Chapter 7
Looking out of the window, a small pipe hanging from his lips, the man smiled. The time had finally come. He had lived in seclusion for so long. He knew the world had grown vast and wide during his seclusion but his purpose was here. He was waiting for the boy who would come. No one, save the wolves, ever came into the woods and even they dared not come this far. The legends he had passed down through the ages about his home were one full of wonder and myth for some, and one of fear and doubt for others. His grove was full of creatures from the legends of the humans. Among the flowers the tiny race of proud, sometimes vain, fairies flitted about. Among the trees ran the satyrs, chasing the tree nymphs in a never ending game. In the lake swam the mermaids and the sirens. All those creatures, forgotten to time, found sanctuary here. He was the custodian of these races. These races of light. The boy was the most recent of a long list of creatures that had fallen victim to the shadow that hovered on the outermost reaches of his sanctuary. It devoured and tried vainly to overtake the light that made this place.
Long ago he was tasked by the she-wolf to stand guard, for one day a boy would come with eyes of gold. When he did, all would change. He was to be his guide. Slowly he opened the window, so as to not wake the boy. The scent of the flowers wafted in through the window, the melody of the fairies being carried on the wind. He walked over to the pot hanging over the fireplace, a stew boiling within. The boy stirred, the mixture of the scent of food and that of the flowers awakening him from his deep slumber.
The soft pillow and warm blankets were the first things that Damien noticed as he woke. It was so inviting and he felt as if he had not experienced anything of the sort before in his life. The smell of the stew once again wafted his direction and he took in a large breath. He thought to himself that it smelled familiar, his mother must be cooking. She made the best stew. Slowly he opened his eyes, and immediately sat up. He was in a small cottage. The simple wooden bed frame did not match the comfort he had just felt just a moment ago. One wall of the cottage was made up of a single bookcase, packed full of many different sizes and shapes of books. A round rug with the depiction of a man-like bear sat in the middle of the floor.
He heard humming coming from across the room and he looked over, startled by a large man standing over a pot. The man looked older, but not as old as his grandfather. Short cropped brown hair ran from the top of his head and down the middle of his back, more like fur than hair. He was broad and looked solid, his grizzled beard giving him the look of a man who spent many days alone. Normally Damien would have been intimidated by a man who looked like him, but for some reason he felt completely at ease.
The man turned to face him and Damien saw his eyes. One was orange, like the orange of a leaf at the peak of autumn. Across the other lay a large scar running from just above his eye down to the corner of his mouth. The eye itself was white. The man smiled at him, “Well child, I'm glad to see you are finally awake. You scared me there at first.” He looked down at the pot, “Would you like some? I’d imagine you're famished.” He reached over and grabbed a wooden bowl, filling it to the brim with the wonderful smelling soup. He stood, towering over the bed, and handed the bowl to Damien. “Welcome to my home child.”
Damien took the bowl from the large man, his stomach grumbling deeply and he smiled. There was something about this man that he just felt in his gut that he could trust. It was opposite of the feeling he got around most of the others he had come into contact with since the morning of his birthday. He didn’t know why. Greedily he ate the stew, the flavors exploding in his mouth as he chewed.
The older man slowly walked over to a large leather backed chair and sat. The cushion gave way under his weight. “Now then, my name is Ithril. You are in a place that has come to be known as Sanctuary. It is a home for all creatures of light. Everything from the imagination of men can be found here, as long as they are part of the light. Darkness cannot enter here. This was a blessed area once within the High Realm, but that is getting ahead of myself. The first thing you should know is about me. I am one of the few remaining Oracles.” Damien dropped his spoon at the mention of the Oracles. “Now son, I know what you are thinking. I heard you had a run in with Themesca and she told you a tale. What you need to know is that not all of us were like her. Not all turned to the shadow. There was a small faction of us that hid away from the shadow as it took control of the realm. We were guided by the creature of light. She stood above all others, unlike the ones you may find if you look out your window.”
Damien turned to look out the window, seeing a bare yard. Beautiful with the trees swaying as if they were dancing along with the wind. Soft ripples pushing across the surface of the lake as the sun glistened on its surface. The grass shined with the morning dew as the flowers slowly opened revealing their beauty hidden beneath the petals. No matter how hard he looked he saw no creatures, of any kind. With confusion written across his face he turned back to Ithril.
“They are there, I promise you,” he said as he read the look on Damien’s face. “Reach inside and gather your light, then look out the window once more and you will see them. Damien closed his eyes, setting the bowl of stew down on his lap. Reaching within himself he searched for the spark. Finding it easier this time, he grabbed hold, letting it flare to life. Slowly his eyes once again changed from blue to gold.
“Good, not too much,” stated Ithril as he saw the change begin to take hold of the boy. “Hold your light steady, don’t let it overpower you.”
Damien heard the words reverberate through his mind. As the light flared in the spark, he tamped down on it forcefully, causing it to dim, without extinguishing it. He slowly opened his hand letting just a small amount of light escape. As he did so he opened his eyes, a mix of blue and gold now staring at Ithril.
“Very good my boy, very good. You learn quickly.” He smiled as he extended his hand toward the window. “Now, look again.”
Damien stood walking over to the window. He gasped at the sight before him. There were creatures everywhere. What he assumed were fairies flitted about the garden landing softly on the flower petals. Half man, half goat creatures, satyrs he recalled, were running about the yard tussling with small tree-like women. Women poked their heads out of the water staring at him, a soft bubbling sound drifting on the wind toward him. The water bubbled and moved in the middle of the lake as a large creature drifted up, its large serpentine body coiling through the water. The sun reflected off its scales as it swam, causing the whole lake to shimmer with its light. It reared up its powerful head, adorned with large golden horns and multicolored scales, and let out a blast of water straight up into the warm air of the morning light.
Damien stared in astonishment at the creatures that lay before him. All the creatures he had heard about in stories all his life. Some of them he had heard of in the stories he listened to while sitting atop the stairs listening to his family down below. So they were real, and what bothered him was that his family knew and didn’t let him know. In all honesty, he wasn’t as surprised as he thought he would be about that fact. They had hidden so much from him already. Slowly his light began to dim with the sadness that seeped into his heart, the golden hue of his eyes dimming along with it. The creatures that he was watching slowly began to fade as his light gave way. When they disappeared, the grove now becoming as empty as it had when he first looked out the window, he turned to face Ithril, sadness now apparent in his gaze.
“Child, let me tell you a story. It's one you may know parts too, but let me tell you the real version, the one untainted by shadow.” He sat forward in his chair, resting his arms on his knees. Seeing the light in Damien’s eyes now faded, his eyes filled with compassion. “Long ago there was a woman that gave birth to a small child, a stillborn. Seeing the intent of the High One she gave up her life force to save him. She gave him her light, which was something unheard of in the High Realm. This young boy grew throughout time to be a force for the light. To attempt to control this light the High One took him under his ever watchful eye as his adopted son. This much you knew, and that much was true. The story you were told after, was not, not fully. Once the child came of age to become part of the academy’s inner elite, known as The Order, the High One, knowing that he must keep the magic this boy contained in check, forced the boy into The Order against the wishes of the young man, hoping the discontent the boy would feel would finally drive him to the shadow.
“The young man, having been beaten down his whole life, his magic sequestered, knew that this was the High One’s intent. Knowing that he had no other options, as the High One controlled everything in his life, went along with the ploy. Practicing his magic in secret, the light within him grew. The High One believed it to be the shadow gaining strength within the boy. One night the High One came to the young man, believing to have a firm hold over him. ‘My child, you have grown so much since entering the Order.’ He smiled, malice filling his gaze, ‘Being my only son you will one day fill my shoes, and thus you must know your kingdom. One day your kingdom will reach far beyond what we have here. I have set into motion a conquest. One that will send our people begging and scraping for the shadow, but in turn will bring us great power. I have seen the dark beast that resides within the shadow, and we have come to an agreement. He will be set free, and in doing so Shadow will reign. Within that reign of shadow we will become gods, the full power of the shadow at our command. None will stand against us.’
“Internally Iciry recoiled at the words that spilled from his father’s lips. Knowing that he was a creature of light he could never let Shadow reign. Even if it meant going against his basic nature. He would not let his father succeed.
"Slowly over the years Iciry's power grew. He undermined his father every chance he got. The High One was never aware that Iciry was the cause of his misfortune. Even though Iciry did the best he could to disrupt the plan, it still carried on. Closer and closer crept the day when Shadow would be free. Iciry finally came to the conclusion that there was only one solution. There was only one person with the power to bring about the Shadow. One person who was willing to sacrifice the world for the sake of his own gain. That person was his father, and he had to die. This decision tore Iciry apart for he knew that his heart was screaming out for him to reconsider.
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"One night a storm raged as the power of the shadow grew closer. The roar of Shadow could be heard in the wind and the black lightning from his realm could be seen cutting through the air. The High One stood on the balcony calling out to shadow. His sword raised high. Iciry's light flared at the sight of his father's plan coming to fruition after all his attempts to stop the coming of Shadow. The High One, sensing the sudden surge of light magick, whirled around. With a flash of light Iciry was by his side, tears streaming down his face as his golden eyes looked at his father. 'I'm sorry, I tried to save you, but your magic cannot exist any longer. With your death the realm will fall, but with your death it will carry on. I must stop you! I’m sorry.' Iciry plunged the brightly glowing crystal blade deep into his father's side. With each pulse of the blade his father screamed, his shadow magick being cleansed from the very fiber of his being. His father slumped to the floor. His body limp, but still barely breathing.
"Iciry watched as the flames erupted from the sky, as the magic sustaining the realm faded, crashing to the ground. 'I'm so sorry,' he whispered in the night air as he heard the screams come from below. 'One day we will return, but for now rest knowing that you are safe from his tyranny. With that Damien jumped over the balcony, disappearing in a flash of light.
"Back on the balcony, with his last breath, the High One whispered feebily as he reached out toward the shadow that consumed the tower, 'Shadow, my lord, please, help me.' The shadow lashed out and wrapped around the high one, drawing him in. He heard a growling, dark voice whisper to him, 'You have failed me this time, High One. I will still claim what belongs to me.' With that the shadow consumed the High One, his body now one with the Shadow.
"In this realm, known as Earth, the sky ripped open, a stream of light blasting to the earth. As it impacted the ground a wave of light and dust erupted over the earth creating a deep canyon that cracked the earth deep into its crust. The wave disrupted the life forms of the planet, causing changes in them. The light settled into those of pure hearts, changing them into the races you now see within Sanctuary, and the dust settled into the hearts of those with malice in their hearts, bringing about the darker races.
"The dragons were the only race unaffected by the wave, as they held an ancient magick of their own. They flew to the site of the blast. A legion of dragonkind in the air, on the land, and in the sea. They stared at the creature who had fallen from the sky. An ape-like creature with bright white hair and golden eyes. Together as one the dragons breathed new life into the creature, as with their ancient magick they had judged his heart to be pure.
"From deep within the hoard of dragons strode out a glowing white wolf. The dragons bowed their heads as she passed. As she walked along the ground flowers sprung from the destroyed earth as if her life force alone was enough to bring about life. She approached the creature. Placing her forehead against his she said, 'Welcome, child of light.'"
Ithirl stood, slowly walking to the window. "Child, that is the story of how this came to be. Of how all of creation changed when the High One fell and the race of the gods fell to the earth. I know your family has kept much from you over the years, but know that this is not their fault. They have lived with the darkness for so long. Your family is one of the few that fell through the crack as the High realm fell, darkness and dust settling in their hearts. They were drawn to the shadow as a moth to a flame. It was calming and alluring to the dust. I know it is hard, but you must not blame them."
Damien sat on the bed, tears streaming down his face at the tale he had just heard. It had not just been something he heard with his ears, but something that he felt at the innermost part of himself. His spark resonated with the tale. He felt as though Ithril had just told him his long forgotten history. A life he had once known. He knew there was truth in the words of the old man. He didn't know though, if he would ever be able to not blame them, now that the truth of his life and their actions lay so clearly before him.
He knew, in his heart, that one day forgiveness may come, as that was his nature, but right now his mind rebelled against it.
Damien startled as he heard Ithril's voice once more, ripping him away from his own thoughts. "Why don't you go walk among them, the creatures that were changed by the light. Feel their hearts, learn from them." Damien nodded, having nowhere else to go at the moment. He slowly stood, the aches and pains from the previous day still sore.
As he exited the small cottage he stared out at the land before him. No creatures ran about. The air was still and sweet. He walked down a small well worn path leading to the lake in the distance, the sun warming his sore skin, soothing him. As he reached the flowers he stopped. He could see butterflies resting among the flowers, their brightly colored wings reflecting the sunlight. Sensing his presence the butterflies took into the air, leaving their perches. They flitted about with a sense of excitement. From all over the clearing the butterflies raced to the others. Twirling about each other, dancing. It was a beautiful sight. The sun that had reflected off the wings of the individual butterflies now danced and sparkled among the sight that laid before him. The now tornado of butterflies flitted around him. As the light danced around him he felt the light within him react. It flared to life within him, waiting to burst free and dance with them. Within the tornado he heard the wind whisper, “Trust the light.”
As the butterflies continued to dance before him he reached inside, once again grabbing ahold of the light. He let it flare to life again, consuming him. The joy it brought was almost immeasurable. It felt as if he were going to break out of his own skin. Just as he had with Ithril he wrapped his hand around his light dimming it slightly. As if a breath of fresh air washed through him he felt the light lessen its load on his already weary mind. As he looked back to the butterflies, his now golden eyes looking on them anew, they began to fly closer to one another, changing shape. Each took on the shape of a small human, man and woman alike. Their colorful wings became apparent as the light now seemed to be radiating from them instead of just reflecting the sun. The closer they grew to one another the more their light brightened. Eventually the tornado of butterflies, or as he now realized fairies, grew so close to one another they looked like a mass of light hanging in the air, just a few feet off the ground. He watched as the light brightened to an almost blinding level, but he refused to look away. The fairies melded into one another, a new shape taking form. A midsection took form first with no clear definition, then the legs and arms, followed by a head. The light became even brighter as wind began to pick up around him. Long golden hair sprung from the head flowing with the wind. The features that sprouted from the creature were the fairest he had ever seen, her body flawless from head to toe. He was stunned by the beauty the creature held. It was as if his senses were overwhelmed just looking at this being. Slowly the creature placed her toes upon the ground as if she were testing the solidity of the earth. As she descended, placing both feet upon the ground, Damien heard a soft giggle upon the wind.
“Well now,” the creature said in a musical tone as it reached a hand out in front of herself, testing the body's movements, “It has been some time since we have taken on this form. I forgot how odd it felt.” She turned around quickly as if she were looking for something, seeming to be confused. “What……..what’s missing? Something is missing.” She reached up touching her face, ran her hands down along her chest and then all of the sudden, like a light switch had gone off, she looked at Damien, reaching over her shoulder to feel at her back. Her ice blue eyes growing wide. “My wings,” she whispered, “I forgot my wings.” She giggled and spun around in a circle, “One moment dear.” The light flared brightly once again and then coalesced behind the creature on her shoulder blades. Large wings erupted from the creature. Thin and almost see through, the multitude of colors that had been present in the wings of the individual fairies now dimly danced within the sheer wings adding to the already overwhelming beauty. Almost like a veil the wings fluttered in the wind. The creature moved each shoulder testing out each wing individually. “There, much better.”
The creature moved toward Damien with a light step, almost as if it were not even touching the ground with each stride. Upon reaching him she embraced him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. She took a small step back and gently she placed one finger under Damien’s chin looking into his golden eyes. “Now then, isn’t that better?” Damien, flustered at the sight before him, stuttered out a small, “Um…..yeah.”
Looking down at herself and then down at Damien she smiled, understanding for Damien's tension dawning on her, “Well it seems I have forgotten something else haven't I?” She sprung back quickly, and light flared once more enveloping the creature, as the light dimmed a form fitting white tunic now lay over her body. “There,” it smiled, “is that better?”
Damien, not realizing he had been blushing, answered a bit too quickly, “Yea. That's great.”
The creature shook its head, “I will never understand the fragilities of the human mind on being as you are, but I am glad you are comfortable now.” As she walked back over to Damien her wings fluttered with the wind. “Now that you can see us, collectively, we are called Antha. Together we are what is known as a Great Fairy to the rest of the races. Individually we are fae kind. Usually this form isn’t one that can be taken at a moment's notice, much preparation is usually involved, but your light is special. It was able to summon us. You must be a powerful light bearer.”
“Summon you?” Damien asked as he looked on in confusion.
“Yes,” Antha laughed as she considered his confused question, “Summon us. Great Fairies only are able to come about in the presence of a light bearer who summons our aid. You must have some questions that you need addressed?”
Damien thought about that. Yes, there were many questions that he needed answered. About his family, his past, the things that have been shown to him.
As if Antha could sense his questions she answered, “All in due time young one, but for now let's work on a simple one. Who lives here, and how can they help? Well, first, I'm sure Ithril has told you how the races came to be. The fae for example once made up a collection of insects and other creatures that, once the light hit, took on a humanoid form. The light changed us. Inflamed our love and playfulness. Some may sometimes see this playfulness as trickery or malice, but to us it is always good fun, we never actually mean any harm. The creatures of the sea, at least the ones that were able to accept the light, took on the form of the mermaids and the sirens. The sirens are a whole different story as I’m sure you have heard the tales of them singing to ancient sailors, luring them to their deaths. That is a grave misunderstanding.” Antha paused for a minute, then broke out in laughter, “Ha! Grave misunderstanding, lured to their deaths!” She busted out in uncontrollable laughter, bending over in sheer glee at the joke. “That is fantastic. I may have to remember that one.” Seeing that the joke had either not fully registered with Damien, or that he simply didn’t think it was funny she straightened, reigning in the laughter. “Anyway, they are just lonely creatures, they lived in the darkest parts of the waters and wanted visitors. It wasn’t their fault the dark waters were the most dangerous ones. They had lived there all their life, so they didn’t see it as dangerous. When the men that came close started dying though, they realized their mistake and stopped singing. Now they only listen.” As if the thought dawned within the creature's mind suddenly, it reached out a hand, grabbing Damiens. “Come on, let's go see them!”
Damien, still a little in shock at the bubbly personality of Antha, let himself be pulled along, the soft wings of the Great Fairy brushing against him as the satyrs near the woods ran parallel to them laughing as they went.