Lives at War

Prologue

In our world there are many Folk, the Clear, the Fair, the Blood, the Grey, the Shadow, the Star, the Elemental, and the . . . Neutral people, then of course there are the untalented human fools. The Folk are split, our world divided, the Good and the Evil fighting for the right to control this world. Normally stories have the Good side win, this however isn’t a story, this is truth, true life, true meaning, true horror, and all that might save us are those fighting for the balance, this is the world in which we live our lives.

My name is Damara, I am of the Star Folk, I am a Tijen, you probably don’t recognize that word, no really does. The Star Folk are secretive, but walk among others with ease, we ourselves are split into factions, those of us whom are tied to the balance and those who are trying to topple the scale, for good, or for evil, no one knows, not even them. “Who cares!” they mock, “Either way, we end up on top!”

I am Ellcia, I am a Warrior Fairy, of the Grey folk, I fight for balance, but for that, I am an outcast, Evil is one way to describe my people. They fight for the dark side, and spy on the light. No one knows how they do it, but all know it happens, I know the secret, but how do you tell a secret when you’re sworn to secrecy. If I don’t find a way to tell someone, the scales just might slip. My people are winning, and time is getting short, how do you stop what’s meant to happen, how do you stop fate? Many say you don’t, to them I say “SHUT UP!”

Star Folk are unknown to the rest of the world, we are a secret, a legend. They call us the keepers of balance, these are tales told to young children, and they should stay that way, we are failing our cause. People are dieing without reason, it’s not meant to be this way, the Stars have told us so. What happens if the Stars are wrong, my people ask, they are forgetting our cause, they help no side, yet they help the balance fail. They don’t seem to understand that even if one side, wins the greed of mortal will destroy our people. I was banished, long ago, for attempting to keep the balance, I saved a child, she didn’t deserve to die, but to my people she didn’t deserve to live. My people have gone cruel, with hearts as cold and hard as ice, I just wish I knew how to shatter, how to melt them, I want my people back.

I walked into the human inn, I felt myself gag. Humans are vile and disgusting creatures, no powers, no defined sides, no help. The inn itself is useful, the building is not, this town is a feted hell hole. A roosting place and a haven for Demons and Angels alike, all creatures are welcome here, the humans just don’t know that yet.

I sat at a table, hood over my eyes shivering, not from cold, but fear of the enclosed space. My people have a cycle of Rejuvenation, every night we must look to the Stars to draw power from them, and if inside during this time, we will die, that’s how I lost my left arm. I’d been cornered by some Drow, they trapped me inside, and I saw the sun beginning it’s descent through the heavens. To make this story short, I made it out of the building in time, but my arm was still in the doorway and disinigrated. I can grow it back, but it dissolves every night.

The Humans crowded the place, their stench was near intolerable, I ordered a drink, there was no point in just sitting there, while I waited. I wanted to scratch my back until the strange Human form I was wearing cracked and fell away so my wings could spread as far as they could reach, and I could let my hair go back to it’s liquid-like state.

I sat for near an hour and still he had not come. I didn’t like it when my employers where any more than ‘fashionably’ late, sadly, it’s far past fashionable. I put the vile drink to my mouth, but did not sip, I could smell it from its spot on the table, the Humans called it Beer, and they called the strange way they acted after some . . . Drunk? I looked up, a man was sitting in front of me, he looked as though he’d been there hours, and considering I hadn’t heard him, I would have thought he had been if I hadn’t seen that very seat empty only seconds ago.

“I’ve been waiting,” I felt as though I had just been hit in the head with a very large brick, how dare he, I’d been waiting an hour, and he’d been there two seconds, but every time I met this man, he was just the same.

“Really?” I asked politely, “You have the papers?”

“What do you mean papers?” If I hadn’t been offered a job by this man, I would have knocked his head of right then.

“You know the papers, concerning my . . . Side,” I was a mercenary for the Balance, I killed anyone and everyone who might shatter it, I apparently wasn’t doing my job so well.

“Ahhhh,” he muttered with understanding, “but which side are you my dear.” The man was a Clear Folk, very high, very powerful, and intolerable. The Clear Folk are almost as unknown as we are, and the Warrior Fairies. The Clear Folk work for the side of Good, they believe with good in charge Evil will be destroyed, but even with all their infinite knowledge, a Human child would know better. They like my people have lost the path of the Balance. No one knows what a pureblood Clear Folk looks like, because there are none. They all have other blood in them, from every Folk, which enables them to look like anyone. The Clear Folk blood takes over all other blood, just not looks, but powers are magnified by millions. They have also split, but still work together, the Silver Pupiled, who are displined and orderly, and the Black Pupiled who are Disorganized slobs. The man who sat in front of me had Silver pupils, and he was the only Clear folk with Dragon blood.

“You know perfectly well which side, Liam!” I whispered harshly, losing my temper, which has been at boiling point lately. I felt my Human form slipping from my grasp, I was very thankful for my cloak.

“Now I know it’s you!” he said gleefully and pushed a stack of papers across the table, and while doing so picked up this, Beer drink. I gagged again. “Well, this has been fun, but I must go.” He said, plunking my empty tankard of Beer on the table. I shuddered and followed him outside.