Today’s writing is something a little bit different. I’m calling it “Forgotten Heritage”.
This was kind of an experiment, an idea I had that I thought would be fun to figure out.
Ever wonder why Nix has her fire abilities, something that no other Razorwing or Direwing seem to possess? There may be answers, buried deep in the long forgotten lore of the Exile Wings, the race that both Razorwings and Direwings would emerge from.
I hope you enjoy!
--
There was an old story told back in the ancient Exile Wing legends; the story of the first great leader, Cuauhtémoc.
In those ancient times, the Exile Wings were not unified, instead there were hundreds of small Exwing tribes across the land. The clans were in a constant state of war with each one fighting to gain control and territory over their rivals, costing the lives of thousands for years.
Finally, one lone warrior had enough; the great Cuauhtémoc.
Hailing from a small tribe, Cuauhtémoc grew tired of the constant bloodshed and lives lost for fickle leaders. He had made a vow not to his tribe, but to all Exwings; he would go out and unite the tribes in one nation and one purpose, to bring an everlasting peace to their tired land.
He began his task with a small group from his own clan and a small number of tribe leaders who were willing to join, though there were many who did not trust him or believe in cause. But Cuauhtémoc was both strong and cunning: using his great strength and intelligence, he had started to win many over to join under his banner.
However, even as his influence grew, there was another who sought to the same goal as he did: Yaotl the Wild. Yaotl was a fearsome adversary, one that the great leader had faced once before, and his intentions were not as noble as Cuauhtémoc. When the two clashed during their unification, the two met face to face in battle. In the end, Yaotl had proven himself to be stronger, and his reckless and uncoordinated fighting had bested Cuauhtémoc and his most well thought out plans.
It was clear: Cuauhtémoc needed something else to best this enemy, he needed a strength that no other had.
None...except for one.
Cuauhtémoc knew that if he was to complete his goal and unite the land, he needed the strength of a god, he needed the strength of Nochehuatl.
Nochehuatl was one of the great elemental gods of the land, possessing the powers of the sun and the strength and rage of the burning fire. To fight off the likes of Yaotl, Cuauhtémoc needed a force that could surpass that.
The task would not be easy; Nochehuatl’s home lay in a great burning mountain in the middle of an unforgiving savanna that was guarded by some of the fiercest beasts. It was dangerous, but knew he would need to face these dangers, and he was willing to do so alone.
For forty days and nights he traveled through the vast plains, using his cunning to avoid many of the beasts that prowled the land. For any that would find him and challenge him, would rely on his strength to combat them. At the end of this first trial, he reached the mighty fire mountain.
So began his second trial. Extreme heat flowed down the mountain like water, creating dangerous currents that threatened to sweep him off, or smother him with the burning air. It took all of Cuauhtémoc’s strength and endurance to face down the dangerous of Nochehuatl’s realm, spending another ten days, until, at long last, he reached the summit and found her temple.
The great Nochehuatl stood at the entrance as the warrior arrived. She was impressed; even though he was tired and worn down, he was ever eager to continue onward to for his goal.
She demanded why he had come to her realm.
Cuauhtémoc replied; he was here to gain her strength.
She simply asked why.
Cuauhtémoc looked to her with the same resolve he had at the very start of his quest. He needed her strength to defeat the wild Yaotl, who was standing in his way to unify his people as one. And he was willing to do whatever was needed to get it.
Nochehuatl was impressed to see that despite all of the hardships and challenges he had endured, he still thought of his people first, fighting through it to the end. He was even willing to fight, even though facing her in his weakened condition would ultimately lead to his destruction.
And so, she made him an offer: She would give him the power he sought, but, if he would ever use his power for selfish deed, if he would betray those he sought to unite, then that power would consume him entirely.
He agreed, and the pact was made.
During this time, Yaotl did not sit idle. He had believed that Cuauhtémoc was coward and had run off into hiding, so he felt emboldened by his victory and had proceeded to take all the land for himself, pushing many out of their homes and slaughtering any who dared oppose him.
For many of these people, they feared that Cuauhtémoc would not return, that he had either run off or had died searching for Nochehuatl. They feared that this would be the end for them.
Yaotl soon was at the gates of Cuauhtémoc capital and home, his armies poised and ready to tear down the walls and invade the city.
The people hide behind the walls, fearful that they would be facing their end soon, hearing the sounds of the invading army now on their doorsteps.
However, suddenly, everything had gone quiet except for one loud, imposing voice. It was Cuauhtémoc.
The great leader stood at the gates to his city, crying out to the opposing army, calling for Yaotl to come out and face him.
Cuauhtémoc issued his challenge: one on one combat. Should he loose, then he would surrender the city and all of the territory he had united. But if he won, then his rival would surrender everything to him instead, and his armies would now be under his control.
This both surprised and delighted Yaotl. He was hoping to face off against Cuauhtémoc one last time to utterly destroy him and everything he had worked for.
The battle began as it had done so before; Yaotl’s erratic and brutish fighting was starting to overwhelm Cuauhtémoc., but he kept his resolve, biding his time until he revealed his new power. In an instant, his feathers had changed color, turning to a fiery blaze of orange and red. Intense heat radiated out from his form, taking his rival by surprise.
The fire-touched Exwing fought back with a renewed strength. Fire rushed forth from him with every swing, every punch, the intense heat overwhelming Yaotl and forcing him back. Even with his unruly fighting, he could not withstand the fire and the flames.
The fight did not last long after that, and soon the mighty Yaotl could not fight anymore, and he fell. He was at the hero’s mercy.
His rival lay at his feet, but Cuauhtémoc was not a vengeful creature. He saw great potential, so spared his life, even offering him a place within his new nation.
However, Yaotl would refuse his offer; not out of hate or spite but out of a new desire, and he would leave on a new quest of his own.
From that moment onward, the Exile Wing tribes had been united under one rule with their sovereign. Cuauhtémoc would remember and honor his pack with Nochehuatl; he would rule as fair, wise and strong leader, and his powers would only be used to protect his people.
The legend of Cuauhtémoc would continue on for years, with even more tales of those either discovering new powers, or forming similar pacts with the other deities, allowing powers of earth, air, and water.
It is said that these powers were inherited by those of these ancient “elder families”. Descendants of these family lines would gain these powers, so long as these pacts were honored.
These stories would eventually fade away, ultimately presumed lost with the loss of Avylon in the final days of the last Exwing war. While many of the Razorwings do not know of these old tales, they do still survive in a few of the Direwing clans. Some of the older Direwings even say that there are those out there who still possess these powers...
