Once, centuries before Calux and Euritus danced Saltaire into existence, there were two suns in our sky. One of day that provided heat for life to flourish and one of night that gave comfort and kept the dark at bay. The night sky was therefore both brighter and emptier, for only a few stars could compete with the Sun of Night's silver light.
Inanox, a deity of cold and darkness, sympathised with the stars, for They had a similar relationship to Calux, a deity of heat and light, as the stars had with the suns. To aid them, Inanox decided to obscure the Sun of Night with Their obsidian cloak. The woven material absorbed the silver light and left only a sheen like oil on water by its silhouette. Despite Inanox's efforts, the cloak wouldn't always cover the sun. Some nights were dark and calm as intended, but just as many were flooded with light, blinding even the brightest of stars.
For a while, the few dark nights were enough to appease the stars, for even the weakest among them would be visible in the sky once a month. But soon they grew restless and longed for more attention. Despite their number, the stars knew they wouldn't stand a chance against the Sun of Day. Instead, they came together to take out its twin. Grateful for Inanox's noble aid, they warned Them of their plan.
But Inanox didn't leave. Knowing the risk, They stayed by the Sun of Night, pleading for the stars to reconsider, to choose a solution that would spare the celestial body and preserve the status quo. It was in vain. The stars seized their opportunity and rained down on the Sun of Night, each leaving a crater, crack, or chasm until it shattered. Inanox tried to stand Their ground, but couldn't hold off the stars. They tore through Inanox as if They weren't there at all. Only the holes in the obsidian cloak spoke of Inanox's defiance to destruction.
The continuous attack of stars dispersed the crescents across the sky. Most were knocked to the sky near the Sun of Day and some out of the sky completely, but a rare few came closer. They crashed into our land, leaving silver scars.
Since then, the crescents have wandered the skies with only fragments of their former combined light. The stars were pleased, for they were finally the centrepiece of the night. But Inanox hasn't forgotten their ruthlessness. One by one, They'll snuff out the stars with their tattered cloak. Slowly but surely, They'll clear the night sky to bring back the lost order.
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Tales from Saltaire
Short StoryA collection of short stories (between 500-2000 words) set in a land covered in lakes left by the dance of two deities. Each story is a blade of grass in the marsh of Saltaire. They stand on their own but are all connected to those who look under th...
