Ásketill was born in the quiet fishing village of Palmwater on the island of Abalone to an abusive fisherman and his estranged housewife.  Like all boys from the island he was taught to sail from an early age.  His mind was never on the task and often preferred to stare at the gulls glide above the waves whilst his shipmates abused his procrastination.  His father favoured physical discipline.  The boy wore many bruises and the odd broken bone at the hands of his father's wrath.  The general opinion of the boy in the village was low, for what use is a male who cannot fish or sail?

The only villager who thought Ásketill had worth was his uncle.  He told him the story of the Pied Ghost, the infamous village sea eagle that regularly stole out of the night to plunder the day's catch.  No one had ever caught more than the slightest glimpse of the great bird.  Ásketill was enthralled.  

The other children never liked Ásketill for he bullied them all, even the older kids.  His uncle took notice in young Ásketill's physical prowess and instead of giving him discipline he gave him a bow to hone his skills.  Ásketill spent every moment he could practicing with the bow; it provided him with a focus for his aggression.

Years passed and Ásketill proved himself to be an excellent marksman, but his father would not see it.  One summer there were reports of a kraken terrorising the seas near Palmwater.  The nineteen year old Ásketill was coerced into watch duty for his uncle's boat.  Their worst fears were realised when one night the kraken lunged out of the water and smashed the ship's deck.  The impact knocked his uncle and two other crewmen into the water.  

Ásketill managed to keep his footing.  He knew they would all soon be dead if he did nothing, so reached for his bow.  His volley of arrows was enough to distract the beast from the kill.  When his quiver ran empty he dodged tentacles to smash an oil lamp in the kraken's eye.  The kraken flailed wildly, smashed the boat to splinters and sank beneath the waves.  The victorious but battered and bruised Ásketill held for dear life onto some driftwood and floated out of consciousness.

How many days Ásketill drifted on the sea with no food and water is unknown but Luna took notice and praised him for his valiant efforts against the kraken.

Ásketill woke one morning to find himself ashore on a lonely beach.  Weary, famished and with his head pounding, his senses were keen enough yet to spy the fabled Steller's sea eagle perched on a branch over a rocky precipice not far away, apparently not having noticed the man.  Ásketill reached for the nearest piece of driftwood, silently rose to his feet and hurled it at the bird.  The throw stole the life from the defenceless avian.  Ásketill ran to his quarry and feverishly consumed it before his mind hazed over again...

                                                        *

The Pied Ghost drifted from village to village over the following months, stealing in at night to pilfer the daily catch of fish, occasionally swooping and terrorising an unsuspecting fisherman by day.  He regaled in his wanderings and travelled many hundreds of miles.  He crossed over the great sea towards the south east.  When he arrived there he found his mind was clearer and discovered his ability to become a terrifying combination of man and beast.  Drunk with his newfound power, he scouted the countryside for the most lavish estates, rained feathered death on their unsuspecting owners and revelled in his ill-gotten luxury before swooping off to his next conquest.

One day he was reclining on a distant rocky outcrop when a man suddenly appeared from behind a nearby rock.  The Pied Ghost leapt to his taloned feet and drew his recently acquired prize bow.

"I shall kill you where you stand!!" screeched the Ghost.

The man shrugged.  "Try, if you must."

The eagle let fly a volley of arrows straight at the intruder but every last one veered wildly away from his target.

"What devillry is this?!  I have never shot more true and yet not a single scratch!  Impossible!"

"If you defeat me in hand to hand combat I shall tell you."

The Ghost cackled.  He towered over this man and could easily crush his puny head between two of his talons.  "Too easy."  He started forward.

The man shook his head.  "Only on one condition.  You must fight me in your human form, Lunar."

The eagle glared but the man was not intimidated.  The eagle grunted and shifted back into his human form, in which he was once known as Ásketill.  He was still impressively built and agile.  He was the best amongst the boys in his old village at self defence.

Moments later the young Lunar found himself in an indignant heap on the ground.  The Solar reached down a hand to help him up.

"You have strength and speed but you lack endurance and skill.  If you accept me as your teacher I will instruct you in what I can and nothing more."

                                                        *

After many months of discipline, philosophy and training the Solar once again challenged his student to a dual.  This time the combat stretched over five days and nights; the arena crossed plains, rivers and hills; until finally the victor reached his hand down to help up the fallen.

"It seems the student has surpassed the teacher.  And so our training comes to an end."

"Thank you, honoured sensei, you have taught me well and I have learned so much, but I still have so much more to learn."

"I am afraid I have no more to teach.  It is time for you to join your own kind.  I hear tale of a distant school where perhaps you will benefit from the company of other students.  I must leave now for I have long been required elsewhere.  Safe journeys to you, Pied Ghost."