Since the dawn of humanity the supernatural world has always co-existed with humans, though many would never believe it.
In Portland, Oregon something mysterious is afoot. When Malika Hawthorne, daughter of the Queen of Fae, is approached by an air...
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The sense of dread that filled Malika upon gazing at the various limbs on the table was similar, if not worse, to the day she found out she was pregnant. But it was so much worse for so many other reasons.
Air seemed to be sucked from the tent as Malika did her best to focus without passing out. The sight alone made her stomach curdle, it made her palms sweaty and her throat close. Casting an eye over the various parts, she sucked in a deep breath before she felt ready to speak and not throw up.
"There are three different symbols and then a combination of the three." Malika looked closer and noticed that despite the advanced decay in some parts, there was no smell at all. "There are two kinds of magic involved here." She straightened at the waist and looked at Jubair, who stared back with an absent look in his eye. "There is an old magic used to cast the engravings, but I can't tell if it was an item or a spell. The second magic is definitely a spell used to mask the odour of decay."
"And?" Olivia asked a question that was so visible on Jubair's face.
"It means that someone is trying to send a message, trying to cause unrest." Malika pointed at a foot with a circle around three diagonal lines. "This one is the Mark of Olor, Fae of power. This one," she pointed to a hand with a triangle tipped on its side. What would normally be its base was elongated, the sides leading to the apex extended beyond it. "This is the Mark of Kiriel, Fae of Peace." Pointing to what looked like an arm she concluded, "that one is the Mark of Irus, Fae of Knowledge."
When no more words were said, it was Jubair that filled the silence. "What is it? Your face has paled considerably."
"It's just," Malika started before drawing a shaky breath and continuing, "if you know the story of Olor, Kiriel and Irus then you know what the three symbols combined mean."
There was silence again before Olivia spoke, "Mal, you're going to have to keep going for me to understand why these symbols mean what you say they do. I wasn't raised with infinite knowledge of our world, so I'm having a lot of trouble following." The words carried a harsh note with them.
"The short version then." Malika gave Olivia a blank look. "Before humans were widespread throughout the world, fae still lived in a mysterious realm that was kept apart from humans by magic. They were the lords and ladies of their domains." Malika drew in a deep breath, already feeling light-headed at the mass of information flowing from her lips. "When humans began settling in and around fae domains, they began intruding on our world and turning it into a world that better suited them. The first Council of Fae decided all fae must take human forms after humans started finding our kind and harming us for sport."
"What were they," Olivia paused a moment. "We. What were we before we had to take human forms?" The question held infinite amounts of curiosity that Malika couldn't help but smile at.
'At least she's interested.' The thought left as soon as it came before Mal continued. "We were pure energy. Orbs of light and warmth and purity. That was what we all were once upon a time and what some still are, though very few still exist like that. Before we were bound to human forms, many fae could take many shapes, they could shift into any living thing whether it was an animal or a tree." She smiled broadly and continued on. "Back to the main story, though. The first Fae Council decreed that we all had to take human forms and when the children of Athelstan the Grey, the first leader, took their forms it set a course for disaster."
