The Sword of Rakash

Once a long time ago before its lush landscape of meadows, fields, valleys and rivers were submerged by the sea lay the land of Rakash. The land was rich as the people who inhabited them for life was cultured by harmony. There were limits based on production which tempered greed as well as conflict. For the people of Rakash they were content in their region of the continent so as not to venture farther to the Northern lands of ice where life was much more inhospitable. The Gar-Shan as they called themselves did explore more to the West where the great ocean lay as well the East where there was a great desert. To the Gar-Shan both the Great Ocean as well as the Great Desert were revered as places to visit. The Gar-Shan created two routes towards the sea and desert where they collected minerals which were either adorned like pearls, shells and coral or made into glass, ink for writing as well as paper. The Gar-Shan allowed for a timetable to go on expeditions to the sea and desert so as to give time to both regions time to replenish their gifts provided to them.

The word Rakash which was derived from the language of the Gar-Shan was a combined word from the prefix Ra which meant sun and the suffix Kash or aftermath as when something burns it leaves ash. The literal meaning Rakash was a land created by the sun. As for the Gar-Shan themselves they were actually born from the sea a millennia ago after the Preternian mass extinction event. This time period on Eternos before was a re-growing period is called the Trans-Eternian age as it precededs the extinction event of Preternia though restores Eternos to the condition which we see on Eternia today. It has been hypothesized by the Royal Astrological society as well as Archeological societies that the Preternian extinction was caused safter an asteroid destroyed most life on the surface of Eternos. This period of time when Rakash existed as a lush continent was known as the Trans-Eternian age.

The descendants of the Gar-Shan eventually discovered that they evolved from the Great Sea though the ancient Gar-Shan of Rakash had no inkling of their true origins. However, traits remained amongst the Gar-Shan and their aquatic origins such as blue skin as well as hairlessness. Many ages later, the Gar-Shan would grow hair as they transferred genes between other haired hominoids of Eternos primarily along the eastern continental shelf of Eternia as well the Golden Isles. Though the adaptations lost to the Gar-Shan once they lived on land was their ability to breath provided by gills as well their prehensile tails used for swimming.

The meaning Gar-Shan has confounded many Archiologists to this day as the prefix Gar is the name of a type of blue needle fish called a Garfish, which ironically refers to the hidden origins of the Gar people. Then there is the prefix of the Gar people the Shan which literally means mountain though also can refer to personal attainment as in to reach high as in success or achievement. For archeologists the ancient Gar-Shan people of Rakash were peaceful, egalitarian, spirituel and in some cases pacifistic in nature so it did seem odd that they used the word Shan to describe themselves based on its personal intonations as well ambitious meaning.

The most sacred region of Rakash were the Caverns of Rakash. These caverns were often used as burial grounds for the deceased which for every grave was placed the sacred spirit crystal found from the ocean. The crystals were thought to help guide the spirits of the deceased to the Tongen-Nuk or resting place until they are rebirthed again. The green crystals were in actuality formed Coridite found in coral reefs having been able to absorb enough heat from the sun to fully crystalize. For some reason, perhaps a genetic as well as hereditary one, the Gar-Shan can tap into the Coridite with their mind by sensing the minerals presence, gaining visions from them as well as precognitions. There was a preceding incident which followed one Gar-Shan elders warning of not heading to the Great Ocean on one of the expeditions. The Gar-Shan ignored the old man's warning by going on the expedition anyway, they never came back.

A party was sent to the Great Ocean to find out what had happened to the missing expedition. This time there was only one person to have returned to lay claim to what happened to the former party had happened to his. What was claimed was that a group of creatures emerged from the sea to attack his search party. The creatures had green skin as well as fins to make them resemble fish more than men. The young Gar-Shan man told his people that he watched in horror as his brothers were slaughtered instantly by thin needle like projectiles shot from three-pronged spears! Fortunately, the young man was able to flee the attack from the creatures, though he said that he was chased by them for quite some time.

The elder who had originally consulted with the spirit crystals went back to his shrine in the caverns to seek the wisdom of the God of the Great Ocean Kulduun. Perhaps the elder though that his people had offended him in some way.

"This story has become illogical.", said a young man in a very brash tone. The young man was sitting at a table beside an older man with dark brown hair holding a bool with Royal Archeology Edition written on its spine.

The older man simply asked, "How so?"

The young man rebuffed," The mention of an Ocean God should have been erased. As a vessel of Shavazustra I refute all claims based on the three reasons of man, science and law."

"Is Shavazustra not a Goddess?", the old man asked plainly.

"No, Shavazustra is the ultimate mother of Gar-Shan achievement based on the reasoning of man, science and law. You know this father for you based my programing on Shavazustra's manifestation.", the boy said.

The man lay the book he was reading from down on the page side up for a moment to address the young man. Though before saying a thing to the boy the man observed the innocent looking child wearing atop his head a blue squared dome designed after the Goddess Shavazustra, for as she he was to wear three faces. The child was the one the man had to reason with as he was the one he had imprisoned in this false construct. The man searched the metal tubes emanating from the dome around his head, then at each shoulder interconnecting at junction points atop each shoulder. From the boys' shoulders did more tubing run across the boy's bare chest as well as circling away from that junction point at his sternum to where it slithered around to his backside. The boy was supposed to where this apparatus until adulthood where the exoskeleton would grow along with him until he did not need it anymore. The man squinted sharply at the purple tubes rapped around the boy those accursed adrenal tubes he cursed to himself.

Then with a smile, the man asked the boy," Do wish me to continue reading or have you had enough for today?"

"I must finish my learning session, would you not agree, father?", the boy asked.

"I will offer you a choice, you can either listen to the rest of this history lesson or go play by the beach?", the man proposed.

"A choice...", the boy said as he began to shake in his chair. The man slipped his hand into one of his brown pants pockets where he slowly produced what looked like a small red dial. The man watched the boy ball up his ball up his fist in an effort to control his rage. I seemed like a losing effort.

"Endo...", the man asked the boy by the name that he gave him.

"Endo...". the man again called out the child's name trying to get his attention so he would not become angry. The boy was frustrated now though it could easily become a tantrum or worse. Though the man did not want to resort to using his ID Disk on him.

So, before Endo's veins bulged out in green full of adrenalin, the man asked one last time with urgency, "Endo, can you hear me son?"

Slowly, the boy relaxed himself, his fists opened up into receptive openness before he asked, "Yes...father ...I hear you..."

"Do you need me to put the ID Disk on you?", the Man asked desperate for his answer.

The man was close enough in his chair to slap the red disc on top of his helmet with or without his permission though he did not want to shut the boy down. At some point the man would have to break through to Endo, he must at least try.

"No, I will go outside for now.", Endo replied as if nothing happened, a reset it seemed.

"Do you want to bring your storage case with you? For your seashell collection.", the man asked, playing along as if nothing had happened.

"That will not be necessary, I am going to think outside in the fresh air. To ponder as you once told me, to self-reflect in the calmness of the world.", Endo told his beaming father, who could not dampen his joy in the moment of a complete breakthrough!

"Go, go! Listen to the tide come in. Think about the history lesson on Rakash that I read to you!", the man said as he stood up from the table which caused his son to do the same.

The man gave his son an awkward hug as it was not well reciprocated but alas the boy was learning.

Then as the boy left the small cabin by the sea that was his home for the time being the man left the book face down on the table to enter into his study.

The man watched the boy stroll along the beach from a small window before hitting a latch on his bookcase which opened up a small computerized consol inside a kiosk. In doing so the man's actions aloud for some shades to cover his windows as well lock the door to inside his study. The man put on a long white beard as well as wig to look into a small vanity mirror to properly apply it. After feeling satisfied with his new appearance as an old man the communications ink was switched on. The man then sent out a transmission to be received almost instantly. The visualization screen was left off as a voice came on the intercom," Ahktar, so soon have you finished lesson time with the mimic?"

"Endo, needed some alone time, you know how short attention spanned the young ones are at his age.", Ahktar said to the voice coming through his speaker.

"So, you're still giving the moon orphan a name? Also, how about turning on your visuals for me? I prefer to look face to face with those I'm communicating with.", the voice replied.

"As far as his name goes, the Eternians like to address themselves by informally at times. So, I am working very closely with Endo in terms of nuances like that.", Ahktar mentioned before hitting the relay button to turn on his visual monitor.

"As you wish, Tech-Leader Kyro!", Ahktar told his commanding officer as he switched on the visuals, which showed the yellow collared bald headed blue face on the other side.

The piercing black eyes almost pierced through the screen as Ahktar could see the anger Kyro was trying to maintain. Ahktar knew that Kyro hated his disguise as an old man which was why it was currently in use. For it was equally so that Ahktar hated the term his son was referred to by the elites, the phrase moon orphan. As if the clone of a kidnapped child needed a surrogate mother in Shavazustra.

"Do you have a data disk ready?", Kyro asked.

"At the ready!", it was always emphasized to answer your superiors in the military with extreme punctuation.

"I am not going to share any data as there was not much to collect thus day. Just be on standby tomorrow for data transfer. The Mekka Loxodor may be irretrievable at this time. The trench it had sunken into is a hazard to not only explore but we risk further damage to the mekka itself. Instead, we might hold off on freeing the mekka for now as the case of the lost signal to our mountain base in the Vine Jungle needs consideration.", Tech-Leader Kyro explained in depth.

Ahktar was worried that Kyro would collect the physical data disc at his cabin before anything else, yet as he listened further, Kyro explained in greater detail," I am going attempt to collect more communication data with the mekka which means more divers to get closer with marine echo-locators. After tomorrow data collecting, I will share with you that I have collected in person before heading back to Anwat Gar. So be ready, over."

The screen was promptly turned off from kyros end which seemed harsh. Ahktar was concerned that Kyro had received new orders which may involve Endo. Ahktar did not want to lose Endo now, not to the military after having his breakthrough earlier on with him.

Ahktar quickly shut off the communications consul in order to return the kiosk behind its hidden place behind the bookcase. Once done the shades came up which shown it was still daylight as Ahktar left the study through the now unlocked door in search of his son who was on the beach.