This basic idea of this story has been running around in my head since middle school, and when I was in college I wrote the prolouge as a script for a comic book that a friend was supposed to do the art for, but never actually did. It's only in the past year or so that I started working on it as a novel, and I've only really seriously worked on it for the past 4 or 5 months. My goal is to write a scene every week, and I am almost done with the third chapter as I write this.

I have yet to come up with a title and suggestions are welcome. Comments and Critiques are also very welcome.

Prolouge: Part I

Excerpts from “Fae and Bards: An Instructional Manuel for Future Heirs of Riordan”

Section One: What are Fae and Bards?


Many of Humanity’s Myths of supernatural creatures are based on the Fae. Most of the stories currently told of Vampires, Lycanthropes, Shape Shifters, Elves, and Faeries have their roots in racial memories of prehistoric encounters with the Fae. Such stories have changed over millennia of retelling, however, and thus give a distorted view. In describing them, therefore, I have decided to ignore such myths, and start from scratch, so to speak.

From a distance, the Fae do not look that different from humans. A bit taller, six and seven feet being normal for them, and their bone structure is a bit more elongated, making them look deceptively fragile to the human eye, especially in the facial areas, but from 10 yards or more, it would be difficult to be certain whether a given person was Fae or Human. If you had the opportunity to see one from a conversational distance, there would, of course, be more obvious differences. The large, pointed ears tend to be a dead giveaway, as do eyes with pupils like those of a cat, or the pointed teeth of a predatory animal.

The most important difference is not necessarily visible at all. You see, the Fae are innately magical, and thus even the least powerful of them can control forces that no human can directly sense. While humans who wish to practice magic must study long and hard for the knowledge of what symbols can be used to control what forces, Fae need no symbols, and merely need to focus their will. Furthermore, once they have reached maturity, they cease ageing, and thus can live forever, although this rarely actually happens. They are resistant to disease, not completely impervious, and they can be killed, either through magic or through the use of an iron weapon. Iron, particularly of the hand forged variety, is poisonous to them, as it interferes with the flow of the magical forces which they depend on for their very existence. Also, after a few millennia, many seem to lose interest in life, and fade away, until they pass from this world to the next, as if simply remaining alive had become too much of an effort for them.

The nature of interaction between Humanity and Fae has varied. Given that humans have a habit of fearing, and thus disliking, anything different, and the Fae tendency to consider humans inferior due to their inability, for the most part, to sense anything but the purely physical, more often than not, interaction led to enmity rather than friendship. However, there were always a few that did not follow the usual path, those who were intrigued by the differences, rather than repelled. Thus Bards came into existence, children with ancestry both fae and human.

In appearance, Bards are a mixture of their parents. Their ears are human sized, but pointed, their eyes cat colored, and the pupil not quite circular, and they are perhaps a bit more delicate of feature then the majority of humans. They do not have the relative immortality of their Fae parent, but their lifespans are measured in centuries rather than decades, the exact length tied to how innately powerful they are. Also, a Bard has both innate magic, and the ability to control magical forces through symbols, as one might expect. However, they have powers that are unique as well. The stories they tell, the songs they sing, or even the pictures they draw have a magical force to them. It is almost as if they were creating new symbols and imbuing them with their innate magic, but no Bard has ever successfully been able to explain how this aspect of their magic works to anyone but another Bard.

Both Fae and Human cultures tended to regard Bards as more their own then other, and treat them as they would one of their own. In human cultures, this often meant that Bards were revered as elders, for the wisdom their advanced (in human terms) years brought them. In Fae cultures, the reverse was most often the case, with Bards being treated as very young adults. In other words, they were considered independent, but not old enough for great responsibility or mature enough to have gained a great deal of wisdom.


Section Two: The Tale of Riordan and Drysdan

As time passed humans grew in number, and gained the skill to forge iron weapons. They began to enter battles with the Fae with the knowledge that they could win. The Fae still had a rather large advantage, but they were no longer immune to death from human hands. Many of the great and powerful among the Fae began to cry for action against “the human threat” which had generally been forbidden, for the simple reason that never before had humanity actually been a threat.

It was in this time of strife, a princess of the royal court of a Fae kingdom fell in love with a mortal man. Together, they sired a child, but the father died of illness not long after the child was born, and the princess chose to follow him in death rather than live without him. The child, named Riordan, was taken in by a younger brother of the princess. Drysdan was extremely young for such responsibility by Fae standards, and had it not been at the princess’ request, he would never have been allowed to be the child’s primary caretaker. Drysdan had loved his sister dearly, and he cared for Riordan just as deeply. As Riordan grew to be an adult, they remained very close, although the nature of the relationship shifted a bit, from parent and child to that of brothers.

Meanwhile, humanity had become even more aggressive, and very gradually, the Fae were disappearing. One day, Riordan and Drysdan returned to the city where they made their home to find that all who lived there had been slaughtered by an army from the neighboring human kingdom. In his grief and rage, Drysdan, who was powerful even for one of his lineage, lashed out, and destroyed the human kingdom he believed was responsible for the destruction of his home and people with a single burst of magic. He swore revenge on every human who had ever killed even a single Fae. Just as grief stricken by the slaughter, but still horrified by Drysdan’s response, Riordan could not be persuaded to join Drysdan’s quest, and the two parted ways.

Centuries passed, and the Fae all but disappeared completely. Riordan having fallen in love with a mortal woman, neared the end of his life surrounded by his children and grandchildren. As he felt death approach, his only regret was that he would not have a chance to say a final farewell to Drysdan. He told his children of this regret, and, unbeknownst to him, they attempted to find Drysdan. Their attempts led to a petitioner from a group of faraway villages asking Riordan for help. He claimed that Drysdan had been terrorizing the area where he lived, killing humans who had done the Fae no harm. Riordan felt obliged to investigate, and set out with the man to return to the man's home.

Riordan’s investigations revealed that there was indeed a Fae preying on the humans in that area, but the residue of the magical forces being used did not feel at all like his old friend. Still, he felt honor bound to help those the fae was preying upon, and so he set about tracing the magic back to its source. What he found shocked him, for as he prepared to force entry into a tower that reeked of the magical signature he had been following, Drysdan opened the door, and invited him in. Confused by this turn of events, Riordan accepted the invitation, and Drysdan led him to a table with a meal already upon it, with two places set.

Over the course of the meal, it became clear that Drysdan was no longer the loving older brother Riordan remembered. He had become cold and cruel, caring for nothing but revenge. Drysdan assumed that Riordan had come to join him in his quest, and hoping to buy time, Riordan did not correct him. Had the killer he had come to defeat been anyone other than Drysdan, Riordan would not have hesitated to at least try to kill him, but Riordan was hesitant to become a kin slayer. Adding to the hesitation was the knowledge that it was unlikely that he could defeat Drysdan, who had only grown more powerful in his madness. Desperate, he devised a spell to separate Drysdan from his body. The spell imprisoned Drysdan within Riordan’s mind, and bound their powers together. It took every bit of Riordan’s power to bind Drysdan’s power, and he knew that he had brought the end of his life closer. Knowing that, being Fae, Drysdan’s body would not die, Riordan constructed the spell so that before he died, the spell sought out an heir whose powers would be strong enough to keep Drysdan bound, and when they grew close to death, another would be sought. The spell had consequences for those future heirs that Riordan did not foresee, however. For as the heir’s magic is bound from birth, they appear completely human, and live only the normal human lifespan. Further, there is always another presence in their mind, a malevolent presence, who can only be kept silent through force of will.

Prolouge: Part II

The Not So Distant Past (World War II)

Erasmus tried to ignore the biting cold, the gnawing hunger, and the ever present stench of the foxhole, concentrating instead on the letter he was composing to his wife.

My Love,
I miss you horribly. I realized yesterday that I was missing my daughter’s fifth birthday, and I was horrified.

A voice spoke, seeming to come from behind him, but Erasmus knew that if he turned, there would be no one there. It took more energy for Drysdan to trick him into seeing him as well as hearing him, which would mean that he would have less time to irritate him before having to rest. “You mean you were horrified to realize that if you died, you had no heir to keep me imprisoned.”

Erasmus gritted his teeth. “I am not going to die.”

Drysdan laughed. “Apparently your education is lacking. This is a war. You are a soldier. In war, soldiers die. You will die, and I will be free.”

Erasmus refused to allow himself to be further irritated by the smug certainty in Drysdan’s voice. “Are you so sure?” He forced his tone to convey a calm amusement he didn’t actually feel.
“Of your death?”

Underneath the disdain, Erasmus thought he heard a hint of worry in Drysdan’s tone, and he allowed some of the triumph he felt to color his own voice. “That you would be free.”

15 years Before The Present Time

The woods are dark, and from the starlit clearing, one can only see a few feet in. Even so, there is an impression of great age, of a forest that has never known the touch of axe or saw. Appropriate considering this is the dreamscape that makes up Drysdan's prison. Only Drysdan and Riordan's heirs can access this place that doesn't quite exist. Drysdan, looking as untouched by time as ever, argues with Erasmus, whose hair is now mostly white, and whose face has begun to wrinkle. Drysdan attempts to hide his irritation behind disdain, but does not completely succeed. “If your newly acquired habit of keeping me out of your waking mind is supposed to keep me from realizing that you have no grandsons, you’ve failed miserably.”

Erasmus snorts. “Why would I care if you knew?”

“You do mean aside from the fact that it signals my impending freedom?” Drysdan sounds mildly amused.
Erasmus manages to convey only the same amusement as he replies. “Actually, I’m afraid it signals your impending death.”

“That’s impossible.” Drysdan’s tone is flat and emotionless.

Erasmus smiles and maintains his air of good humor. “It wasn’t possible then, because you were too strong, but you’ve been weakened by your imprisonment. When the spell fails to find an heir the second part will activate.”

Drysdan laughs. However, there is a hint of bitterness, or perhaps desperation, behind his apparent gaiety. “You almost had me fooled…You’ve gotten better at bluffing.”

Erasmus’s smile becomes even wider, almost to the point of being a smirk. “Believe whatever you wish. It won’t change your fate.” With that, he fades away, leaving Drysdan alone with his thoughts.

Drysdan drops the mask of unconcern once Erasmus is gone. He slumps against the nearest tree, sliding down until he is sitting on the ground, his arms resting on his knees. A tear slides down his cheek and he whispers “And I am the last…”

Suddenly, there are small arms wrapped around him in a tight hug and a childish voice speaks. “It’ll be okay.”

Drysdan stiffens, but his face is still empty of emotion, and his tone careful. “How do you know that?”

The young girl pulls back so that she can look him in the face. “I don’t really, but that’s what my mom says when I cry.” She appears to be around six years old, her sleep-mussed hair matching the footed purple pajamas she wears.
A flicker of emotion crosses Drysdan’s face, but his tone is still careful as he replies. “And what reason would you have to cry?”

The question provokes a rush of words from the girl. “The kids at school don’t like me. They make fun of me, and call me names, and sometimes they trip me when the teacher’s not looking. Mommy says that they're just jealous ‘cause I can already read and write, and that if I don’t react they’ll leave me alone, and then she goes and talks to the teacher, and they get in trouble, but that only makes it wor---“ She stops, mid-word, and stares at Drysdan’s ears. Her eyes light up with excitement. “You have elf ears! Are they real? Are you an elf?”

Drysdan, who had started to relax during the little girl’s monologue, stiffens once more at the question. “ ‘Elf’ is one of the names humans bestowed upon my people, but it is not what we choose to call ourselves.”

The girl’s brow wrinkles for a moment as she processes Drysdan’s statement. “So you’re not human?”

Drysdan’s face is blank and his tone neutral as he replies. “No, I am not.”

The little girl grins, obviously delighted. “That is so cool!”

Drysdan does not bother to hide his confusion. “Cool?”

The little girl giggles. “You know, neat, amaz---“

“TEAGAN!” Erasmus’s shout interrupts her. “What are you doing here? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. You need to go.” Fear and anger war in his tone. When the little girl does not immediately comply, he continues. “Right Now!”

“But…”

“No buts. LEAVE!” On the last word, Erasmus’s voice becomes deeper, somehow richer, and Teagan disappears. He turns his attention to Drysdan. “What did you do to her? If you’ve harmed her by bringing her here….”

Drysdan smirks. “Oh, don’t worry, she brought herself.”

Horror fills Erasmus’s tone as he repeats Drysdan’s earlier words. “That’s impossible.”

Drysdan tone is smug as he continues. “So this is what you’ve been trying to hide.” He laughs. “It’s not that you have no heir, it’s that you have no male heir.”

Erasmus falls to his knees. “No…” Only a whisper, but one filled with despair.

Drysdan smiles. “Your granddaughter is a lovely little girl. I’m sure she’ll grow to be a beautiful woman.”

Erasmus' face becomes masked with rage. " I knew you were a monster, but a molester of children? A new low even for you?"

For a moment, Drysdan looks shocked. Hurt flashes across his face for an even briefer second to be replaced with cold rage. "You wound me, traitor's son. I have no interest in children of either gender. I won't touch her. " He waits until Erasmus begins to relax in relief, then smirks. "Yet."

Erasmus looks horrified, and whispers "Yet?"

Drysdan, pretending not to hear him, continues "In fact, I'll give you my word that I will neither touch, nor speak with her until her twenty first birthday." His tone is almost gentle, but there is a note of falsity to it. After a pause, Drysdan continues "Tell me, do you think she'll have her mother's figure? I always did think she had the most marvelous br-" Drysdan is interrupted by Erasmus' fist hitting his jaw.

Erasmus speaks quietly but firmly. "You touch one hair on her head, and I will beat you so bloody you'll be hoping I do have a way to kill you, and believe you me, I'll have the will to keep you that way as long as I live." With that, Erasmus disapears, leaving a grinning Drysdan rubbing his jaw.

The Present Day
The clearing is once again starlit, but the woods seem even darker. In the center, a young woman appears to be sleeping. In this strange not quite real place, her ears have developed slight points, and her hair reaches her ankles. When she opens her eyes, the shape of the pupil isn't quite round. She looks around, disoriented, then whispers "Where am I? Is this a dream?" Laughter echoes from the woods, seeming to come from all directions.
"What was that? Who's there?" Fear is evident in her tone.

From the woods, a voice speaks. "Soon."

Teagan wakes up in her own bed, startled.

Oh my.
I am so bloody serious, this is going to be one hell of a novel! I really don't know what to critisise, although Erasmus and Drysdan's relationship is a bit confusing. Will you elaborate more as it continues?
Riordan and Drysdan, huh? Nice names :3
Other than that, I want to read it!

Chapter One

Teagan opened the first of her boxes of books and began placing them on one of the two bookshelves near the closets in her new dorm room. Behind her, she could hear Olivia, her new roommate, unpacking clothing. Teagan had already finished putting away her clothing. This could have been due to the fact that Teagan had arrived earlier, but possibly had more to do with the relative size of their wardrobes. Teagan felt a little underdressed after seeing Olivia in her beautiful yellow sundress and high heeled sandals. The feeling was increased by Olivia's perfectly applied makeup, and her curly mahogany hair, artfully styled to frame her face. Teagan's own waist length dark red hair was simply pulled back into a ponytail and she wore no makeup.

Deciding text books, both new and old, had priority for the bookcase in her room, as that was where the desk was, Teagan attempted to concentrate on the task at hand rather than her insecurities. It was difficult, and she found herself wondering what the two girls who would share the other room in the suite would be like. Staying in the dorms hadn't been her idea, and as her nerves started to get the best of her, Teagan reminded herself that she had promised her Grandfather that she would try it for at least a year. She further reminded herself that she should be grateful that she had a space in one of the suites in McNamara Hall. Only available to juniors and seniors, someone generally had to have applied before their freshman year to get in, but when Teagan's Grandfather's health had begun to fail in her sophomore year, he had called in favors accumulated in his over forty years as a literature professor at Addison to get her a space, saying that he wanted her to start forming closer relationships with her peers so that she would not be alone when he was gone.

"Hey, what's that?" Teagan's thoughts were interrupted by Olivia's abrupt question.

Teagan looked at the book Olivia was pointing to. It looked old, worn, and possibly bound by hand. The dark brown leather of the cover had odd swirling symbols dyed in a dark green all over it. There was no title, and Teagan stared at it blankly for a moment, before remembering that she had seen it on her grandfather's desk several times in the months leading up to his death. "I'm not sure... I think it was my Grandfather's, but I don't know how it ended up packed with my books." Teagan took the book out of the box opening it to the title page curiously. "Fae and Bards: An Instructional Manuel for Future Heirs of Riordan... There's no author listed, though." A closer examination revealed that it was indeed hand bound, and it looked to be hand written, not printed.

Olivia looked startled. "How odd... do you know where your grandfather got it?" She asked, her voice strained.

Teagan shook her head. "No... I just remember seeing it a few times..."

Before the book could be further investigated, the girls were distracted by the sound of the outer door to the suite opening and closing, followed by the sound of voices in the main room, which had a kitchen area and a table on one side and a couch, plush chairs, a TV stand and a couple of bookshelves on the other side.

Olivia gestured for Teagan to proceed her as they went out to greet the newcomers. When they got out there the saw two women standing by a few boxes. One, whose honey blonde hair was cut in a chin length bob, increased Teagan's sense of self consciousness with her dress pants and fancy purple blouse. Teagan recognized the taller woman, whose short black hair, looked uncombed. Marion had been her lab partner for the Chemistry class that Teagan had taken to fulfill the general education requirements of the college. Teagan was relieved to see a familiar face, and also that Marion was also in jeans and a t-shirt.

Introductions were made, along with a little general 'getting to know you' small talk. Teagan already knew Marion was majoring in theoretical math, but she discovered that Sally (the blonde) was majoring in science education, and that Olivia was a history major. Teagan decided this was why Olivia had been so interested in the book.

Teagan had begun to relax when Marion asked "Hey, Teagan, isn't your birthday sometime around now?"

Teagan nodded. "Wednesday, the first day of classes."

"How old will you be?" Olivia asked curiously.

"I'll be 21." Teagan replied.

Marion grinned. "That's something to celebrate! We'll have to take you out somewhere and get drunk together!" She paused f or a moment the continued "Unless you have plans to do something with your grandfather?"

Teagan shook her head, grief assaulting her. "No, he passed away in June."

Marion's face fell. "I'm so sorry. I know the two of you were very close."

Teagan just nodded.

Sally spoke up. "All the more reason we should take you out. We'll make sure you have a good time, instead doing nothing but missing celebrating with him."

Olivia nodded. "I agree, although I'll have to be the designated driver, since my birthday isn't until November."

Marion smiled. "So that's settled, then."

Teagan nodded, although she wasn't sure if her consent was actually necessary at this point. As the discussion moved on to chore distribution and allocation of cupboard space, Teagan decided that she might not regret her promise after all.

----

Teagan settled herself into the booth on the first floor of Sam's. Although the first floor was the restaurant section, they did serve alcoholic drinks, at least according to Sally. The restaurant section had a rustic feel, with brick walls and wooden booths with padding covered by dark green naugahyde. Teagan was glad they had been seated at a booth in the center row, as it meant that no one was trapped against the wall. She listened to the conversation going on around her as she opened the menu.

Sally was complaining about the fact that her Physics professor had assigned homework that was due Friday. "That means I have to read the chapter, first, and it's fifty pages of small print!"

Marion looked a little amused, but said sympathetically "I took an AP Physics class in High School, so if you run into trouble, I might be able to help."

Sally looked relieved. "Thanks. How did the rest of your first days go?"

Olivia, who had already closed her menu, answered first. "Mine was okay, I guess. Two of my professors just handed out syllabi and gave us our reading assignments for Friday. Of course, the other class was incredibly boring, as we went over basic things people should have learned in High School."

"Like what?" Marion asked.

"Like what a feudal system is."

Teagan and Marion both winced a little in sympathy. The conversation lagged for a moment, then Marion spoke up. "I'm actually really excited about my classes this semester. It's great to finally get to the point where all my courses deal with theory. " She paused, then continued. "I'm a little worried about Set Theory, though."

"Why? Do you think the material will be too hard?" Teagan asked as she closed the menu, having made her selection.

"No, but the Professor speaks in a totally monotone voice, and it was hard to pay attention, even though the material was really interesting." She paused, then elaborated "We went over Russell's Paradox, which is really neat."

"Russell's Paradox?" asked Olivia.

"It's a little complicated to explain the mathematical version, which proves that saying a set can be defined as all x such that a definite condition hold for x causes a problem, but there's actually a non-mathematical version that's a little easier to explain." Marion looked delighted to be able to do so. "Imagine a town where the barber shaves exactly those men who do not shave themselves."

"Why is that a paradox?" asked Teagan, curious now.

"Who shaves the barber?" said Marion with a grin.

There was a pause then Olivia broke out in a grin as well. "I get it. If the barber shaves himself, then he shouldn't be shaving himself, but if he doesn't shave himself, then he should be shaving himself. Either way, it contradicts the condition that he shaves exactly those men who don't shave themselves."

"Exactly." Marion sounded delighted that someone else had figured it out.

The waitress came to take their orders at that point, and the conversation paused. Olivia ordered a grilled chicken and cranberry salad, Marion ordered a burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese, Sally ordered a BLT club, and Teagan ordered chicken strips. The only hitch came when Teagan went to order a soft drink, and Sally interrupted her. "Oh, no you don't!" Turning to the waitress she said "She'll have a glass of whatever beer you have on tap."

The waitress looked to Teagan who sighed, and nodded. "I'll have to see your ID."

Teagan nodded, and took out the new license that had arrived in the mail the day before. She was a little surprised, as she had expected that it would be at least a week before she got it, given how the mail tended to work. The waitress took it from her and looked it over before handing it back and giving Teagan a list of the beers they had on tap. Teagan chose one that was locally produced, and the waitress left to put in their orders.

"What were your classes like, Teagan?" Olivia asked once the waitress had gone.

"Shakespeare looks like it will be interesting. We're starting with the sonnets, then we'll look at two of the comedies, and we'll finish with a tragedy. We went over Sonnet 116 today, which is one of my favorites."

Sally interrupted "Which one is that?"

"It's the one that starts 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds...'" Teagan smiled, clearly unperturbed by the interruption. "The other two Professors just passed out syllabi, but going by that, there is going to be a ton of reading for "The Modern Age Through Contemporary Literature.'"

Olivia and Marion nodded sympathetically. Sally winced and stated "Which probably means extra books to buy."

Teagan nodded. "Fortunately, they're mostly available as paperbacks, so it's not going to cost too much. In fact going by the cost of my calculus books freshman year, I'll bet Marion will have to spend more than I do, even if she's only buying one book per course."

Marion laughed. "It's possible. Not one of my books is less than a hundred dollars, this semester. It's totally worth it though."

The waitress brought their drinks, and Teagan tentatively took a sip of her beer, frowning a little. "It's a little sour..."

Marion smiled. "It grows on you."

The conversation moved on, a little sporadically as the food arrived and was eaten. Hometowns and families were discussed. Sally was from the town of Addision. Marion was also relatively local. and Teagan could see how much she loved her family even through her current aggravation with their nagging her to pick a more practical major, one that would make her more readily and immediately employable, like accounting or computer science. Teagan and Olivia both sympathized. Teagan's mother had the same complaint of impracticality, and Olivia's parents wanted her to go into the "family business," although Olivia was quite vague about exactly what that was.

From there the conversation turned to interests. Sally was a member of several clubs, including Student Activities, and she tried to recruit her roommates to one or all of them. Marion said she had enough to handle as Vice-President of the Anime club. Sally was confused as to what that was, but Marion explained that Anime was Japanese Animated TV shows and movies, which were not limited to children's shows and comedies as American animation tended to be.

All four girls were fond of reading, although their preferences were for different genres. Olivia favored, not surprisingly, historical novels, although she admitted to a weakness for speculative books set in alternate universes where one historical event happened differently. One of her favorites was set in the modern day of a world where the Roman Empire never fell. Sally preferred romances, dramas, and mysteries. Marion and Teagan both favored Science Fiction, fantasy, and paranormal romance.

The conversation paused for a moment, before Olivia spoke. "Did you ever figure out what that book of your grandfather's was about?"

Teagan shook her head. "No, not really. It starts out like it's supposed to be a fantasy novel disguised as a history, but the last half of the book is all different meditation techniques and exercises that are supposed to 'strengthen one's will.' What's worse, the plot that's developed in the first half never really resolves."

Olivia had an odd expression on her face, and she was trying too hard to make her question sound casual. "Would you mind if I took a look at it?"

Teagan wondered why it was so important to her, but nodded. "Sure, go ahead, just remind me to give it to you when we get back."

Marion asked what book they were talking about, and, after Teagan explained, asked if she could see it too. Teagan agreed, a little unsettled by the degree of interest in the book. She still hadn't figured out how it had managed to get packed with her things.

"Much as I hate to be the odd one out, I'll leave it to the three of you. Fantasy never makes too much sense to me, so I doubt I could help you figure it out. " Sally stated.

"What do you mean?" asked Olivia.

"It's just so unrealistic! I can understand magic in fairy tales and other stories intended for kids, but having serious books intended for adults involving it always strikes me as silly. I know it's fiction, but I can't get into something that just isn't even plausible."

Marion looked a little flabbergasted and at a loss for words. Teagan was still trying to figure out how to phrase her argument for one of her favorite genres when Olivia spoke. "What makes you think magic couldn't be real? People have believed in it for more parts of history then they haven't."

Sally laughed. "Sure, but that was because they didn't have science good enough to explain natural phenomena any other way. We've gotten past that kind of superstition. Besides, if magic were real, don't you think there would be some proof in this day and age? A YouTube video or two if nothing else."

Olivia shook her head. "Not if the people who could actually do it made an effort to keep it a secret and discredit any evidence as faked."

"And why would they go through the amount of effort that would be necessary to completely keep any evidence from turning up?" Sally asked, sounding irritated.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe they got tired of being burned at the stake?" Olivia said, anger evident behind her sarcasm.

Sally looked to have progressed from irritated to angry, and opened her mouth to reply, but Marion beat her to it. "Calm down guys! Olivia, it's not a personal insult to you if Sally can't suspend her disbelief enough to enjoy fantasy. She's allowed to not like it. And Sally, Olivia is allowed to enjoy it." Sally and Olivia looked a little embarrassed, but Marion continued before either one could say anything. "I think a better argument for fantasy is that most of the time it's the same kind of exercise in what if as science fiction is, just going in another direction. Faster Than Light travel is not possible by the laws of physics as we understand them, but Science Fiction writers frequently use it in their works, so why not explore what it might be like if some of that historical belief in
magic was right?" She grinned a little sheepishly. "I have to admit, I kind of wish it was real, sometimes."

Teagan nodded her agreement, and after a slightly awkward pause, the topic was changed, and the girls continued their conversation. Other than that slight hitch, they found themselves to be compatible enough that Teagan's worries about getting along with her roommates were, for the most part, assuaged.

----

Teagan opened her eyes, and sighed. She once again found herself in a moonlit clearing in a deep foreboding woods. She stood up, brushing grass and dirt off the cotton of her night gown. She was getting tired of this dream, which she'd been having since her grandfather's death. It was boring, for all though the surroundings were interesting, nothing happened. Well, there had been that one time Teagan had thought she heard a voice, but that had only been the once and she was fairly sure she had imagined it. Teagan laughed a little at that thought. It was her dream, the whole thing came from her imagination, so the voice had been no more or less real than the clearing.

Teagan became aware that something felt different, and she tried to pin down the source of that feeling. While things were always eerily quiet, there seemed to be a new note to the silence, almost a sense of waiting. Teagan found herself becoming unnerved by it, and reminded herself once again that this was only a dream. Still, when she heard the sound of a small stick breaking behind her, she startled, and tripped herself turning to see what had broken it, falling painfully on her backside.

As Teagan tried to regain her bearings , she heard the sound of soft male laughter and footsteps moving closer, before a hand entered her field of vision clearly being offered to help her up. “My apologies, my lady. I had not meant to startle you so. “ The voice, while obviously amused, seemed to hold no malice.

Teagan took the proffered hand pulling herself up before looking towards the man it belonged to. Standing before her was a man who seemed to have stepped off of the cover of a trashy romance novel with his long, wavy black hair, v-necked poets shirt that revealed a toned chest, and tight leggings tucked into knee high boots. Teagan had to look up to meet his gaze, and upon doing so, she was struck by how handsome his features were, and that he looked to be only a few years older than her. She decided the eye candy was definitely a positive addition to the dream. Then she registered that his eyes did not look quite right. Blinking at the cat like pupils, she remembered her grandfather's book, and looked to his ears. Sure enough, the tips came to long, graceful points. Teagan flinched a little realizing that this wasn't a simple wish fulfillment dream created by an overactive libido, that this was meant to be the Fae described in the book, Drysdan.

Drysdan followed her gaze and winced slightly, his face emptying of emotion. “I see you have already read at least part of the 'guide'.” A cold note had entered his voice and disgust filled the last word. Teagan started to try to pull her hand out of his, but he didn't let go. “I had hoped to speak with you before it found you.”

Teagan stared at him for a moment, giving up on getting her hand back, at least for the time being. Drysdan's grip gentled after a moment, and he began to move his thumb, gently caressing her hand. After a minute or two of silence, Teagan finally found her voice. “That would be difficult, since you're a manifestation of a character from the book. If I hadn't read it, you wouldn't exist.”

Drysdan blinked. “You do not believe what you read?” Teagan thought she heard a hopeful note in his voice.

“Don't be ridiculous, of course I don't believe it! I know the difference between fantasy and reality. Much as I might wish the real world was a little more magical, there is no such thing as a mystical race of shape-shifting faeries, except in fiction and dreams.”

“And what if it wasn't fiction? Would you take the information in the guide at face value, or would you give me a chance to prove that I am not your enemy?” Drysdan's voice was carefully modulated to only reveal a mild curiosity, but Teagan felt the urgency behind the facade.

Teagan sighed. “I don't know. If you were real, a point that I am not conceding, then the book was written for a reason, and if you were a pleasant companion, I highly doubt that someone would have felt the need to include all those exercises to practice keeping you under control.” She paused, very aware of his hand holding hers. “Further more, you aren't winning any points by refusing to give me my hand back.”

Drysdan instantly let go, with a softly murmured apology. Teagan found herself remembering that she was wearing only a much too thin cotton nightgown with no sleeves and a hemline that seemed much shorter than it had when she went to sleep, and instinctively covered her chest with one arm, while trying to pull the hem of the night gown down with the other hand. This was somewhat counterproductive, as the movement drew Drysdan's gaze downwards. The smile that graced his face was not quite a leer, but it did convey a strong sense of approval, and Teagan felt the blood rush to her face in embarrassment.

Drysdan's smile became a mischievous smirk. “My lady, while I would obviously prefer to continue to enjoy your beauty, if you are uncomfortable, you need only imagine yourself in other attire. We are, after all, within your subconscious.”

Teagan glared at him for a moment, before closing her eyes and attempting to imagine herself into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. After a minute or two, she could feel the night gown trying to change but she couldn't quite get it to do so. After a few more minutes she felt a weight settle about her shoulders. She opened her eyes, startled to discover that Drysdan had draped a cloak around her. “Thank you. I will point out however, that your belief that I could change my clothing by thinking it so supports my supposition that this is a dream.”

Drysdan laughed. “Not really, for if you recall my prison is created within your subconscious mind, so it is very close to being a dream, but quite a bit more real. Going back to your earlier argument, I will admit that at first I was quite angry at being unjustly imprisoned, and took it out on those I viewed to be my captors. By the time I had calmed down a bit, my keepers had a set idea of what my behavior would be, and they passed it from one to the next, thus any attempt to communicate was viewed as malicious. I assure you, I view you as being as much a victim of this curse as myself, and if you give me a chance, I will prove to you that I am not the monster that book makes me out to be. ”

Teagan thought for a moment. She found herself thinking that it couldn't hurt to give him a chance before realizing that she was acting as though he were actually real. “It's a moot point, since this is a dream, and you'll be gone as soon as I wake up.”

Drysdan's eyes narrowed, and he muttered under his breath. “I do believe, my lady, that you may be more stubborn then your grandfather.

Teagan had had enough of this, and closing her eyes willed herself to wake up. To her surprise, this time it worked, and she found herself safely in her own bed. Looking at the clock, she realized it was far too early to get up, so she rolled over and went back to sleep.

---------- Post added 11-03-2013 at 01:36 PM ----------

Originally Posted by SuperZombiePotatoe

Oh my.
I am so bloody serious, this is going to be one hell of a novel! I really don't know what to critisise, although Erasmus and Drysdan's relationship is a bit confusing. Will you elaborate more as it continues?
Riordan and Drysdan, huh? Nice names :3
Other than that, I want to read it!

Thank you, it encourages me to write when I know people at least find it interesting to read.

What did you find confusing about it? I wasn't planning on elaborating on it. Maybe I need to make it clearer that Erasmus is a descendent of Riordan, and has inherited Drysdan's prision. Is that what was confusing?