The night is cold, the winds are silent. The whole tribe, who are usually not this silent, grow quiet for the night. The Lady of the Moon, or the Chief's wife, is giving birth to the heir of the tribe, the Lunar Tribe. A tribe known for their belief in the Moon and their Aura that embodies the moon as its source. Known for their valiant battles and calm minds in war, they are a tribe known to all who live in the Southern Desert known as the Black Desert.
"It's a boy, Chief! It's a boy!!!" said the lady who attended the Chief's wife's labor towards the door where the Chief of the Lunar Tribe, Ragan Lunarious, stood like a statue. The usually stoic yet calm man was full of worry and anticipation. After he heard the lady's voice, his face lit up like the sun even before the sun had risen. He opened the door to the room and saw the woman who helped his wife with daily tasks holding a small boy.
"Let me see him…" said Runa weakly. She was tired after giving birth, but her love for her son gave her the strength to speak those words. The attending lady who helped her in labor placed the small boy gently beside her. The boy was still crying and squirming but instantly calmed down after he was placed beside his mother.
"My son… you are so handsome," said Runa lovingly toward the infant. A wide smile was plastered on Ragan's face as he saw the two of them.
"What are you doing standing there for, dear? Come, name him," said Runa after seeing her husband standing still, smiling like a fool. But what could Ragan do, as he saw the most beautiful scene he never expected to see in this desert?
"The boy will be named Silver, Silver Lunarious. Stand tall and be pure, my son," said Ragan, shedding one tear and quickly wiping it off before anyone could see it. Everyone did see it, but everyone decided to stay quiet. They knew the burden of becoming Chief at the age of twenty was a heavy load for his shoulders, so they respected his strength not only in battle but as a person.
While that was happening, far, far north in the cold northern land, the Duke of Clamantia also had some happy news, his wife had just given birth to a beautiful young infant with eyes as blue as the sea. The two infants were born at the same exact time and moment. Even when distance separated the two so far apart, what would become of them, only the author would know.
TIMESKIP!! Hah!! You think I would have the energy to actually write about an infant's life? NOPE, not on my watch! |
Seven years have gone by. The small infant was now a boy with a warm and arrogant grin plastered on his face. His father, the Chief of the Tribe, sat in front of him, his hand on his forehead, not even understanding how what happened was possible. Silver Lunarious awakened his Aura at the age of seven years old, a feat never before seen in the history of mankind. Usually, one would need to be ten years old to awaken their Aura, the power born from within one's soul and body, a power unique to each individual. Yet here he was, watching his son's confident grin after awakening Aura after only a year of learning it from him. How could Ragan even react to that kind of discovery?
"Old man, I told you, right? I am a genius. So allow me to go to battle already," said Silver, his grin still apparent on his face.
"You haven't even finished your study on war strategy and the land of the desert, and yet you think you would be able to go fight someone?!" Ragan reprimanded him. But before he even managed to continue his rant, the old wise man Heran came into the chief's tent.
"I admit, young Moon, I cannot beat this strategy. Greetings, Chief," said Heran, who seemed tired and a bit surprised at what he was even saying. Heran was still trying to figure out a way to counter Silver's strategy in a mock-up raid scenario where Silver was the attacker and Heran the defender. It took Heran three full days to realize he had no way out of Silver's strategy.
Hearing what Heran just said, Ragan was confused as to why the man he trusted to teach his son the art of war was here with sweat on his forehead like someone who had just been defeated in battle.
"May the moon be with you, Heran," said Ragan, accepting Heran's greeting, but his face was still confused. "What are you saying? What about this brat's strategy?" he asked, wanting to satisfy his curiosity.
"The young Moon made a bet with me, Chief. He asked me to give him a week of free time if he managed to make a strategy I could not beat, and it seems I lost the bet," said Heran, his face full of disbelief and embarrassment. Heran then handed the mock-up strategy to Ragan to see. Ragan, also known for his strategic brilliance, was curious to see how good his son's strategy really was. But when Ragan saw the strategy, he became extremely furious. Why? Because this strategy was his own strategy, a strategy he had made after grueling over a mock-up scenario for the past month. Of course, Heran wouldn't be able to beat it, because Heran was the one who gave him the base of the mock-up that Ragan needed to counter.
Sensing that his father realized the strategy was his own and his anger toward him, Silver began planning his escape. But before he could even stand, Ragan grabbed his arm.
"Don't you dare, you little genius brat! Trust me, when you come of age, I will give you the title of The Fool! Go and finish your training with Bruda, or I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE," said Ragan with both anger and happiness, seeing his son's smile and wit.
Silver knew that his father wasn't angry because he copied his strategy. He knew that the strategy he made was, in a way, different from his father's, but the base of it was still Ragan's own strategy.
"Ah, and Father, I almost forgot to mention this to you. I think the blue resin can be used to filter the south oasis. If we combine it with some wolfbane flower and a mana stone, it might even remove the poison in the water, as long as the poison isn't something made by a high-level mage. It should work," said Silver before leaving the tent.
The southern oasis of the Lunar Tribe's territory had been a headache for Ragan, as the water contained poison after some beast died in it. He had been searching for a way to remove the poison, even writing down lists of possible solutions on his work table. He never realized that his son would think of a way to do it.
"Blue resin and wolfbane do have some anti-poison properties… but why mana stone?" he said to no one. But it seemed Heran, who was still present, heard him.
"Chief, maybe you forget, wolfbane flower does remove some poisons, but it also has a side effect. Mana stones are used to remove that effect, but no one uses them because it's not worth it. However, if you want to purify a large quantity of water, mana stones are a must to remove its effect, as it may cause itching if one drinks it," said Heran, explaining it to the chief.
Ragan then realized why the mana stone was needed, because wolfbane flower caused itchiness when diluted in a large body of water if used in great quantity. Someone could even get sick. No one had ever thought of it because the cost was too large. But an oasis in the desert, even if they used a hundred mana stones to purify the water, would be worth it, as it would give life to the desert.
"That brat…" said Ragan, smiling from ear to ear before ordering some of the tribesmen to gather the ingredients to purify the oasis water.