Not long after she left home a tribe of Orc came through and wiped out the small town. She heard news of this months later in a tavern in Britain. Aria raced home and to her horror found not a single living soul left. The once beautiful farms and rolling hills were destroyed, the homes and market were scorched beyond recognition. Her family was gone and Aria was alone. She was unable to deal with selfish thing she did, by leaving her family. If she had stayed behind she would have died with them but it was no less than she deserved. She decided to seek revenge on all Orc and followed their trail. She met a stranger along the way. A skilled warrior who she was able to confide in. He was a champion. He felt sorry for her and knew that she was inexperienced so he decided to help her in any way that he could. He taught her to fight and trained her well. Hour after hour she trained, day after day, month after month. She learned quickly and before long she had traded in her dagger for a sword. A sword she could wield and wield it well.
Aria was now ready. She thanked her friend who wished her the best and they parted ways. She went in search of Orc with the bitter taste of vengeance in her mouth. She came upon their camp and knowing that she would never be able to take them on by herself waited until night fell, then very quietly she slipped in. Being small and quick worked to her advantage along with a few other skills she had learned. A little spider's silk and sulfurous ashe for night vision, some nightshade to create a poison which she slipped into their drinking water. The next morning the Orcs began their journey but it wasn't long before the roads were littered with sick, dying Orc. Aria slayed them easily one by one. The few that did not take the poison got to sample it from the tip of her blade. Not a single Orc escaped.
After all was said and done Aria did not feel any better. Vengeance was not what she had hoped for, for she was still alone. Now a wanderer Aria discovered a new talent she had not known she possessed. Her love of animals allowed her to become a tamer. As her skills grow her "pets" become more unique and lethal. A rabbit one day a black bear the next, she is never long without a companion. Her animal friends are always faithful and will fight for her to the death if need be.
Aria in truth was good and kind but lacked better judgment. Her innocence and naivety led her down disastrous paths. The worst of which was being trapped in a loveless marriage to boy who knew nothing of love or of being a husband. It was a marriage of convenience being that he was her friend and protected her from harm at any cost and she felt good knowing that she was no longer completely alone. However, this marriage cost her dearly. It led her to discover the truth about her life and to find that her mother still lived. Only her mother was not who she once believed her to be. Aria came to discover that she was of Fairy descent and her mother long ago fell in love with a man who was not. They were truly in love, however, a man of pure evil bloodlines had also fallen in love with her mother but when she refused to marry him, and, instead secretly wed Aria's father, Damien became enraged. Soon after Aria was born they were discovered by Damien and her father was killed. Her mother was able to flee with her to the other side of the world where she left Aria with a kind couple who had no children of their own and who promised to care for her and give her a normal life until her mother could safely return for her.
After Aria had fled her home her adventures had taken her to distant lands where she was soon discovered by Damien himself. Her mother had also learned of her arrival to the lands and was now fearful of what might befall her daughter before she could get to her. One day while hunting near the shrines of sacrifice she was abducted by a Daemon and as she drifted in and out of consciousness she was lead to believe that she had been impregnated by this horrible creature. She was fearful and didn't know how to tell her husband. She soon found a letter locked inside her chest. She had no clue who could have gotten in her house but upon reading the letter she learned the truth of her past and that her mother had found her and knew of what had recently befallen her. The letter went on to explain that Damien learned how to mix his blood with that of a Fairy and wanted to use her as a vessel to grow his most powerful abomination. That is why she had fled to the Fairy realm. Now that he had found Aria he had decided to use her, instead, as the vessel. She was carrying the child of evil and she would surely die in childbirth. Her mother had found a great healer that would be able to take the child without harming Aria but she must journey to the Fairy realm quickly for evil cannot pass through. Their only hope lied in that Damien did not yet know her mother had discovered her or his plans.
Upon reaching the Faerie ring a beautiful woman was waiting for her. She was tall and sleek. With hair down to her waist that glistened with a purple hue. A white light surrounded her. She had fine features that softened into a glorious smile at the sight of her daughter. Sagia was the most beautiful creature that Aria had ever seen. Just as she was nearing her mother a dark shadow approached, for Damien had followed and was accompanied by his minions. The gentle loving expression on Sagia's face turned to bitter hatred and anger. A war broke out as many Faeries appeared ready to fend off their evil foe. Aria fought viciously but Damien grabbed her before she could run to the ring. She clawed at his face just as the Faeries swarmed Damien allowing Aria the chance to slip out of his grasp. "Hurry child!" shouted Sagia. Aria raced to the ring and together mother and daughter made their escape.
Upon reaching the land of the Faeries Aria was overwhelmed by it all. She had never seen such a beautiful place. She spent her days learning of her past and of her father. The great healer placed his hands on Aria's stomach, "we will be able to save you, but the child must be destroyed"
Time passed quickly and before long it was time. Her stomached swelled and she was ready to give birth. Hours passed and great agony ensued. Finally it came. Exhausted and weak Aria asked to see the child. The look on the healer's face was one that puzzled her and she soon learned why. Instead of a horrible twisted creature of evil bloodlines there was a beautiful baby boy with features very familiar to Aria. But the one thing that shocked her most was the green hued hair that she never expected to see. "He has his father's eyes" Aria smiled.
As time passed Aria was healed and back to her old self again, but, there became a problem. What to do with the child. Even though it was not Damien's son the child was still a threat. His father was human and also Goblin. "Faeries and Goblins do not mix. This kind of thing does not happen" Sagia explained.
Aria had come to love the boy, but, Damien's plans had been uncovered. Damien was a very intelligent creature and thus lead them all to believe that it was his son that Aria carried. He knew that she would not be able to have the child of a goblin, she would die giving birth if she did not have a great healer to help her. He wanted Aria to have this child because he had bigger plans for it. He knew that it would be far more powerful than Sagia and even more so than Aria because with the mixing of such bloodlines the boy would be unique, powerful and just enough goblin to make him easily swayed into darkness. Damien was pleased. The women were of no more use to him. His interest was now on the child and the plans for an army he was to create with the help of the boy's unique bloodlines. All he had to do now was wait.
Sagia tried to explain to Aria that when the child grew there would be a time when he would want to leave and once he leaves here he cannot return. When that happens Damien will be waiting. But Aria reasoned that all they had to do was make sure that the boy never left. "That also will not work. There is badness in the child. How do we know that he will not turn on us in the future? He could destroy us all or do unspeakable damage to this realm. Evil has never entered this place. We must destroy him." Sagia spoke gently to her daughter knowing the news caused her much distress.
"I will NOT kill my son!" Anger flashed in Aria's eyes. "There has to be another way."
Sagia told Aria that there was no other way. It hurt her greatly knowing that she must lose her grandson whom she had grown more and more fond of through each passing day. "I know how this must make you feel. You are headstrong and determined much like I was at your age. But look at what it has cost me. Your father is dead and I have caused my daughter, the one thing I treasure most in this world, unspeakable pain and suffering. I trusted my heart too many times and look where it has gotten us. We must do what is right, not what we feel is right." The grief that showed in her mother's eyes was more than what Aria could bare. She told Sagia that she would do whatever she must, but she wanted a little time with her son so that she may say good-bye.
As the baby slept peacefully in her arms Aria watched him. She realized that she could never allow any harm to come to her son. That night she bundled him up and slipped out while all was quiet. She left the Faerie realm and made her way through the shadows to Sacrifice, where she lay the baby upon the alter of stone, and it was there that she made the ultimate sacrifice. She gave her soul over to darkness in exchange so that her child would be saved. When she returned to the Faerie ring with her baby, Sagia was waiting. Aria knew she would be.
"My child, what have you done" She began to weep.
"I did what I had to do mother" Aria replied. "My son is safe now" she took one last look at her sweet baby and kissed him gently before placing him in her mother's arms. "Keep him safe" she whispered with tears in her eyes.
Aria's life was now changed forever. After her husband discovered the events that had taken place he was angry with the fairies. He was angry that he would not be able to see his son and soon was leading Aria down paths of treachery, bitterness, agony and betrayal. The turmoil he caused her mixed with fear of what she was to face in the after life, after having given her soul over to darkness, pushed her near the brink of insanity. Her life was plagued with guilt and nightmares of eternal torment. She was persuaded to do things she could never forgive herself for. She longed to return to the days of being a farm girl and wished that she had allowed herself to be wed to the wealthy man that would at least have given her a far better life than that of which she would now suffer through.
After returning home from a particularly long journey where she hoped to find answers and to find herself, she discovered more betrayal from her husband. She vowed no longer to be abused by this selfish controlling man and that she would no longer live a lie. She returned her ring and sold most of her belongings. Her intent was to leave the country and journey to a place where she would never be found but just as she was preparing for the trip a Fairy appeared asking Aria to accompany her to the Fairy ring. Curious as to what awaited her she quickly followed. Her mother was waiting for her with open arms.
"Your Grandmother wishes to speak with you. Come along my child." She said.
Aria was astonished because it was her belief that evil could not pass through the Fairy realm, and after, having given her soul over to darkness so that her child my be saved and continue to live there she would not be allowed through. Much to her amazement she passed through. She was taken to her Grandmother who was in fact most ancient and wise whom she had never met and was unaware that she even existed until this very moment. Her mother took her leave of them and the old Fairy, who had not a wrinkle upon her skin and the only indication of the fact that she was not young was her silvery hair that hung down in a perfect braid, motioned for her to be seated.
"Welcome my dear. You left before I was able to meet you and you've been gone so long on your journeys that I could not get a message to you sooner." Said the old Fairy. "There is much you need to know about yourself and your future."
Aria sat and listened in amazement as her Grandmother imparted to her many things about her past and her heritage that she, until now, had been completely ignorant of.
"There is one thing I do not understand Grandmother. How is it that I am able to come here now that my soul has been given over to darkness? Evil cannot pass through yet here I am chatting with a Grandmother I never even knew existed" Aria asked unable to contain her curiosity a moment longer.
"You are not evil child. You never gave your soul over to darkness." She replied quit frankly.
"But I did. I know I did. I took my child to the alter and laid him upon it and I sacrificed my soul on behave of his," said Aria.
"I'm afraid you were deceived. You have a good heart and you are easily convinced. But the truth is, you cannot sacrifice your soul to someone who already has a pure soul. Your child is not and never was evil. Yes, he has a hint of a race in him that was not exactly pure. He is more Fairy and human than he is anything else and he has your character. It's so very obvious even at this young age. He is his mother's son. He has a good kind heart, if he were anything less than that, you never would have been able to pass through to this realm when you were carrying him, which should also explain why it is you are still able to pass through yourself." It was as though a great weight had lifted from Aria's shoulders. She had never been so happy, and amazed and relieved in her life.
Still a bit confused, Aria asked why if his father was so evil his son was not, to which her Grandmother replied,
"Oh my child, you are still young and naive. You see, his father is not evil either. I have been watching him closely. Yes, he does bad things and perhaps it is his dream to become a warlord of sorts, however silly that may seem, you have nothing to fear. He is simply a selfish fool of a man who never had any proper guidance and lacks any direction in life, which should explain why he can never make up his mind about anything at all. If he were truly evil he would not do good things as well, like taking care of friends and helping young ones." Aria's relief turned to anger at herself for having been so stupid.
Her Grandmother told her not to be angry with herself. She was still very young and had lifetimes to make up for her lack of better judgment. Her Grandmother offered to take Aria under her tutelage, for it was time she learned the ways of her own people. Aria agreed to stay there and learn. She was able to raise her son and watch him grow into a good, handsome, strong and most powerful man. As he grew his hair darkened into the deep rich green color of an earth fairy and his features now barely resembled that of his father, a man who Aria now had a difficult time even bringing his face to memory. It had been a lifetime since she had come to the fairy realm.
She journeyed home on occasion to find her house still stood exactly as she had left it since time passed differently there, only cobwebs and dust littered the empty rooms. She would clean and dust and soon it was her old house again. She was unable to bring herself to sell the place. It was her home which she bought herself and most importantly she had her own farm which reminded her of better times, of being a carefree child living on a farm with a loving family, before her life had taken such tumultuous twists and turns. Upon returning home Aria found her friend. One man that she could never forget. A rogue who had always held a special place in her heart. Once he learned of all that had happened he immediately whisked her away to a strange new world where many grand adventures awaited them both...
Chapte
