The Realms of Cloud & Fog - Jan. 14

   Thunder roared as the glowing clouds of the Illuminated realm collided with that of the swollen, dark mass of storm clouds that made up the Shadowed realm. Lightning crackled and shot across the surface of the dark clouds as the two realms clashed together, the friction releasing a torrent of energy and a deluge of water from the heavens upon the world below. The water collectors of the Undermist had the most dangerous of all jobs as they rushed to collect as much of this life giving liquid as they could while the unseen battle raged far above their heads. The fog layer danced and billowed as the tumult passed through to the empty void beyond the Undermist, creating temporary holes in their world. They had to be extra careful not to fall through these holes. Everyone else hid in their song spun homes of snow, and ice.

   The sun blazed between these various layers in the sky, revealing lush, vibrant rainbows rings. Birds fluttered to perch on the roof tops of the Undermist, looking for any form of shelter whenever the storms came. If one was to look down through the holes in the fog layer, they could catch a mesmerizing glimps of the sun reflecting off of the great orb of water that made up the core of their world. Its great mass rippled with the addition of fresh water.

   Every few years the scholars would join the collectors to have a chance such as this, so that they could study and record and change in size of the watery core, and to take samples of the falling water as well as mist, fog, and air samples. They were constantly trying to find out if the water would eventually rise high enough to wash away their world. This was a silly idea, but of course they knew no better. It was a constantly repeating cycle of evaporation and dispersion brought on by an endless war between the Illuminated and the Shadowed.

   Few had ever caught a glimpse of either race from the cloud kingdom above, but it did happen. One such case occurred when an Illuminated and a Shadowed became entangled in battle, and not paying attention to their surroundings, had lost their footing near the crack where their two realms had collided, sending them tumbling out of the sky like comets. They had both passed through the fog of Undermist, leaving a giant hole behind as they fell to give their essence to the watery core. They did not scream, nor did they flail, they simple accepted their fate as they fell, decorated in the golden and obsidian armor of their respective kingdoms. This is how the scholars of the Undermist came to believe that not all of the denizens that resided above were of celestial origin, as those would have had wings, or so it is thought. No one can be certain, for no one has ever seen the realms above for themselves. Not for a lack of trying mind you.

   A few of the scholars were deemed mad, for they often experimented with the giant birds that roosted on the small cloud pockets in between the Undermist and the realms above. They would wait until the giant birds flew too close to the fog layer, then they would launch snow harnesses at them. They would then anchor them to the fog layer, and climb up on their backs between their wings. They would secure themselves with ice bindings, then they would release the anchor and prod the giant birds with their heels, attempting to control their flight path to the realms above. None of these mad scholars have ever returned. Whether they ever made the journey successfully or not remains a mystery. Perhaps one day one will float down on their giant bird again to set the records straight on the matter, but until that day, they will continue to attempt the ascension.