Chapter 1 - Black Sheep

Two months before

The sun rose and sent light across the beautiful green and hilly Gemhules village of Dark Star. The birds chirped, and whistled happily as they conquered the lovely blue sky. Darkas gods of all classes started their day.

A beautiful cottage stood in its splendor amid a green yard with beautiful flowers of all sorts. Further away from the house was a small stable shelter.

A little girl burst out the door and jumped off the porch. She picked up her red ball, and threw it up in the air. Her long golden hair covered her back and graced her knees.

Her rosy cheeks complimented her pink eyes as she stared at her ball up in the sky. With her tiny hands held apart from each other, she waited for the ball to come back down.

Looking at her from the window was her mother who smiled warmly at the little girl playing. She tucked her dark hair behind her ear, wiped her forehead and rinsed the last plate in the sink.

As soon as she was done, she wiped her hands dry and proceeded to set the table for breakfast. She set plates of bread, cheese, butter and fried eggs on the table. She then quickly opened a drawer and pulled out plates. She started to set the plates on the table when a young man joined her in the kitchen. He kissed her on the cheek and took a seat.

With a warm smile that showed off her dimples, she said, "Good morning, Naian."

"Good morning, mama. How did you sleep last night?" Naian asked her with an equally dimpled smile.

"I slept well." she said, pouring him fruit juice.

"Where is Alainara? Shouldn't she be having breakfast too?" Naian asked.

"You know how playful your little sister is. Let me get her now." she happily said and walked out of the kitchen.

She stood at 5'3 with a full chest and slender body. Her figure was neatly covered in a white knee short dress and sky blue apron. With her warm pink eyes, she searched for Alainara. Her eyebrow jerked up at the sound of Alainara's giggles from the side of the house, and peeped at her from the porch.

"Breakfast is ready child, come and eat." she announced.

Alainara put her ball down, skipping happily into the kitchen. Without even bothering to sit down, she stuffed her mouth with bread. Alainara coughed at her mother glaring at her with her hands on her broad hips. She swallowed hard with her gaze down.

In a whisper, she said, "I'm sorry for not washing my hands, mama. I was so hungry that I forgot." she pouted.

Alainara proceeded to walk the walk of shame to the sink with Naian smirking at her back. She hastily washed her hands but when she heard her mother clear her throat, she slowed down and washed them properly.

Naian started to eat his breakfast when he felt the strong hand of his father pat his shoulder before sitting down. He was a tall man with short hair as golden as the sun. He rubbed his freshly shaved chin with his hairy hand as his wife poured him a cup of tea.

"Good morning, Akirexer." he greeted her.

"Good morning, Sharumez. Are you feeling okay? You are usually down here first but Alainara beat you." Akirexer asked him concerned and he groaned.

"I just have a little headache, that's all. I over worked myself yesterday due to the orders we got on short notice." Sharumez blew on his tea, sipping it with his pink eyes partially closed to the steam. "I'm feeling fatigued. If I had a choice, I would have skipped work today." Sharumez further lamented to which Naian nodded his head in agreement.

Sharumez was a Fourth Class darkas god. Like all Fourth Class, he possessed no mark at all. He married Akirexer who too was of the same class and together, they had three children.

Sharumez stared at his oldest child, Naian, eating his breakfast peacefully. He also, like them, was a Fourth Class darkas god. He not only inherited his dimples from his mother but his dark hair and sharp eyes too.

Naian was as tall as Sharumez but not as hairy. His body fit and firm. Naian noticed Sharumez staring, and he flashed a smile at him. Sharumez gave him a proud nod and went on to look at his youngest child, Alainara who was still at the sink.

Alainara wiped her hands on her dress, and it prompted Akirexer to pull her ear before she sat down. Alainara continued to stuff her mouth with bread as if nothing happene, sending chuckles across the table.

Akirexer handed a fresh glass of juice to Alainara who took it with a mouth half full of bread. Sharumez smiled warmly at Alainara, but when his eyes set on the empty chair beside her, wrinkles formed on his forehead, and he shot a glare at Akirexer.

"Where is she?" he sternly asked Akirexer, "I know that she isn't in her room because I checked it before I came down here."

Akirexer nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, "Um, well, she is... uh," stammered, keeping her eyes off Sharumez's hardened expression.

Noting her fear, Sharumez grunted in annoyance, "I always tell you to talk to her but you never listen to me. This is the third night in a row that she hasn't slept at home. Who knows where she is?" Sharumez slammed the table.

Naian put his fork down tensed. He observed Akirexer wiping her sweaty palms on her apron while Sharumez glared at her. Naian stole a look at Alainara who equally wasn't eating anymore. She just sat there frowning at Sharumez.

"Please don't be upset, Sharumez. It will only make your head hurt even more." Akirexer pleaded with him.

"Why shouldn't I be upset when that girl keeps on going out on these drinking sprees? I am more than sure that she is out somewhere drunk as hell! With her kind of attitude, who will marry her? I am sick of this!" Sharumez angrily pushed his plate away and got up. "Naian, we are leaving now." he commanded.

Naian abandoned his breakfast immediately. Sharumez dashed out through the kitchen door. Naian was about to follow him out when Akirexer pulled his hand back. He furrowed at the dullness in her eyes.

"Please, try by all means not to stress your father at the shop." she softly requested of him, "He is angry with your sister again." she worriedly added. "I don't know what I am going to do with that girl." this time, anger laced her voice.

Naian scratched his dark hair, "Sharaina is truly something. If she doesn't come back by noon, I will go out and look for her again. Perhaps I will find her this time."

Akirexer reached out for Naian's cheek, smiling lovingly at him, "I know I can always count on you. Go now, your father is waiting for you." she contented.

When Naian stepped out into the warm sun, he found Sharumez already on his horse. He wasted no time on getting on his horse too, and they both rode to the market.

Along the way up a hill, they came across several villagers, and they exchanged greetings with them. They rode past wooden houses scattered all over the hills—many of the people happily waving at them.

When they finally arrived at the workshop, they found a customer already waiting for them. He wiped the sweat off his bald head before putting his hat back on. His horse neighed beside him.

"Good morning, Sharumez." the customer began, "Good morning, Naian."

"Good morning, Bayin." Sharumez returned the greeting as he unlocked the shop. "I hope you haven't been waiting here for a long time."

"No, I actually just got here." Bayin assured, smiling from ear to ear.

"Please do come in." Sharumez smiled back, ushering him in.

The scent of sawdust tickled Bayin's nose. His sneeze echoed across the shop. Naian picked up a cloth from the counter and wiped a dusty bench clean. He then gestured to it to which Bayin sat down with a cough.

As Sharumez flipped a book on a counter, Bayin's eyes wandered around the carpentry. His eyes first set on a polished dinning set before trailing to an unfinished rocking chair.

Bayin quietly observed Naian sweep sawdust off a saw. Naian hung it on the wall along with the other tools and worked his way through the rest of the floor.

"What would you like for us to do for you?" Sharumez asked with a pen to a clear page.

Bayin blinked his thoughts in order at the question, "Well, Sharumez, I am in need of a bed. You see, my mother is coming to live with my wife and I. We only have one bed in the house so I figured that I'd get my mother a new one." Bayin quickly explained.

"What type of bed to you want?" Sharumez asked him as he wrote.

"A double bed would be splendid." Bayin politely answered with a sniffle. He pulled out his handkerchief and patted his nose.

"I apologize for the dusty air." Sharumez relented.

"Oh, no, please, I am the one who came before you were able to clean up. I hear you got off late last night." Bayin reassured with a cough.

Sharumez smiled at his understanding, "Huge order, client satisfaction is important to us," he recounted, "So, when will you need your bed?"

"In a week." Bayin sniffed and twisted his lips to the side.

"That won't be a problem. It will cost you 400 pearls." Sharumez charged.

Bayin rubbed his bearded chin, and nodded his head slowly. "Okay, I suppose 400 pearls is fair." he reluctantly agreed.

****

Bayin scowled when he was out of the workshop. He angrily got onto his horse and rode away to the far end of the market. He came to an area of bars. Drunken people danced outside, chatting ever so loudly and spilling their beer as they tossed.

Bayin rode to a bar labeled, 'Bayin's Bar'. Several people surrounded his horse, talking to him at once. Bayin shoved them away.

"Get away from me!" he hollered at them, "I am not in the mood for your nonsensical reports."

Bayin walked through a door of wooden beads. He took one look at his customers drinking and chatting loudly. His gorgeous waitresses were all over the bar serving them.

On the stage was a stunning singer he hired for entertainment. She sang remarkably and swung her wide hips from side to side as her thick lips mesmerized the customers close to the stage. They showed their appreciation by throwing money at her.

"Yes." Bayin greedily rubbed his hands together at the money on the stage.

He was just about ready to go on stage when he caught sight of a crowded table. Bayin scowled when he realized what was happening. He rushed to the table in order to see who was breaking the 'No arm wrestling in the bar' rule.

"Come on, man, get serious!" Bayin heard a man yell and he clenched his fists.

Bayin got to the table, clearing the people in his way. He glared at the bald dark giant and gorgeous blonde girl arm wrestling but neither of them took notice of him.

She smirked at the giant trying his best to force her hand down. His veins protruded throughout his sweaty head. He gritted his teeth as he tried with all his might to drop her hand.

"I think this has gone long enough." the girl yawned.

"Don't get too confident, little girl. My friend is arm wrestling champion in my village." a thin man proudly boasted, and patted the giant's hand.

"Well, I am the best in this village." she argued back, gave a drunken chuckle and slammed the giant's hand against the table.

The giant immediately passed out on the floor, and the girl gulped her beer whilst the crowd cheered. She stretched her hand to the giant's friend who glared at her as he slapped 500 pearls in her hand.

He then sought the help of other men, and together they dragged the giant out of the bar. The girl got on the table and held up both her beer and money for all to see.

"The next round is on me!" she declared and everyone cheered joyfully.

Bayin smiled greedily at that. The girl dizzily backed up, almost falling off the table. Bayin took hold of her hand, and helped her off the table. She couldn't stop chuckling as she leaned on him for support.

"Mr. Bayin, I'm sorry for breaking the rules." she drowsily said. Her cheeks red and puffy, "Those men showed up from nowhere and challenged me. I promise I won't break the rules next time." she chuckled.

"Don't apologize to me, Sharaina." Bayin dismissed. "I am not upset with you." he smiled broadly while eyeing her money.

"That's great!" Sharaina mirthfully giggled, and joined her friends.

Bayin scoffed to himself, "On one hand the father over charges me and on the other, the daughter brings me more money."

****

Akirexer sat on the porch combing Alainara's hair. Alainara read her children's book aloud. As Alainara read, Akirexer couldn't help but drift away in her thoughts. Alainara noticed that Akirexer wasn't listening to the story when she stopped responding to her questions.

"Mama, are you even listening?" Alainara whined.

"I'm sorry, baby. I just can't stop thinking about Sharaina. I wonder where she is. Why can't she stay home like most girls her age?" Akirexer expressed her concerns.

"I'm sure she is fine, mama. Sharaina has many friends around the village." Alainara innocently said. "Maybe she is on her way home." she added and flipped a page.

Akirexer paused combing Alainara's hair at the sight of birds flying away in fright. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of trees breaking. The ground beneath their feet moved.

Alainara dropped her book, and hugged Akirexer. The neighbors began to run away in horror. Many of them chose to abandon their homes in fear. Akirexer carried Alainara in her arms and ran away too. A deafening roar sent out screams across the village.