Tales of the Moon - Updating slowly!
 

Hello and welcome to the home of my lovely little story-in progress, Tales of the Moon. So far I've only finished part of the first chapter, so any critiques are more than welcome. <3

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Tales of the Moon

Plot:

On the blood soaked soil of the continent of Oestith, the threads of deceit and betrayal have woven themselves into the very being of the empire turning it into a mangled, sinister shadow of its former self. Long have the people told stories of the prophecy spoken long ago by the gods themselves. The promise of freedom from the iron clad grip of the Oestithan rulers. They say the twins born on midsummer’s eve to the royal family will herald the fall of the old empire and the rising of the new.
Prince Marossa and Princess Chamilsa are to be the ones to shatter the icy grip their parents have held the Oestithan empire in for so long. Though, doubtful of the mage; Sai’s words the pair shun the prophecy calling it nothing more than a poor man’s song.
When war begins to brew within the city however it is made clear that the gods are gathering to decide the fate of Oestith and the entire empire.
Swept from home and onto the bloody battlefield of the Noiverouth islands they must decide whether they stand with the bloodthirsty ideals of their parents or with the people’s hope for freedom.

Characters:

Guard:

◦ Moondance – High Mage; Queen Atith’s advisor
◦ Sai – High Mage; Prince Marossa’s and Princess Chamilsa’s guard
◦ Chamosia – Healer
◦ Chirth – Commander of the Oestithan Army
◦ Taieth – Battle-Mage; Second-in-Command
◦ Eemirth – King’s spymaster

Empire:

◦ King Rehenth – Reigning king of Oestith
◦ Queen Atith – Reigning queen of Oestith
◦ Princess Chamilsa – Crown princess to the throne of Oestith; Prince Marossa’s twin
◦ Prince Marossa – Crown prince to the throne of Oestith; Princess Chamilsa’s twin

Fith:

◦ Rayshath – Assassin
◦ Ilisla – Yunith born noble
◦ Iloi – Yunith born noble; Ilisla’s brother
◦ Assimista – Assassin-Mage; Rayshath’s companion

Other Players:

◦ Mindosia – Half Yunith; Moondance’s brother
◦ Sondath – Shapeshifter; God of destiny
◦ Jiskassanya – Draconic High mage; reincarnated Goddess of Death and Rebirth
◦ Lisallo – Oestithan born noble
◦ Illara – Goddess of the Moon
◦ Lisassasda – Goddess of Darkness

Place Names:

◦ Oestith – The continent where the Oestithan Empire is located.
◦ Oestithan City – The capital of the Oestithan Empire, the richest city in Oestith.
◦ Oestithan Empire – The Empire ruling the entire continent of Oestith, and the northern part of the Noiverouth islands.
◦ Fith – Largest city in the Noiverouth islands.

Races:

◦ Yunith – a non-human people who currently inhabit Fith.
◦ Dragons – reptilian creatures able to take human form. Mortal magic has no effect on them.
◦ Oestithan – the mortal people of the empire.

Magics

◦ The Sight – A powerful battle magic that rarely manifest itself among mortals. Those that do have the Sight are usually sought after by royalty and nobles for their personal uses. This power was originally thought to only be bound to the non-human races.
◦ Elemental Magics:
◦ Earth Bound – Those with Earth Bound magics are usually healers and/or herbalist. It is very rare for an Earth Bound to become a battle mage.

Chapter Titles:

Prologue

Oestith

◦ Volume 1
◦ Volume 2
◦ Volume 3

Fith

◦ Volume 4
◦ Volume 5
◦ Volume 6

Epilogue

Prologue

“Kipshin’s a blaze.”

The comment was so casual, so uncaring that even to a pair of four year olds the words stung. Two sets of wide blue eyes turned to the armor clad mage seated on the other side of the carriage staring outside. Brown curls bouncing as her head whirled the little girl looked at her brother in bewilderment, but found no answer in her twin’s eyes. Her attention returned to the mage, the bewilderment and fear within her heart growing.

“Isn’t that where papa and mama sent the army?” the little girl asked wide eyes glued on the dark skinned mage before her.

“Yes, princess.”

Liquid green eyes moved from the window to the royal twins seated across from him. Glancing at the pale healer beside them he gave a faint nod; before sighing already sensing the next question.

“The army’s still there, cleaning up the mess the mages made.”

Four year old, Princess Chamilsa; crown princess of the Oestithan Empire found herself rendered immobile at the mage’s final comment. Trembling, tears filling her eyes she held back a whimper. Even at this age she knew what war could do, even at this age she already had visions of burning cities, bloody fields and wailing creatures that she could not name.

Already her powers had manifested themselves in ways that surpassed even the two mages that sat so close at hand. Beside her, sat her twin in everything but power. While her powers had taken to foresight and healing, Marossa’s had turned to what appeared to be the Sight.

Marossa stayed silent eyes locked on the swaying floor of the carriage. He could hear Chamilsa’s sniffle as he tried to suppress his own. Five hundred leagues possibly more stood between them and Kipshin and yet even at this distance he could feel the crackle of magic in the air as plainly as though he stood within the burning city. Was that how, Sai knew of the happenings? He doubted it.

The high mage had more power than he let on. Marossa knew that much. After all he may be a child, but he was a mage…with the Sight no less.

Returning his attention and focus to reality he looked up hearing…no…feeling a whisper of magic. Glancing about the carriage hastily his search was a short one as another wave of magic rolled through the small space. There were two sources to the rolling, partly unchecked magic. One his sister seated quietly beside him and the other the battle-mage across from them. Staring at his sister for a few more moments he shook his head feeling suddenly dizzy. Whatever was going on between Sai and Chamilsa was better left alone.

The carriage was still swaying but of all this Chamilsa felt nothing. Her blank gaze was fixed on Sai’s but even those liquid pools she didn’t seen. Her mind had fled elsewhere; snatched away by the stormy winds to the ruined city. Kipshin was indeed a flame, bodies littered the streets some burnt the others mangled and torn. The gutters ran red and over head the shrieks of ravens rang out the only song to the dead. Above the screams of the birds rose the shrill cries of women and children madness having long set in.

What the princess saw, Sai saw. While most children at this age knew nothing of blood and death, Chamilsa knew them almost as well as she knew her playmates in the royal court.

Sucking in a startled and almost pained gasp, her bodiless gaze flew to the soldiers that marched through the streets leaded by a company of mounted riders. Was this all that remained of the glorious army that had marched out to battle? So few…no more than ten thousand alive at best.

At the head of the battered company rode a few, Chamilsa knew well. Chirth; commander of the army with all his many scars rode at the head of the line sword lain across his lap. The man though she had seen so little of him in her short life had become a close companion in her mind long ago. When that had happened she had no idea. Just behind him and to the left rode Taieth; a battle-mage of noble blood, though she hovered above them she could still sense the pulsing of his power. This was something she was familiar with also.

She watched perplexed as he argued with the mounted high mage next to him. What in Illara’s name had Moondance started again? Shaking her head she sighed and drifted lower, curious to see just what had managed to irritate Taieth this much, besides the fact that it was Moondance who’d probably caused most of the destruction here. Settling her lithe form on the rump of Taieth’s horse, she heard the beast snort and she gave a small smile. The horse knew she was there.

Shifting her attention back to the arguing pair she couldn’t help but laugh. This would prove to be amusing.

“I still say, that wasn’t necessary! The army had those mages cornered and besides that they would have been fools to try and attack us.”

“Oh really now? As far as I could see they would have fried you and the army had I not intervened.” There was a certain smugness to the mage’s voice that made Taieth twitch and Chamilsa laugh.

“So you decided since they would have, as you say, fried us…to return the favor before it happened?” Quirking an eyebrow at Moondance, Taieth snorted shaking his head. “I swear sometimes, I wonder how anyone can stand to be around you.”

“Oh you’d be surprised actually.” Grinning as Taieth grimaced, Moondance shifted slightly in the saddle and his gaze drifted to first Taieth and then to Chamilsa’s invisible form.

Swallowing for a moment she found her blue eyes locked with his green orbs, unnerved she lost her grip on the magic and found herself returning to her corporeal body.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” Shaking his head Moondance looked away and returned his gaze to the grim task at hand. He’d need to speak with Sai once he got a chance.

--

A plea of giggles and laughter flowed from the carriage as the royal twins scrambled out of it, as if the devil was after them. Though, once their nanny stepped out from it in such a dishevel and disgruntled state, it was safe to say there was the devil or a least a demon after them. Huffing the woman shook her hair from her face, her darkened gaze on the two retreating forms.

"Prince Marossa and Princess Chamilsa! Get back here at once!"

When the pair simply spun around together to look at her, giggling and she almost snarled as she went after them. They were supposed to be royalty but once she got her hands on them, they weren't going to be so cheeky. One would have to wonder if only hours ago, this was the same pair that had been sulking because of what was happening or rather had happened in Kipshin.

Smiling slightly, the healer shook her head, they were children but yet those little bodies held more power than most mages older than them would ever have. Most mages... Looking over her shoulder as Sai exited the carriage, she let out a slight breath at the tendrils of power that circled the man. Whatever spell had been cast, she didn't want to know about it. With that in mind, she resumed her not-so hurried hunt for the twins.

Sai was barely aware of the driver scurrying around along with the grooms, to unhitch the horses and move the carriage away. Normally he would have helped them but right now, he wasn't so inclined. In fact he wasn't too inclined to do anything, after he'd gotten Moondance's hurried warning to keep an eye on Chamilsa so she didn't go wandering again so to speak.

A soft snort escaped him, as he drifted down the hall where the twins and their caretaker had disappeared down. Keep Chamilsa on a leash, as if that was even possible. Nodding lightly to the servants as he passed them, his glazed emerald eyes drifted up to the high ceiling and a sigh escaped his lips. This was actually a blessing, to be sent out here away from the hall. The hand full of servants here he could deal with, they wouldn't bother him and he wouldn't bother them.

It wasn't the lack of servants or noise that he was thankful for though. It was the fact that he was away from that tyrant of a king and his queen. Out here at least, he had more of a free reign to weave whatever spells he needed to, without having to tell anyone about his reason for doing it. At the thought of a spell, he tugged lightly on the dark threads only he could see, a slow smirk crossed his face. The army was out of Kipshin and with them, several mages he needed to see. Including Moondance.