Absurdly Long AN: So this chapter is a lot shorter then the others, but there is a ton of background information, and it's in Orion's voice, so that will be interesting. I just want to thank Gummi-Arms for her review. I really have no excuse for the whole "apart- a part" thing, other then I'm still working unbetaed, and in my case as long as a word is spelled right, it's good. Which is obviously a bad habit, but when I go back and revise it will be the first thing I fix. Last thing, I have questions at the bottom, for feedback purposes, and I would appreciate it if some of you would answer, they would help me a lot. Okay, I'm done now, read on!
"Long ago, 200 years or so before, which to me Rose, is not actually quite long ago, but for your sake I say it will be, Celestia existed in a state of perpetual peace. Oh it may not have been that long ago, but it sure does feel like eons have passed! It was a time when the ocean was not a frozen wasteland, and daylight actually came to Celestia. You would have found it beautiful Rose. The sky was the purest, deepest blue in the entire universe, you could easily lose yourself in it, immersed in all it's beauty. It was a time of freedom as well. Ships sailed freely, beings of all make had equal liberties, and the possibilities that existed outside of world were quite literally endless.
"Now, I know what you are going to say, and it is not true. Life was not perfect in any way, shape, or form. There was piracy, murder, and most notably political corruption. You see many species co-exist on this planet, much like on Earth. Yes, I mean species. Do not give me that look. Humans, animals, and plant life live life together in harmony do they not? You may find it absurd because they are not what you would call "intelligent species," like you humans. Although your definition of intelligence is vastly different then that of the rest of the universe. But I digress.
"Here on Celsetia the entire planet is ruled by a council made up of Lords, if you will, from every dominant species. Now it was no secret that the humanoid species, we called them The Draggers, for their tendency to drag their feet toward progress, were being oppressed. They were the youngest species to the planet, and the original council had provided them very little land on the continent. Now while it may sound awful, at the time it was considered a brilliant idea. Rose, I told you it sounded awful, but try to put yourself in the councils position. You have this new group that is more of a hinderance then anything to the planet, but you have to deal with them somehow because even though they are difficult they still live on the planet. Think of them like a bug. It may sound wrong and cruel to you, but that is how they were viewed, now please stop interrupting.
"Anyway, it was considered a brilliant plan because The Draggers had very short life spans to begin with, but they were made even shorter because of their lack of intelligence to survive. Of course it did not help that the council gave them the worst portion of land imaginable. A desert! Not even one those council members could survive in a desert if they were dropped there! Once again I am digressing. Anyway, so their population was always the right size for the amount of land given to them. And for a very long time, about 800 years or so it worked. But something was happening. The Draggers stopped dragging and were becoming more and more intelligent. That is why Celestia is fascinated by Earth. Around the time The Draggers were starting to develop, we had developed a way to travel to different worlds. In case you are wondering I came to this planet about 100 years before. I was one of the first to travel for my unique ability to not die.
"Well I am not certain for sure if I cannot die, but it must be incredibly difficult because I have not yet. You should close your mouth Rose, it is not very becoming. Ouch! Alright I am profusely sorry, I will continue.
"So on my fourth or fifth intergalactic trip, I stumbled upon Earth. Imagine my surprise when I found these creatures who were remarkably similar to our pesky species. I studied them, interacted with them. On one occasion in Ancient Greece I... well that is a story for another day. But in any case, they named one of their constellations after me, I am sure you can guess which one that is. I reported my findings to the council, who were less then enthusiastic as I was. I spoke of the great achievement this race had accomplished given the technology they had been using. And on every visit to that small green and blue planet I found that they had progressed further and further. Which made me wonder, would the Draggers progress like this?
"Of course this idea alarmed me. We had oppressed these people and if they would progress like the human race did, then I feared the council would be having more problems then where to have the annual jousting tournament. About 400 years ago, the Draggers had caught up. Well, I suppose "caught up" would be an incorrect use of the phrase given the situation, but they had progressed enough to demand for representation on the council. Now normally the council would have haughtily refused, as that is how they handle things. But the difference this time was, The Draggers had experienced a population explosion. The council had, grudgingly I might add, given them more land, but they continued to grow. They traveled to all parts of the planet, creating new populations, growing at rates as no other species had before.
"But the council was arrogant and unyielding to everything the Draggers demanded. It is funny, but everyone on the planet had begun calling The Draggers, humans, after your race. The council was so adamant against everything they did, including their request of being recognized as the human race. And do you know why Rose? Because it would mean that their brilliant plan had failed. That they were wrong in so severely underestimating a race that they had been deemed, "not worthy to walk thy hallow halls of this sacred infrastructure."
"So I suppose you know where this is going. I have seen it enough in your history to predict what would have come next. I had warned the council several times, but they were just so arrogant and selfish, they refused to listen.
"Now about 200 years later a man by the name of Louis de Cyprus gained his lordship. Even before Cyprus mastered the dark art of magic, yes magic is considered a dark art, but I will explain that later. No "buts'" you will have to wait. Where was I? No I was not at magic, drop it! Oh yes, power, right. Cyprus mastered the art of the written word. Sound familiar? I thought so. He had a talent for unifying the masses, especially an oppressed population. He made the council nervous, and they did whatever they could to try and prevent him from garnering too much popularity. They framed, blackmailed, and made an example out of him. But what they did was make a martyr out of him.
"He staged a coup a year or so later, after bribing and making false promises with some of the smaller species, the merpeople, the trolls, even the pixies. Every member of the council, murdered.
"I realize I am making the human kind seem, monstrous, which is hardly the case. It is why the other creatures have not gone and massacred every human they see. You see there was a man, Prince Henry of Nebula, who alined himself against Cyprus. Henry was apart of a noble line that had spanned nearly four centuries. The first in his line, Alexander of Persues, was a war hero of a battle between the Elves and the Sorcerers, called the Battle at Draggers Ridge. He saved many hundreds of lives that day, and it could not be ignored. The council granted him a kingship of the land, as a thanks. Although it is not as though he had any real voice in the council, but he could rule his land and over his people in peace. After all, they owed him that much. But because of Prince Henry's alliance against Cyprus, it became impossible to tell who was friend and who was foe.
"Are you getting all of this Rose? I realize it is a lot to absorb, but I'm getting to the part where you come into all of this. You should really start paying attention now.
"Now prior to Cyprus's bloody takeover, about 100 years before, the gypsies, seers, medicine men and women began having visions, and strange foretellings. According to Madame Cassiopeia, who was the most trusted seer, well I trust her anyway, said that a dark age had been written in Celestia's future since the beginning of it's time. Only at that point had it become more clear. She said Celestia would enter a dark age where the world would sleep in bitter ice and hatred. Only the rose who... well, you have heard that part. Now you wonder how I play into this. I suppose that is an important question, seeing as how I went on about how we are connected, destinies intertwined and all. She explained to me that I would be the one to find you. If I could not, then everything would be lost. I made this place my home Rose, I would not fail it.
"So until that dark day, artist from all over began to create according to the prophesy. Murals, stained glass windows, fairy tale books began to surface everywhere in Celestia. It acted as a reminder that we should do everything we can to prevent the dark age. Of course not everyone would adhere to the famous story traveling across Celestia. Is it not remarkable how you were famous and you had no idea. You speak of being only ordinary, but to the people of this planet you are their hero.
"For 200 years now we have wallowed in darkness, bitterness, and fear. Word is spreading fast across this planet that a new light has come. Hope and faith are being restored and it is all because you are here! To answer your question, I do not know what you must do in order to complete the prophesy, but I know without you, in two weeks time Celestia will never have another chance.
"What is in two weeks time you ask? You see Cyprus draws his magic from a source. Humans, as you know, are not born with magic in their veins. No, it is an illusion he has created, but the power itself is real. He receives his power through the ringed planet we call Ursa. Well, in two weeks Ursa and our moon will align, and his power will be at his weakest. If we can get to him by then, we can finally stop him once and for all.
Questions for you:
1. How was the flow of this chapter? Was it too much of an information dump? And if so, how would you suggest I fix it?
2. Did the narration style work for this chapter, or should I have done it through Rose's eyes?