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Watch for the novel to be coming out soon! Enjoy your sneak preview =) ????? There was a breeze scented of wood chips and a strong humid heat that made the curtains wave softly. A very faint shimmer of a light rode the breeze in, undetectable to the untrained human eye. It hovered near the old man in the middle of the room, taking in his worn stature and tired frame. Ben was sleeping lightly; his wrinkled face formed into a slight smile as his body traveled happily to wherever his mind was taking him. Oh, how the light loved that smile. She landed on his time worn shoulders, her tiny wings finally slowing to a stop and revealing her true form. She seated herself then, giving her body a long stretch and rubbing her sleep deprived eyes. She turned slowly, taking in every detail of this man and savoring it, freezing all thoughts into a perfect picture of her memory that she would later refer to often. His tall glass of lemonade was sweating in his hand, the ice had long since melted in the heat. A faint tick of the grandfather clock at the end of the room and a soft creak of the elaborately carved cherry wood rocking chair runners rolling on the floor were the only sounds. Denna could not decide if morally she should read the letter written on the musty smelling note pad that lie on his lap. But then she saw a name she recognized, and considered that this may be of great interest to her. Knowing that this would be her last visit, she read on slowly. ????? Dearest Amethyst…. Of all the things I have ever thought I should do in my life, of all the goals I have set for myself, scribing a journal would have to be lowest on the list. So as I write this out for you, keep in mind that it was of no interest to me to have my life documented. I feel that I am no one of importance, and that my life is hardly worth scribing. If it were not for the miss-belief of fellow friends, and my love for you, these letters would not be in existence. I pray that I can make you understand why I had to leave when and how I did, and why we were never see each other again. I should start my tale with the very beginning, so that you may come to understand it all. In this way I hope that it will be easier to digest. I am of many moons now, or as my fond would say; moons beyond counting. It has been a very long time since I was with people as you may understand them, and my grammar and customs may seem unfamiliar to you. With that in mind, I should tell you about what was my fond and some of their customs first, and later I will tell how it was that they discovered me. A fond is like a family of a very large stature. What you may know of as a guild. In Softmist, they do not define a single family as creatures that are related through blood. It is an interconnection of those that care for each other, and both the younger and the elders are to teach. It may seem backwards to you, but they keep the harmony this way. The young have the healthy bodies and sharp minds, and they are most likely to be productive. Do you see? The way they view it, people grow old in the body before your minds ever catch up, and then you die. It seems fruitless to them. The fonds are organized by “Stars”, The Head Star being the wisest and in highest position, currently filled my Magent. Then there are Council Stars, a group of seven fae that serve as a judicial system. There is nothing to serve as police for there is no need, each member of the fond is accountable for the other. Guiding Stars are in the highest position of a fond, and they are responsible for teaching the new ones born within their charge. It is common knowledge that this job is one of the most difficult, but equally rewarding. As you may have guessed, a fairy is a magical creature. Most of how they live is centered around magic and spells, and I will tell you the difference. Magic is a gift given to a creature or an item, but spells can be cast by anyone. Spells can of course invoke magic if done correctly, but there are many rules that a being must constantly learn. The teachings of spell rules never ends because situations can change the rules, and some spells, especially the more powerful ones, may only be cast once. They are closely tied together, but over power each other in unique ways. All the fae have a form of magic called spirit sense that they have carried with them since birth. When they are young they are taught how to make it work, and it grows stronger with age. It is essential that they have this, because it warns them of danger by performing like another eye. It is an extension of their spirit that surrounds their body and enables them to see for a great distance that they could not see with their eyes. In the event that a fairy is born without their spirit sense, it is estimated that they will not live half as long as those born with it will. A bit less than half of the fae today are born that way, and are looked upon with great pity. I was too young to remember my first encounter with Denna and Jade, so I will tell you this just as it was told to me. ????? It was a very chaotic scene at her home, and that is why she chose not to remain there. The dark evening sky was the only calm to Denna as she sorted through her thoughts. She lay on her back as she often did, watching the stars twinkle in neat patterns and the trees swaying gently. A pair of huge knowing eyes watched her silently for a time, then vanished. The owl then reappeared and sped for the ground on a whiff of field mouse, and she smiled to herself at seeing an old friend in action. Her thoughts moseyed back to the disturbance at home, and especially the cause of it. Denna rolled her eyes and sighed the heavy sigh of a Guiding Star at her wits end. She turned to see the monstrous friend back on his favorite perch, watching her again with those haunting eyes. “At least someone is successful tonight.” She silently scolded herself for the pang of self-pity, and decided it was time to face the inevitable. Waving a quiet goodbye to her huge feathered friend, she took a calming breath and began her short flight back to her home, Softmist. The huge cyphris tree was gnarled from age and appeared to glow in the black of the night. The soft hum it emitted was always such a comfort to her before, but now filled her with a sense of dread. She didn’t know what to expect from most of her fond, but she was sure her hot-tempered sister Denise was going to have a few nasty words for her as she always did. Denna reached the entrance to her home in the tree and slipped into the unnoticeable hole, admiring the feel of her feet on the path grooves that were so worn and smooth from much use over time. The intricate and maze-like tunnels could be very confusing for the newborns, and she smiled despite herself at the memory of trying to teach Jade all about them. The first three tunnels were very dark and gloomy, set with many traps; magical and not, made for any type of trespasser that was not welcome there. These traps were changed often as each new visitor must be shown how to avoid them, but it did happen that friends became foe. The further she walked the louder the hum became, some caused by countless wings buzzing quickly as the other fae traveled to and fro, others were the newborns trying out their wings for the first time, and still others practicing maneuvers for escaping an enemy or just moving efficiently. Rich colors of green, red, and purple paintings plastered the tunnel walls, each signed by the imaginative artist that “painted” it by crushing and smearing berries onto blades of grass. The amount of talent was astounding in some, the tiny scenes of celebrations and joyful times as clear as if she had been there herself to see the event. Others showed their age, very simple stick figures or merely just messy smears of color, but they too were charming, serving as a reminder of the budding artists in training. Denna felt a strong hand grip her arm roughly and pull her into a dank corner, breaking her out of her sullen thoughts. She did not need to use her spirit sense to see who it was; the familiar mothey smell gave away the mystery. She sighed inwardly. "Shalom!”
