Chapter 8: Master of Time

Sheni~ time, a time or era

The figure was a spider, but yet also a woman. She was sitting on a small wooden stool, her four arms working on a loom that took up the entire wall of one side of her cave. Every once or a while one of the arms would pause to lightly pick up a pair of sharp sheers that glowed an almost cruel gold. She used them to clip one of the strands before setting them down once more, but all the while her other arms still wove. The woman paused, turning slightly. She four pairs of eyes, two were small while the bottom were almond shape, they all had a bright glow, like a star.

a-le'Ahnleh'teska-kaya'ga'la (By the will of Fate, My light).

Chapter 7: Vision of the White City

Celi was in an unknown city of whiteness that radiated magic. The road below her feet sang. In the distance she saw three towers and caught a glimpse of a violet building. She took just one step and the scene blurred out to whiteness before it returned in a different location.

A tall, lithe woman suddenly formed before her. Her tightly braided hair was silver with the front strands a light blue that had been singled out. Her eyes…they were the same blue of Celi’s, of her father’s. Something about this woman spoke of confidence, cunning, and arrogance, but Celi thought she could detect some fear, like the woman was scared of something. There was also sadness. Celi stared at the woman and found her lips moving;

“What happened long ago?”

The woman, the imposing lady who seemed like she could make the bravest of souls cower, lowered her gaze. As if she couldn’t bear to face a question to an answer that the woman didn’t want to think about. The scene changed once more. Celi was staring into twin pools of mercury. Two woman stood in the room with her, judging by the black mottled coloring on snowy wings, she knew they were both gyrfalcons and one glance told her that one woman was extremely powerful, the figure dressed in a gown of violet. The question passed through her lips though Celi did not hear her speak it this time, nor did her lips move. The violet-dressed woman looked at her with gray eyes that seemed to have no real focus, then she looked away. “That past…does not matter now.” The girl glanced at the other gyrfalcon and she knew who she was, Darien. The falcon looked at her with pitying eyes that were darker silver and sighed before she turned away. This time Darien would not be of any help. It hadn’t been her that Celi saw that day…but the falcon Empress...Cjarsa.

The scene shifted once more and Celi found herself in a large room that was nearly empty saved for a bed in one corner, a kitchen in the other, and several chairs around a single table. She wasn’t alone either. Yet another woman had appeared before her. “You seek answers,” the falcon said, apparently not finding it surprising that a strange wyvern had suddenly appeared in her…home? “What happened all those years ago?” Celi found herself asking, expecting the falcon to be unable to meet her gaze, but she was wrong. The lady’s steel-blue gaze locked onto Celi’s. “Something that should had been prevented,” she answered gravely. “If we had did things differently than maybe things would had been different.” Celi felt her heart pounding and stared at the woman, waiting to hear more but the woman gave a small smile. “Talking in dreams is nice, but it would be better if you granted me an audience on Ahnmik."

The dream changed once more, this time Celi was gazing at three triple arches and she blinked when she saw a familiar figure hovering above where the arches just barely met, her mottled-black wings were spread, her wrists locked and back arched, Keyi seemed to radiate with energy as she began to dance the daraci’Kain and Celi could feel the force of the storm. It was terrifying but yet beautiful. But suddenly the air began to crackle around her, like sparks flying off a blade being forged. Once moment Keyi was dancing, then the next she was falling. Her wings seemed to lock, become helpless. The bottom of the triple arches suddenly rippled into a pool of dark black water that swallowed the dancer. Ahnmik suddenly shattered and there was just darkness, nothingness, the void.

Chapter Six: Training Boys

Celi winced as she shifted position, her calves aching from holding a crouch much to long for her liking. If Aleya or Keyi had any problems then they both were doing a good job at hiding the discomfort. The golden cobra was focused on the young men who were sparring and she looked liked she was perfectly enjoying herself. The quemak didn't seem to be paying the young men much mind. Her gray eyes slid over each figure but Celi couldn't read what was on her mind. Even after all these years the falcon was just as mysterious, and just as closed. She never spoke about her thoughts or her dreams, and rarely did the wyvern see her around Wyvern's Court. "Look, there's Tabby and Veli," Aleya spoke suddenly making Celi jump as the loud tone registered. Discretion was not part of the cobra's vocabulary, so no doubt the wyvern guards knew that she was there, spying on them as they trained. Celi followed Aleya's gaze and she saw them, her breath catching slightly in her throat. Tabassum was huge, plain and simple. He had grown broad of chest and shoulder and his darkened from all his time in the sun. The liger and wolf looked almost out of place amongst the serpiente and avians, but it was thrilling to watch them spar. The two boys were in human form but they shifted into their animal form and Celi saw the other pairs pause to watch. It was a ritual that was like a dance, but way more exotic. The liger and wolf circled each other, blue and amber eyes locking and watching their opponent carefully. After several circles a move was made; sometimes it was Veli who moved first and other times Tabassum did. This time the wolf made the first move, darting up to give his opponent a light nip then danced out of the way before the liger could retaliate. Tabassum was massive beside the wolf, although Veli had told that he was one of the largest wolves of the Frektane pack. Celi thought that his idea of large meant the fact that he was tall, his legs long and slender, obviously good for running. They were a good match Celi knew one had the power while the other had the speed and stamina. The liger didn't respond and Veli braved another slight nip, but this time the liger was ready and a light swat of paw bowled the wolf over with a yelp of surprise. Veli wasn't hurt, everyone knew that while Tabassum had the power to cause massive damage with his muscular build, dagger like claws, and sharp teeth. But he was gentle when training with only a few accidents popping up and none too serious. Veli didn't stay down for long, the wolf hoped back onto his feet and seemed to consider his next course of action. His head tilted then he started barking and bounced around. He was using his barks to confuse Tabassum and moving around would make him less of a target as the liger couldn't move as fast. The older boy watched the wolf with a bemused expression but kept the canine in his sights. Veli swung around then went up to nip at the striped cat tail. The liger spun around and pinned the blue-eyed pooch with one paw. It began to get faster, no longer a simple game. The pair had tested each other's mettle, now they were getting serious. Dirt flew as the animals wrestled, each being careful with their teeth and Tabassum made sure his claws were sheathe. Celi watched the pair in awe, admiring the way that the sun fell on her friends' pelts. Veli's dark fur seemed to shimmer with patches of gray and blue-black, Tabassum's fur was like fire, bright orange with bands of cinnamon. It was like the sun and moon were fighting. Suddenly Celi felt a chill and shivered, her gaze drifted up to look at the sky where the sun was shining in all its glory. Her attention returned to the two boys who were finishing their match, but she was distracted. From the corner of her eye she thought she saw Keyi tilt her head, as if the quemak sensed something had just happened. But Keyi didn't look at nor did she speak. She watched the liger and wolf part and sit down to regain their breathe before the two shifted humans. The sight of sweat running down Tabassum's heavy chest made Celi flush, even more so when he lifted his head and locked eyes with her. The wyvern quickly diverted her attention but she knew that Aleya had saw and that the cobra would tease her about it later on. But Celi didn't mind at all.

Chapter 5: Awakening

Note: Celi is now seventeen as two more years have passed.

Celi was a lovely wyvern. Her serpent body was that of a cobra and was patterned with black and cream-ivory scales. Her feathers ran down her back from hood to wings were violet-black close to her body before they gradually faded to a red. Her eyes were the crisp ice blue of opals and radiated with endless energy. The feeling of the breeze that was carrying her home was delightful. It was calmer than the delight that she felt after a success dance, there was nobody around to crowd the space, she could be free.

Was this what Bianca and Ainra were feeling?

Celi felt a rush of sadness. Bianca had left one day with no warning and no evidence to where she had went. She just left a short note and was gone, searching had resulted nothing. Bianca had just vanished, pure and simple. It hadn't been long before her half-sister also followed suite. Nobody knew what had made Bianca leave, but Ainra's reason had been a falling out with her father. The wyvern hadn't left anything, not even a note.

Celi sighed and let her gaze drift to the world below. Watching the scenery change as if it were a giant quilt. Her gaze drifted up to the sky, a brief glance at the glowing orb that the sun before she scanned the clouds, easily picking out somewhat familiar shapes... Suddenly Celi felt a burning sensation in her body before she was sent plummeting, she forced her wings up, slowing her descent and managed to land on a soft pile of squishy moss. The wyvern panted, her wings hanging limply at her sides as she struggled to calm her rapidly beating heart. There was a small stream close by and Celi dipped her mouth in and drank, the cool water working its soothing power on her body. But it was not for long. She could feel the presence, something was there with her, something that hadn't been there before. Celi lifted her gaze, her feathery hood spreading in a feeble display. Her heart was pounding and her breath caught as she turned to look at her visitor.

A woman stood on the other side of the stream, smiling but somehow it was far from comforting. Her skin seemed to be crafted from black ice, dark but pale and looked cold to the touch. Her hair slid down to her waist, perfectly straight, blacker than a raven's feather. A long black gown flowed down her lean figure forming pool of what seemed to be silk around her feet. But what really chilled the wyvern's blood was the woman's eyes. They were nothing but pools of intense darkness. A voice suddenly filtered its way into her mind and Celi was unable to do anything to block it.

Poor little child, you are so young to face the horrible truth.

"What truth?" Celi found herself asking with her mind. The woman seemed to laugh without moving her mouth.

The civil war that split the Dasi could had been prevented, the magic of Ahnmik and Anhamirak could had been kept in balance.

A breathy sigh seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, but yet the being's face still didn't move, not even a flicker of change on her unearthly face. You can change that child of destiny...but you must come to Ahnmik, to me...

The woman vanished suddenly, the eyeless sockets suddenly were replaced by pools of silver. They were stretched wide in surprise but unlike the woman the vision didn't last long. The silver eyes were dappled by flecks of deep green which turned into a pair of stormy green eyes in the face of a white viper who looked so helpless, so defeated.

Beware the black sun little wyvern, I wish that you didn't have to pay this price...

Celi was trembling as she landed, shifting form unintentionally and pressing her palms against the warm sand of the training field. The sounds of practice weapons and the grunts of men and women around her was nothing but white noise and did nothing to calm the rapid beat of her heart. A gentle hand on her back suddenly made her jerk and a slight trickle of something suddenly lashed out drawing a grunt of pain. The wyvern lifted her gaze and suddenly felt a rush of guilt. Tabassum stood over her, his amber eyes were neutral but obviously concerned. Celi felt a rush of fear and embarrassment. "Sorry," she murmured, carefully drawing the tendril back within herself. Tabassum didn't respond but he helped her to stand up. She felt another hand touch her shoulder and she looked to see her father. Nicias had been drilling with the other wyverns, but apparently he had noticed that something was wrong. He offered her a cup and Celi carefully wrapped her fingers around it. The liquid within burnt her mouth and throat, but it instantly calmed her breathing and heart.

"What happened?"

Celi looked up, into the matching gaze of her father. For some reason the dark woman and mercury gaze popped into her mind, but she didn't want to tell him what she had saw. "Just a little fright is all," Celi said, giving what she hoped was a convincing smile. She didn't know if her father and friend was fooled, but she carefully gave the cup to a crow that had been Tabassum's sparring partner. Celi hesitated, their gazes making her nervous. She didn't want to blabber out what had happened, she didn't want to worry them. "I'm going to the library, see you later?" Celi said as she spun around, making her coin belt tinkle and her anklets chime. The soft sounds usually gave her some comfort, but today they didn't seem enough to sooth the burn that the spell had caused.

Seven people were gathered around a single woman, their actions spoke of delight. The woman seemed like a sharp contrast to her followers. Her skin extremely pale, a sharp contrast to her brown gaze and mahogany hair. Celi immediately recognized Kiesha, the high priestess of Anhamirak, and the baby that was in her arms was obviously the first Diente. There was a eighth person who was watching the celebration from the shadows. The woman was pale with short blonde hair and stormy green eyes. The woman turned away from the happy scene and for some reason the wyvern followed her into the temple. A small group of people were in the temple, watching her with sympathetic eyes. The woman dropped to her knees and the arms of the Rsh wrapped around her. Her attempt to be calm went to waste and Maeve wept.

Morning

Maeve stood with the Rsh, staring at the woman she had once loved, still loved. "Leave," Kiesha's voice was cold, her brown eyes were equally the same. There was nothing, no sign of the love that had once been there. Maeve didn't beg, she didn't cry. Her tears had came and passed. The look that she gave the mahogany-haired woman was one of pity. "I will, but I hope you'll be prepared for what will happen next." Maeve turned away and walked off, the Rsh following her on their own free will, ignorant of the sneers and snickers coming from the other serpiente.

Midday

Celi sat with the founders of the Obsidian Guild and watched Maeve. The former priestess gazed around her with a tired smile, but her eyes were sad. But suddenly her attention snapped to the sky, eyes wide in horror, her mouth working but yet no sound came out. Celi followed the woman's gaze and her own mouth dropped open in alarm. The sun which was now at its highest point was joined by another orb. Slowly a piece was being taken away from the life-giving orb. The sky was beginning to darken...then it went out. The air exploded with thick power; screams echoed, the smell of blood was heavy, flames roared into the sky while ice chilled all that it touched without mercy...the world was now truly chaos.

Chapter 4: A Vision of the Past

Note: Celi is now 15 years old, she was thirteen at the start and two years had passed.

Celi carefully opened the book that she has slipped from the library. The words were in the old language, but she had no problem understanding what had been written by some long ago writer. But the meaning was confusing.

The sun is the eye of Anhamirak, the moon is the eye of Ahnmik,

both watch over their realms peacefully in the sky.

The Dasi worshipped the sun and moon, two perfect examples of balance.

But the two gods were not predictable,

their abilities quickly proved that.

The day it happened.

Celi blinked as she pondered the piece that just had been read. It sounded confusing, the why she couldn't quite grasp. Now that she thought about the world, the wyvern could believe that the sun and moon represented the dual powers. But her biggest wonder was from the last line...what happened? Were they talking about when Leben came? Or was it something else entirely? She read onward.

It was the job of Ahnmik's followers to watch the moon, to interpreted what would come based on the shape and color. A moon with a slightly orange tint like a mango would signal the harvest, that would be good information to tell the Rsh who would relay the news to the people. The rare blue moon would bring a grand celebration of Ahnmik's power, for its color would one day be stained on the falcons. But there was one type of moon that brought fear to the Ahnmik priests, the Blood Moon. When it came it always seemed to bring misfortune on its heels. The four main worshippers of Ahnmik were tasked to watch for the dreaded red-stained orb. It had appeared after Leben had departed... Perhaps it was a sign that should not had been ignored, had the Dasi knew what would come next.

The book ended. Only a few pages and nothing more. The information gave more questions than answers and for some reason it made her feel uncomfortable. Celi reread the pages a few times, trying to understand, to read between the lines. But her efforts were fruitless. There was nothing to explain further and she doubted that the library would offer any more knowledge.

So what had happened?

Celi had learned the story. Leben had came and Maeve had seduced him, in return he gave her the form of a white viper. Maeve also had demanded that he gave forms to the other priests and priestesses. After that Maeve had been exiled, followed shortly by the falcons. But for some reason that never seemed to be enough, there some feeling within that there was more to this story than what she had been told. The wyvern peered out her window, her gaze going up to stare at the moon. "What happened all those years ago?" she whispered. But the moon held no answer.

She watched the people. There was four standing at a distance, obviously dancing and prayer around an altar. The flames of torches bathed the site with light, but was weak compared to the vast blackness that spanned above them. Stars flickered, but were pale compared to the full moon which was the color of milk. Two ladies lifted their gaze to the moon, the light illuminating their obviously pale features. Celi gazed at the glowing ball in awe, but then in pure horror. The pearly surface looked like it had been bathed in blood. The red was an eerie contrast to the crisp radiance which had been present only minutes before. Her attention fell back on the people, but this time nobody lifted their gaze to look. It was as if they were struggling with something, something so important that their duty was meaningless. But then the world feel into a darkness that couldn't be explained but it made her body be racked with intense pain that seemed to burn with fire and ice. And around her was blood...

Chapter 3: The Liger

Celi knelt on the rooftop with the twins, peering down at the group of strangers in the courtyard of Wyvern's Court. Her keen eyes quickly picked up details; they were robust with tanned skin, dark hair, and golden eyes. For just a moment she thought that one figure or two looked out of place, but she couldn't be certain. The adults were too far from her to hear what was being said so the only clue she could take was from the gestures and expression. Her parents had been wary when they arrived and they were still, even though it was clear that they were giving polite answers and asking neutral questions.

"What are you doing?"

It was completely unexpected and the three royals jumped, even Zenle who was supposed to be calm and reserved. Celi turned with the pair to look at their unexpected guest and she blinked, suddenly very curious. The boy was foreign to her as she couldn't recall seeing him before in the marketplace. His features clearly told that he wasn't a wolf either. He was tall and muscular, his skin the same shade as the visiting party but only a few shades lighter. His hair was short and honey-brown in color and his eyes were the same piercing amber. Celi wasn't going to deny that he was cute, but she fought to keep a blush off her face. "Who are you?" Zenle asked, his golden eyes narrowed as he did a once over the boy, his features were made so that they betrayed nothing. Apparently his previous reaction had embarrassed him and he wanted to make it clear that he was reserved. Celi found it amusing. Aleya just stood there in awe, her mouth opening and closing but no words came out. The boy looked past them, towards the gathering below them. "Tabassum." He said. For a moment there was just silence after his words until Celi decided to speak up. "Are you with the visitors?" she asked. The tall boy nodded. "That's my pride." "Pride?" Aleya snapped out of her daze, her head tilted. "We're lion shifters, well...everyone except for my mother and I." Zenle frowned despite himself. "Why?" he asked simply. "My mother is from the Mistari." That brought awed silence. Celi recalled her mother's stories, of how her grandmother and grandfather had sought council with the tigers, how the advice of the Disa and Dio had ended up leading to the end of the war that ranged for thousands of years. But Tabassum was continuing as if he wasn't aware. "My father is Tavisan," he motioned to one of the lion shifters who was dressed quite finely, his clothing hinting that he held a higher status. "The pride stayed in the Mistari lands and my parents took to one another, they ended up becoming mates and my mother left." "Who would want to leave their home for love?" Zenle muttered under his breath. Celi was quiet as she wondered it. Her parents had left their home for love as well, but yet both of them had been born and raised at Wyvern's Court, thus it seemed less extreme as the boy's tale. Aleya's eyes were almost dreamy and she gave a wistful sigh. "If you father is a lion and your mother is a tigress..." Celi paused, not wanting to be rude. After all she wasn't really any better with her falcon and wyvern blood.

"A liger."

Celi chewed slowly, her mind distracted. Tabassum was sitting next to her and for some odd reason it made her feel slightly giddy. She didn't know why though. Her eyes drifted around the room, trying not to let them fall on the liger shifter. It was all confusing. Not just with his parentage, but also because he was going to spend the night here, not with his pride. Lion shifters had to be puzzling, more so than wolf shifters, though Veli was an exception. When dinner ended, Celi followed her parents to the rooms where they were now staying. Nicias and Oliza were quiet and Celi could tell that they were thinking, it had to be about their guest. She had noticed that her grandparents looked uncertain during the meal, as well as Salem and Sive. The why she didn't know and despite her hopes, her parents didn't tell her that night.

"Hi daddy!"

Celi watched as Salem approached them, pausing Aleya's lesson on some game that she had made up. The Diente didn't look as cautious now, but yet she could sense that he was going to judge this interaction close, perhaps curious to how they would take the news. "What is it Uncle Salem?" Celi asked, the cobra was really her mother's cousin, but since Oliza and Nicias had no siblings. "You know the...liger, Tabassum?" The two girls nodded. "Well, his father has asked that he stays here with us. To learn our ways and he could share his experiences with us." Celi exchanged a look with Aleya. "It will be temporary, but we felt that it might help you kids learn about different shifter cultures." His voice had some hidden meaning in it, something that Celi couldn't put her finger on it. "It will be fun," Celi said with a nod. Aleya glanced at her then nodded too and they watched the cobra smile before he left.

Chapter 2: The Quemak

Celi walked around Wyvern's Court, exploring the Northern and Southern hills and marveling at the very big differences between the avian and serpiente. The young wyvern couldn't believe that her mother had once been responsible for merging these two cultures, it sounded like trying to force the two parts of a magnet to connect despite the force that was repelling each other. Maybe she should had studied her relatives better. Zenle and Aleya were each going to be leaders of the two people, well with exception for the male hawk's case; his pair bond will be named Tuuli Thea. Aleya was the serpiente Arami and would become the new Diente once her father stepped down. The odd part of their family had to be their parents. Salem was a cobra while Sive was a hawk but instead of two wyverns, their kids had opposite features; Zenle had golden-kissed skin and gold eyes, but his long straight hair was solid black as his father's. Aleya's hair was as golden as her mother's, but she had eyes that were the same piercing ruby as her father's, the same red that her...half-sister wore. Celi shook her head, not wanting to think about her complex family structure right now.

She was now wandering the edge of Wyvern's Court, having spent several days trying to understand the feel of her new world. While Nicias and Oliza had never said anything to her about it, Celi had a feeling that they would never return to their old home on the coast. A rush of sadness filled her but was pushed away, she would miss her old friends. But yet she had been welcomed by many wonderful new friends. She smiled as she mentally named them all; there was Zenle and Aleya, her half-sister Ainra, Bianca, Veli, and a young sparrow named Lulu who served as Valene's assistant. Her thoughts were halted when she saw a flicker of movement which quickly turned into the image of a girl moving out from between the buildings and into the woods. The young wyvern hesitated, then carefully followed. It wasn't nice for her to follow random people, it was rude, but yet something about this girl had been different, but her glimpse had been too short to place her finger on it. Despite her thoughts, Celi could not help but follow.

A butterfly fluttered in the air with its sparkly wings reflecting the sunlight. It hovered in the air a few inches before being tugged down rather sharply but some unseen force. It fluttered helplessly back before being released to repeat the process over again. Celi watched the display from the tree tops. Her body was coiled around the branch that she had chosen, the muddy brown wood looked out of place beside her black and ivory-cream scales. Her eyes drifted from the insect to look at the sole occupant who was resting against a tree in the glade. For some reason the girl seemed out of place, more so than she. Her skin was the pale color milk with hair that was short with a slight curl and was light cream in color. Her eyes were the color of rocks, a simple shade of gray. From her back sprouted a pair of wings that looked almost like a peregrine's but were dark in shade. Celi felt a strange brush against her body, she didn't need to be told what it was for she knew.

jaes'Ahnmik, falcon magic.

"You can come out now."

The voice startled that she would had fallen out of her tree, but the wyvern managed to hang on then sat up, blinking in confusion. It couldn't been her that the falcon was addressing. But the girl lifted her head and looked directly at her tree, her gray eyes were dull as if it was no surprise to be spied on while she was playing with a butterfly. Celi walked into the glade and sat down beside the strange falcon, but yet with enough distance. She could feel the girl's magic, it was no longer just a simple touch, it was like wave that brushed outward before it drew back, it was nothing like her father's magic. But a sudden burn made her cry out and she looked at her arm in shock. A long thin cut pierce her skin, just above her elbow. She felt a tendril of magic wrap around the wound and jumped up, backing away from the...quemak falcon.

"Wait."

The voice made Celi pause her retreat to look back with wary eyes. The girl was looking at the butterfly, drawing it down before sending a small blast of power that crushed the insect like it was a piece of paper. "My name is quemak'la'Keyi." She said nothing else and Celi continued her escape.

"What happened?"

Celi looked up, blinking at her parents then looked down at her arm. The wound was still there, bleeding a little with the tendril hovering as if waiting. She just stared at it in confusion, not noticing that her father had stepped closer and carefully touched her arm and Celi felt his magic gently brushing her skin, healing the cut. "I...just fell," Celi said, not meeting her father's gaze. She saw her parents exchange a look. "Try being careful, we don't want you getting hurt." Oliza told her, moving some of her bangs to the side and Celi caught a glimpse of the pale silvery blue hair. Something was happening and Celi found herself growing nervous. Why did her parents really bring her here?

"Nicias, you don't think?"

"I can't claim it or deny it."

"But her bangs..."

"I guess we have to wait and see."

Celi was quiet as she listened to her parents. Their words made no sense but she felt only more dread. What was her parents talking about? Well she did know that it involved her obviously, but yet why did her mother mentioned her bangs? Celi carefully used her fingers to single out the strands that had been mentioned and stared at them. Her father had icy blue color on his bangs which seemed to mirror his eyes. It looked natural with his pale golden hair with the blue-violet feathers on his nape. But yet her bangs seemed almost out of place. Her hair was a mass of pale gold highlights and ebony lowlights which formed a streaking pattern, her feathers were a startling contrast, being violet-black before they faded into pale rust. Her father was vague about his falcon roots, but she did know enough that the falcon magic stained the falcon's body, mainly affecting their eyes and the front of their hair. But she didn't have magic. Maybe this was just some silly adult thing that had no real purpose. That sounded better. Celi glanced at her parents and carefully stood up, turned, and crept back to bed. Ready to put her worries to bed for the night.

Chapter 1: Wyvern's Court

Celi carefully cradle the piece in her hands distributing the weight so that it was perfectly balance, but also holding where the light would be able to illuminate the colors and details. To any other this would had been a curiosity, perhaps an artist's mistake or maybe a piece that was sold on accident when it was meant for the creator's own home. But Celi didn't think it was strange. For some reason the little piece felt comforting. A soft murmur told that her parents were waking up and Celi returned the wyvern to her bag after carefully rewrapping it. It didn't take long for Oliza and Nicias to be fully awake and both of her parents took a moment to stretch before they shifted form. Celi watched as her parents took flight before she shifted form and flew after them, her bag clutched in her talons.

The sun was fully up when they arrived at Wyvern's Court and landed. Celi carefully folded her wings then dismissed them as she gazed around in awe, her first glimpse of the land where her parents had been born, the land where she was meant to be born but it had not happened. Their arrival had obviously not gone unnoticed as three birds suddenly dropped out of the sky and shifted human as they landed. One bird was not like the others, she was tall and slim with golden sun-kissed skin that made her golden hair and eyes glow brighter. Celi watched the stranger hug her mother before Oliza seemed to remember about her and her mother turned with the woman. "This is our daughter...Celi." her mother said, her eyes glowing with something that Celi had not seen before. Did her mother really miss her old home this much? So why did she leave? "Celi, this is your grandmother, the Tuuli Thea-" "Former," Danica interrupted. Her eyes still calm and collect, Celi wondered how she did it. But then she remember one of the old things that her parents had told her about. Avian reserve. Oliza's eyes widened as did Nicias' as if the pair could not believe it, but Celi looked between them in silent confusion. She suddenly felt skies away from her parents, from this world. Would she ever belong? "You mean Sive...?" Danica nodded. "Twins actually, and they should be close to her age." she said, looking back at the young wyvern with those still golden pools. "Who is her Alistair," Celi's father asked. Danica gave a small smile, hard to notice but definitely there. "Come and see."

It was later that Celi was finally able to explore on her own. Even though her cousins were interesting, though for twins they were as different as could be, it was good to get away from all the newness of this place. The woods were very tempting and it wasn't like nobody said that she couldn't go so it had to be okay. Besides she would be back before they worried. The wyvern flew through the woods, her whip-cord body carefully dodging the tree trunks before she landed. Celi looked around as she caught her breath and gave her wings a chance to rest, they still slightly ached from the long journey from the coast. Her eyes suddenly detected movement of dark and pale and she shot after it like an arrow. Her keen eyes easily kept the shape in sight, weaving through trees as she struggled to see what it was that she was looking at or following. It was obviously an animal, but yet it looked like nothing that she was used to seeing. Celi dove.

"Wait!"

"G...go away!"

Celi blinked as the animal spoke to her but drew back quickly, watching as the animal ran smack into another, this one lacking the scales that Celi had just noticed on the female, the voice sounded like a girl her age though maybe a tad older. The impact sent the two animals tumbling in a tangle of limbs and yelps before they settled in a small clearing where Celi landed. She got ready to move closer to the pair, but stopped as another figure landed. Celi froze, her eyes going wide. the two creatures peered at each other with wide eyes.

"You...you're just like me."

Prologue: Maeve's Sorrow

I watch the sky. My people, the Rsh, scan the forest that surrounds us, dark and unfamiliar as Ecl. But my attention is not on the possible dangers of the land, but on something that troubles me about the sky. The sun seems to be missing a piece of itself. I feel a tiny brush of something against my skin, a small tendril of magic that was now part of my being.

But that is nothing compared to what happens next.

The sky goes dark and I feel my magic erupt. The feather-soft touch becomes a blaze of fire with a chill of ice, it burns, chills, and cuts into my skin and from around me I know my people are feeling the same pain. The other Rsh whimper as the magic goes wild as the eclipse gains more power, the sun is almost gone. Slowly the pain fades away but I feel different and looking around I notice those differences. The other Rsh now have pale skin and their hair is white-blonde. I know that my features are now the same. We have became much like our animal form, the gift that Leben have given to gain my favor. But I can sense the balance is ready to be shattered.

And then the sky went completely and utterly black.

And chaos reigned.

Maeve, Former High Priestess of the Dasi.