The Mist is a beautiful species that lives on the Estern planet. Centuries ago there were two species living on the planet, the Phestis species, an astoudingly beautiful tribe, who were incredibly innocent and swore never to hurt any living creature, and the Cyst species, a species of a coal black mist that formed the silouette of a human. They had an incredible power of being able to kill with their astoudingly powerful mind, which made them a large threat. Origionally the two species leaving each othe alone but this changed as the Cyst became increasingly attracted to the Phestis and the two species started to breed, creating the most powerful living species in the Universe, The Mist. The Mist has inherited from both species, making them a very large threat. Both of the origional species died out overtime, but their children carried on living. They are gorgeous creatures, with long, flower silver hair - that cascades down their back in a sparkling waterfall and near-translucent skin, their most noticable features. All Mist's have silver eyes as bright as their hair and have long curved fingernails at approximately an inch long, never painted, which can be used for hunting if all other hunting techniques fail. After inheriting their looks from their Phestis side of their family, the Mist have inherited the incredible mind power from the Cyst side of their family. Using this astounding mind power they can kill any living thing by slipping their mind into the preys skull and killing the brain dead. The Mist do not eat their prey, they just kill for enjoyment, whenever and wherever they want - as long as it is not their own people. They have developed the Cyst's thirst for power, but this time it is much stronger. With all this in mind the species have conquered dozens of planets and their collection is still growing. They refuse to live on these conquered homes as they do not like change - yet again, they are just conquering for the enjoyment. However, Mistlings (The child equivilent of a Mist), are nothing like the older Mist's. They are innocent, sweet and have no wish to harm anyone - they are almost completely Phestis. At the age of 17, however, a change happens when the clock strikes the first hour of their 17th birthday and they become the starving, murduruous creatures that their parents are. There is a great legend that roams the mountain's of Estern and is whispered about among every Mist: that one day there will be a Mist so powerful and so brutal, that even the Universe itself would quake in it's boots. It is foretold that this mighty Mist will have a heart of stone, cold and brutal, even worse so than the Mist's today and will have no care for any living creature, not excluding the Mist species. This Mist would have violent purple eyes and astounding silver hair which is unlike any other Mist's. Their fingernail's will be longer, sharper and their mind more powerful than anything ever created, making them an all the more powerful and dangerous creature. In addition this frighteningly beautiful spectacle will have precise and striking visions, which nobody has ever had the pleasure. This creature, this...thing of immortality, will eventually destroy all knowing life of the entire universe.
~Kestrel~ I stared longingly out of my window, praying for a glimpse of what had and could have been. Gazing up at the stars I rested my palm on the glass, my breath making a small pool of mist on the surface of the window. Resting my head against the wall my heart pounded. I knew I had to get over my fear, but it was so hard. Knowing what was to come. Trembling I inhaled deeply. Do it. My conciousness called. Do it for him. Counting down in my head, each number seemed like a death date. 3...2...1... My eyes snapped shut, engulfing me in darkness. Gold, flaming flashes of light crashed behind my eyelids, fires blazed uncontrollably. Screams pierced through my skin- high, terrified screams. I watched as hands curved bewitchingly as long fingernails grew from the stubby pink fingers, threatening and bewitching. Purple eyes, as violet as the leaves that fell from the trees. They troubled me, their deep gaze, as if something was hidden beyond the pupils in a void of danger and terror. Whose eyes were they? Who was this person full of so much anger and evil?? Suddenly the eyes blacked out. And the startling blackness was replaced by a boy. Well, a man. He looked about the age of 17, the age I would be in just a few weeks, with a freash face filled with light and adventure. A face which you knew you could trust. Dark hair fell in his eyes as large glasses were pushed up the bridge of his nose. The glasses were so large and ridiculous they looked suprisingly good. His eyes shone a bright green, vibrant and knowing. Those eyes looked like they should belong to a 70 year old, they were so wise and knowing. Keeping my eyes closed I pulled my hand away from the glass and picked up the charcoal resting beside me. I frantically sketched the curve of his cheekbones and the deep look in his eye. The swoop of his hair.The look on his precise face. Then mist surrounded him, pulling him away from my vision. His lips moved, murmering something I couldn't hear as the coal black mist dragged him away. With a gasp I jolted back to reality. Tears streamed down my face as my chest heaved in and out. Propping myself up on a wall I pulled myself up and off the window seat. My stomach felt like it had been thrust through the Remuda Galaxy at full speed and spots partly covered my vision. Mist. Why mist? Looking at the time I realised I should really be getting into my Mist Chamber. Feeling like there was a large pebble lying in my chest, I wiped away my tears and picked up my drawing. The charcoal boy I had seen gazed back at me, his eyes boring into my skull. Was he real? Or just a strange figament of my imagination? I had never been a normal person, I had always been different from the other Mist's, seeing things, experiancing strange tingling sensations up my back, longer and brighter hair. The regular silver hair on the other Mist kids looked normal, they looked like someone you could completely miss out if you were looking at a galatic viewing. Whereas my hair shone in the sunlight. The silver hairs cast rays of purples and golds and turquoises when the light hit at just the right angle and my grey eyes had sparkles of gold speckling the pupil. People treated me as someone who should be avoided, a mass murdurer who had a shield surrounding them, anyone who touched it would die a slow and painful death. As I crossed the room I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My hair stuck to my head in a greasy lump, yet still it looked like it outshone the silver sun above our heads. When they first took me I hated my reflection, the Mistling that stared back at me from the mirror. I thought my strange look was why they bought me here.my mind cast back to that day 4 years ago. My legs buckled as the guards dragged me towards the door. I couldn't go inside- a voice, in the back of my head whispered:"Dont go in," I always listened to that voice, i didn't know what it was but I had given up trying to find out. Stranger enough the voice was comforting, a taster of my old life, leaving me craving for days like yesterday, normal, happy days. The large dark letters loomed above the doorway, blocking out the sun and all of my hope. THE HOLDING INSTITUTE FOR PERSONS OF EXTREME DANGER. The prison that kids whispered about each day, rumours about the prisoners and what happened behind those steel doors. This prison was for the most dangerous people in the universe, people who could destroy time and space with the flick of a wrist of the spark of a thought. Why was I here? Because I was different? I looked different? Isolated? Because I had visions??? The prison marked my mind, an ugly black stain - why was I being put in here, what was wrong with me? "Please, let me go!" I cried in a panic, "Mum, Dad!" craning my neck I tried to catch a glimpse of my parents, hoping for them to stop this insanity. However, all I could see where my parents, sobbing, standing at the gate and doing nothing. "Why her Jared?" my mother wailed into Dad's shoulder, "Why her?" the moment I knew that no one was going to help me, a jolt of adreniline ran through my veins, sending shivers up my spine. With all my strength I shoved the guards off my arms, turned, and made a run for the barbed wire gate..... That was when I had the most chilling vision I had seen. Fire. Screams. Fingers. Eyes. Him. Mist. Gasping for air I fell to the ground, twisting frantically in a blind panic. I heard the guards footsteps... Tap... Tap... Tap... On the crystal ground. A tear crawled from my closed eye and danced down my cheek, a lonely dance, filled with mystery and terror. By now the guards had stopped, I could feel their breath on my face as the bent down to inspect me. Feeling something push against my skin, I tried to jerk away, to move, but I couldn't - It felt like I was frozen. The thing pushed harder, until it had broken into my flesh-I heard the sound of hushed voices, counting down. To help me? To scare me? To help themselves? "3....2....1...." Liquid pulsed through my viens from where the pushing sensation had occured. I knew they had injected me, I tried to scream but I couldn't as my head rang with high pitched screams from the voice in my head. They hauled me up, and dragged my limp body into the building.
~Crest~ Earth. It was a pretty a place if you think about it - the third planetin the solar system, and the only planet that humans can exist on (so far)- that, in my opinion, made it special, and I was pretty glad that I lived on it. Gazing at the stars out of my window, smiling down at me, I felt kind of sorry for them, they were so beautiful but were always outshone by the biggest - the sun. I was used to being outshone by everyone else, so I supposed it was because of that. I knew I should go to bed, my eyelids were drooping uncontrollably. Unwillingly I tore my eyes away from the night sky and buried myself into the covers of my bed, anticipating the next night, where I could do it all over again. "But...but Mark....I love you, don't go, I can't live without you!" "Stacy, I have to go, I have no choice," "But your wife can't touch us! We'll live happy and in love forever!" "What crap," I murmered to myself as I switched off the tv before Mark could reply to his weeping, blonde co-star. There was never anything good on on Tuesdays. Especially Tuesday mornings. Staring at the ceiling above me I followed the swoops of the plaster above my head. It was a game I had played since I was a kid, finding the shapes hidden within the maze of swirls, it used to keep me occupied for hours. Burying myself further under the covers, my bones felt heavy, I couldn't lift them as they sank into the matress like crocs slinking back to the filthy sandbanks beneath the grubby lake water of the outback. BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP my clock sang. I had already clicked snooze at least 3 times and until I turned it off, it would carry on every five minutes. Sticking my skinny arm out I grabbed the shreiking clock and turned the alarm off. As I did I registered the time - looks like i'd hit snooze more times than I'd thought.Groaning, I threw off my bed covers and stumbled out of bed. My toes sunk into the thick cream carpet of my bedroom.It was still possible to get ready for school in the space of ten minutes. Wasn't it? However,ten minutes later, although I was racing down the stairs, I was only half dressed. My untucked shirt hung loosely over my skinny black jeans and my tie was thrown hurridly round my neck, not even tied. Although most males at my college wore football t-shirts and baggy jeans hanging halfway down there arse, I still made an effort-prefering to look smart and individual. Reaching up to tie my tie a sharp pain struck the left of my head. It was only a small ache, but a ferocious one, like a rabid fox. Pausing for a minute I leant against the banister, trying to estimate how big this fox was going to grow. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the pain had vanished. Confused, I ran my fingers through my thick black hair and continued down the stairs, on edge, waiting for the headache to leap back to action. But it never came. Still waiting for the ache to return, I proceeded into the kitchen... "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CREST!" a duet of voices chorused, grins plastered to their faces. With all the terrible tv, rushing feet and searing headaches I had completely forgot that today was my birthday. Somehow it didn't seem like that big a deal to me, I mean, I had already had 16, right? Before I knew it I was being smothered by my mother, wrapped up in a large bear hug. "Mum... Mum seriously?" Sighing happily, Mum held with at an arms length, inspecting me. "My Crest - 17..." she smiled showing her row of perfect white teeth. "Happy birthday son!" Dad chuckled, as he, too, engulfed me in a hug. "Oh it's such a special day, I can't wait!" Mum cried, breathily. "Isn't it my birthday mum?" I laughed. Peeking behind the shield that at the moment were my two parents, I saw two golden breakfast muffins with a candle sticking out of them- delicious! "Cheers dad!" I called, slamming the door to the car. However, I still couldn't help but wish that I had my drivers license, still had to wait a year. As Dad drove off I suddenly realised that I hadn't told my parents about the funny turn that morning, I usually told them if something was wrong. I hadn't forgotten about the headache - even through the muffins I had remembered... So why didn't I tell them? It semed as if my gut was telling me not to... Suddenly the bell shreiked throughtout the school, ripping through my thoughts. Shoving the small pocket of doubt to the back of my mind, I turned and raced into school, heading towards my form room -deep in thought and drowning in a sea of worries.
~Kestrel~ The lake lay before me, crystal blue, shimmering, serene. Shakily, I took a step towards the lake as the wind whispered in my ears. Suddenly my feet were moving, walking closer to the lake until I was standing in water up to my ankles.... But my feet wouldn't stop, I was wading into the lake! Terrified, I tried to scream but no words came out as water covered my head. Water filled my nose and mouth, stinging my eyes. I reached out a hand to try and grab onto something as I screamed again, yet again just fading away into breath. Sand from the bank slipped through my toes as my skin grew more translucent than ever. I couldn't breath, I couldn't think, I couldn't turn away. I was almost being dragged towards the centre of the lake, frustrated, I tried to kick my legs out, to swim towards the surface as I began to choke on the water. Once last attempt to scream was all it took to seal my fate as my eyes closed and all I could see was darkness. My breath blended in the black mist wrapped around my body as I reached out a hand and pressed my palm against the lid of my mist chamber, the cold metal pressing like an ice shock against my skin. Pausing, I reflected on the terrible nightmare that had only just filled my head with water and darkness. Cautiously, trying not to alert the guards, I slunk out of my horizontal sleeping arrangments and stood in the centre of my room, trying to calm my racing heartbeat. Although, after stripping away all the luxuries and comfort, I basically lived in a prison cell - I was introduced with simple yet comfortable luxuries. On one wall was a small yet useful window made of crystal glass - unbreakable of course, with a window seat, made more home like with a soft purple cushion with tassles that had been fingered many a time in a worried frenzy. Plain, white washed walls were the only hint of the prison that was cloaked in comfort, however this was covered in dozens of pictures of the boy in my vision as well as several other scenes and sketchs that had been in previous visions. A simple wooden desk and chair were stationed to the left, where stationary sat, every other week being replaced by some guard or other, being slid the hatch in the crystalized metal door - the same way my meals were delivered morning, noon and night. My meals were decent enough, I didn't eat like a king but I didn't eat scraps either which I thought was ok. My Mist Chamber lay to the right, where I slept and was sleek and white, with a blue edging. My Mist Chamber contained coal black mist that danced around in the metal coffin. It was the equivilent of Oxygen for humans. We, of course, could breath oxygen but we become incredibly weak - needing our mist at least once a month to keep ourselves from dying. Quietly as a mouse I tiptoed over to my windowseat, It was my place of comfort, whenever I was worried, upset, needed to think or was in need of relaxation, this was where I retreated to-my comfort zone. This time it was the latter that bought me to the seat, the horrendous dream I had just witnessed had bought me to my knees, like many nights before. A good night's sleep was near impossible and I usually ended up where I was now. As I stared into the gloomy darkness of my cell as I reached up and pressed my hand to my chest, before curling it into a tight fist, as if gathering the Cyst gathering inside me, ready for my 17th birthday, into my hand and to hurl it, crashing and flailing, across the cell in angush. The Cyst had ruined the Mist. I hated how the adults laughed at the sight of a creature bleeding to death and I despised how in 3 weeks time, I would become one of them. Dad would have been so pleased, he had been waiting for my 17th since I was born. "We can go hunting together, you, me and your mum and we'll teach you the tricks of the trade! My Cyst, kid you're going to love it, the adreneline rush, the fun, the....power!" I fixed my memory on my dear fathers expression as he kissed me tenderly on the cheek and closed my baby pink Mist Chamber. I knew he was going to go hunting but I forgave him for it, pushing the thought of daddy murduring a creauture to the back of my mind - I felt sure he wouldn't do it, though, of course, he always cleary did due to the blood regurlarly stained his shirt. But no - even now I was convinced that he was not a monster. My mother, maybe, due to her outbreaks of fury, but never my father. I grinned softly to myself at his square jaw and sparkling silver eyes that were never full of anger, hatred or sadness. His only emotion towards me was pure happiness. Until, I reminded myself, 4 years ago when I was dragged here by force. Just the sight of his crumbling face broke my heart. The only doubt I ever had of him was his belief of the Cyst. "They were a great species Kestrel," he told me one night, "With great ambitions, I, for one, am eternally grateful for all they have done for us," The doubt sprung once I read a book when I was about 11, written by a Phestis named Enuwel Kaize - of course meaning it had been written centuries ago. Kaize was and still is a hated figure, for he questioned the Cyst's peace with the Phestis and worried for the well being of the offspring produced by the two species. After writing down his views he was convicted of disloyalaty towards both species and was put to death in the most horrid way possible, one I only heard of from my school teacher after we were taught about the "most evil man on Estern". He was locked in chains in the town square and was forced to look upon the faces of his friends, family and the Cyst before he was leapt upon by the Cyst and the Phestis too, if they so wished, and died of a long agonizing death of flesh wounds and a frying brain. However, they never found the book that he had kept secret for the last few years of his life, containing all of his thoughts on the process going on... I found that book, so young and vunerable, in a dusty corner of our basement. A normal child would question their parents to why the most illegal and outspoken book on the planet was in their basement... But I was intrigued by this elaborate piece of writing, by the curve of each letter that had been written by that misfortunate man... so I didn't ask, knowing that this treasure would be taken from me. I never asked my parents about that book, or anything else remotely important. But now I was trapped, an innocent Mistling, in a prison that held the most dangerous creatures in the Universe, I was really beginning to wish I did.
~Crest~ Fumbling with my laces I tugged at my slick black shoes until they neatly slid off before reached down to tug at my thick black socks. Wrapping each sock into a ball I thrust them into my shoes and picked up my footwear. Feeling completely relaxed I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with cool, freash air and sank my toes into the long grass, sprinkled with dew. I ran my free hand over the tips of each blade as the wind played with my now tousled hair. A smiled broke onto my face as the field welcomed me back after the several hours apart. I knew, this was where I completely belonged. Adrenilin rushed around my body, surging me to race ahead.... But no, I held back, wanting to soak in every last drop of pleasure. Reluctantly, I began to slow to a snail's pace, my feet padding along the undergrowth. Gazing upwards I grinned at the giant Sycamore tree looming above me and casting an almighty shadow over my body. It had been exactly 8 years since I had befriended this lonely yet magestic tree, I had spent so much time here it was almost my second home. It felt like I had known this tree, this field, for centuries. Tossing my bag and shoes to the floor I lay down on the grass as I listened to bird song, chorusing just for me. Gazing at the pristine White clouds above my head, I sighed and took in all the simple pleasures of the beautiful planet Earth - who would want to be anywhere else? Silently laughing about the unnaturally sunny English weather I ran my fingers through the comforting grass wishing I could close my eyes and simply drift away on a dream. However, in exactly an hour I had to be back on campus, lunch only lasted an hour, fifteen minutes and I had already spent fifteen minutes getting here. Pushing myself into a sitting position I grabbed my battered black briefcase, and pulled from it a leather bound notebook and a pencil. Cautiously opening the cover I was faced with a drawing of a bird, sitting on a branch, cocking it's head, as if asking who had disturbed him from his peaceful rest on the page. The next page beheld the drawing of a scruffy boy sitting in the corner of a filthy street, begging for a coin. His grubby hands were outstretched towards the shoppers around him but he was ignored as he blended into the background. Each page witheld a new drawing that I had done, bringing back memories of where I had been and what I had seen. Rain clouds, Rottewielers and Rushing traffic whizzed past my eyes as I flicked through the book until I finally came to a clean page. I never liked to start a picture immediantly, I liked to have a clear image in my head, drawing an such a pristine sheet of paper then making a mistake would be like smothering a face in make up - causing the person to look false - as if wearing a mask. It dissapoibted me, how us humans were so insecure and felt as if they always needed improving. Switching my focus back to the drawing I clamped my teeth down on my HB, pondering over what to draw. Gazing around my surroundings, I found my answer. A few metres away from me was a rock, lying quite happily in the grass, alone and isolated - a lot like myself. Turning my body to find the perfect angle, I gazed hard at the single rock... And began to draw.