Welcome to Gaia! ::

I thought I'd share with all of you the short story I started for my Science Fiction class. If you take the time to read it, let me know what you think! heart


The sky was warm and cloudless as a young woman soared through the sky, her great white, feathered wings spread wide to catch the currents. A soft smile touched her lips as she surveyed the landscape below. Her city, the people of her city, all lay before her, peaceful and in harmony. The young woman was a Silvaran, a winged, peace-loving race, which was renowned for their beauty as well as their talent for song. The voices of the Silvarans were regarded as their most valuable possession. They were able to convey their emotions through their voices, so strongly that anyone hearing them will feel what the Silvaran was feeling.

The young woman broke into song. Her voice, stronger than most her age, carried the feeling of her joy and exuberance to the masses below. Many of them closed their eyes and turned their faces upward toward her, smiling as they shared her emotion. She spiraled downward slowly toward the ground, landing gracefully in a lush green park in front of an occupied bench as she finished her song. The young man sitting on the bench may have well been her twin as he smiled brightly up at her and spoke in a soft, deep voice.

"Mistara Holaran, your beautiful voice will draw the Neo to you if you project it out so far."

She smiled brightly, folding her wings onto her back as she tossed her long, wavy white hair out of her face, "Oh Jacendo, everyone knows that the Neo don't come out until nightfall."

The only dark spot in the happy, carefree lives of the Silvarans was the Neo. The Neo seemed to be the opposites of the Silvarans in every way. Where the Silvarans had pure white, feathery wings, the Neo possessed dull leathery wings as black as an empty night sky. Their voices were raspy and grated on the nerves. They were jealous of the Silvarans and as a result, made frequent raids on them. They descended upon the city at nightfall and grabbed whoever was unlucky enough to be out at that time. They bit into the necks of the Silvarans as a vampire would, but they were not looking for blood. Rather, they stole the voices of the Silvarans. They would often brutally disfigure and kill their victim before flying off, singing songs of elation with their new voices. The stolen voice would never last very long, however, and the Neo would soon return to steal more voices.

Jacendo's smile slowly faded as he looked up at her, "Mistara, I'm your older brother and it is my duty to protect you. Remember, father wasn't killed at night."

Mistara reached out and grabbed his hand, her smile softening, "I promise I'll be more careful, alright Jace?"

He grimaced at the nickname and she giggled softly, "Come on, let's go home."

Jacendo gave a nod and stood. Each of them spread their wings wide and leaped into the air. Their powerful wings lifted them gracefully into the sky and toward the tall spire they called home. As they flew, Jacendo looked over at his sister. She was the perfect example of what a Silvaran should be. Her bright purple eyes sparkled with joy and her white hair was silken and fell around her face just right. The sun made her silvery skin appear as though it were true silver and there was not a feather out of place on her wings. She wore a dark maroon dress that marked the house she belonged to as well as complemented her coloring well. Her voice was strong and beautiful, exceptional for a Silvaran that had just become an adult. Her voice had the capacity to bring joy to anyone that heard her, no matter the depths of their sorrow.

Jacendo turned his gaze back toward the landscape, his thoughts drifting back to the Neo. I'll never let the Neo take her from me, he thought, she is the only thing keeping me sane. I'll never let her go. Mistara looked over at her older brother, worry creasing her brow at the dark look on his face. Since their father had been killed, he had grown more and more withdrawn. He only seemed to smile when she sang for him. It seemed as though he had died along with their father. Silvarans had been known to fade away and die of grief. Once the joy of life is lost, their souls seemed to go with it. Mistara feared to loose her brother in that way. She reached out and took his hand as they flew, giving him a bright smile. He looked over and his entire face brightened as he returned her smile and squeezed her hand.

They spiraled downward in a lazy circle, landing on a large balcony overlooking the garden of their home. Mistara rushed through the open glass door, calling out, "Mother, are you home?"

Jacendo stepped in, closing the door behind him as an older, stern looking Silvaran stepped into view, "Welcome home, Mistara, Jacendo. I have some wonderful news."

Mistara folded her wings onto her back and smiled, "Oh? What kind of good news?"

"We have finally struck an alliance with the Neo!" she said happily.

Jacendo's eyes widened, "What?!"

"Isn't it wonderful?" their mother said, clapping her hands together.

Mistara stood in stunned silence as Jacendo stepped forward, anger on his face, "No! No, it's not wonderful at all! Have you forgotten that the Neo killed father?!"

Their mother let out a sigh, "No, I haven't forgotten. That is why I have been so busy pushing this treaty. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Mistara reached out, taking hold of Jacendo's hand, feeling him calm instantly at her touch, "What are the terms of the treaty?"

"Starting tomorrow, we will have a Neo move in with us here to experience Silvaran life. A representative from our city here will go to live with the Neo as well."

"Are you crazy?" Jacendo yelled, "It is a death sentence to whoever you send and I will not have a Neo living in this house!"

Their mother straightened, spreading her wings, authority in her voice, "You will not question what the council has decided, Jacendo, and you will not sabotage this treaty. Do you understand?"

Jacendo bowed his head, the tips of his wings dragging on the ground as he pulled away from Mistara, moving deeper into the house, "Yes... I understand."

Mistara watched him walked away, her brows furrowed in worry. After calming her mother, Mistara walked through the house, looking for Jacendo. She found him in his room, staring out a window. She stepped in and closed the door behind her.

"What would you do if a Neo stole your voice, but let you live?" he asked, without turning.

She thought about it for a few moments, "I would be sad that I could never sing for you or speak to you again… But I wouldn't die from grief. There is other happiness to be found. The world would still be beautiful. I would still get to see and hear you."

He turned slowly, "You wouldn't wish for death?"

She shook her head, moving up to him, "Of course not, Jacendo. That would be wishing to leave you alone and I could never to that."

"You are stronger than I am…" he said softly, a sound of guilt in his voice.

She moved forward, wrapping him in an embrace of arms and wings, "No, Jacendo. I'm no stronger, just frightened to face anything without you."

The next morning, Jacendo, Mistara and their mother stood on the balcony, awaiting the Neo that would be living with them for the next several weeks. They didn't have to wait long as the Neo landed abruptly in front of them. Jacendo openly glared at the man. He had leathery black wings that he awkwardly folded onto his back. His skin was ashen and his eyes were inky black pools. His black hair was sleeked back and looked perpetually wet. He looked them over for a moment and smiled, revealing small sharp fangs.

"Lucine Holaran?" he asked in his raspy voice.

Their mother nodded, holding out her hand as she stepped forward, "You must be Garith."

He nodded and took her hand, shaking it, "You have an attractive family."

Lucine smiled and softly thanked him as she turned, "Allow me to introduce you. My daughter, Mistara and my son, Jacendo."

Mistara gave a friendly smile while Jacendo continued to glare. Garith took note of the glare and smirked, "You don't like me, do you boy?"

Jacendo stiffened and frowned deeper, "Not one bit. I will warn you now, one wrong move and I will kill you."

"Well, I see that not all Silvarans are so welcoming," he rasped with a humorless smile.

"Please, forgive my brother. He will come around, but it won't be easy. Our father was killed by a Neo," Mistara explained.

Garith looked at Mistara with wide eyes when she spoke. He stepped closer to her and swallowed hard as his mouth began to water, "Mistara wasn't it? You have the most exquisite voice I have ever heard…"

Jacendo stepped forward, fearful for his sister, but Garith stepped back quickly when he saw the fear on her face, "Not to worry. I am not here to steal your voices. I am here to learn. We have been born enemies, but others are able to fight their fate, why not us. We can feed on voices given willingly and not stolen completely."

Mistara quickly dismissed her fear and took hold of Jacendo's hand to ensure he would not act rashly, "It is nice to know that the Neo are not the monsters we thought they were. And thank you for the complement."

Jacendo shook his head and continued to frown as his mother spoke, "Well, I think we should let Garith get settled. I'm sure you're tired after your flight."

He nodded and followed them inside, looking around as Lucine showed him to a spare room. Garith smiled as Lucine shut the door to his new room. His smile quickly turned into a frown when he was left alone and he sat heavily on the soft bed, his nose wrinkled in disgust. Is everything the Silvarans have so perfect? he thought. He shook his head and turned, lying on his stomach to rest, letting his wings spread across the bed. Lucine let out a sigh and moved back to Jacendo and Mistara, giving Jacendo a disapproving look.

"If you had offended him, I would see that the council knows of your actions. This arrangement is for the benefit of our entire race, you can afford to put your hate aside," Lucine scolded him.

"When he attacks, you all will see that I am right," he said, his soft voice filled with anger.

"Jacendo…" Mistara began.

He looked at her with a frown, "I can't believe that you were so pleasant to him!"

Mistara watched him storm off, a pained look in her eyes, "But I did it so you wouldn't fight…"

"Don't mind your brother, dear. He won't stay angry for long," Lucine said, patting Mistara's hand briefly before moving away, "I am going to go notify the council that Garith is here. I'll return later."

Mistara nodded and moved to Jacendo's room. I can't stand when he's angry with me, she thought as she knocked on his door and opened it. Jacendo stood looking out his window as he usually did when he was upset. She smiled softly and stepped in, closing the door behind her. He glanced back at her and frowned. Her smile faded at the sight of his frown and she stopped, looking at him with concern.

"Go away," he said, his voice tight with anger.

"Jacendo, I…" she started, taking a step forward.

"Go away!"

She jumped at his shout and quickly retreated out of his room, her steps carrying her out to the balcony even though she was blinded by her tears. She sat down, hiding her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking slightly. After a while, she heard the door to the balcony open and looked up.

"Jacen…" she stopped, surprised to see that it was Garith who stood before her instead of her brother, "Garith, sorry."

She gave a small smile and got to her feet. Garith moved over to her and lifted a hand to her cheek, wiping away a tear. She was surprised at the softness of his hand.

"Even perfect creatures can cry…" he rasped softly.

Her silver skin took on a pinkish hue as she blushed softly, "I'm not perfect."

"Why are you crying? Is it because of your brother?"

She paused for a moment before giving a wordless nod. He nodded knowingly and took a deep breath, "He is very protective of you, that is an admirable quality. I hope, though, that he can learn that not all Neo are monsters. We feed on voices, it is true, but we do not have to completely destroy a voice to feed."

"You don't?"

"Not at all. It is cruel to do so. We know how and when to stop in order to let the voice heal. I have never completely stolen a voice. The voices I take usually return within a day or two."

"I didn't know that."

"There is much that we don't know about each other. That was the main purpose for my coming here. I knew that there would be Silvarans that didn't trust me and that gave me a hard time, but I am very sorry that it caused a disagreement between you and your brother."

"It's not your fault, Garith. Jacendo will come around. We have never fought for this long. It can't go on."

"You're very close to him aren't you?"

"Very much so. He was always there with me when I was young and has remained that way my entire life. My mother and father, before he died, work with the council, so they were never home very much. Jacendo took care of me and was my only friend."

He lifted his hand, wiping the rest of her tears away, "Then he can't stay angry at you for long."

She smiled, "Thank you, Garith."

He gave her a smile and nodded. She moved past him, back into the house, to try talking to Jacendo again. Garith moved to the end of the balcony and let out a sigh as he looked down into the garden below. The garden was beautiful, as everything around him seemed to be. Flowers of all sorts covered the ground, with the ground directly below covered in dark red fragrant roses. He closed his eyes and let out another sigh, thinking about Mistara. Her voice really is exquisite, he thought as he looked back out at the garden.

Mistara softly knocked on Jacendo's door and waited to hear him. When nothing came, she opened the door and looked in. He was sprawled out on his bed, sleeping soundly. She smiled and stepped in, closing the door behind her. She moved over and sat down on the bed, reaching out and softly touching his shoulder. He jumped and opened his eyes, relaxing when he saw her.

"Mistara, I'm sorry," he said, reaching out and taking her hand.

She shook her head with a smile, "No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize."

She squeezed his hand softly and bent down, lightly kissing his forehead. He smiled and sat up, "I will try to be more tolerant of the Neo, but I can't promise to be nice."

"Well, you could at least start with calling him by name…"

"Right, what was it again?"

"Garith."

"Fine, then I promise to be more tolerant of Garith."

Mistara smiled lovingly at him, deciding to keep her conversation with Garith private. There is no reason to make him angry again. He'll eventually see that Garith is a good man, she thought.

The days turned into weeks as Jacendo watched Mistara and Garith grow closer with growing concern and apprehension. He had to grudgingly admit that Garith had done nothing to earn any suspicion, besides being a Neo. Jacendo spent more and more time away from Mistara, not knowing how to react to her new friendship and not wanting to hurt her feelings again. He watched them as they would walk through the garden, talking and laughing. He would frown and wonder at the feeling of jealousy that would rush over him. Despite his promise to Mistara, he grew to hate the Neo even more than before Garith had come.

Mistara walked out to the balcony and smiled when she spotted Garith. She moved up to stand next to him and look out onto the sunset as he was, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Everything here is," he rasped, edging away from her as his mouth began to water at the sound of her voice.

"Is anything wrong, Garith?" she asked him, softly.

He gave a stiff nod and looked over to her, his gaze flashing between predatory and pleading, "I'm hungry…"

Mistara frowned, feeling a tinge of fear tighten in her chest. His keen eyes caught her stiffened posture and he let out a soft sigh, "Mistara, please don't fear me. I have no desire to hurt you. I…"

She waited for him to continue, but when he didn't, she reached out and took his hand, "I'm sorry, Garith. I reacted badly. I know that you are a good man."

He abruptly pulled her to him, wrapping his arms about her, "Mistara…I… What would you say if I told you I was falling for you?"

She stood stiffly in his arms, shocked at his admission, she spoke softly, "Garith…I…I don't know what to say."

He tightened his arms about her, "Please, just don't tell me it is impossible. Just…let me hold you."

She relaxed slowly and rested a hand against his chest, not saying anything. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest, hearing his breath catch when she did so. Please don't let Jacendo see this, she silently pleaded. Garith let out a sigh, and loosened his grip about her, afraid to hurt her. He looked down at her soft white locks longingly and lifted a hand, entangling it into her hair. He closed his eyes at the silken feeling and slowly pulled back. He looked down to see her looking up at her with her sparkling violet eyes. He slowly lowered his head down to her, pressing his lips against hers. Mistara stiffened at first, and slowly relaxed as she closed her eyes and tentatively kissed him back. She blushed softly as her heart fluttered in her chest and for the first time, she knew that the two of them would bring the Neo and the Silvaran races together in peace.

After what felt like an eternity, he slowly pulled back from her and smiled softly down at her, "Mistara, thank you."

She shook her head and smiled warmly, "Garith, it's not impossible. You have touched my heart in a way that no other ever has. The fact that you are a Neo doesn't matter to me. In fact, if you are hungry…please, feed from my voice."

He stepped back from her as she pushed her hair off of her neck and he shook his head, "No, no, I will not feed from you, Mistara. I couldn't."

"But…"

"No. I am not hungry enough to do that."

She gave a nod, letting her hair tumble back down. He relaxed, pushing his thoughts and feelings of hunger away. They stood, watching the sun set together. Garith slowly lifted a wing, wrapping it around her and pulling her to his side. She smiled softly and tilted her head to rest it on his shoulder. Jacendo watched unseen from above as he stood on the roof. He balled his shaking hands into fists as he tore his gaze away from them. How could she? he thought, My own sister… How could she?! He jumped into the air and flew off, his anger leading him blindly away from her betrayal.

Mistara rushed through the house, early the next morning, fear marring her beautiful features. She ran, checking each room as she went. She paused when she reached Garith's room, the fear tightening her chest even more, making it hard to breath. Please…please don't let him be in here, she thought as she threw open the door. Garith looked up at the sudden intrusion, standing when he saw the distress on her face.

"What is it?" he asked urgently.

"Jacendo is missing," she said, tears welling in her eyes, "I thought that he had…"

He moved to her quickly as her words were lost in her tears. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his bare chest, "It's alright now. We'll find him."

Her words shook with her confused emotions, "I don't know if I'm crying for relief or fear. I thought he may have killed you. I'm so relieved that I was wrong, but I… I have to find him!"

She pulled back and he let her go, "Let me help you."

She waited as he finished dressing, then they moved out to the balcony, stopping short when they saw Jacendo landing smoothly. Mistara stepped forward, "Jace!"

He looked up and smiled softly, "Good morning."

"Good morning?! Is that all you have to say? Where were you?" she asked, moving up to him and hugging him tightly.

He hugged her back briefly and pulled her back, "I went out for a morning flight. That's all."

She looked at him closely as he continued to smile at her. A shiver ran through her as she studied him, "Are you sure you're okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Mistara. I'm going to go get cleaned up."

He moved past them and into the house. She turned to look at Garith and let out a sigh, "He is acting strangely. I hope he's not getting sick."

Garith nodded and gave her a smile, "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

Jacendo stepped into his room and shut the door softly behind him, moving to his mirror and letting out a sigh. I do look pale, he thought, running a hand through his hair. He grabbed a towel and moved down to the bottom of the spire to the indoor hot spring that served as their bathing area. He undressed and stepped into the warm water and soaked for a while, enjoying the feeling. After a while he stood and stepped out, looking down into the water with a deep frown. Several handfuls of feathers were floating in the water. He spread his wings to inspect them, noticing several thin spots. It's just stress, he thought, I need to stop letting that damn Neo get to me. He won't be here forever. He dried himself and put his clothes back on, moving back up the spire.

Mistara stood on the balcony with Garith, laughing softly at a story of his childhood. He frowned, feeling a strong twinge of hunger again. His mouth watered at her musical laugh. Mistara looked at him, knowing he was rapidly loosing his strength from hunger.

"Garith, why do you refuse to feed from me?" she asked him.

"Because I don't want to hurt you. I'm afraid I will miscalculate and never be able to hear your beautiful voice again. I don't want to do that to you."

"You said you had never completely stolen a voice before, I trust you. Besides, if you don't nourish yourself, you will die… I don't want you to die."

"Mistara, will you sing for me?"

She furrowed her brows at his sudden change of topic, but nodded and thought for a moment, wanting to choose the perfect song. She drew in a deep breath and started into a song about two lovers who had crossed many lifetimes to be together. Garith closed his eyes, letting her voice flow over him, feeling the powerful emotion in her song and falling for her even further. Jacendo looked up, hearing Mistara's voice projected through the spire. He quickened his steps, a frown on his lips. As her song ended, Garith enfolded her in his arms and wings, his breath coming quick. She knew he would not be able to resist any longer and she tilted her head for him. Garith moved her hair off of her neck, a pained look crossing his face as she lowered his head.

"I'm sorry, Mistara," he whispered into her ear.

Mistara closed her eyes as she felt him bite into her neck. Garith held her tightly as the magic of her voice began to flow into him. It was unlike any other he had tasted before, it was stronger. It wasn't long before he pulled back, revitalized. He looked down at her and smiled softly.

"Mistara, you truly are amazing. Your voice is so strong and magical, it will be back in less than a day," he said softly, pushing a few loose locks of hair out of her face.

She gave him a small smile and leaned into his touch. With her head tilted, she spotted Jacendo and the look of anger and horror on his face. She looked up to Garith with wide eyes and motioned for him to leave. He looked back and frowned, but gave her a nod as he spread his wings and flew off, leaving them below. Jacendo slowly stepped forward.

"How could you let him get so close to you?" he said, his voice soft.

Mistara looked up to make sure Garith was well out of sight and she looked back to Jacendo, her eyes pleading with him.

"Why don't you say something?" he demanded.

She helplessly shook her head, reaching out and taking his hands. His eyes widened and he pulled from her grasp, "Your voice! Is it gone?"

She gave a slow nod, fearing his reaction as he shouted, "I'll kill him!"

He spread his wings to fly in pursuit, but she grabbed him again, shaking her head. She wrapped her arms around him, tears falling down her cheeks. Jacendo sighed, letting his wings fall as he wrapped his arms around her. He ran his hands along the soft feathers of her wings and moved to the edge of the balcony. He tightened his arms around her as he imagined the rest of his life, never able to hear her speak or sing again. He closed his eyes tightly, wondering how either of them could stand it. His hands began to shake and he swore revenge. He felt Mistara pull away from him and he sighed, starting to let her go. Before he let go completely, he plucked one of her feathers. At least give me something to remember you, dear sister, he thought.

After a moment he opened his eyes and looked down to the garden below. Her tears had stopped. She had always been stronger than he was, able to deal with tragedy so much easier. He smiled softly at the sight of her amidst the roses of the garden. The shock of such a bright red against her light coloring complemented her perfectly. She was the perfect example of Silvaran beauty. He tilted his head, wondering why she had decided to lie among the roses. A single rose petal had fallen to her cheek, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She just continued to gaze up at him. From behind him, he heard a gasp. He turned to see Garith and frowned deeply.

"You!" Jacendo shouted.

"What have you done?!" Garith said softly, his voice deep and full of sorrow.

Jacendo looked down to the feather he held and stiffened in shock. He looked over the balcony and down at Mistara, his eyes wide, "No!"

Garith stood, unable to move his feet at the sight before him. Jacendo stood, holding a wing, staring down to the garden. Garith forced himself to move over and look down. Mistara lay amid the roses, her now sightless eyes staring up at the balcony. He fell to his knees, tears streaming from his black eyes.

He looked up at Jacendo, "How could you?! You call us monsters… You are the monster!"

Jacendo let go of the wing and stumbled back away, "No! No! I…I didn't!"

Garith slowly stood, anger on his face, "Do you know how the Neo originated? We didn't always exist. We were once Silvaran too!"

Jacendo stared at him with wide eyes as Garith advanced slowly, "The Neo evolved from Silvarans who let evil take them over. Just as you have done… You will become what you hate most!"

Jacendo spread his wings and looked on in fear as more feathers fell out, revealing the black underneath. He let out a cry and jumped into the air, flying off. Garith looked down into the garden again and jumped off, gliding down. He lifted Mistara into his arms and kissed her softly.

"Please forgive me, Mistara."