Inra's Fable
This is the beginning in what I consider an entirely new direction in my writing. The fictional world of Tilaria has been developed over several years in my mind. It has its own geography, culture, religion, and even a language I'm fluent in. This, and what comes later, will be my attempt to share this world and the people that inhabit it with others. A note: This particular piece could be considered post-modern. The majority of the inhabitants speak english, and they have knowledge of human travelers that have come to their world. Not all of the future stories will be in this setting. Tilaria and everything inside it belongs to me. Do not reproduce or repost this story anywhere without my permission. * * *
-Inra's Fable- How The Stars Came To Be In the distant land of Tilaria, on a warm dark night, an old vixen sat in her fusa in front of a peaceful fire. The mud-stone walls reflected the light around the small room. Little cubs of all ages surrounded her, waiting to hear tales of their ancestry and legends. She simply smiled for many moments, looking around for inspiration. Finally her eyes rested on her great grandson. She pointed at him. "Rachek, tell us your Chi'Taer." The little fox looked around nervously at being picked out, but stood. "Rachek Azimund Chi'Resh." The old vixen smiled, gesturing for him to sit again, and continued. "The Chi'Taer, our paths, the Soul-Song. They speak of what we are and what we will be. Some are greater than others, and some come from the gods themselves. 'Azimund Chi'Resh', what does that mean?" A little cheetah raised a paw. "Star Eyes." The vixen smiled again, as was her typical response, and rested back into her chair. "This is a Chi'Taer only given to a fox, and only those that have shown great promise through dreaming. It's from the spirit of Inra, who still guides and protects those of great spirit and youthful energy. It all started with the darkness... In the beginning there was darkness. And from the darkness the Creator was born. No one knows who or what he is, but it was he that made our world. It was a barren place, full of life and yet no sentience. So he made the gods. They were many, of any species you could imagine. Some were greater than others, and some perished or were destroyed. While immortal, not even the gods can resist death. One of the greater ones was Inra. He was a fox, born of the fire, and he brought music to the world. Wherever he went, harmony and joy followed. He always danced wherever he went, swirling and jumping with such grace and beauty that the other gods soon grew envious. One of them, the Great Lion Eslin, eventually challenged him. We all know Eslin proved to be the greatest of all the gods, but he did not do it fairly. He commands the stone of the earth, and like stone he is unchanging. He decided that Inra was a threat, and his pride demanded he proved himself to be greater than the much-adored fox. So he devised a challenge. Inra was called to the top of Shel'nu Tirah, the Great Mountain, and there all the gods and goddesses gathered. Eslin proposed a game to the fox. They would hold a contest of their abilities, and prove once and for all who was better. Inra agreed with only a nod. To that day he had never spoken a word. Eslin was first. He commanded the rock of the mountain to bend to his will, constructing a massive statue of himself within minutes as the solid rock flowed like water. The gods were left in awe. Eslin gestured to the fox, sure he could not win. Inra stepped forward, and a great fire flared into life around him. He danced like he never danced before. The fox was silent as he flowed around and within the inferno, almost seeming to become a part of the flames that created him. He danced faster and faster, his movements matching perfectly the grace and power of the flames. The gods were amazed by the power of his movements, the beauty with which he became one with the fire. Even Eslin stood still, staring at the fox as he pirouetted and leaped through the raging fire without care. All who saw his eyes noticed the intensity with which the silent fox danced. The fires were reflected in his eyes, and they almost glowed with their own light. Finally he peaked, and the fire burned ever brighter. He was lost from view in the towering fire, the other gods having to turn away from its light. The fire burned for a night and a day. Inra never emerged, even when they died away. That night, the gods were amazed by the sight of the sky filled with light, twinkling in counterpart to his endless dance..." The old vixen smiled, looking at the enraptured cubs arranged around her. "That is how the stars came to be, little ones. Eslin's statue still remains to this day, as do the stars. That was Inra's great gift: his fire forever burns in the sky. Only a fox marked by the gods is given such a Chi'Taer." Rachek smiled to himself, looking up through the slitted roof to the cloudless sky above and gazed at the stars; shining forever in their own dances and as silent as the fox that made them. * * * I'm very interested in comments. Future installments will further explain the interesting culture of my little world, as well as explore the various flora and fauna. If the demand is great enough, I might even post a guide on the language. So, tell me what you think.