Better To Have Loved (M/M/M)

Chapter One: Lennox

     Once upon a time the Earth was covered in more trees and plants than anything else. From the trees and nature itself we were born, some called us elves, vampires, or even fairies. Though all are technically fae creatures, we prefer the name Dryads or Satyrs. Nature spirits. It's easier to be a magical creature when you can get lost in the wilderness of nature and become one with the trees and rivers to hide away from the violent, disturbing beings that overtook the world known as humans.
     I twiddled with a leaf of grass that was nestled beneath my tree, twirling it around within my fingers as I stared up at the night sky. I always wondered if humans understood what their imagination was exactly. That all those hopes and wishes to the sun and moon gave rise to the beings known as the fae. We were birthed from their imaginations to make sense of a world they had yet to understand and when they no longer needed that imagination we were discarded into myths and legends, yet we remained and waited.
     My shirt fell from my wrist, the color a mixture between the grays and browns of the bark of my tree with the hems being the forest green of the tree I was birthed from. I wasn't by any means forced to be attached to my tree or this grove of trees, yet I've been here for as long as I could remember and had no desire whatsoever to leave.
     All the creatures here lived in harmony with each other, each one playing their own part to keep the ecosystem in tact. I could hear the nymphs singing away by the nearby lake. If one would look closely enough they would see that the animals dying above us were not only birds but griffons, peagasus, pixies and fairies each spreading their wings in delight of freedom.
     The wind started to blow my curls into my eyes, the golden strands always reminding me of the light from the sun. I pressed the blade of grass to my lips and started to hum, a melody drifting through the air. The leaves of my brethren started to shift in unison with the sound as they danced in happiness. I always found a delight in their love for music, something shared between any fae creatures.
     There was an unexpected hum that came with my grass whistling however. I started to gaze around, looking for the source of this humming, ceasing to create my own music. It wasn't a hum in tune with my own, but a song of its own. I got up, grabbing ahold of the tree, my form fusing inside with it as my skin darkened to the color of the bark. All trees were connected here by the roots, all it took was a little contact for me to be able to weave seamlessly from one tree to the next, the damp cool soil brushing against my skin as I twisted and snaked my way through the forest.
     I could hear the humming getting closer and closer and as I  found the source, I crawled through the tree up to the topmost branches to peer down at him. Below me was a brown haired man with short curls, looking to be at least in his early to mid twenties. He was adorned in a blue robe that covered his top. His woven cloth pants were once white but now they were stained brown, brown leather boots were hiked up to his shins. He was looking straight forward towards the lake, a faint smile on his face as the water nymphs danced around to the hums he produced.
     I couldn't help but silently come down from the tree at that sight. He never once looked my way as my feet fell to the ground, the humming still making the two water nymphs dance gleefully. I kept looking back and forth between the guy and the dancing fae creatures, perplexed by his lack of fear. The rest of the humans could barely stand to be in our presence from the fear or shame that they were under the control of my people.
     The nymphs seemed to notice me, pausing when they looked our way, the boy not noticing as he kept humming. "Why do they dance to your music?" I asked aloud.
     Like a feline he jumped up, scrambling forward to put distance in us before turning around to face the one who spooked him. The nymphs sunk back into the lake they were just dancing on, my reaction something I was sure they were afraid of. I was finally able to get a clear look of his face. He had soft chocolate brown eyes that shined with kindness beneath the dark curves of his eyebrows. His lips were slightly full, the bottom more, a standing out against his light caramel skin. There was short stubble that covered his square jawline. For a human he was definitely beautiful, and radiated a warmth and kindness I haven't felt in decades.
     "What do you mean?" He asked me, his voice soft, barely above a whisper. He looked calm, yet hesitant.
     "The nymphs, I don't really see many fae creatures dancing to human music." I answered him. "Why do they dance to your music?"
     "The water spirits, they dance to what I play whenever I come around." He answered me. "Is that a bad thing?"
     I shook my head, taking a step closer. I realized that he himself didn't back away any further, whether he was frozen in fear or curiosity I was unsure. "Why does a human play for his captors?" I ask this time.
     "I don't see your kind as my captors." He replied to me. "I live here without any worries, seeing things that my elders say never existed. Should I be afraid? I find it fascinating that there are people made of water or of the forest like yourself."
     That was an outlook that surprised me, one that most people never had. He was knowledgable of the inhabitants I recognized, though how many of us I didn't know for sure. "Do you not know why there are so few of your kind left?"
     He started to smile, a laugh slowly playing across his lips that quickly disappeared once he saw I didn't share it. "I'm sorry, but that isn't anything I can change, so I figured why be afraid of something different?" He said calmly, swallowing hard at the tilt of my head. "I mean someone. We brought this outcome upon ourselves and it's not necessarily a bad one to me."
     The outcome he spoke of was the downfall of the human race. They have always had moments of progression followed by regression. It never ceased to amaze me at their paths of destruction they would leave behind them wherever they decided to expand their territories, be it animals, land, creatures unknown, or even their own kind. The last part is what got them into the situation they are currently in. Their people in "power" hearts became muddled with greed as they tried to keep their lesser folks under control. The only problem being was that humans always had a lack of thinking things all the way through.
     It was the American greed and stupidity that began what became known as "World War 3", which those of fae and demon blood took full advantage of.
      Any fae creature or demon rose up their armies and mowed through as much of the human population as possible. Since the countries sent their armies to North America to fight those who stayed behind stood no chance against the powers we held now since their armada was no more, their weapons of mass destruction useless in untrained hands. Their global leaders went first through sheer power of espionage.
There's always been this lingering hatred between humans for one thing or another. The highest on the list of hatred and disorganization was skin color, the next a little printed paper of currency. As if the constant history lessons and the cause of World War 2 wasn't;t enough deterrent with one particular subgroup being superior, or even North America's own civilian war between the North and South, the racial division only grew. We watched as the racial tensions grew, majority of the time it was some innocent African American being gunned down by their supposed protectors. That little green currency played a major part, dividing those who could callously get away with their mistreatment of those they deemed beneath them or lower class. Not being offensive to anyone but it always baffled me that certain caucasians thought that they could get away with their cruelty because of their skin color being lighter than others. I thought they called it a "Melting Pot", though it seems that some ingredients were seemed more flavorful in said pot. What separates our two species is that fae understand that no matter what tribe you come from or your skin color we all make up the same people in the end. Humans however would let anything give them right to put another person down. After a while the voices of rage grew louder and louder. It started off as retaliation for some crimes, which led to outrage cries for revenge. Little by little the amount of gun shots or bombings increased, the innocent bystanders piling up in their never ending war for dominance until all hell broke loose. Attacks went from getting payback for what felt like injustices to pure acts of hatred from both sides, dragging in as many different skin colors as possible. The Latino race joined in for their unfair treatment first followed by the Asians and Pacific Islanders. In the end America was an all out war zone, most people either picking up weapons to join in the skirmish or hiding away in their homes to avoid bloodshed.
     We saw the truth, that there was no right but a lot of wrongs, and also little chance of this country ever getting back on their feet. It was doomed and the other continents took notice to the once known super power and decided to either aid or stir up further animosity. This was the chance we've waited centuries for, the chance to take back what was rightfully ours. For too long we've had to conceal who we were, waiting in the shadows because their population grew like wild fire, each year growing by the thousands. This war however involved everyone, from the elderly to the children. In the past the fighting would be handled on a neutral territory, rarely making its way to a populated city, but not this time. There were massive numbers of insurgents from different countries, all of them either bombing or shooting up a heavily populated area. With their numbers steadily dwindling we took our chance.
     The sleeper agents of the fae and demon factions slaughtered the ones who inhabited their governments, their symbols of powers burning down to the ground. With no official leaders chaos reigned throughout the remainder of the world and we were able to cull the humans down to a reasonable number. The ones we deemed worthy of living, by no particular standards except a whim of mercy, we herded to lands we sectioned out just for them. Their living zones had new leaders put in charge, our different species finally retaking our lands, our world. Some humans had acceptable means of living, a town or city given to them that survived their war, though they were never to receive weapons again. Any revolutions were quickly quelled, the rebels made an example of to ensure that their hopes of becoming the dominate species was extinguished. Some humans served simply as a meal for their captors, their numbers and breeding regulated so the food supply for that zone never ran low.
In my zone, what was known as the Carolinas in America, the elemental fae reigned, at the topmost the Dryads and Satyrs. My mother was Queen, her domain a vast area of woods and greenery. Creatures ran wild everywhere, the once populated cities now overtaken by roots and vines as nature was allowed to retake what it once ruled. The humans were brought down to a population of exactly one hundred.
Their set of rules were as followed:
1. No births were allowed unless it was to replace a death.
2. Only three hunts for meat per family a week.
3. No venturing beyond fifty yards of their city or else be at the mercy of whatever fae populated that territory.
If they adhered to those three rules they could have a simple and pleasurable life. Majority of them seemed to thrive living off the land and making farms. In my eyes their lives were much simpler now, less mundane things that could cause strife and animosity between each other. Yes, most days were the same repeats, not being able to go on all those random trips they used to do too impress each other or people they didn't even know, but they were able to actually have a more meaningful presence within their community. At least in this zone, which meant they didn't have to worry about what was happening elsewhere. They had their happy little bubble that my mother created for them. She didn't necessarily hate them, more like pitied their constant need to outdo each other. She just wanted them to realize that they should cherish and rely on the lives of those around them, whether humans, plants, or animals. They also should remember that this is a gift, for they could easily become fertilizer for the gardens they plant shall we deem it.
     I shook the thoughts from my head about the worst of men. They were a lot more peaceful now, though not all liked their new accommodations. "I always thought there was resentment amongst the human kind."
     "Don't get me wrong," he said, sitting up straighter, though he never stood up as if he were an equal. "There's lots of people in my zone who absolutely want to burn down your forest but that will never be me. If anything I hope that one day we'll be at even more peace and can leave the zones. I want others to see how magical it is out here within the forest." He said, surprising me yet again.
     I kneeled down at him, looking into those chocolate brown eyes of his. The never blinked under my gaze. The winds picked up around me, the sprites of the forest carrying words that only I would be able to hear.
     "He does not lie Dryad Prince. He is a friend of the fae and we cherish him." They whispered to me. He looked around, baffled at the sudden gust and a smile played across my face, startling him. He tensed up as I leaned in closer.
     "You are an interesting human, what is your name?" I asked him.
      "I'm Asher," he said proudly, "can I ask of yours?"
     "You speak to Lennox, the dryad prince of these forest." I answered. He swallowed loud enough for the flying fae above to hear. He dipped his head down in a sign of respect, another gesture I wasn't used to from the humans. An interesting human indeed.

**A/N: So sorry for the wait. It took forever to find a reason for their war and I kept having to rewrite things. Hopefully it's something good didn't want to take from others. Also I believe race issues are big but it's something everyone has to come together to solve so yeah! Any comments? Thank you to the readers I have so far by the way! Also Lennox hair is lighter blonde almost golden colored. **