1 Falling From Heaven

The Sar, along with her sister, The Sir, the two sibling goddesses of light once again peek above the horizon and start their daily majestic dance. Pushing away any remnants of the cold night that was dominating the world. Their light shines upon the hills, upon the forests, upon the farms, signalling the people that it is time, to once again get up and greet the day. Soon enough, the ookas birds in the village start chanting their signature song. Ah yes, the "wake up" chant, as people called. It is now the hour of vier, light from the heaven now gives life to the earth, waking it up from the slumber of the lightfall.

"Elaa, Elaa, wake up. You are sleeping on the job again. It is very dangerous to take nap in the middle of the woods you know?," a soft voice reach out to me, caressing my ears as I slowly open my sleepy eye.

" Just~ a bit~ longer. Besides, I'm quite knowledgeable about this woods. Nothing can sneak up to me, even while as sleep ," feeling quite lazy, I yawn while giving my sister a reply.

"Come on now, we have to get back. It has been quite some time since the hour vier arrived. We still have to help mother prepare breakfast", she answered, sighing.

Evaa, my precious elder sister. She is the family's second child, with the first being my brother Neola. I never got to meet him, as he is long gone. My brother met his end at the battle for fort Bren, a Glerian axe took him to the afterlife along with his battalion. And I was with my mother and sister, taking shelter at my uncle's small shop in the town of Weslerfair away from the frontline two starcycles ago. I was very young back then, so I don't have much memory with my brother. But my sister Evaa on the other hand, is very important to me. We were always together since my birth. I follow her everywhere she goes and try to do everthing she does. She is the pride of my family, all the boys in the village would fluster at the sight of her. As the light from Sir and Sar shine upon her, you can really see her in her true beauty. Soft and light skin embraced by the lightrise with the orcassional swaying back and fort of her bright blond hair. She could even compete with the elder princess Eiry of the Royal family in terms of beauty. And I love her to no end, just as how she loves me.

"Just a little bit more, please..." still feeling lazy, I tried to use my old trick and beg her while trying to look like a stray cat. But of course, being siblings I know my trick would not work on her as she sigh for the second time.

"No can do little miss, that trick could work for the boys in the village but not on me. Now come on, get up and let's go back." I stand up and tidy my garment as she turn away, heading for our home with her back full of fire wood,"and don't forget to grab the basket with you," she turns around, noticing me walking to her without my basket of herbs and mushroom.

"Ah, right. I forgot, sorry sis. teehee~," I put up a smile and turn back to pick up my basket. Luckily nothing came for the content inside while I was napping a moment ago. Then the two of us walk back home together."Oh by the way sis, what will we have for breakfast today?"

Every morning both of us wake up very early, usually in the last moments of hour drei just before lightrise and trek to the woods near our home. My sister would collect sticks and wood while the smaller me go around searching for any kind of herbs, edible plants and mushroom. Those will either be used in our meals of the day or sold in the village's square where peddlers and small merchants gather. Once the hour of vier comes, we would depart the woods and head home back to our farm. At this time mother would already be up and father would be tending to the field. It is a routine that has solidified into my conciousness. We do this everyday, just living a peaceful life in the countryside, in the village of Mildo.

We walk silently among the greenery of the morning woods. With the light from Sir and Sar embracing the top of the leaves, giving them a slight golden tint as the soft gales wind caress the branches, swaying them along a windy rythm. At this hour, not only the people but also nature seems to have woken up as well. I can hear the sound of the forest becoming alive, from the chirping of the birds to the calling of the deras coming out from their burrows in the ground. The forest under the rule of the light is revived anew, once again full of life.

Trailing behind Evaa I thought to myself. What a wonderful and peaceful life this is. Of course there's the Glerian Empire and their allies trying to probe our kingdom's border everyday and occasionally there are dangerous beasts that roam the depths of the woods. But recently I heard from a traveler that there has been a temporary cease-fire between the Empire League and the South East Kingdoms Alliance. And the beasts never leave the woods to bother the village as long as noone bothers them.

While pondering I instinctively look up and gaze at the blue sky of heaven. There reside the domains of deities. The domain of the sister Goddesses of light that rule the lightrise. The domain of lord Shatten of the Dark that rules the lightfall. Of the three goddesses of Luna, Lena and Lana, of the twinkle Shines fairies of the stary lightfall darken sky. I have always wonder what is up there other than the deities. Is there a limit to heaven? How high is it? What is it like to be up there? Many have tried but failed to take flight, even with the assistance of the best magics one can only float so high before having to come back down again.

Just at that moment, my thought is interupted by the sight of a strange streak of white cloud slicing through the sky, it is as if something is desending down from heaven.

"Sister, what is that up there?", I asked pointing my finger to that streak of white cloud. Evaa folows my finger and spots it as well."I don't know Elaa", she shakes her head while looking at it.

We watch it as it descends further down. And once it dissapears under the fooliage of the woods. A moment later a slight vibration can be felt on our feet, followed by a distance violent sound coming from its direction. The sound was like someone using a hammer and strike the ground with everything they've got. Obviously something has fallen from the sky down to the ground. This start to tickles my adventurous senses as I'm now curious about this strange phenomenon.

"Sister, did you see that, something has fallen down from the sky!" I turn to my sister and yell excitedly."Something has just descended from heaven," I expected the same enthusiasm from my sister but what I recieved was voices of concern instead.

"We should go back and tell everyone." My sister calmly said, but a slight hint of worry can be heard from her voice.

"What? Why? The deities from heaven have just given us something. Can't you see that? We must get to it before anyone else!" I feel excited. My body is starting to itch, itching to go to and see what it is."Let's go and see what it is that they gave us!"

"I don't know Elaa. I still think we should stay safe and tell everyone about it. We don't know what it is. What if it is something dangerous?" Evaa is still concern about it and is still trying to talk me out of my idea. But I didn't listen. I want to go to it.

"If you want to go back then fine. I'm going there myself," I dash away imediately infront of my bewildered sister. She try to give chase and shout out to me.

"Elaa, please stop, there are many dangers deep in the wood! Please, Elaa!"

"You don't need to worry about me, sister. I know this wood like the palm of my hand. I have always returned safely, haven't I?" I shout back. My curiosity got the best of me, so I started running faster, leaving my sister behind. Through the leaves and the fooliage I dash left and right as I move toward that fallen object. I used to sneak out of my house to play in the woods, It's completely safe. I have never been attacked by animals or beasts, if anything I would only recieve minor scratches from running too fast and falling down while playing in the forest.

I run deeper and deeper into the bowel of the woods. Light is starting to get weaker due to the thick branches of the trees above my head. The sound of birds and animals start to ramp up and directions start to get confusing. But I have been even deeper into the forest before, multiple times even, and I was always able to return by myself. Morover, I've never encountered anything larger than a Dera in this forest. All of those warning about beast like B'ar or Wealese are just to scare children so as to not let them get near the woods.

I slow down and come to a halt to catch some breaths. The location of that object is near, I can feel it. And then, suddenly I hear strange noises of something moving through the bushes. It brushes against the leaves as I hear it getting closer. This must be that thing that dropped from the sky earlier. So it is alive? Is it coming for me? I got even more excited and start walking toward where the sounds comes from.

And then it appeared. Out of the bushes.

It's not something that I have never seen before. I do remember seeing it in the books belonging to my uncle back when I was still staying with him in Weslefair.

So it seems like the tales of beasts in the forest were not bluffs at all.

Standing before me is a giant b'ar, standing upright with bloodlust eyes and four massive arms, sharp claws protruding out of its palms. The beast is massive, its head almost touch the lower branch of a a nearby tree. It has dark, rough and messy fur, along with a terrible stench. Smells like dead maus.

It looks at me and produces an intimidating growl. The two bloodshot eyes sets their sight on me. And soon it starts to walk toward me, with fangs and claws bear to the fullest.

I just stand there, staring at it. My legs refuse to move. In fact they refuse to even stand. I soon start to tremble, my legs lose their power and I collapse on my knees. Tears start to swell in my eye but I can not cry out nor scream. My vision blurs away from the moisture of building up tears.

I should have listened to my sister.

I should have gone back.

But it's too late. I'm going to die? Right here?

"Elaa, run!" a voice came calling from behinh the b'ar as a rock hits its head. It is Evaa. She has caught up with me and threw a rock at it, taking its attention away from me.

Hit in the head, the beast got mad as it turns away from me and start charging at my sister.

"Elaa, stand up and run as fast as you can, I will distract it for you" Cries my sister. I can see that she is like me, scared for her life. With desperation in her eye yet she still tries to yell to get the beast's attention.

"Evaa? SIS? WHY ARE YOU HERE?" The sudden appearance of my sister broke me out of my mute state and I screamed.

"Over here. That's right, follow me and leave my little Elaa alone!" She yell while running away from it. But really, how can a girl outrun such a beast? It soon catches up to her.

What do I do?

I want to run. But I can't, my legs don't want to move.

I want to chase after my sister, but I am so dreaded for my life that I don't want to.

So I just sit there, murmuring to myself. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault. Oh heaven above please have mercy. Please... save us..."

But praying is useless.

Nothing can save us now.

It catches up to her.

"No, no, no ,no, please no. Please don't hurt her, please..."

And raises its paw up.

"EVAA! NO!"

A horrible sound of claws slicing flesh was heard echoing througout the forest. The beast effortlessly strikes my sister in her back with its monstrous claw. And with it's strength, sends her bloodied body smacking into a nearby tree. The strike was so powerful she couldn't even scream.

"EVAAAAA!"

I lost it. My cry and scream got mixed together. The result was an inaudible sound of cracking voice calling out my sister's name. I have just witnessed a beast mauling my beloved sister.

It's my fault. Why didn't I listen to her?

Why did I ran further into the forest?

Why did I chase that thing? Why? Why? WHY?!

After striking her down, It approaches her seemingly lifeless and fragile body. The blood from the wound on her back seeps out and dyes her once white garment into a blood red color. She lies there, motionless. I can't believe it, my only sister just died right in front of me, and it was me who caused it.

Now I have to witness it consume her, too?

And once it's done, I am next?

I have to run, but to where? And how? It would catch up to me anyway, and my body refuses to move even just a bit. Is this the end? Am I really going to die?

It uses its massive blood tainted paw to grab her body and pick her up. Then it sits down and start putting her head near its mouth. Fangs just cens away from her head.

Ah, this is it, we are done for.

I guess we will be meeting big brother very soon...

And it bites her head.

Except it didn't.

It couldn't.

Somehow it's two arms that are holding her just exploded and her body drops to the ground along with whatever that was left from its detached arms. Blood sprays everywere from its wrist as it growls and roars painfully. And from between the trees surrounding me. I hear many odd sounds, along with a strange voice of a man shouting in an unknown language.

" TALON 1, TANGO HIT, 9-BANG OUT!"