge, she did so violate, the life-filled potential of the magic springs. From such a lowly origin, the Wyrmlings rose, their wings spread wide, less hair than even Mana's self-named ones. Their ears not ears but horns to catch all sound, they were given tails but yet so different, stubby, short, no grace at all, to help balance them.

This is the world that Mana, Horned Goddess, created. While her hairless ones flourished in the hottest sun, for us she gave plains and hills, for us a milder wind. Long, pointed ears, moving, to let no sound unheard. Moving like the wind in grass, soundlessly in graceful bounds, our hoofsteps small and light. And in her wisdom, to balance us, the most perfect trait of all; a tail of such length and strength, none could match its sight, hair draped in such a way, the full end dancing in the wind.

This is the world that Mana, Horned Goddess, created. All the children of the Goddess, share her love and passion. All beings on this world, grow yet more numerous with her blessing. Some, so far from us, match their bodies' crude difference, opposites to somehow make a whole, and from this union comes more. The children of the Goddess, closer to her light, though different in shapes and minds, unite no halves that differ. Rather sameness in two shapes, halves to make a whole, and from this perfect unity springs life anew. The dragons, koribiiti, mana's self-named ones. Along with us they are so made, and if there are yet more around, be sure they will appear, but I for one know nothing more.

This is the world that Mana, Horned Goddess, created. And if there is yet more to it, I know for now naught else!

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