The Heart of the Moon and Stars (COMPLETE)

Prologue

One fateful day, a great hunter known as Deimos left his wife and young son to go hunting. in his absence, Mino, a wondering storyteller, came upon Deimos' wife and sat telling her wonderful tales in which she found herself completely lost. Her concentration was broken only by a sound of the splash of her son falling into the stream. She rushed over to save him but it was too late the boy had gone down stream and drowned. The only thing left of him was the dagger Deimos gave him for his last birthday. Cradling the dagger, she sat sobbing all day waiting for her husband's return.

When she explained to him what had happened, Deimos flew into a rage and blamed her for their son's death. He took out his weapons and killed his wife, then fought with Mino until he came out victorious. Berated by his tribe Deimos saw the error in his ways. He went on the search for his wife and sons' bodies, but could not find them anywhere. He lamented his actions and pleaded with the spirits that had taken them away that he be reunited with his family.

The spirits allowed Deimos entrance to the sky world so he could search for his family, but as punishment he must search the lonely skies alone. It is said that you can still see the scars of Deimos fight with Mino in the lines of the moon, which itself reflects the campfire he lit to help him in his desperate search of his family. The changing route and shape of the moon is an illustration of Deimos' endless search.

That's the story that mother would tell us whenever we asked where the moon came from, when we asked where the sun came from she would tell us the story of a girl named Arpita who was dying and to save her family pleaded with the spirits to allow them light, when we asked where the rivers came from she would tell us of Shiva the serpent who travelled the land and left markings which created rivers, valleys and creeks, to fill them all with water she tickled the bellies of frogs who had stomachs full of water-this part of the story was harder for me to believe- and when we asked where the stars came from she told us of all the people who had died and were now protecting and looking over us.

I guess she is one of those stars now. Out of all the stories she told us, the story of Deimos stood out to me most, I guess because the night and darkness has always fascinated me, knowing that during the day the moon and stars are still watching us but we can't see them and at night they are the most notable thing, because I guess light graves darkness to be seen and to shine and mother always told me that one day I would shine the brightest a person has ever shined before, I never really understood what she meant and I don't even think I understand now so I guess I look to darkness to find the answers, but they never show up.

Plus for some reason I never really believed that the version of Deimos mother told us was the true story of how the moon came to be, I don't know why it just never seemed right I think that's why it intrigued me so much, I look up to the night to find the answers to that too. Asher, my older brother always loved the sun story most, he said it was because he would do anything to protect the people he cared about most even if that anything would be to become a hot burning ball in the sky.

He says I'm strange for preferring the story about a man murdering his wife, I would always tell him that's not the reason I liked the story and when he would ask for the real reason I would just answer with the fact that the moon gives us light in the darkest hour-and can change shape unlike the sun which automatically makes it cooler. After mother died aunt May never told us any of these stories so we kind of just let them go until my friend Noah asked for me to tell him of a human tale- since he is Fae- and so I told him all I knew and when Asher heard he said mother just made them up so that we would stop bugging her, he said that the stars were just lights to help us see in the night,

but I know when I get to the skies mother will be there waiting for me like she promised.