Dastan; 9840 B.C.

In a small village at the edge of a great forest alongside a great river that stretched as far as the eye could see lay the village of Dastan - a village of two hundred people. Life in the village was the same every day, the men would go to work in the fields, markets, and drink in the taverns. While the women would spend their days taking care of the children and tending to the household. Not all the villagers lived this way as there were some who were known to be a little different. They kept to themselves most of the time but also because they looked a little different compared to the others. Their eyes were much brighter, but no one really noticed this. The only thing that was obvious to the others was their sense of honor and protectiveness of their family.

Weeks in the village tended to go by fast as nothing ever changed as the season would come and go. But today it was different as it was a day of celebration. A celebration for the soon to be arriving child of Mya and James, a couple who lived just outside the village walls. They were a private couple who usually only came into the village to sell their harvest. The arrival of a child was much to celebrate for all the villagers. This was not happy occasion for all as some did not share this same fortune of children. For ten of the villagers this was momentous occasion as it would be the first born in over four hundred years.

The villagers gathered in the village square which was decorated in red and blue flowers while before them a feast was spread about the tables, with James and Mya at the front as it was their celebration. It was a true celebration since she was drawing near to the end of her pregnancy. Standing at the front of a table a man stood up and raised his mug to make a speech.

 “To all of the villagers on behalf of my lovely wife Mya, we would like to thank you for the lovely gifts and for sharing in our joy.” spoken by a tall well built, fair skin, black hair, and blue-eyed James before taking a drink. As he took a drink, he saw five of the villagers staring in hate. This was nothing new as this hate went back thousands of years before any of them were born. This time it was different he could see a burning hatred in their eyes. This hatred was quite simple there had been no children in almost five hundred years since the last child was born. 

Bothered by this James put his mug down for a few moments and said politely to the crowd “Excuse me for a moment.”

“What’s wrong?” Mya asked concernedly as she placed her hand on his arm and looked into his eyes with her bright green eyes.

“Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry about it. I’ll be right back.” James smiled as he kissed her lips. She gave a slight smile, but this was only a ruse as she could feel that something was wrong.

            James walked away from the table and through the crowd to where the five men who were staring at them. As he walked all he could think about was protecting his growing family. As he walked Mya in all her natural beauty, for she had the brightest long red hair of any female and the fairest skin of all, showed great concern in her bright green eyes as she feared what would come. As soon as James reached the men he quietly and calmly as he could, so not all could hear his words. “How dare you come here and ruin this for Mya.”

“You and your kind do not deserve this gift, that child should be ours. We deserve this child more than any of you. It has been five hundred years for our kind, for our families.” 

Spoken quietly and furiously by Corvin, which the other men agreed. They agreed not only as it was what they believed but also, he was their leader. Corvin held such power not only in his deep voice but also in his appearance. For he was a tall muscular man with dark skin and long black hair which was kept in a braid that ran down along his spine.

“We prayed to the spirits for years to have a child but not for the good of our race.” James replied rather loudly.

“Then, why.” shouted Ash who was one of the men standing behind Corvin.

“Because Mya wanted a baby. That’s all. So don’t blame me why the spirits choose to bless us.” James shouted to which many nearby heard.

“Are you alright James?” a male voice said from behind James.

James looked back at the man and recognized his face as he was his close friend. “I’m fine. They were just leaving.” James spoke quite harshly while looking directly into Corvin’s eyes before walking away with his friend.

“This isn’t over. You fucking Ang.” Corvin shouted at James stopping him dead in his tracks.

“Come on, James, my friend.” His friend spoke trying to get him to move which he did a few moments later. His friend was confused as to why the men are always so hostile towards each other. As they walked back to the celebration his friend stated. “I don’t know why you, those gentlemen and the man speaking to your wife never seem to get along.”

James looked up at Mya, to see her friend Leo speaking to her. Something he didn’t like but had to allow since he had never harmed her.

James looked at his friend and sighed. “Olin, my friend, it is a long story one that you would find hard to believe.”

“Can’t be that long, you are all so young.” Olin laughed giving James a smile as well as lifting his mood.

“Looks can be deceiving, my friend.” James laughed.

As they walked toward Mya, he looked up at her and saw the fear still in her eyes but not towards her friend. As he got closer to them, he could feel that something bad was coming as he felt it in the wind and nature around him.

“Thank you, my friend for everything but I need to get back to Mya. It has been a long day for her and as the day comes sooner and sooner.” James spoke to Olin. Before parting ways as he got up to the table, he could hear his wife and her friend speaking.

“Thank you for coming to this special day for us. It wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t here.... I’m getting tired Leo. I think I should get home so I could rest.” Mya spoke to him, before turning to address the crowd. “Thank you all for coming and giving us this celebration but it’s time to go home and rest. Again, thank you so much. Please continue with the celebration as this is a happy moment for all of us.” Mya appeared to be very happy but tired as the villagers applauded and smile.

“Let me help you to your wagon.” Leo smiled as he gave her his hand.

“Thank you, Leo.” she smiled as she grabbed his hand and slowly got up as she was quite large at five months.

“I don’t want anything to happen to him.” Leo said smiling at her. While James looked on

with distrust in his eyes, something both Leo and Mya saw.

“I don’t know why he dislikes you. When we’ve been friends for so long even, thou we are different and are supposed to be enemies.”

“I think that is really all it is, he’s afraid I am going to kill you all because of my race. Unlike the others I do not care that you are with child not that I’m not happy for you because I am. I see that maybe our time for children will come soon maybe even for myself and Hera.” Leo said as they reached the wagon. “Just know that I will never harm you or your baby and I will always protect you no matter the consequences for myself.”

“You’re a good friend, Leo.”  Mya said warmly as she embraced him in a hug which he quickly embraced her back much to the disgust of the upcoming James.

“Ready, Mya?” James asked quite abruptly.

Breaking their hug, Leo helped her up onto the wagon as James watched keeping an eye on Leo’s hands for any weapons that he may have hidden. “Yes, I’m ready to go, love.” she replied getting adjusted on the wagon seat.

“I’ll see you later, Mya.” Leo said before walking away which Mya waved to him to say goodbye.

With that James got onto the wagon and started the horses going to take them to their home. The ride home was a slow quiet one as James was still hot under the collar from his confrontation with Corvin. Also, he couldn’t go fast as Mya was advanced in her pregnancy. As they drove the wagon home Mya grew uncomfortable as James would barely look at her. This made her feel like she did something wrong by talking to her friend Leo. Every time she went to speak to James, she felt uneasy as she could feel his anger radiating from his body. As the hour-long ride came to an end she could no longer take the silence.

“James, will you talk to me. Please.” Mya asked concernedly but James didn’t answer right away. “James.”

“Mya, we’ll talk when we get inside our home.” James spoke a few moments later.

“Okay,” Mya answered.

For the next few minutes, the ride was a quiet one. Luckily it was almost over as they pulled up to a small farm that lay beside a grand lake and full forest. Behind the lake stood a beautiful four room log cottage, while the fields and gardens were placed near the forest. It had a magical feeling to it. James pulled the wagon up to the cottage. “Whoa.” he spoke as he pulled the reins back slapping the horses he got down from the wagon so he could help her down. As he helped her down all he could think about was what Corvin said to him. Mya could see this, but she also knew that he would never tell her as he was protecting his family. He put her down on the ground then prepared to unhitch the horses from the wagon. Mya began to walk towards the door but as she opened it, she turned back around to look at James as he unhitched the horses from the wagon.

            “James, listen to me.” Mya spoke in a soft yet with such power and conviction. “Neither Leo nor his wife would ever harm me or our baby. I have been friends with him for decades and I trust him just as I trust you. You need to let your prejudice against his kind go as not all are like Corvin or Ash. Some are good kind-hearted people. You should trust him or at least give him a chance.”

James put his hand down on the hitch dropped his head and sighed “I do trust him as much as I can. I barely know him but what his kind have done in the past I can’t forget, and it makes it hard for me to give my full trust.”

“Were we so different long ago, we can’t always be enemies. A day will come when we have to come together against a greater enemy.” Mya spoke softly before she went into the cottage leaving James alone.

James got up to speak but as he turned around, he saw that she was gone. “That day will never come.” he mumbled to himself. Then he went back to unhitching the horses.

With the horses unhitched he led them to the field to graze and run around. He went back to the wagon to unload the gifts that they were given at the celebration. When he took them inside, he saw that Mya was laying down on their bed. In an effort to not to disturb her he placed the gifts on the table. Quietly he went back and forth till the wagon was empty. James continued with his chores till the sun went down while he was busy Mya got up half an hour later to begin making their evening meal. As well as putting their gifts in the baby’s room. While they were busy at their home back in the village Leo was finished making his errands after he left the celebration.

On his way home for the evening to take care of the chores and spend time with his wife as he was walking home, he could sense that someone was following him. Deep down he had an inkling of who it was that was following him for the stalker’s scent gave off strong waves of hatred and anger. Leo knew who it was, and he didn’t want a confrontation with him as he held such power and respect among the others of their race. Leo kept his pace so as not to arise suspicion to the man who was following him but as he got closer to his home the scent was gone allowing him to give a sigh of relief. Finally, he was free and clear but as he got closer to his home just near the border of the village near the forest, he could see a figure of a man standing by his front gate. He could see that it was Corvin, their leader not only that but the scent that was coming off him was the same of the man who was following him. This only reassured his suspicion of who it was that was following him. Leo feared him but not this night as he walked right up to Corvin showing no fear.

“What are you doing on my property?” Leo shouted at Corvin with not an ounce of respect to his elder. “You know the laws my home is my sanctuary to which no one may enter unless allowed.”

“As you can clearly see I am not in your home.” Corvin smugly replied. “Now as to my business, Mya, wife of James is your friend correct?” Talking crudely as he walked toward Leo who stood silent three feet away.

Leo looked at Corvin with hatred as he feared what he might do to Mya as she is like a sister he never had. “Leave her alone. For she has done none of us any wrong. She is gentle like the rain, and I won’t let you harm her or her baby.” Leo shouted boldly at him before pushing him back and out of his way.

Corvin looked at Leo’s back for a moment before grabbing his shoulder spinning him around with such force that he was face to face with Corvin. He grabbed him by the neck lifting Leo two feet off the ground with ease. Corvin could see the fear in his eyes and within a few seconds both of their true nature came out as their eyes faded from brown to bright red. As well as Corvin’s teeth grew in length as their human facade fell off. “She is the enemy, that child will never be born. War is coming my brother and it’s time to choose a side or die with the winged.”  He spoke in a deep raging voice as his eyes turned black as the night due to his rage and fury. Corvin released Leo and walked away as quick as the wind leaving Leo to tremble in fear to the words he had just spoken.