In the deep forest there existed a certain tribe that consisted of beings of a new race on the world of Asteria. It had only been several centuries since their forefathers had been brought to these lands by the great gods.
Since then they had adapted and multiplied never forgetting to serve the gods for it was with their providence that they had found a place amongst the forest and had prospered.
They had learned to live in the forest, with the forest and for the forest. They had adapted and learned how to live as one with nature. Nature gave them security and food and a place to call home, in return they lived in harmony with nature.
They emulated nature in a bid to grow closer with nature and even adjusted their lifestyles to those that were closer to nature.
On this particular day, the sky had turned grey, heavy and solemn and the winds were raging across the forested lands. The loud sounds of thunder came and went non stop as if a sign that the gods were angry at the tribe.
Being deeply religious, the elders dressed in their appropriate regalia, wooden masks to cover their faces, headband of feathers atop their heads and coverings of dried leather that covered their bodies full length. They lit a fire as large as they could manage and walked round and round the fire mumbling incomprehensible words trying to ease the wrath of the gods.
The women and the young were all holed up in their homes, not a word was spoken between them as none wanted to invoke the wrath of the supreme one. It was believed that women and the young were not worthy to stand before the almighty one. Hence the elderly men acted as intercessors for the entire tribe.
The men of the village took turns walking atop the tree footbridges staying alert in case any intruder dared to break into their homes.
The tribe had a long culture of building treehouses one that had started since the time of their forefathers. The treehouses would then be connected to each other by footbridges that spanned from one tree to the other. This was for protection from walking animals and also for easier access. Each treehouse would be dedicated to taking care of the said tree for as long as it had inhabitants in it. More of the older tree houses hosted trees with wider girths and consequently wider and larger tree houses. The tribal chief's house was one such house.
Amidst all the tension in the air periodic lone cries could be heard from a certain treehouse close to where the bonfire was set. The throes of childbirth from the tribal chief's sixth wife.
How unlucky everyone thought. A child born amidst this kind of ominous sign must surely mean that the child is one who bears bad luck in the very least. One who angers the almighty one just by being birthed. Surely there's no way he can live an easy life, is there?
Time grew old yet the clouds were heavy with no sign of rain. One elder after the other started fainting out of exhaustion and was pulled out of the bonfire march and put to rest their weary bones in a nearby corner. The atmosphere was turning grim and the tribe's members were starting to entertain horrid thoughts about how they needed to safeguard their futures early before the bearer of bad luck would turn into a calamity.
Such thoughts were being spread like a wildfire among the older generation that even the children started to get affected.
Bathed in all the doubt and malice the atmosphere once again opened up as a ray of light pierced through the dark clouds straight through to the hut that was housing the newly born child of the chief. In magnificent awe, the once chaotic atmosphere grew calm and peaceful. A rush of warmth suddenly radiated from the skies.
Coincidentally, the loud painful wails of a woman had subsided and now the puling of a newborn filled the air as if to assuage the tense mood all over.
"Let me hold him, Let me hold my baby," the mother cried, ecstatic to see the life she had birthed.
"Here, Here, it is a strong boy, one fit to be the chief's son. You've done well Marta," the head matron said as she handed the shawl wrapped baby to the mother's trembling arm.
She couldn't help but worry for her. Her delivery had been one of the most troublesome ones she had seen and as evidenced by her overflowing white hair she had seen a lot of deliveries. As she watched her a while ago, she couldn't help but wonder if she would survive this troublesome childbirth. Seeing her smile as she held her baby she brushed her sad thoughts away convincing herself of how strong and brave a woman Marta was.
"Go call for the tribal chief, tell him of the good news. He can come to see his newborn baby boy." The matron ordered one of the nurses close to her.
"How strong, just like his father..." the mother couldn't hide her joy," What shall we name you?"
"It shall be Deriaspes, like our first forefather, may he grant our young one never-ending luck," a sudden gruff voice announced from the door catching the attention of both the mother and matron.
"Evening Chief, it seems you have yet another seed to contest for your throne, ti!hi!hi!" the head matron jested with a smile directed towards the burly man who had started making his way towards his newborn child.
With not so much as a shift in emotion, he strode calmly towards the mother and child, not sparing a thought to the matron's remarks, picked up the child and smiled.
"It's a wonderful name," Marta said "Deriaspes the fir...".Before she could even finish the sentence to her words she felt an unbearable amount of pain and felt helpless towards it. All she could do was let out a complicated groan as she lay on her bed. It was not long before the room grew silent once more this time a sombre mood descended. Sir Death had passed by, and it had reaped a soul. Despite all the pain she had been experiencing at that moment she had managed to whisper the words, "I leave him in your care."
Life had been given to one while to another it had been taken away. Cries filled the air that day. The tribe wailed and cried for the death of their own. A day that was supposed to be filled with happiness was filled with sadness at the death of not only the tribal chief's wife but also the death of a strong warrior. Meanwhile Deriaspes, clueless of his own misfortune jostled at the air trying to breathe his first few breaths of air.
Seasons passed one after the other and Deriaspes was now six years old. He had developed into a fine child a member of the Windfolk tribe. After his mother's untimely death he was taken in by the chief's fifth wife and raised and nursed till he could start eating solid foods. As he grew older he became aware of the death of his mother and accepted it. Since he was born he had not gotten an audience with his father. As the chief was a busy man Deriaspes learned to respect that fact and never bothered. Instead, he immersed himself in the role of the nuisance of the tribe day in day out.
He was a normal child by all standards. The only thing that set him apart from all his peers was, well everything.
Not only was he stronger and more energetic than his peers he was also curious by nature a trait that both irked and was liked by various people in the tribe. His peculiarity caused him to be deserted by his peers and to be shunned by most tribes folk. This was mainly because of the occasional accidents he would cause by trying to experiment on his new ideas and thoughts. A fact that only solidified the fact that he was a child of bad luck. Although many still talked about him being a bearer of bad fate, not many were ready to openly discuss it as he was the chief's son. Nobody wanted to incur the wrath of the chief.
Despite all the nasty talk around town he still managed to get himself two friends who liked his company a great deal. His thick-headed brother Kartia and his skinny friend Bortis. They followed him everywhere in the name of observing his ways, Kartia liked participating in most of the destruction that would happen wherever Deriaspes went and Bortis liked learning new things from Deriaspes since he was an orphan. The other kids had decided to shun the group too.
Another Six years passed in a flash and now it was time for Deria (Deriaspes), to learn the art of how to hunt. This was passed down to every tribesman whether man or woman.
The crew of three, Deria, Kartia who was a year older and Bortis who was the same age as Deriaspes, would be joining the tribal hunting crew deep into the woods for the first time to view for themselves how hunting was done in the forest.
Bows were fashioned out of tree branches and bowstrings out of animal tendons and grass stringed together. Each and everybody present, even Deria, had a small knife for butchering the hunt. It was a must-have.
Everyone took their respective positions while Deria and the rest hid behind bushes watching keenly as the elders participated in the hunt. The hunt was a wild boar that often grazed around the areas north of the village. After waiting along the path for the boar to pass through the boar was ambushed and taken down in an instant. Bows flew in from three different directions incapacitating the wild boar instantly and while it was still down and unmoving spears were trusted through its torso straight into its heart. its fighting spirit was extinguished and its cries could be heard no more.
At that moment when the wild boar was taken down Deria's eyes lit up and his mind was filled with thoughts upon thoughts that compounded into a myriad of questions for the hunting team once they headed back to the village.
Upon returning Deria was ecstatic of what he had learned. He couldn't help thinking of ways of how he could deal with the wild boar if it was him who was hunting. His curiosity getting the best of him, he sneaked out of his hut at night and took his father's bow from the weaponry treehouse, he then nocked an arrow into the bow and shot into a nearby tree. An Indescribable feeling welled up from his bosom.
"This is it," he thought.
That is what he was missing all his life. And so till dawn with that one arrow, Deria shot at the tree countless times unconsciously trying to aim at the same point he had first hit.
*Ting* *Ting*
[Congratulations you have achieved all requirements for bow mastery]
[Bow mastery unlocked]
[Status Unlocked]
[You are the first from the ****** race to unlock the system requirements]
[You have earned the title: Pioneer of the ******race]
[You have earned experience]
[You have unlocked the system tab]
Name: Deriaspes
Age: 12 years old
Race: Green Vajra Race +
Health Points: 100/100
Stamina Points: 30/30
Vitality: 40
Agility: 15
Strength: 35
Dexterity: 10
Endurance: 10
Mana: 0
Intelligence: 55
Luck: 60
Piety: 0
Titles
Pioneer of the Green Vajra race
Privileges: No privileges.
Tribal Chief's son
Privileges: Fame among the Green Vajra - Windfolk tribe.
One hated by Mana
Privileges: Not able to use the blessing of mana.
One who pays no Piety
Privileges : ******
The Eternal Inquisitor
Privileges: Abnormally fast growth of subjects intelligence
: Ability to discern and understand situations quickly.
: ****** Requirements not met
Bearer of bad Fate
Privilege: Reduces the Luck stat effect significantly.
Before long he could hear a strange sound in his head. Immediately thereafter strangely glowing blue tabs appeared in his view with words he could not read but could understand each one of them.
This left his eyes and mouth wide open as his legs gave in letting him fall on his bum flat on the ground. For a minute there Deria's mind was bombarded with unfamiliar information making him zone out as he stared at the sky trying to comprehend whatever was happening to him at that moment.