Shadows at the Dawn

The base idea behind this story is one that has been with me for quite a few years - nearly ten in fact. My original character heroine, Zeeda, has grown with me through the years until she has become one of my favorite creations. Shadows at the Dawn is set during the Silver Millennium period, though in a slightly altered universe so that things make sense with the new character additions.

Zeeda and her family are one of many clans that reside along the outermost edge of the galaxy - separate but allied with the systems within. They serve as the first line of defense even before the houses of the outer planets. Clan strongholds are built on large floating platforms surrounded by environmental shields to keep the vacuum of space at bay. The clans originated as small nomadic groups forced to band together to fend off dark soul fragments that accumulate within the void. Militaristic by their very nature, they do not always understand their allies fears of death and destruction - even with their own life spans being much shorter than anyone from the Moon Kingdom and surrounding planets.

Zeeda is the oldest of five siblings with four younger brothers - Remmus, Kullah, Marshant and Husel. They are at the head of one of the larger clan strongholds - Clan Centurious. Within a stronghold is not just the clan family and their legions - but also a village of varying size comprised of farmers and various trades people. The villages run themselves, only ever asking those of the clan family to mediate disputes if needed. Clans provide protection for the civilians who comprise a greater number of the people in the void.

Marriages are done between clans through a long process of finding a suitable match. Between the ages of twelve and sixteen, children are brought together to meet and see if any friendships develop - be they of the clan or from any of the villages as the case may be. Any pair that seems to be a decent match, with the possibility of becoming a love match, are betrothed by trial at the age of sixteen, leading to a marriage at the age of twenty. The stronger of the two partners, with strength being that of the internal will and the powers each clan member possesses to create defensive shielding, determines which clan gains a new member through the marriage. Clan Centurious gained another son through Zeeda's marriage, but lost Kullah when he married a daughter of Clan Torpel. As for Remmus - well, he did end up with a love match, though it was not to any clans woman - but I'll not spoil the surprise here.

Towards the end of the Silver Millennium, fragment aggression in the void increased at a dramatic rate, blinding even those not involved to a greater evil lurking within. The lurking shadows laid waste to a great many strongholds, and could only be stopped by an act of sacrifice, though one not in a way anyone expected, having misinterpreted the histories of the void.

Shadows at the Dawn is rated T for Teen. This covers implied adult situations (called imagination - use it), language and my own poor attempts at battlefield related violence. There is also death - the Sliver Millennium was not all fluffy bunnies and rainbows. Characters are killed in battle, I can't change that fact of life.

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