What Lies Beyond Legend - The Faeries Muse

Prologue

For a fleeting moment the silence settled heavily over the windswept hills. Falling like a woolen blanket it stopped the wind dead in her frantic pursuit and silenced the cries of even the littlest, most insignificant of birds. But the world came back into focus as a sheet of seaspray brushed against rosy fingertips. With a roar the waters threw themselves feverishly against a rocky prison, continuing a lifelong struggle for freedom.

Blinking crystalline eyes, vibrant as the moonlit sea, a solitary figure stood proud against the glow of the setting sun. Pudgy fingers grasped tightly to the wilting stocks of dandelion flowers as sparkling eyes observed a glowing ocean with avid curiosity. Her focus was unwavering, standing stoically before the waning light as the brightest of the stars dropped their veils and shone proudly down from the heavens. To the youthful girl, the world was still attainable, it was just a little too far to reach.

"Aria!" The girl's focus was broken by the call of a worried mother. Calculating eyes turned their attention from the beguiling sea and out over the golden hills, settling on the silhouette of a woman waving with outstretched arms and a melancholy smile. "Aria, we must depart! Your father is waiting!" With one last remorseful glance at the untamed ocean Aria turned her back on the sea.

Had it not been for the melodic hum that danced upon her ears, the child would not have noticed the unassuming crystal lying hidden in the grasses, but as the tip of her weathered shoe bumped against the opalescent object it began to sing. In the end it was the unchecked curiosity beholden by all children that led Aria to brush her fingers against the stone and cradle it gently in the palm of her fragile hand. As her old and wise grandmother might have warned-had she stood next to the child, the end had just begun.

In an instant the humming stopped. The stone, pulsing with warmth and smooth as glass, rested motionless in Aria's careful grasp, but something had changed. The sound of the ocean was distant, the wind was stilled, and an old oak, twisting precariously over the edge of the golden cliff seemed terrible out of time. Around its weathered limbs crawled a flowering vine; a circle of spring grass lay about the gnarled trunk, clashing against the autumn colored hills and splashing the roots of the tree with an unseasonal green. It seemed an uncanny fragment of some secret paradise and Aria was intrigued. Seeking her mother's impatient silhouette the girl tore her gaze away from the distant tree, finding that only a continuation of the golden meadow met her searching eyes. The lack of the woman's presence alarmed the young girl far less than it should have and she happily turned back towards the oak, concealing her treasure in a careful prison.

Careless footsteps swished through fall grasses, tangling through yellowing stocks as Aria padded eagerly towards certain danger. Ruby lips turned up in a smile as a ghostly wind caressed icy cheeks. As the clearing neared, the child's curiosity began to bubble over. The pulsing of the stone grew more incessant.

Just as tiny feet reached the edge of the rough circle, they stopped. Somewhere in Aria's subconscious the often disregarded warnings of her mother's mother drew her feet to a standstill. Although a hypnotic thrum begged the child to step forwards, the little voice in the back of her head dared not obey. Half recalled tales of a realm bespeckled with mischief instilled a warriness in her that she could not quite place.

Aria looked up with a start as the branches of the great oak quivered. Unnoticed, a youthful creature had been contentedly sprawled out amongst the branches of the tree, observing the girl with an impish smile. Dropping nimbley from the oak the boyish sprite sauntered lazily towards the edge of the circle, towering over the girl and relaxing his expression into a charming smile. "You have wandered very far from home, little one. Might you be lost?"

His voice was smooth as silk, slipping from his lips like the richest of honey as golden eyes sparkled with poorly masked mischief. Aria uncertainly stumbled backwards a pace. Drawing up her courage she responded with as much strength as she could muster, gripping tighter to her little crystal and meeting the strangers curious gaze. "I'm not lost! My mama's waiting for me right over the hill!"

The sprites smile widened as he scanned the landscape behind Aria. "Well I cannot see her." The girl glanced nervously back the way she came, growing slightly more worried by the absence of her mother. Twisting like a cat the stranger rested his shoulder against the old oak, brushing flaxen strands from his eyes that shimmered as they caught the light of the moon. Keeping his attention on Aria he purred another question. "May I have your name little one?"

An alarm went off in Aria's mind, reminding her of one of her grandmothers countless stories and imprinting one word boldly in the jumble of her frantic thoughts: Fae. So they were real. Forcefully relaxing her grip on her treasure she turned back towards the stranger and smiled, trying her best to sound polite. "You cannot have my name. But I suppose you may call me Ri. Might I have your name?"

For a brief moment Aria worried that her last question might have upset the sprite, but he was evidently amused. His smile grew in magnitude as he gazed with fascination upon the little girl. "You know what I am." He paused, stepping towards the edge of the faerie ring and letting his gaze drop to the small hand that gripped tightly to an increasingly incessant crystal. "And you are lost, you just don't know it."

Aria watched the fae warrily, following his gaze to her closed hand. Timidly she drew the crystal protectively towards her and proceeded to open her palm, making sure to stay a safe distance from the edge of the ring. "What do you mean? This place looks familiar..."

"And this tree? Surely you are not blind, little one."

"I suppose it does seem a little out of place..." Aria quickly shook her head, catching herself and snapping her hand shut. Drawing the crystal away from the inquisitive eyes of the fae she took a deep breath and looked up at him. "My mama will be worried!"

"So make a deal with me. Just answer an easy question and I'll send you right home!" The fae's eyes danced mischievously as he beckoned the girl closer. "Step into the circle."

Taking a timid step forward Aria glanced behind her shoulder. "...What is the question?"

"I've already asked it. I want you to give me your name."

Aria hesitated, unsure what the harm would be in playing along. She understood that one must never give their name to the fae, her grandmother had done that much for her, but she did not understand why. "Well I suppose it wouldn't hurt..."

Another timid step was taken towards the faerie circle as the fae's smile widened. Aria opened her mouth to respond.

"Aria!" The whisper of her mother's call echoed in the child's head as she turned suddenly from the fae. He called for her attention but her mind was elsewhere, scanning the hills for a glimpse of her mother's shadow. A moment passed but the call did not return, the faeries voice did however.

"Little one!" Luck was on Aria's side that day, standing stranded between the realm of the faerie and the lonely shores of Ireland, for as she turned to face the deceiver her foot caught on a rock hidden in the grasses. She tipped forwards, falling towards the faerie ring, but as she let go to break her fall the stone wrapped tightly in her grip fell from her fingers and dropped harmlessly to the ground. In an instant the fae and his mysterious ring vanished, the sound of the ocean came crashing back and the world returned to how it should be. Aria followed the descent of the stone, landing unceremoniously in a heap upon the autumn grasses and sat up slowly. The crystal lay unbroken beside her, silent and still.

This time the call of the child's mother did not sound so muted. Easily locating the sound Aria turned her head and spied the woman making her way along the cliffside. Hesitating, the girl turned her eyes to the stone, then reached out with the fabric of her sleeve and carefully picked it up. The crystal fell softly into the left pocket of Aria's dirt-splattered dress and loose stocks of grass were brushed from muddied knees. As the weight of her situation fell upon her Aria ran towards her mother, seeking to find comfort in familiar arms. 

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Hello! I hope that the prologue for of The Faeries Muse was enjoyed! Any feedback is more than welcome! I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update but the next part should be out soon. :)