A Small Child ran towards their mother, the heat and glow of the central camps bone fire roared, embers raining the air as their small wings flapped in an attempt to fly. Small flutters from them kept them afloat for only small moments. Being only 6 years old, they will soon be able to fly for short distances once they are 9. And by the time Puberty hits, their Wings will grow exponentially. A sign of adulthood to come with in the Ska'La culture. 'Spread their place' as they would be described as doing when they finally were able to stay in the air for longer than 3 minutes.
"Mama! Mama! Story Time Story Time!" The Child spoke as the Mother bent over, Wings furled behind her. "Yes~ Yes it is my love!" Giving the child a small bounce, the almost too long leather piece adorning their body was the only clothing they wore bar undergarments. It was a child's first piece of clothing. Often tied up and behind them to give their legs and wings room to move. It was similar to how many Children in the blue sea had scarves or other articles made for them to grow into. But this long dress like piece served a second purpose
It granted most children a look of Androgyny. While born male, the child would have the decision within their life to choose what path of gender they wanted to take. Male, Female, Forgo, or Split-Soul. There were some issues, and some discrimination from separate groups of Ska'La. But many accepted and Part took in this Practice. With the Idea of Split Soul allowing an individual to serve both Masculine and Feminine roles. Rather it be a Hunter or Other more Domestic roles.
Sitting down, the Mother held the Back of the child. Letting them get comfortable before asking "So my dear, what is it you wish to hear tonight~" She cooed the words as she booped the childs nose with a finger.
"I Know!" The Child spoke after a moment of contemplation. "Where do we come from Mama?"
"Come from?"
"Yes! We always walk…Where did we…" The Child attempted to find the right word.
"Start?"
"Yeah! Start!"
With a Giggle the Mother leaned forward, and began whispering before pointing upwards.
"We came From the Moon."
"The Moon!?" The child looked up to their mother with an awestruck and dazzled expression, mouth agape and hands clenched in excitement
The Mother swiped her hands in the sky. The clear view of thousands of stars splattered the sky like white on a black canvas. The moon was so large and close that it appeared close. In reality It was thousands of kilometers away. It held a unique attribute of being close enough to the Planet it was within the Atmosphere. And even held its own.
"Long ago. The God of the Moon formed us from the sleeping father of earth. Shaping us from the mud of his back. Giving us our wings so that we may one day leave the nest Like the birds that flew on the surface Of the father"
"Where are the other people mama?"
"They stayed on the Father of the World. And they called him Elohi. The Mother Moon, Teho, Kept us Ska'Laians close to her because we were her Creations. The wingless were created by the Father and Kept close to him."
"And one Day. After a long time of staying on the moon. We went back to the father when the Mother told us it was time."
"And we chose to live in the sky?"
"We did. We chose the closest place to our mother, in the clouds."
"What About the Others?! Where did they come From!" Asked the Child
"Well that…" The mother thought to herself. Finger to her chin "I just don't know."
The Other People of the Sky Islands had their own Variations of the Myth of Elohi and Teho. Some had the Father as the Moon. And the Mother as Earth. Some were Genderless Entities of the Void that Birthed them. But all held the same idea of Coming from the Moon. And after a time, coming to live on the Clouds above the Land known as Jaya Vanem. But as for where the other Clans and Tribes soon to be full fledged Nations, came from. Was a mystery to them as well. Perhaps lost to time and the melding of their Stories and Tales of Myth. Ever Changing like the Clouds they Stood upon.
But for one. Those of the East. They had a story, that from the Void of the Universe others were born from the Mother Moon. She had taken more Clay as they knew it, from the Other Mother. Formed more Winged Ones, but when it came to Leave, a fight sprang. And the fight caused them to fall from the Mother Moon and Land on the Clouds.
The Night continued. Fading into the Next Day. And Days Continued into Months. Years Passed. And the Events of Surviving, wandering and Developing their land continued.
The Islands to The Other Directions increased into large villages. Buildings of Soil and Clokosi. Their Cultures grew diverse. And the Stories of how the Nation with Mysterious Powers grew.
*
95 Years Later. [355 Years Ago]
Children ran through the packed down Clokosi roads. Ska'laians had finally settled after Decades of wandering the white, blank fields of the Sky Island. Gone were the Leather and Bala Thatch Tepees, were now replaced by plank houses and rudimentary stone and Cloay buildings. Cloay being the form of condensed Clokosi that created a similar consistency and attributes of Clay.
Baked and Formed into Bricks with then coated in a layer of Cloay. Bala Thatch roofs used to keep air flow going in and out of the buildings and houses. Built in just the right area so that the Houses could be built atop of. Fields of wheat and food being farmed in the flats built into the.
Those of the Feather had began agricultural expeditions and had come out with a fruitful revelation beyond the plant remedies that they once had. They now baked bread far quicker than before. Flatbreads, Loaves too. Mixing the Peppers they grow, fruits dried, and mixed into bars that could be kept for an extremely long time.
There were even the few in the past century that had discovered a new power. Through a specific material similar to reeds known as Steelamboon. They were able to bring their imagination to reality. This material allowed the Sacred Mystics that were able to use the Power of Magic on small scale to bring the weather to their control. Gone were the dances, and the rituals and rites that were used through the combined faith and will of those practitioners they were able to bring these ideas and events into reality
With Steelamboon, they could summon up clouds on a whim. And imbue them with a property they wished. Wind, mist, rain. They could control that weather through the control and medium of the steelamboon. Though, through trial and error. It was discovered only specific people could utilize this power. And that the Steelamboon could only conjure the elemental fury of Weather. Just another Preternatural element of the world.
With the Shake of the quarterstaff in hand. The wrinkled old man that stood near the fields said a few chants beneath his breath, closing his eyes as the accessory feather and netting across the staff shaking in tandem.
Slowly, condensation accumulated above him. Growing from a mist, to a thin cloud, then to a full cloud and darkening to a deep gray before visibly seeming to get heavier before releasing a downpour of rain. Rain was a Rare sight this high into the sky for obvious reasons. While the cloud coulda absorb condensation, which would cause flooding and creeks to form before drying out in a cycle.
Most water was gotten from crushing Clokosi of its water and drinking it. Having incredible hydrating Properties.
***
But all was not as it seemed. Because from the North. Was coming a Threat that in the hundreds of years that the Ska'laians and any of the other nations had ever seen. Worse than the warring clans, the conflicts with the tribes.