The Converging of Moons

There weren’t always Dragons in the Valley. They came one night like the first snow of the year, silent and sudden, bringing the peace and wonder that can only come with light in the dark expanse of winter. On their backs were the Fae, silver hair dancing like strings of moonlight plucked from the sky, with skin ranging from the stars to the spaces between.

The Valley-folk were awed, if not a tad apprehensive, for they knew nothing of the fantastical beings of the world. Those who witnessed the first landing would tell tales of how the ground shuddered, not in pain, but in joy as if welcoming a long-lost lover or kin. And by morning, as they woke to a ground blanketed in scales of every color and mounds of leathery wings, the Valley-folk were filled with hope as the very air they breathed tasted like magic.

There weren’t Dragons in the Valley anymore. They stayed through the darkest era of the Valley, for they had come to fight in the War of the Eternal Night and to free the common folk from tyranny and slavery. Their coming proved to be the hope needed to form the Resistance, and their might, the strength needed to topple a God.

The Fae stayed through the Rebuilding, transforming from strangers to lovers, outsiders to friends, foreigners to family. And for a while, the Dragons stayed too. They ushered in the new season of growth, watching over the renaissance that came with newfound freedom and freewill. The Valley grew from dispersed villages to cities, as word spread and more came to witness the magic and awe of the creatures who saved the world.

But like the ending of spring, the Dragons left quietly and as suddenly as they came, leaving behind nothing but the dust of a memory as the long days of summer turned to years, the years to decades, and the decades to centuries. Magic remained, but in subtler ways, and eventually even memories faded too. The tales turned to legends and stories and finally, whispers, as new gods rose to take their place.

* * * * *

Ariyela perched on her favorite ledge, observing Taelis below. She shouldn’t be here, but in truth she couldn’t help it. The fading of the sun was her favorite time of day, and nowhere she would rather be as the sun touched the Tower in a last desperate attempt to light up the sky. From up here, the famed Draxi Stone at the pinnacle of the Tower covered the city in a mirage of colors, with no two nights ever the same. However, in the last few seconds before the shadows took over, they formed a shape in the light. No one knew this but her, or at least she thought, as nowhere else could you see it but up here. With the last of the fading light, every night, it looked like a fiery phoenix flew over the city into the lake beyond.

As she watched the shadow figure fade into the lake, she thought she saw a ripple in the mountains beyond. A whisper on the wind washed over her skin, raising the hair on her arms, and stealing the very breath from her lips. She squinted. It was almost as if she could see a darkness, but then -

“Ari!” - she nearly jumped out of her skin. “Fuck, Prynn!” Ariyela gasped, “You can’t just sneak up on people like that!” With one last hesitant glance at the water, Ariyela turned to face the little sprite.

“Fuck yourself! We’re running late and I knew you’d be up here again you big-”

“Whoa okay Prynn, no need to get nasty,” Ari smirked.

The sprite was easily riled, and it was one of Ari’s favorite pastimes to tease the princess. For Prynngala was the youngest of a great lineage of fyre sprites, one of the only of the lower fey to remain independent of the realm. Tonight was especially important for her, because not only was it the summer solstice, the most important of the holidays for the fyre folk, it was the Converging of the Moons. Prynn, along with all the fyre sprites who had come of age at their young 50 years, would join their place among the leaders in the tribe. And as a Princess, her Offering should be significant.

Prynn’s aura flared, a sure sign she was getting annoyed. “Nasty! I’ll show you nasty, you deadbeat-cauda-going-dodo-feet-”

“Deadbeat cauda-what?” a rumbling voice repeated from behind the trees at the edge of clearing. A massive creature lumbered into the open, staying far away from the ledge at the end of the grassy meadow where Ariyela and Prynn stood feet apart.

“Cauda-going? You’ve never heard of cauda-going?” Prynn retorted, glancing between Ari and the newcomer.

“No, Prynn, we’ve never heard of cauda-going,” Ari laughed. Along with her temper, Prynn was famous for her insults. None of which ever made any sense.

“You’re sure? I thought that was a good one this time.” The deep red aura around the sprite lowered to a gentle blue-green glow. Ari could see the sprite's face finally and noticed the hint of a smile on her lips. Prynn was dressed beautifully, in the traditional dress of her tribe, with her maroon eyes artfully lined with kohl to accentuate the fire held within. Her cropped hair was held back, with a dainty circlet crowning her head.

“You looked incredible, P. How are you ready already?”

Prynn turned to Loemok, “Hey, Lome is ready too! We’re not all lazy fisch brains like you, besides, how are you not ready? We only have one hour!” The sprite’s aura flashed a panicked yellow.

“Oh, you know she has been out all day, P. Hunting. Gathering. Chasing dreams, like always.” Lome teased Ari, “but let us go. Your family is waiting.”

Ariyela turned one last time to the ledge. Some days she wished she could jump off the edge and fly like the phoenix below, through the night sky and out to the stars and moons. Turning back to her bickering friends, she let the dreams fly instead, accepting her life was enough for now.

Ariyela jumped down from the ledge and sauntered to the massive figure. She looked him up and down and taunted, “Hey at least one of us has dreams,” and flicked her hair as she shuffled past. “Besides, Lome is always ready. He has fur. Can practically walk around naked and no one would care!” Ari stuck out her tongue.

Prynn turned a bright cherry red and mumbled something about Ari being inappropriate. But Ari was already past the clearing and laughing too loud to pay attention.

* * * * *

In a way what Lome said was true, for Ari was a dreamer. She had the imagination of the group, and as a child would always lead them on fantastical adventures. Sprites grow too slowly, staying young for half a century, whereas the Basajaun grow too fast, reaching adulthood at nearly half a decade. Ariyela, as a human, was somewhere in between.

That was how the group always was. Where Prynn was impassioned and dramatic, Loemok was calm and gentle. Prynn was tiny, with short-cropped hair and an expressive face. She had translucent dragonfly wings, which reflected the colors of her aura, and fluttered around constantly like a hummingbird, the species the fyre sprites were confused with the most. Loemok, however, was large, almost twice as tall as Ariyela, with long fur covering his body. He had thick eyebrows on his stoic face, and a slow meandering speech that lumbered as much as he did. Ariyela was somewhere in between. Average build and height for the women in her village, Ari had big hazel eyes that often hinted green in the middle, depending on the day. She kept her long dark brown hair, tinted silver in the moonlight, in a half braid to cover her ears. She never really knew her place, but as the dreamer, always hoped for more.

Prynn was slated to become part of the council, a job she dreaded as it required politics and patience. It didn’t help that her aura showcased her mood swings, something highly unique to Prynn alone. Prynn’s mother was always hounding her to settle her magic, a terminology she was thoroughly confused about and reluctant to do.

Loemok, like all Basajaun, was gentle-natured and an innate farmer, but was drafted at age eight to be a warden of Taelis in the citadel below. Most saw the large size and protective nature of the Basajuan and confused it with brutality. But those who knew a Basajaun knew they were not warriors by choice, they were warriors by force.

Ariyela, on the other hand, worked at home with her mother most days, but often had to venture out to hunt or gather herbs for various poultices. The days she could run through the mountains were far better than the days spent weaving or cleaning or cooking. It must be the Fae in her, her mother always whispered late at night to her father. Always running with the stars.

Although the High Fae had disappeared long ago, the remnants of their bloodlines still showed in humans around the Valley. Most who hinted at magic were taken at birth by the Realm, to train as part of their elite forces. Ari and her family however, lived in the last free village in the mountains surrounding the Valley, and hid their talents the best they could. No one knew they were part Fae, not even Prynn or Loemok. She longed to tell them, but for her safety and theirs, she did not.

* * * * *

As the three neared their village E’ynla, gossiping of the festivities that lay ahead, a dark figure stalked them from the trees above. The Trees they say, as old as Dragons themselves, were sacred in this forest and protected those who meant no harm. Twice as round as Loemok, they towered above anything and everything walking below. The larger and older Trees were further from the Valley floor, almost to the mountain summit, where the cold and ice and altitude made it impossible for any other vegetation to grow. E’ynla was located on a plateau, just below the summit line, past the fields of the most ancient of the Trees.

The village itself was unique, the most diverse village in the realm, where most ventured in an attempt to escape the Quthela. Soldiers still came, but not as often, as few wanted to be posted so high up from the city. Those who were posted here usually were originally from here and took care of their own when they could.

The dark figure high above jumped to the next tree, careful to not harm the branches. This would be the last before the village started, so he needed to make his move. Once in the village, the triad would be lost within the confines of the bizarre place, and he would not get his chance to talk to her before the Convergence began.

He heard the trilling of the sprite but could not make out what was said. He hated sprites. So peppy, emotional, annoying, but relatively easy to take care of. The Basajaun might be tricky, and he planned to hit him first. Although this one was well known, and liked, among the citadel, he had to knock him out to get to her.

The three were nearing his post. He made sure his sword was loose in the scabbard on his back, knives at his side, and prepared to jump to the forest floor below. As he was about to descend, a high-pitched screech sounded from the trees to his left. Damnit, not now. Not this close. He ducked back against the tree.

The three below glanced upwards, hearing the screeching noise. A look of concern flashed the Basajaun’s face. The sprite seemed unbothered, probably thinking it an early owl of some sort. The girl… fuck, the girl was staring where he was a second ago. She might have seen a flash of his cloak. He held his breath, until the unsettled look relaxed from her face, and she turned around to her friends. They continued on, toward the safe haven they called home.

The dark figure in the trees let loose his breath with an angry swoosh. He was going to kill the draeconaki. Following him for one, and two, ruining his gods damn hunt. He would not complete his mission before the ceremony, but he would not take the fall for it. His master was not a forgiving master.

As he jumped from limb to limb in the direction of the call, he caught a whiff of the draeconaki. He slowed, creeping under the shadow of the canopy. She was close. But she smelled…different. What was going on? His ears pricked. He knew where she was. She was on the lower branches of the trees, laboring breath, not even attempting to conceal herself.

Slowly he descended from the canopy, careful not to make a noise. He was one branch above when he jumped down, grabbing at her wings to flip her onto the ground, stories below. Draeconaki were tricky, lethal, and expert hunters, but if you pinned their wings, you had a fool's chance in taking them down. As he made a grab at her wing she ducked, somehow knowing he was there, and clasped his wrist with her claw. Twisting in the air, she used his own momentum to drag them both down, landing directly on his chest.

Instead of immediately releasing her claws, shredding his ribcage, and grasping his throat like he expected, she staggered looking dazed. He used that to his advantage to push up, grab her throat and throw her down. He pinned her wings with his knees, and released his knives, pointing one at her throat and the other at her lower heart, near her stomach. That was the one she could not live without.

“You bitch, Nyisha. I told you this was my job!” He yelled in her face. He paused, she was panting, uncharacteristically sickly looking.

He looked her up and down, and quickly scrambled off her. He finally noticed the deep crevice in her sternum and the dark green of draeconaki blood all over her. Among the broken bones and missing talons, one of her hearts was missing.

“What in the llystro is going on Nyisha? Fuck, stay with me.”

She gasped and tried to sit up. She opened her mouth to speak but could only croak as blood dripped from her forked tongue.

“They.. are.. Coming.”

“Coming? Who is coming? What happened at the compound? Tell me!”

“Gone. All gone. Must get her…before they do. Go!”

“Who is coming? Who is coming, Nyisha!”

It was too late. The lights had faded from her eyes. Her wings started to shrivel, as they snapped back into her body. Draeconaki are of the sky and could not be on the ground too long. He dropped his head, trying to give her a respectful moment, although not nearly what she deserved. But her warning rang in his head, and he knew he had no time.

* * * * *

Ariyela popped out of her family cottage, late, as usual. If she didn’t hurry, she would miss Prynn’s part of the ceremony, which would never be forgiven. She opted out of the traditional women's garb, instead wearing the decorative pants the men wore. But she still thought she looked fantastic.

The pants were well tailored, of a fine leather make. Her boots were freshly shined. The patterned green shirt was of delicate material and distinctly brought out the green in her eyes. Her mother had helped with her hair, sweeping it up into elegant braids, accenting her beautiful face. She had highlighted her eyes with kohl, added blush to her cheeks and nose, and finished the look with a red lip. She admired herself in the window outside her home.

Her father caught her eyes and laughed out loud.

“Get out of here you silly girl, we have a ceremony to get to!”

She winked, and ran off the porch, leaving her parents to lock up behind her and meander their own way to the festival.

The diversity of the town made the festival a conglomerate of celebrations. Every magical creature and species and human had their own ceremony, and it was all organized by the council, so several different activities were always going on at once. Stalls lining the streets leading to the town square held anything from pastries and fire-grilled rhyno thighs, to trinkets and knives, and jewelry with stones straight from the mines of Notleche. Candy was freely given to the children and all who desired, and flowers thrown above the heads of everyone passing through the Gates that cornered E’ynla Square.

In the middle of the Square was the fountain of Trynka, where miscellaneous village folk stood with their instruments, making a wondrous albeit unusual medley for all to listen. Children and beings of all ages were dancing in whatever form they desired, free and open and without care. Ari loved the dancing at festivals the best, for it was when everybody was at their most carefree and happy.

The sprite ceremony, where Ariyela was heading, took place across the square, in the middle of the Ember District. She could tell they were well on their way through the ceremony by the bright lights flashing above. She sidestepped a handsome Satyr, laughing and dancing her way to the opposite end of the square. Smiling, she ducked beneath the flame flowers falling from the Ember Gate.

She knew Prynn was nervous, for this ceremony was different than most of the other creatures' traditions here. Adolescent sprites had to walk through the sacred Wall of Flames, where their power would be measured by the resulting flares above. The stronger the magic, the higher the flares and brighter the colors. Then while still within the fire, the sparks would return down to give each their gift. Called the Offering, it bestowed their final form of magic to the maturing sprites. It also finalized where they each stood in the ancient hierarchy of spritedom.

Ariyela glanced around, making sure she did not miss Prynn’s walk. She noticed a Boitata, rare even around these parts, and a few djinn she definitely should stay away from. Finally, she noticed Loemak in the corner with another Basajaun, waving her over with a relaxed grin.

She wiggled her way through the crowd of all kinds of sprites. Natu, Aurei, Fyre and Watyx sprites were present alike, although the Watyx were provided makeshift pools in the corners, as they could not leave water for too long. Sliding up next to her large friend, Ariyela asked about Prynn.

“You are just in time. Prynn is after Cirrus now.” Lome turned back to the Wall.

The Wall of Flames was always lit, as the sprites claimed it was their direct linkage to their ancestors. Ari didn’t believe in superstition, but she had heard Prynn ramble on many times about how the Wall was the last great protector of the sprites. If the Wall ever went out, it would usher in the end of all ages, or something or other. It was nonsense as every sprite alive who made the Walk would have to die for it to lose its magic. But Prynn, like every sprite, believed in folklore.

Cirrus, the bold sprite who was the other direct line to the throne against Prynn, and who unsurprisingly was her mortal enemy, took a deep breath as she stepped into the flames. The entire wall was about ten steps by human lengths, but to the tiny sprites, many more. Nothing happened. A look of fear crossed Cirrus’s face, but she continued on.

Everyone held their breath. About a third of the way through, the Wall erupted.

Shimmering in gold and silvers and purples, the wall reached twenty, maybe thirty feet above. Cirrus was whooping, crying in happy tears as she reached the middle. The flames danced in joyful waves, the purples at the top deepening to dark blue and green.

The cheers grew quiet as glowing hands reached from the Wall and plucked embers from the sky. In a swirling gleam of the brightest colors Ari had ever seen, a shape descended from the heavens to Cirrus’s open hands.

Whispers circled through the crowd as everyone tried to peer at the shape in the tiny sprite’s hands. She looked dazed.

Suddenly, from the flames boomed, “JUGAMONDUR.”

Gasps rang around the crowd. A fyre sprite with the magic of the strongest seas? It was unheard of. Whispers of the Convergence meandered through the crowd, as the Watyx danced bitterly in their blue forms.

“Prynn is not going to be hap-” Lome stopped in his tracks.

Cirrus had started to move when another figure started to descend.

Two figures? If a fyre sprite with water magic was unheard of, a fyre sprite with more than one type of magic beyond maturity was unfathomable. There were tales, sure, but none in this century had been offered more than one.

The voice this time boomed “MANTICORE”. Cirrus’ friends and family erupted in cheers. The Wall of Flames turned dark red, signaling it was her time to move onward. This was beyond imagining, amazing even, but incredibly bad for Prynn. How would she top that? A fyre sprite with water and fire magic? With an incredible display of colors and flames? Oh, Prynn was going to be miserable tomorrow for sure.

The whispers of the crowd simmered a little bit, but the meandering echo of “what now?” and “how could she ever top that?” remained in the breathless silence as Prynn stood at the head of the wall. Ari caught Prynn's eye. She nodded and mouthed, “You can do this!” Prynn nodded sadly.

With a deep breath she stepped into the flames.

Immediately the flames burst upwards in a brilliant rainbow display. Upwards, thirty feet, forty feet, fifty feet!

Ari whooped as she jumped into the sky. “YES!”

But then, suddenly, the flames rushed down,

down,

down,

down, until finally,

they went out.

* * * * *

Not a whisper could be heard through the clearing. There was not a single spark, just ash, as the once tall and colorful Wall, that had been burning for centuries, fell.

Not a sound was heard as the stunned silence resounded through the crowd. Prynn, in desperation or shock, looked at the sky and quickly circled around, trying to find anything, any reason at all as to what just happened.

Then the screams started. For every sprite, every fyre sprite in the clearing, in the mountains and in the Valley, dropped to the ground.

Panic started to set in. Ariyela ran for Prynn, but as she was attempting to reach her, she looked to the sky. The two moons, Yethion and Craanus, were dark, as they lined perfectly with the neighboring planet, Eathurn.

The Convergence.

What did this mean? In alarm and dread, Ari looked back down to the ground, desperately looking for Prynn. Where was she?

Prynn had fallen to the middle of the Wall of Ash and was frantically scraping at the dirt. Screaming and crying, trying to light it with everything she had. But her magic, the untethered magic all sprites are born with, that only leaves when they are bestowed their Offering, was gone. And she had not received an Offering.

Ariyela was almost to Prynn. Someone grabbed her arm and yanked, hard. Thinking it was Loemok, she whirled around, breathless.

“Come on!” she trailed off. “Who the fuck are you?”

It was not Loemok behind her, in fact, she had no idea where Loemok was at all. As she surveyed the cloaked figure who grabbed her arm, screams erupted in the village.

Had they noticed the sprites? No, something else was going on.

Dark figures weaved in and out of sight, as more than sprites fell to the ground. Screaming mixed with crying and yelling. The village was being attacked, but by who? Or more importantly, what?

Ari jerked her arm from the dark figure.

“I said, who the fuck are you?”

“You must come with me. The timeline is unstable and none of this was to happen. You must come with me!”

“Why would I go anywhere with you? Did you bring this darkness to our land?”

“No, I did not. I tried to beat it. Please, Ariyela, we must go!”

Ari had started to turn back to Prynn when the dark figure said her name. She once again found herself staring at the stranger.

“How do you know my name?”

The dark figure glanced around. He knew there was little time. He felt dread tingle up his spine. He tasted evil in the air, but also…

“I said, how do you know me? WHO are you?”

“That matters not right now! Evil is present here, it is attacking! What brought them here of all places I know not. I have traveled far to find you and you must come! Something big is coming, something I know not, but I taste the magic on the air...” the dark figure lifted its head to the sky. “It is here.”

“What? What is here...” Ariyela trailed off. She heard it. Matter of fact, she felt it deep within her. A calling of some sort, a calling to look up into the night sky.

“It can’t be...” Loemok whispered behind her. He had found Prynn, who was now passed out in his arms.

Ari, looking up at the disappearing moons, saw shadows moving within its' emptiness. A shape, a thundering, booming shape, which glittered with the light from the very stars was fast approaching.

And as it got closer, and the magic rushed through her, she realized

“The Dragons. They have returned.”