Prologue
At the beginning of time there was only darkness. Darkness so deep that it was like falling down an endless pit and hovering in space at the same time. Unable see. Unable to know where or even when you will end or begin. Black as black with nothing and not a living soul in sight.
Born of the shadows was the Nyx.
Nyx, tired of the complete darkness and the endless unknowing created the stars. One by one she hung stars in the sky, bringing some light to the night. Not quite satisfied, she then created the moon. Sometimes as big and bright and round as a saucer. Sometimes nothing but a thin crescent hanging in the sky.
Born of that bit of light though came Cyrus to chase away the rest of darkness. The epitome of everything Nyx was not. Warmth. Bright. Fiery.
Where Nyx was a calm, quiet, cool night.
Cyrus created the sun. So bright and shining Nyx could not look directly at it. Cyrus created bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds.
They danced around each other for centuries. Cyrus at the end of each night would open his enormous, white feathery wings and fly his way across the universe. Pulling the sun behind him, chasing away the darkness. And at the end of the days Nyx would walk along the edge of the world and cast a shadow and raise the moon high in the sky, putting their small world to sleep.
With their dance came the earth. Rhea. She brought the vast green fields and pastures. Flowers that came in every color imaginable. Some bright, others soft. Rhea created the giants of the land. Trees she called them. So tall you could hardly see their tops from the ground. Making Nyx's once small dark world large and full of possibilities.
After some time, the earth began to shrivel and dry.
Bringing Adrian. Who created the ocean. In the sun it would sparkle against Cyrus's bright sunshine and at night the large body of water created an infinite push and pull against Nyx's beloved moon. Adrian's oceans would leak into the land creating rivers and streams that ran along Rhea's pastures.
Bringing their world back from the brink.
Unbeknownst to these gods and goddesses they had created life. Life which evolved in many shapes and sizes and species. From ants to elephants on land. To little clams and whales in the sea. To birds that soared high in the sky beside Cyrus.
Then came the humans.
The humans brought chaos to the world. Aeron who wreaked havoc across the land. Stole fire from Cyrus's sun and gave it to the humans who burned the ground to a crisp. Created demonic figures who hid in the shadows making the humans fear Nyx's starry nights. Turning the humans into selkies. Beautiful creatures who were seals by sea and then would shed their skin and have human faces on land. Who lurk in the seas luring in sailors to their death which in turn created the draugen. Angry spirits of the men who were drowned at sea. Creating mistrust and pitting the humans against one another.
To help the humans wage war against chaos the gods and goddesses gifted some humans with their power. Cyrus's gift of light and a mighty pair of wings in likeness to his own.
To help fight the good fight against chaos, Rhea gifted the humans with the ability to manipulate the earth and its plants. To be able to cause earthquakes one moment and grow food the next, or even manipulate nature for medicine.
Adrian gifted humans with the power of the ocean. To create violent storms, floods and the winds to turn the tide in this war against Aeron.
But with war came death. So many souls lost that they needed somewhere to go.
Melinoe was the taker and protector of souls and ghosts. Once a person's soul left their body, demi or mortal, Melinoe would be there to take their souls to the after world. Melinoe always so ambiguous. You could never tell her intentions. She wore a mask and paraded around with one half of her body black as night and the other half stark white.
Nyx, however watched as the world around her descended deeper and deeper into chaos as her fellow gods and goddesses unintentionally created demigods wreaking more havoc on the world. This world that was born of her and existed because of her. And this world that had grown into such peace and beauty and descended into madness in what felt like the blink of an eye. She couldn't stand it any longer.
Finally, after centuries, she approached Aeron. Who had taken to the deepest depths of the earth. Sitting back and watching his work unfold before him. He balked at her. Almost laughed. He was niave and foolish though. Young in comparison to Nyx. She had been at the edge of this universe since the beginning and he had no idea what she was capable of. She flung all of her power she had at him. Though she was strong she was not able to kill him. She realized that he had gained strength from causing a raging age among the humans. She was however able to put him in an eternal deep sleep. With that she locked him away in the darkest part of the world, the place he called home. Where even Cyrus's bright sun couldn't light.
And the world was at peace once more. Or so she thought.
With the humans wielding godlike abilities it appeared the goddess of the night was too late. The god of chaos had already left his mark on this world. Like a scorch across the earth.
With such unbalance running ragged the goddess of destiny and fate was born into existence.
Kismet was what she called herself. She was all seeing and all knowing. And she would determine the life and destiny of every soul on earth. In order to bring balance back.
Centuries past and balance and peace was slowly making it's way back to the world. Nyx however was becoming weaker. Unlike her fellow gods and goddesses who were becoming stronger, because they gifted the humans with their abilities. She did not gift the humans with her god like abilities.
In turn the humans did not worship and believe in her the way the humans believed in the others. With Nyx's deterioration, being able to keep Aeron in his eternal slumber was becoming increasingly more difficult. Worried she sought out the only person who might have answers.
Kismet.
Would she be able to keep Aeron from rising once more? Nyx questioned.
Kismet told Nyx that in twenty years on the new moon when she was at her weakest Aeron would break free from his slumber. But not without help. Humans would fight to bring him back.
There was one way to to defeat him though.
Gift a child with Nyx's power and Aeron would fall once more.
But who? Which child? Kismet would not tell her. Fearing she had already revealed too much.
Devastated Nyx fled to the tallest peak and raised the fullest and brightest moon in the sky. While soaking in the quiet moon light she heard the desperate plea of a woman. She heard her tell the night sky that her baby was sick and she had no where else to turn.
She needed help. If her baby didn't get help it would die. Is this the human Kismet was referring to? Nyx was never one to take chances or guesses. But she also does not believe it was any accident that Nyx ended up on this mountain top with this woman and her child. Nyx descended down to the woman. Plumes of smoke following in her stead. Her long black tresses floating effortlessly around her face. The woman was startled back at Nyx.
"Who are you?" She asked. Cradling her baby close to her heart.
Nyx did not respond. Nyx glided closer to the fearful mother and held out her hand. Slowly Nyx opened her hand revealing a small moonstone. The woman did not take it. But she did not turn away either.
"I'm here to help." Nyx said in a soft soothing voice. "Let me see your precious baby."
Reluctantly the woman handed the baby over. Nyx looked upon the child's face.
Beautiful.
It was the first word that came to Nyx's mind when she saw her. She pulled the blanket that swaddled her from her head. Nyx gently closed her eyes and kissed this innocent child between her eyes. When Nyx opened her eyes the baby's hair was fading from brown to white. She looked upon her face once more and in a flash of shadows and darkness Nyx disappeared leaving the baby in her mother's loving arms. Along with a pendant necklace fastened around her neck. Fashioned from a moonstone.
And so Nyx waited. And hoping beyond all hope that she made the right decision. Through the years she watched over that baby. Never interfering. Simply letting her live her life until the time was right. To tell her, Artemis, her destiny.
