The Darklings 081128 - Pegan

Once there lived in the great long ago, a small race of people that dwelled deep inside the earth near the sea. They crawled through long and winding tunnels that their ancestors had hollowed out and walked on the face of the earth only after the fiery eye of the sun had gone to sleep and only when the soft golden eye of the moon could light their pathways.

They called the fiery eye, bad. They called the gentle eye, good. They called themselves, Shadows, for they were the color of shade. Their skins were a soft dark brown along with their eyes, hair and nails. They worshiped one god. Their god was the sea and they called her, Mother.

Mother fed and cleaned them. She left small clear pools to quench their thirst and deposited nutrient rich greens that they learned to dry and store for when the cold times came. She brought clams and shells and strange and beautiful creatures for them to eat. They loved her so much that on every full moon they would risk the dangers of the forest behind them in search of gifts to lay on the sands of her feet. They called the forest, jungle. A terrible place from which some had not returned. These they called Darklings.

And so it happened on this full moon night, the tribe chose a young female shadow whom they had named, Dusk to enter the jungle and gather the gifts. Dusk had seen only five full moons but she was strong and quick and could move with awesome speed. It was a great honor to be chosen. The females stroked and combed her long brown hair with the polished bone comb the Mother had given them. And the males patted her arms chanting, take care--be quick. The female that had given her life pressed her face against Dusk's cheek. Do not become a Darkling, she told her. Listen, hear danger and flee!

The tribe stood by their tunnels in silent watching as Dusk entered the jungle.