The night was said to be dark and full of terrors, but Talya had never seen it that way. Perhaps it had something to do with where she fell, and her upbringing within the city of Ravok. The way its outward appearance shone beautifully, while its inner portions were far darker and more twisted, or perhaps it had more to do with the nature of her race, but whatever the case, Talya had always been able to see the beauty of the night. She knew that although the sky had been bathed in tones of deep blue and black, that the moon would always rise and shine its pale white light, as the sun's own reflected off its cratered surface, just as she knew the stars would always appear if there was enough darkness and too little light. Dancing in the sky in tones of silver; sparkling just before you had the chance to blink. She knew their secrets, she knew their majesty, and as she didn't tire as one of Leth's own, even in the later hours of the night, or the earlier ones of the morning, she often found herself venturing out into the darkness in both in order to admire them, and to study them to the best of her ability.
It was for this reason that she now found herself at the fountain of cascading harmony. The shadowed silhouettes of the carved gods standing out starkly, even in the night, as they trickled and spouted water. She could hear it crashing into the pool below; hear the faint lapping of the water up against its confines, as she sat herself down on a dry patch of stone, and folded her right leg over the other as she looked up at the night sky. Here, she found, as it was fairly far away from other city buildings- whether they be residential or commercial, she could clearly see the stars. The sky was a bit cloudy in patches though, here and there, so it hid some of them from view, but many more still, were visible, and she scanned them to see if there was anything she would recognize as the wind blew, sending the skirt of her dress farther up the length of her leg. She pulled it back down without taking her eyes off of the night sky. Within a few breaths she had located the north star- it shone more brightly than all of the others. From there, she moved her eyes to the east, until she found a grouping of five stars, a constellation known as ayian, which was the depiction of a rose.
It was said that once, there was a woman named ayian, who lived in a small village. She came from a family that was neither very rich, nor very poor, but rather well respected as they had a prospering farm with many slaves to work it for them. Her father a fair man, who treated them kindly for slaves, and was good with business, and would often tell the others in the town how to improve their own prospects. In any case, when the girl came of age, it was no surprise that many suitors came to ask for her hand, not only because they wanted to be able to develop a better relationship with her father, and inherit the prospering farm when he died, (as the man bore only the single child, and no sons), but because she was easily the most beautiful woman in the village, or any of those neighboring. Each man who would come to ask her hand in marriage, would appeal to ayian's father, and then offer her a rose. But it wasn't to the father that they truly had to appeal- for he was a bit forward thinking, and wanted his daughter to be happy, and had told her that she could choose her own husband- any one that met her liking.
Each man, ayian kindly refused year after year, until she came to an age, where both of her parents began to fear that she would never get married, as she was getting a bit old to do so, and becoming increasingly undesirable. Fewer and fewer suitors were coming for her, but she still refused them, and when her parents brought their concerns to her attention, she would politely say only, that she was waiting for the right one, and would not settle. About another year went by in much the same way, before a man by the name of Evan came to ask for her hand. It was this man that captivated her heart- with his sweet smile, and dashing good looks. Oh, and his pretty pony, every girl loved a pretty pony. Finally, ayian agreed to marry, and the two were wed in the town center a few months later. Instead of moving to the farm of Evan's family, the couple lived with that of ayian's, and the man learned how to tend to the farm under her father's tutelage. Years went by, and ayian's father grew old and ill, and began to fear that he would die soon- so he called the couple into his room, as he lay on his sick bed, and told him that after he died, everything that he had would go to his daughter.
Evan was furious, it was unseemly for a woman to inherit that which only naturally belonged to a man. So he waited, and he plotted, and after the death of ayian's father, mourned with her and comforted her. After a few months of letting his wife run the farm, he grew tired, and murdered her as she slept, so that he could inherit the farm from her. He then went off to drop her body in a well, so that it would appear she died of suicide, and not of unnatural causes. The mother he left alive, so he wouldn't be seen as a liar, and suspicious. Now, ayian's soul was pure, and it floated upward into the sky, as it was light as a feather. It stuck to the stars, and shone as a rose in warning- to always watch the pretty faces, as they could be dark and twisted to. To never judge a book by its cover. Talya smiled, it was a nice night to listen to the crickets chirping, and watch the stars, and listen to the way the water trickled into the basin from the fountain. She rubbed her arms to keep them warm- very nice, as there weren't many people, if anyone to distract her.
by Pulren Marsh on August 14th, 2015, 3:44 pm 
