Prologe

prologue

1824 - Manchester

The forest was dark as the last sliver of light was lost over the horizon. The 12 Dryads who made up the Elder Council stood in a circle  surrounding another. The moons half phase gave off enough light for the dryads to see easily and fire flys danced about excitedly. they
could sense the powers that resonated in that area of the forest and enjoyed the power surge.

"What are his crimes?" croaked Avish who had took it upon himself to bring the council to order. He was one of the oldest in the Council over 2300 years old, and had only recently awaked from hybernation at the request of his old master who time was coming for slumber.

"He and the Meliae prodigy were caught entwined with one another" cooed the american accent of Nava, she was still young in the councils eyes, but she had a way with her that no one argued, she was quite a beauty in her Dryad state very few matched her in elegance and grace.

" The one brought forth from across the seas?" Avish asked again, somewhat surprised with the answer, he raised an eyebrown and looked down at the Nymph before him. The clothes he wore were tattered. His arms were full of unhealed scratches, his cheek held a purplish bruise his lip still bled, and he was held in place kneeling before the council by the restraints made of cursed iron. No Nymphs would have been able to put them on let alone touch them. one of the council would have had their human servant put them on him, so he would not cause harm during this meeting.

"Yes brother, the one who's human forms came to her hundreds of years before they should have." She spoke again, some pride in her voice the Meliae they spoke of had come from her continent. It had been near 700 years since one of such talent had been born with such promise on the land of the old ones

"How far did they get"  the old one asked his eyes not leaving Ghillie before him.

"No Seed was spawned" Elan said carefully, he had been with the party to find them. Had the boat for the Meliae not arrived days earlier then expected to take her back to her home, no one would have been looking for her and it would have been to late.

"Are you certain" Avish asked, his voice hard as he spoke.

"We are certain" Nava said with a nodd. she shifted uneasily with bein gin the spotlight for such a question.

" What was her punishment?" he asked allready knowing it, but making sure that it had to be said in front of the Nymph in question, he had to know that she had been punished as wel.

"Sent back to her Northern Land, not allowed to return till she is called for again, her travel

in the future should not be of her own choice but that of the councils, she has accepted her punishement unhappily and was sent home" Nava spoke again this time with much less enthusiasm for the Meliae. She was talented but her punishment would hinder her growth for a while.

"Her punishment is agree'd, the Ghillie must be punishment for the same is not accepted by this tree." Elan spoke this time, not pleased but knowing it had to be done.

" Is he not the one from the war?" asked Kuri,sHe he had been born in a chestnut tree and although was nearly as old as Avish, was not well know outside her own lands.

" Has this development mean he has moved to the dark?" Asked Kuri in a hushed tone, almost rushing the words out. The atmosphere in the room tightened, the nearby tree guard raised their weapons towards the prisoner. Avish glared at her silencing her instantly. Nava and the other younger council members looked confused, "why would he move to the dark?? Is he not one of our greatest heroes?" She was silenced before she could continue her line of questioning.

"Khalon, you know our laws better then most. What reason did you have to break our code, you know why they are in place? You fought for their creation" Avish said, his voice full of annoyance. He took a moment to look at the gathering before him. 12 of the oldest most powerful Tree Nymphs in the world, and shackled before them one of their darkest  most shameful secrets, one that would never be allowed to come out.

He looked up from his chains staring into the eyes of the old tree unflinched. A smirk moved across his face. " You spend to much time amoung the trees Avish old friend."

" Do not try to play coy with me Khalon, what reason do you have for breaking our laws, speak or your punishment shall be death We have invited children of the fire council to be near this Eve, a quick whisper to the wind and you will burn for your crimes." No humour marked his words as he looked down at the man who had once been part of this very councils saviours.

"Love" he said defiantly his green eyes caught the glare of the light of a firefly, they appeared burning as he said it.

"Love" He said with a sigh " Im sure that is what you told her, now the truth Ghillie"

" Did you not meet her Avish, she is special. She may be the one who will save us." Khalon said with a grin " She has very interesting ideas about the humans"

" We will save us, in the way that we have for the last 2 thousand years since the humans began to become a problem, and we we save ourselves again" khalon's face soured," I know how you saved us last time old friend, I was part of it and never again should such lines be crossed! We cannot save ourselves, our minds are closed while she sees with eyes unclouded....her spirit is still free"  The dark haired Nymph said, arms bound in shackles he seemd to still be in control. Whispers spread across the council.