During the age of change, the summer ring has started to break and turn to ruin. . . most wanted to take the seat of the Sun but others did not and tried to rescue the true Sun.
Pov Elmhelia:
Act 1 goodbyes.
I looked up, the summer-ring that circles the world weakening in its light, it's radiance vanishing my mother's light turning dimmer as I looked at the horizon. I look to my sides, my friends, my kin. . . I need to go, I need to save mother from this new thing called death.
I turned to my generals, and oldest daughter and held my husband's hand. "I love you all, but I need to go and save the Radiant-Sun." They seemed sadden at my words but nodded in understanding.
I first spoke to my Captains, one was my second child, to my husband Nivoran, and the other my niece to sister Relsuri. they command my heavy and light cavalry, while my oldest daughter commands my Husbands Nivoran-guards. "Captains, protect our home and people as best you can." They smiled nodding and then they looked at each other with rivalric fire, spark on each of my captains I gave each a bump on the head with my sheeted sword.
With fire in my words I shouted at the two. "You two are stronger together! remember that. don't let competition cloud our goal." I then looked at my oldest daughter and she spoke in the voice of one with certainty.
"I will do my best to keep everyone from not killing each other in your absence mother." She then laughed at how serious she was, then told me they'll be fine under her, but I saw doubt and fear in her eyes, my daughter the one that had conquered rivers and layed low mountains, fearful.
My husband gave me a kiss and said nothing looking me in my eyes, with a final hug he let me go, and joined the others in seeing me off. I was mounted Raptori companion of one, of my Sun-captains, but she used to be known a Phoenix the Seeker. companion of my sister Relsuri the Shining-sun. . .I miss her.
She took me up, towards the Sky-ring, as I waved goodbye to everyone, and then I was there, standing at the Summer-path above my Husband Nivoran.
"Go Raptori, leave me, Cottosuri would need you, more than I would." She protested of course, not wanting another sun to be laid low, but I convinced her with my light and she left to protect the daughter of her friend.
Act 2 Pretender-sun
I was walking the summer path, many bricks looking broken or stolen something that should never happen. as I walk the path the power of summer went into me, the power suppose to belong to my mother, giving her radiance as she ruled the day.
Even now I can feel that it could be mended into its full glory, empowering mother and giving the warmth and light that people would need live. and maybe when remade can revive mother.
I can also feel those who stole, eaten, broke the golden bricks of the summer path, false-suns wanting to usurp not only mother's throne and power, but her existence itself! her rune of rulership over all of the summer court.
Then as I walked the path, I saw my youngest true sister, ordering her people to gather more of the golden bricks of the summer path. she turned and looked at me, her face showing confusion and then ridicule. her amber gold hair pointed like needles. "You. . . think, your the sun now sister?"
She was a smaller sun with a weaker heat than I, but she shines a light that guides and govern all under it well, making them prosper in peace. much like our mother. but she is weak, easily beaten by those lesser than her.
She wore sandals of leather and gold, she was dressed just above her knees with a tasseled long sleeveless tunic and a short poncho. with a golden belt, chest plate, and a golden rimmed haloed clothed hat, her only weapon was an ornamental spear shining with power without flames.
"I am not the sun Little Amaren. . .this is unworthy of you sister." I was sincere with my words to her, and with her spear ready to strike, she heard my heat, and this made her drop her spear and looked ashamed to me and her people, she told them to stop and let me pass, she apologized as I went.
Like the days our mother ruled, we did not need to fight, atleast that had not change.
Still the crybaby I grew up with, she left with her people promising to protect the empire with a dome, I wasn't able to stop her as she left the summer path. "A dome? how would they be nurtured by our light? under a dome." She did not heard me and I shrugged as that would be a problem for later.
Act 3 Demonic-sun
As I walked the long path, power kept gathering within me, I pushed off those who become traitors to the Radiant-sun. then as I continued a Crimson Demonic-sun loomed over me. she was another sister an older one.
Her heat was greater and hotter than mine, but my light brighter. she was the most loyal warrior of the summer court but mother's death had wounded her more than the rest, turning her insane, turning her violent club inwards.
She was cloth only in a tattered skirt, and a jade-gold helmed crown, her nude form was armored by her hardened spotted skin, and pointed carnivorous teeth, her two lower arms holding a Jade-gold mace, her other arm a golden shield with her symbol and the last a simple Jade-gold spear.
I heard monstrous laughter as I approached, her children consuming or gathering the golden stones on large green clay bowls. she was already facing me as I approached. "Ha ha ha! You think your the sun, Elmhelia?"
I saw violence in her eyes no matter my response to her. . .our need to fight each other had not changed. "I'm not the sun, sister." I then prepared my lance, and shield. "And neither are you."
My sister Amasha charged at me with her mace, striking at my shield, flurry after flurry against my bright shield. I cried out to her. "The sun is not blood red. Hell gives no warmth. a force shines within you Amasha, but that light doesn't nurture life!" For a short eternity we clashed. in the end, we were both lightly wounded and both saw no reason to end the other.
In a moment of clarity her light turn amber and she spoke. "You are right sister, but know I would never serve you." With that she turned back to her crimson light and left, her children running terrified after her. leaving many golden bricks but taking some with them.
After are fight many other false sun tried to raid the Summer-path, I defended it, driving off some and taking back the bricks they've stole but other would snick past me taking more as I handled others.
I needed help and so I asked for it as I sang a call for aid, that many of my descendants, mortal heroic spirits, went to my side I asked them to defend where I cannot. and with grim resolve they did, many fell in the defence I cannot be, but they did what I asked.
Act 4 Shining-sun
As I rested from the injuries I gained from my battle with sister Amasha, power continued to gather within me from the summer path, I tried to stop this, as I do not want to claim my mother's role. . . I was not enough.
Then as I thought of what I should do next, I heard the beautiful string of a harp played in ways that reminds me of my youth, of the time my sisters and I played together rather than battle each other.
Only one goddess can play such music and she was long missing, I looked up from my thoughts and I saw her, atleast a shadow of her as she is not here anymore.
She was smiling at me, she dressed much as I do a warrior and ruler with a golden winged helm and golden spear blazing with as much power as my shield.
"Sister, let it be so. . . become the sun as mother sleeps, as all try to awaken her from the new thing called death." and with that she was gone her smile, her shining light, her rousing song. . . all gone, like when she disappeared, leaving only a heavily injured, crippled, Phoenix.
I sighed and accepted the power of the summer path, but I would not be the sun, as mother can still be saved. and that was what I told to all the false suns I fought and I promised them one day I will rescue my mother from the underworld.
Act 5 Cold-sun.
As I stood fully, after another clash with a false sun, which I recognized as once a part of my mother's retinue now turned into a golden mortal spirit. Many of them I pressed to my service and others I driven off the path.
But then my fight with the false-suns paused as a new threat to the path came, she the Cold-sun imposed herself upon the Summer-path. She radiating a cold dim frigid light.
Her light was strengthening the Ice crushing my mother's summer court. She laughed arrogantly as she stood in my path. "Are you supposed to be the sun?"
I was sincere as I answered, as I lept, charging her with my lance. "I am not the sun." We battled her, her frosted lance and cold winded magic, against my blazing shield and bright magic.
She was dressed much like my youngest sister, but she was pale, unhealthily pale, like that of snow, her hair frosted blue, her fingers iced into claws, and her once amber clothes now stained blue and tattered. Who is she?
Our battle lasted much longer than I could we could have expected, but neither of us won, as we stood still facing each other in a pause. she sent me another barrage of winter that I melted but she was gone as the wind stopped. I knew she would return one day, after gathering more strength.
I placed it out of my mind for now, as I tried rebuilding the Summer-path, I kept patrolling the path I have freed against the many other false-suns from the strongest to weakest, it was a smaller path than it used to be, but it's fully protected.
And as I walk the path, I lengthen it towards the south as I felt it needs to go that way, it was slow work but I did it, and those parts of the path I left would be guarded by my shining swords and shields, commanded by lesser suns.
And as I lengthen and walked the summer path it surrounded me with a warm mantle of flames, enough to give light to those below giving not the eternal light of my mother, but enough that they wouldn't starve and be able to grow.
I think that's enough for now, I said tiring of my new duty, as I rested and spoke to my people using my new heat, telling them it's time we moved, as the path is ready, but some had become stubborn in my absence and other hadn't heard me at all, I stood and tried to go down myself but I was stopped.
Winter hail and winds battered me, before I can place my shield upward, to defend myself and the swords and shields that came to warn me of an army.
I gathered more of my shining warriors and sent them ahead as I readied myself and charged after them. as I did I saw the enemy, she was back. "My name is Yonishe." She whispered in the wind and everyone heard it. "And I am the sun."
I charged him, burning with some of the power of the summer-path, are lances crossed. "You are not!" I Elmhelia told all with my flames. "You are riddled with runes of storms. you will only destroy whatever part of the great sky path you would touch!"
We fought and fought and I was losing, wounded more grievously than she, and then I saw it, a way to win, and give myself time for our next battle, but it would cost me much.
A tear came upon my, eye as I heard a whisper from my husband. "It's fine Amber, please, take care of everyone." I took inside me the portion of the Summer-path above my city, and beyond, and it gave me power, enough that my wounds healed and are fight became equal.
The Cold-sun buried my Beloved Nivoran, forcing him and many others to join my mother in the underworld. but before it was buried I threw my blazing lance southwards, making a path of light and warmth for my children and people to have a way out of our golden city.
I saw a vision that many of my swords defended many other mortals carrying what they can, but my shields was still fighting the frost, they were brave but dumb, to do so but they did slow the frost and I gave them more power to resist it, while I gave the swords enough power to cut down anything in the evacuations path.
As a chasm, was made separating us she stood on her glacier and I stood at the other side of my Summer-path. She Yonishe, leapt overcoming the distance, I felt I would lose if I were to meet her charge, so I braced my shield.
Against the might of all winter, I said what I felt I needed to become what I need to protect everyone. And give him a wound enough that it would take her an eternity to heal, with my shield blazing stronger than it had ever been I roared. "I am the Sun!"
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That day was when Elmhelia took her place as the Guardian-sun protector of the people of her mother, the light she gave in that battle, was enough for all the smaller suns, to kneel and accept her as regent, and promise to fight by her side against all else and rescue the Eternal-Sun.