The Myth of Dawn and Dusk

               Once there was a mighty baron who lived in darkness. He had the whole realm under him, but yearned for more. The realm he lived in was always night, and the only light that shone was the burning candles and the cold, cold moon.
               On the other side of the world lived a beautiful princess in a world bathed forever in light. She was happy where she lived, as it was always bright and sunny outside, and her happiness was spread to her people all over her realm.
                One day, the baron ordered his men out in search of light so that he could bring his land into day. His men searched all over his realm, but could find no trace of any light bright enough to illuminate his realm. In his anger, the baron ordered the scouts to be hanged, and continued his depression without light.
                Meanwhile, the princess’s men had set sail, and came into the realm of twilight that exists between the two realms, because they sailed too far. Upon seeing this strange sight that reported what they saw to the princess, and she, in turn, sent men to go beyond the veil of twilight to the other realm.
                 The men were scared as they did the lady’s bidding. As the last of the light faded away the men sailed deeper and deeper into the night with evermore a fear. Finally they reached the sight of land.
                  The people of the port town the princess’s men had discovered were amazed at what they saw. The glittering armor lay upon tanned men and a golden boat that seemingly shown brighter than the everlasting night.
                  The baron’s scouts had heard and seen this arrival, and were quick to report to the baron, who immediately ordered their capture. A small battle ensued, as gold met silver clashing in the everlasting night. The princess’s men were captured, all but one, who managed to escape back to the port town.
                  The man enlisted the help of the village sailors, promising them that they would see and feel the land from which the garments he was wearing came. And so he set sail back to the princess to tell her of the dark things that had happened in the realm without light.
                  The rest of the princess’s men were tortured into telling the baron about the realm they were from, where it was forever day, and the princess who ruled over it was called “Dawn.” The baron was delighted to hear that there was such a thing as a light bright enough to illuminate his realm.
                  Dawn, however, was saddened by the events that had passed, and in order to make sure that her realm was safe, she dispatched her army along the coasts.
                 The baron rode with his men to the port town that the princess’s men had sailed to, and he and his men set sail across the sea to reach the light. However, the darkness never left the baron, and he never did see the twilight, instead, all he saw was night, and the moon would follow him in his wake.
                  Dawn’s men shouted and gathered for attack as twilight entered Dawn’s realm for the first time, and then it was night. Dawn wanted to see her men, she wanted them to see the light, so she walked upon the coasts, in front of her men, and, surprisingly, the light followed her, and it was twilight once again.
                  The Baron’s men sailed ashore and met the general of Dawn’s army. In an act of pure rage, the general was struck down and the baron spoke, “I claim this land for my people, in the name of Dusk!” And so the battle raged between the realms of Dawn and Dusk, until finally, Dusk met Dawn.
                  The sky was itself a place of chaos, both day and night fighting over the place where the princess and the baron stood. All the men stopped to watch as these two enemies faced each other.
                Dusk spoke, “Today is the first day I have seen light, and I am jealous of your power of it.” Dawn replied, “It will be the last day you will see light.” The baron and princess met in blades as the war raged on, the princess’s men began to be outnumbered, and it seemed that Dusk was winning.  
                 Upon seeing this the princess called forth her steed, it ran with the light, and was as golden as the sun. Hoping to end the battle, she mounted her horse and took off into the sea, her horse galloping on the waves. Dawn’s men retreated back into the land, as the light faded over the ocean and night met the realm.
                Dusk, enraged, ordered the rest of his men back into the boats, and they set sail after the fleeing princess, but she was already too far away to catch.
The princess brought day into Dusk’s realm, and the people were overjoyed to see the sun. Hours later, however, night befell the land again, as the baron sailed forth in his quest to steal the princess’s power.
               After weeks the men in the ships fell ill and died, and a few of the ships had sunk, forever lost to the sea. Still, night fled with Dawn and day fled with Dusk.
              Nobody has seen the princess or the baron from those days, but from time to time, before daybreak, you can hear horse’s hooves shattering the ground as the sun rises. And at sea, before nightfall, you can see a ship, black as night, sailing in the direction of the sun.