Initium (Chapter 1)

In the beginning, there was just a speck of dust floating within the universe, and slowly it grew until it became a very large planet. This took many millennia, and the young planet took it’s time to make sure it was perfect in everyway.1

Once the planet was done being born, it seceded to make itself pretty. And so it decided it was a girl and her name would be Avani. 2

She thought up many great plants and grew them all over herself. She made herself about 60% water to keep all of her young creations healthy and strong. She lived this way for many a year, but soon she was lonely and bored. 3

She wanted children, children to laugh and run and cry and play all over her surface. So she thought up many children, all different, and some the same in some ways. She made her children around about 9 basic ideas. There were 9 groups, and many within that group. She watched them grow and thrive for a long time, gifting them with knowledge and wisdom. She allowed them fire, and gave them creatures to hunt for food. Her children were all beautiful and kind. All prayed for the souls they let out of the mortal realm, thanking their mother for her kindness. All loved their mother.4

Soon, there were too many children to watch over, and the souls of those dead began to clutter the air, having no place to go. Avani was saddened by this and thought of what to do. She came upon the idea of better children, with power and beauty far surpassing her other children. They would rule and keep the others safe. Protectors they would be.5

And so she started the first, the ultimate ruler, a Goddess far supreme. She grabbed some clay from within her surface to mold and shape and use. She mixed the clay with water from her clearest stream and a little of each of the plants dotting her surface. She molded the clay until it was in the shape of a Reza, as her children were known. She put into it the thought of a tall and beautiful woman with long curling brown, green, purple, pink, blue, and every other color she had made into existence. She pictured a heart shaped face with high cheekbones and tanned skin, full lips, wide ever changing eyes, high and firm breasts, a flat stomach, dainty teeth and ears, long slender fingers, and mile long legs. 6

She smiled as she watched the clay take shape, but was shocked to see her child being torn into two. Soon the clay had stopped forming and the woman she had pictured had taken shape, and the other was a male. He had the same ever changing eyes, though his were restricted to blacks, reds, and yellows. He had black hair streaked with red, yellow, and brown. He was tall, taller than any she had created thus far, as was the woman. He was taller than even his counterpart. His features were similar to the woman’s, though entirely male. Everything about him was larger and much more harsh. 7

The two Avani had created were from the same, as if they were siblings, but they had nothing else the same. Their very DNA differed; they were not siblings, but mates. They were each others balance, mated for eternity. There couldn’t be one without the other. It seems she had overlooked that fact when she had created the woman. She graced the two beings with many powers. 8

The female she gave every ability she could think to give, but her main one is to know the future, past, and present of every living thing. She is wise and had total knowledge. The male she gave every gift as well, though he had one power she had not given him. He could control souls. All the dead flocked to him, looking for a place to stay, a way to leave the living in peace. He nodded and promised them with his mind, he would soon build them a place to stay. 9

Avani smiled to herself, they would rule together. She thought of a place away from the realm of man, far within her skies, and far within the ground, there, but not, untouchable by any other being but those she created as Gods or Goddesses. To the woman, whom she named Auree, she gave the one in the sky, a beautiful place called Cyel which she had full power over. To the male, whom she named Danté, she gifted the one below, a dark and beautiful place called Adysh, deadly yet savior to the dead. He has control of those dead, and she those still living.10

After Avani had created them, she sent them to their palaces to shape them as they wished. She decided to create lower Gods and Goddesses to help rule the living, as there were so many. She had 8 more to create to help Auree out. She first shaped four females, all different. One she gave rule over the water creatures, which she named Misu. 11

Misu has not legs but a tail and fins for ears. She has water colored skin, hair, and eyes, as ever changing as the waves. Her fingers are long with webbing between each digit. Her skin is covered in scales and she has sharp teeth and nails, perfect for tearing and killing. Misu is as kind and gentle as the creatures she watches over are, and as deadly. The Reza-like creatures she had been given rule over, looks as she does and can control the waters. They do not blend as their goddess does, however, they are each one color, sea green, blue, purple, black, red, green, and every other color of the sea. All their eyes are grey, however, silver as the shiniest metal. These Reza-like creatures are named Nenya.12

Next she created one to rule over the forest creatures. Creatures called Keyta whom are tall and slender, beautiful and kind. They have ears that go up and end in a point. They have total control over the trees and every other plant within the forests. Their eyes are always a deep dark green with lightning bolts of pale green shot through them. Their Goddess is tall with brown skin and long green hair, dreadlocked with flowers and leaves of ever color growing throughout. Her eyes shift through every shade of brown and green, never the same for too long. She is kind and gentle, tall and lithe. As bending and unbending as the trees she calls her children. Her name is Ayla. 13

Next she created the Goddess of the Reza of the ground. The dirt and mud and clay and everything within the ground is her domain. She was given rule over a smaller Reza-like creature within called Oni. They are very small and have long pointy ears; they are usually slender with very large and wide black eyes to help them see in the dark. Their fingers are long and thicker, though still slender. They are all beautiful. Their teeth are tiny and sharp, perfect for chewing apart anything that gets in their way. Their skin is tougher than any kind of hide or leather. The are always underground and build every one of their cities within that domain. They have hair the color of the dirt and clay and very pale, clearly white, skin. They are seen as giants if they reach three and a half feet. Their Goddess, named MiKaya, is shaped as her charges are. She is small, slender and tiny; topping all of her Oni at a mere four feet tall. Her skin is also like hide, and she is so pale you can see every vein on her body. Her hair is short, a mare fluffing of curls framing her heart-shaped face. Her hair is not one color, but many thrown together, red and burgundy, black and grey, dark brown and pale, every color of the dirt. Her eyes are wide and black as well, she prefers the ground, though when called to see Auree, her pupils go down in size and the irises are a deep, deep purple, shining and shimmering.14

The next to come is the goddess over the light creatures. She is very small, merely two feet tall and very slender with glittering wings and long, curly golden hair. her skin is golden and shimmers. Her eyes are wide and pure gold as well; everything about her shimmers and is the color of light. Her name is Cyra. The creatures she looks after are shaped as she is, merely two feet tall and they are as golden and shimmering as she is. Everything about these creatures is light. These creatures are called Ravian.15