Descendent of the Sky

The Sky Faction- Alternative beginning

Howdy! 

This is a work in progress, I am constantly rewriting chapters to create a more compelling story. Whatever you read here is the most current version. I keep all of the key/cannon details the same throughout my rewrites, I just put them in different places to avoid the info-dumping I've been heinously committing. I appreciate any feedback, and I'll try my best to jump on it where it makes sense to me as the writer :) 

I just can't believe how neat it is that someone may enjoy something I've created. 

Read on, friends. 

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Perched at the brink of my inlet, I let my legs dangle off the cliffside. My mom, Heidi, would have disapproved of my apparent "disregard for safety," but she's absent, dedicating herself to aiding the residents of Safe Haven. The community here reveres my mother, many people owe her their lives. That's just in Safe Haven, though - the greater part of the Sky Faction doesn't acknowledge the people here at the outskirts of the territory until taxes are due.

My mom is a healer forged by her own efforts, possessing a unique gift rooted in alleviating pain. She has the ability to take the pain away from people suffering various ailments, even the pain from their end of life-stages. It isn't a cure, she just uses it to calm them and provide relief while she performs the best medical treatment she can muster. Her knowledge extends to the use of herbs in and around the Sky faction, but she never had formal training. The 'catch' to her unique gift is that when she relieves pain from one person, she takes it upon herself. I've spent countless nights listening to her, wailing in agony, as she worked to heal and bring relief to her patients. 

"It's just temporary" she would say. I rolled my eyes, as if she were here talking to me now. It would be temporary if you didn't do it every damn day, I think. Staring into the darkness of the ravine, I see rays of sun clawing their way through the darkness and I know it's time to get the day going.

Sighing, I stand up and stretch. If I hurry, I can take a quick trip down the ravine before I have to go to temple. I start to busy myself cleaning up our little hole-in-the wall (which is quite literal, as it is a hole in the side of a cliff that has been made into a 'house' simply because we jimmy-rigged a wooden wall and door on the front of it). It's small but it has a little charm to it. There's a fireplace and a table set up with some mats to sit at... We have had more luxuries since I started working - but mostly I'm saving all my money so I can eventually buy a big house for us both to escape to. My mom knows my goals and has told me over and over about how she can take care of herself but I think inside she's thankful for it.. I hope she is, anyway.

Cleaning doesn't take long in such a small space. Once I was satisfied with my work, I pulled on some light-brown trousers and a black, cropped tee. Lacing up my boots, I head to our water bucket, brushing my teeth and then my hair. Our shattered mirror makes it difficult to check for any imperfections, but I could get a look at the overall result for the most part. I let out a heavy sigh, wishing I had inherited some Sky Faction attributes from my father to blend in better. Unlike the Sky Faction members with their pale faces and bright blue eyes that would make the ocean envious, I stand out conspicuously. My purple eyes, framed by dark brown hair and complemented by a tan complexion, clearly mark my association with the Chaos Faction from my mother's side. With another sigh, I braid my hair and head outside.

The Faction isn't quite awake yet, but I hear stirring in some of the dwellings nearby. The land has a grey-green hue from the early morning rays, telling me I had better get a rush on in order to try and gather some herbs before I go to temple. Scampering down the steep cliffside, I used the path I'd worn into the rocks from many years of use. I know which rocks to hold onto and which ones are loose in the soil. After heavy rain or snow I have to wait a couple of days before attempting to descend, in case any of my usual stones loosened up, but for the most part my path has always stayed the same. My gifts help me quite a bit in doing this, but much like everything else about me, they are reminiscent of my Chaos heritage.