Dawn Island. Was a strange Place.
It was a place of entropy. Decay. Stagnation.
In the past. Goa was a golden haven of industry and expansion that Industrial Barons used to make a foot hold for this once barren land mass, Steel Production, Agriculture, And even Energy in the form of Gas and Batteries. Indeed, this island was one of the first within the turn of the last century where the advent of Power Storage that wasn't just a novelty appeared.
When the Discovery of the Power Crystal was made in 1655, and made the idea of 'Powering' applicable to many technologies. Then there was the creation of the Morray Arrays, Whale Oil, Heavy Oil, Steam Power, and other things that came to overshadow these creations primarily for one reason
The World Government were the Sponsors of Morray and Power Crystals. And they used that as a form of Privilege to bequeath upon Nations that Aligned with them. And if not, they were either ludicrous expensive or incredibly difficult to acquire
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As for Goa, it had a golden age that had long passed by the time that the Boys; Eudora D. Azar, and Falcon D. Leroy were living with their Grandmother and Grandfather.
Copperway, the intersection transitional space between the main city of Cobalt and Horizon was a place that showed this rusted, burned, and rotten disposition to its fullest. One might think that Copperway was a Junkyard just outside of the walls of Cobalt
But this wasn't further from the truth.
Copperway was what some people may call 'Suburbia' or 'Parish'. There were homes, businesses, playgrounds, a few schools from pre-education to highschool, roads, alleyways, and the like. But it was ridden with antiquated, rusted, and discarded items.
But as children, Leroy, Azar, and Sara and the other kids of Dawn Island they took interest in this, they would use the scrap to play with, they would buy the unwanted items for themselves, and even Mamtha was someone that took them around the Copperway to these sales.
Wandering the Playgrounds, exploring the forests, and playing in places they probably shouldn't be was the exact sort of childhood that many of the Kids on Goa experienced…
After all. Goa was not the Official name of the island. Nor the Kingdom. The Island was Known as Dawn, the Kingdom was Referred to as Saph Kingdom. Goa, was a term that was coined by those outside of Cobalt, as much like Goa, the State strained, hurt, and weakened all that weren't lucky.
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Leroy Sniffed. Trying to hold back his tears as he watched his older brother get on to the Raft that he had save up so much money to buy from one of the nice boat salesmen in Cobalt City.
Mamtha was also crying. A Bit more openly as she wiped the tears from her round face. The tissue touching at her pale skin.
"Why are you two cryin?! I said I'd write you! And hey! Maybe if you get one of those fancy pieces of tech to call me I might be able to hear you!"
"Just Promise that you'll write! Even if I want you to visit, I know a growing boy like you will go fart and wide in this world…" Mamtha said as she rubbed the face of her Adoptive Grandchild. Azar may not have been hers like how Leroy was, as Leroy was her blood Grandchild. But Azar…She'd been taking care of him for the past 19 years!
"If I get the time! I will! I'll be busy as a Pirate!" Azar said with a large smile
"You're not becoming a Pirate!" She yelled back. Sniffing back a choke as she wiped her eyes "You're just moving out…!"
"You best find the One Piece…Cuz if not! I'mma come out there an take it first! Remember what we promised! Why we said we were leaving when we were 19!" Leroy said with confidence. In the recent years. Leroy had changed much from that child when he was 9.
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From the Recent departure of his grandfather, Jack, being called away to have permanent stay at Marine HQ as to pay off one too many exuberant House, Bill and Gambling Debts.
"Right! Actually…" Azar looked around to the rest of the family. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles. And one or two of the close neighbors. "You mind all giving me an Leroy a moment?"
Mamtha Wrapped her arms around Azar tightly. Not wanting to let go. It wasn't for another near 10 minutes until the goodbyes were over. Leroy and Azar watching as the people whom when they were younger wrongly thought that were actually cunning and dangerous bandits!
What else would you think your family was when your Grandfather was something so Gaudy as 'The Hero of The Marines' or how your father was 'King of The Pirates'. Or say Sparrow, a happenchance meeting as a child that showed your young mind just how insanely amazing people could become.
And you were left on an Island like Dawn, with a Grandmother and Family who paled in that light. They were just too young to understand the actual importance of their Grandmother being a Banker and a Loaner on the side, or the government jobs of their Aunt. So they let their imaginations run wild…
Sometimes, there memories as kinds reflected this. Even if they knew the mundane truth.
"Cmere." Azar said as he waved Leroy closer. Wrapping his arm around his brother. He felt the softness of his skin, and the heat of his body as his arm pulled his head against his own.
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"You know I love you baby brother…" He asked quietly. The smell of sweat and tears entering his nose as he felt his brothers head shake in confirmation "We promised each other why we were going to become Pirates…" Leroy mumbled into blue shirt of his brother.
"Exactly. You'll catch up to me in no time!" He said placing a soft kiss on his brothers forehead before letting him go
"'Become famous enough so that everyone knew your name' right? Thats why you want to leave." Leroy asked, wipe his face of the heavy tears
"Exactly. And I remember what you said too. And you'll do it. No matter how crazy and stupid I think it is. I know that you'll achieve that dream…" He squeezed his shoulder and gave him a shake, causing Leroy to smile weakly
With a nod and a wave. Azar went off. Rowing into the distance before letting the wind take it over from there.
With his hands gripping tight to the Red Sash around his waist, his closest treasure. Leroy watched for an almost an hour as the small vessel went over the Horizon…
The Automobiles door shut as Leroy hopped into the passenger side of the silver beaten up fully enclosed vehicle. Cobalt was one of the first places in the world to get Cars. As they were required to travel the distance between Cobalt and the other towns, given the flat plains and fields of agriculture didn't quite allow for pitstops for horse drawn, or sensible walking
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As the worn out plush seats gave way to the underweight frame of the 14 Year old. Mamtha brought him in close. Allowing the two to have a moment with one another before she turned the key…And drove back up the mountain to the house where the rest of the family lived in close proximity with their own houses near by or at the base of the mountain
Leroys story will be seen more soon.
But Azars is just starting…