Cythera Chronicles: From the Stars

*OoC*

So, this is something of an effort to reply to the Christmas challenge. It’s based on an idea that came to me while reading Outcast.

Specifically, this excerpt:
She [Katerei] pointed at the third. Another cross, but much narrower than the last. “The sword of the tel-saidu.” She looked at me. “What we call the air spirits.”

“You made a constellation for Selax?” I [Avatara] asked incredulously…

So, I thought to myself: why might the Rin name a constellation for Selax (or more probably the Sylphs but it’s a fun concept to consider)?

It should be noted that this story is in the context of an old legend recited by a storyteller. It’ll thus be somewhat short and not necessarily accurate (given the length of time between the events and this retelling of them).

Thanks to Katerei for her assistance with names and other aspects of her characters and their culture. Also, for generously allowing me to use her characters, the Rin, and their history. Hopefully, I haven’t mutilated anything too badly.

Also, I'm not actually sure cedar trees are around in Cythera or in the homeland of the Rin, but I needed one for the challenge requirements.
*BiC*

“One more, Aitemal! Please,” the little girl begged, eagerly looking up at her grandfather.

The old man chuckled as he regarded his granddaughter.

The two were sitting huddled around a fire in the large wooden plankhouse. Outside, the cold winter winds were wailing and tearing at the cedar trees, and the clouds were heavy with the threat of snow.

“You’ve had your dinner, and it’s getting late,“ he said, starting to rise.

“Please! Just one more!” she repeated.

He considered her request.

“Then straight to bed?”

Reluctantly, she nodded.

“Ok, one more story.”

“Yay!” she cried out, as he sat back down.

For a moment, the man pondered before turning toward her.

“Have I ever told you about the first time the tel-saidu appeared to our people…?”

It was a very long, long time ago. Back when all were Rin, before the other jouyen left us.

It was at the wedding celebrations of Jonedul—yes, that Jonedul but this was before he was Okorebai—and his wife Amako.

The stories say, that in spite of the occasion, there was not much joy…our people had been suffering from famine and plague for some time. They believed that a saidu was angry with them.

They were right. The Otaekodu had come against us.

What was that?

Oh, what was the Otaekodu?

The stories say it was once a woman—a mortal who had coveted the powers of the saidu and tried to steal them. The tel-saidu stopped her, and she was confined to fire in Aeldu-yan. But the tel-saidu had many enemies with whose help it is said she escaped. She fashioned a mask of death that allowed her to flee Aeldu-yan and, armed with the powers she had stolen, came to take vengeance upon the tel-saidu and destroy everything connected to them.

Everything…including the kinaru and the Rin.

Jonedul’s father had no sooner finished blessing his son and his new daughter-in-law—wishing that their union would be a harbinger of happier times to come—when the Otaekodu appeared to give what she called a blessing of her own—by slaying the Okorebai in front of his son.

The people attacked her, but they were few and were weakened by their many troubles. The Otaekodu easily bested them. Many fell, but help beyond hope came—one of the tel-saidu, seeing their troubles, took a sword from the stars, wrapped himself in shadow, and descended from the sky.

They argued then—the two saidu. It is said the tel-saidu reminded the Otaekodu of her crimes, of the justice of her sentence, and of the protections that his people had extended to the Rin. The Otaekodu responded mockingly, claiming that she had stolen the powers of the saidu, that she had passed through Aeldu-yan and yet lived, and that nothing would stop her from destroying all the works of the tel-saidu.

The tel-saidu warned Jonedul and Amako to get their people to safety. They listened and it is well that they did so or you might not be hearing this story now.

The stories say they watched from afar as the tel-saidu and the Otaekodu fought. The battle lasted a day and a night, but little is now remembered of it. Both saidu were severely injured, and the village destroyed.

But, at last, the tel-saidu was triumphant. He defeated and killed the Otaekodu.

Unfortunately, there was some truth to what she had said. She had escaped Aeldu-yan and could not easily be sent back. She fell, but her body vanished even as she died—and, where her spirit is now, none can say.

The tel-saidu was injured, as I said, but he remained with our people for some time and healed. He helped Jonedul and Amako lay the foundations for a new age and a new hope for the Rin, one that would endure for many years to come.

But, then—on the day Jonedul’s son and daughter, Tahedu and Tahedul, were born—he left. He returned his sword to the stars and vanished, never to be seen among the Rin again…

“Never, Aitemal?” the child asked, wide-eyed.

Her grandfather laughed.

“Well, perhaps not ‘never.’ Such words have little meaning to the saidu, after all.”

He rose and, as she opened her mouth, said, “No, that was the last story for tonight. It’s time for you to sleep.”

After one moment of pleading staring, she gave up and stood as well.

“Yes, Aitemal,” she agreed moodily and turned toward her bed. Then, she paused, as a thought came to her. “But what about the Otaekodu? Did she ever return?”

“Not in any of our stories,” he replied. “It is to be hoped that the saidu captured and contained her once more, but who knows? Now, no more questions. Off to bed with you, Katerei.”

Elsewhere at that moment…

Lava fell and flowed about them. Fire burned in the skies above.

From under a black hood, gray eyes stared impassively into a masked face with maddened blue eyes. For a moment, there was a lull in the firestorm about them. Then, the masked woman laughed and raised a wooden staff, the man in shadow replied by raising his two swords to guard, and the two charged at one another.

iKaterei, on 15 December 2015 - 10:36 PM, said:

I give this the Katerei Stamp of Approval™.

Thank you, I am glad not to have mangled things in this case

BreadWorldMercy453, on 19 December 2015 - 02:25 PM, said:

I keep forgetting to comment on this (I read it on the iPad and was too lazy to go through the process of logging in from the iPad).

Too lazy to comment but not too lazy to badger me about posting a chron?

BreadWorldMercy453, on 19 December 2015 - 02:25 PM, said:

Thank you for posting a December Chron, Sely! :D I'm so happy you've posted a chronicle. We've now completed our goal of at least one chronicle every month in 2015!

I'd like to point out that I already posted a December chron. Speaking of which, where's your December chron?

BreadWorldMercy453, on 19 December 2015 - 02:25 PM, said:

:D Also, I really like this story ^_^ Which world does it take place in?

The first parts take place in the Rin's homeland. Given the time elapsed between the past events and the present, I couldn't say whether the legend and its retelling take place in the same world, since I don't know how the Rin have moved around in the interim. The last part takes place in some unnamed fire world--after all, the ending was supposed to be warm. Besides, given the skeletal background sketched out for the the Otaekodu, the comparison to Star Wars III is somewhat appropriate.

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