Maid in the Mist

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Long ago, before the modern day was the world in which we tread, there was a small village named Farthing. It was a quaint little place of golden wheat and stone huts. A place of wildflowers and mint-woven grass. Where the sun is clear and the sky is blue as only pure sky could be.

It was a safe village, that much is and always will be known. Children could play in the dirt roads and flower fields with no threat to be spoken of. One could even walk abroad with coins in hand without issue. It was safe, all accept for the Forboded Wood.

The Forboded Wood was a place of darkness, malice, hatred. Dare we say, evil. Shadows dance there, wolves tread its thorny grounds, no crop but dead oak and black rotten apples did grow. And the prey to be eaten by the stone-hearted creatures were far and more bone than meat. No one dared to tread its grounds, for whoever did would be found. Dead.

Yes, to live near such terrible woods would surely strike fear into a mere village with no means of making iron, unlike the more developed villages to the West. But there was no fear, not from farthing, for they had fire at their hands. A witch by the name of Stellaria. A tall lanky woman with violet eyes and long flowing lavender hair. Always wearing a black cloak, her trusting black cat Rufus by her side always.

She was born in a village far away, and was shunned for her incredible magic. By the time she was of age, she had been cast away from twenty to thirty villages. Farthing Village would have been thirty-one, if a dragon hadn't held the village at a state of alert from blowing smoke onto the poor village, causing many to become ill.

Legand has it, Stellaria ventured into the woods, Rufus by her side and her wand fashioned by the wood of her destroyed birthplace in hand. She carried with her no stones or potions, but a small loaf of rosemary bread and elderberry syrup. She was doomed to die. She would be found in the woods like the rest of those who dared to venture to this place.

But she didn't die, for the monsters feared her magic. And she reached the dragon's cave in a matter of a week at the least. It was a treachous path, as it was up a large summit where the air was thin and the wind could toss you about like grass.

She stood before the dragon of amber hue and politely asked it to leave. When it refused, some say the tale differently. Some say she blew it apart and its blood was sprayed to the earth, giving birth to Dragon's Blood. Some say she turned it into a raven. Either way, the dragon was gone, and the air was to be sweet again. Stellaria was then honored as the protector of Farthing Village.

She was given the biggest stone hut available, with a hearth and cauldron when she taught them to make metal. They gave her herbs, and fish for Rufus. They named a star after her, and she became a beloved witch in this village. Children loved her, and she loved them. Everywhere she went, respect was given. If another village were to speak ill of her, Farthing would stand in defense. Stellaria was more than grateful.

Soon enough, Stellaria became pregnant. Farthing Village was overjoyed, raring to throw a feast for this joyous occasion. And the day of the birth was a rather horrifying one. As it took all day and all night for birthing to end.

In the dawn of the next morning, two children were in Stellaria's arms. Two girls.

The first born was fierce and let out a cry of a warrior. She had golden hair and amber eyes. As she was born at sun high, she was thus named Solaria.

The youngest was quiet, thought dead until prodded to make a slight movement in her slumber. She had raven black hair and deep midnight eyes. Born directly under the full moon, Luna became her name.

The two children grew like weeds and were loved by the whole village, and it was not long until their magic was found. Solaria's magic was fire, sun, full of energy. Luna's was in the moon, ritualistic and consentrated slowly. It only showed how different the sisters really were.

Luna grew to be the mature one, constantly studying and dutiful in her chores. Never careless, and seemed to do things with little flaw. Unlike her older sister.

Solaria was full of energy, never to sit still to practice magic, always jovial yet lacking in care. Of course this led to disharmony between the two sisters. Fighting constantly and complaining about each other's flaws. "Lazy" "buzzkill" "dumb" "bland" to name a few.

It became clear to the village that Luna was the more talented. For her stars and voice of the dead was astounding, unlike Solaria's fire magic.

But when they both turned eighteen, there would be a stir of events that would change their lives forever.

Let us start with that faithful morning. October first.

The day Luna met the Maid in Mist.