Mountain and Sea

Where there is land and sea, there is life. Where there is life there are obstacles. Where there are humans, there are problems. History has a funny way of repeating itself. War over power and love is all that’s left to silence the urge to live. Stories of ancestors that used to hike and govern all Terra was all that was taught once, dreams for kids to run off and explore the horizons of their island, this was the only way to live to the fullest while longing to be old enough to travel the long sea for possibilities of newer faces. However, there were borders prohibited to enter and explore, clans where created for a reason. “If we all would get along, there would be more fights, staring the new era of another apocalypses” explained the elders. It was known in the villages that in the past, nuclear bombs were launched in order to start over, all due to the fact that powerful people had rivals and out of control democracy. It was taught that the few that were left on the habited island, were doing the right thing. Either have your clan to protect and feed, or hand it over to a better warrior, or for the relatedness of the story, hand it over for wrongdoings that make you underserving of a community.

However, once a year there was a tilt to Terra that left everyone vulnerable. It was said and respected that when the Aurora Borealis appear in the night sky right up the mountain it was time to accept all clans as one, and pay the respect of the ancestors. Trading were acceptable and new prosperous clan leaders would come forward to advise of clans of the new representative of their nation. Peaceful as it was, it was the beginning of the new era of wars and only two knew about it. Two that had already met by the river that separated Mountain and Sea, two lovers that despite their statuses decided that love was beyond all laws, and planned to live regardless of their rules. Nilo and Mika, both heirs and warriors to their own clans failed at their encounter. Both lovers were held hostage by their own families for preparation to present them as the new leaders of their clans during the Lights. When it was all set and done, their lament and suffering began, they understood the rules and they knew they had waited too long to escape. Better to be fugitives than dishonor your family, and village, or worse, turn over the best two clans to the remainders. Leaders or not, they still found the time for each other, planned to overtake the other clans and care for them, so once they were all done they could finally come within an agreement to each other. In their mind to finally be together as one.

Years of preparedness did not get them ready for what their future held. Pushed into marriages neither wanted or desired. However it worked out on their favor in the news of Mika’s pregnancy, which it only meant that life for the baby would be made easy. Mika husband suspected the entire thing, never even laid in the same bed with his wife, he needed to find out who the father was. All the work to expose Mika the correct way for him to stay in the crown for dishonor of her family. Mika’s brother was the next in line and strongest Warrior that the Sea clan has ever trained. Upon realization that Nilo was the father, Mika’s husband stayed back and planned for action.

Mika and Nilo presented themselves to the elders and protectors of the Mountain, days before the Lights, in which they helped birthed two identical boys with the variety of their eye colors one blue eyes, Aegean and one with greens eyes, Shamrock. Nilo had kept his wife informed and silent during the last months of Mika’s pregnancy which made it easy to raised his boy. Mika had to sacrifice and keep only Aegean within arm’s reach, while letting Shamrock leave with his father, whom she trusted and loved. During the birthing of the boys, the elders conjured a spell to created two lockets for the boys, half heart lockets. Lockets were ready the day of the Lights, meant to harness its power to protect and one day guide them towards the truth of their origins. Neededless to said, the day of the light and the lockets were placed on the babys, Mika’s husband took his stand. He took Mika aside and threatening her with the throne. As a warrior and mother she went for the offensive, only to be killed in the arms of her own husband, her bother who stayed close avenged his sister, only to discover that he was responsible for his one and only nephew and in his care he needed to raise the heir of the throne as best as he could, as a warrior. With only two clans Aegean was to be raised to best any warrior in his encounters.

Nilo, without the love and guidance of his Mika, wasted away emotionally and knew that Shamrock had to be raised as a warrior just like his brother. In hopes that one day the truth would be told, however sickness overcame Nilo before the truth was disperse to his son. Shamrock, knowing that Aegean the fearless Sea warrior was soon to be leader just like he was, had to keep preparing day and night for his own clan coronation. Ritual took place on their twentieth birthdays. Aegean, just like his mother and father before him, had fallen in love with a girl just outside the borders, Shamrocks half-sister. During the Lights that year and representations of the new leaders Shamrock the Mountain Leader and Aegean the Sea Leader, Aegean stood up to Shamrock and asked his sister in Marriage. Marriage that was prohibited, Shamrock knew the only alternative to such question was to fight, fight for power to unite the clans. Only one was meant to live.

The day of the combat arrived, both brave and as angry as they were hyped, however unknown restlessness set upon them. Tradition was to fight in a circle barehand to death. Shamrock knew deep inside that he couldn’t killed Aegean, it would only destroy his sister, the only one left of his family resembling his mother in every aspect. Aegean knew that his lover loved her brother to death, and if the match took placed in its entirety, he would probably lose her forever, and she was more important than the overruling of the clans. Both Leaders knew that the best outcome was to beat each other good enough to show who to fear, and have Violet as a peace token between the clans. What could go wrong?

Surprisingly enough both brothers took their half heart lockets to the battle. Battle that culturally took place at the peak of the mountain, midafternoon six months from the Lights. Light and Darkness was not to interrupt each other, respect for the Aurora before the egos of the men. Something did happen right then and there, Shamrock the green eye mountain warrior carried his locket from his neck, Aegean carried it on his wrist, and upon arguing to fight lockets locked forming a perfectly golden heart locket. Locket that resurrected right upon them, making day into night and the Lights reforming in the sky as brighter as it used to centuries ago. From the Sea and through Mountains, Nilo and Mika both reappear in their clan color spirits. Connecting hands with each other to finally see each other again, and to realized that their sons where right in front of them, all man-grown warriors. The hopefulness did not last long, the moment passed to show where they were located and the atrocity that was about to take place. Mika our sea blue spirit fell to her knees and sob, while Nilo explained the truth of the origins to the boys.

“This life though not chosen, it was meant to run its course. Both my sons are the outcome of a wonderful love that was incapable of uniting the clans. Fear of expulsion and revulsion kept your real mother and I from uniting to each other. Do not make the same mistake, your people will support you and your parents will be the proudest if the right decisions is made.”

Just like the Lights appeared, they also vanished. Leaving the two brothers mesmerize and speechless. They were not able to get a word out, but they understood everything. They hugged, people that were once cheering quiet at once, and the heart locket that what once in half was full and radiating but not in gold anymore. The locket that they both knew who it belong to now, the future to both their Clans as one, Violet.