Always
Prologue
No, please don't worry, Mortal. You aren't bothering me at all. I understand your curiosity, and frankly, I encourage it.
Curiosity is good. Means that you're eager to broaden your horizon, to grow. Something that that most Fae don't have.
Please, sit. Help yourself with some tea if you like – I reckon this might take a while.
You see, the reason why I can criticize the Fae and comprehend your reasons for seeking me out is rather simple, I was mortal once, like you. Very mortal, considering that I, well, died.
I don't expect you to know my name, the generations that did have long passed. You might have heard of me as 'The Siegebreaker', or 'The Hero of Mel Senshir' before, yes?
Good. Glad to hear that history is still being taught among the younger races.
Right, let me start from the beginning, to avoid confusing you more than I already have.
My name is Illya, and I was a Dokkalfar, like you, when my story began.
And it began badly.
The first thing I remember is the sickeningly sweet scent of decay, and cold, wet skin on mine, everywhere, soaking through my clothes, sticking to my hair. As you might understand, it took me a moment to realize that I was waist-deep in a pile of dead bodies, somewhere underground.
I had no recollection of anything – who I was, where I was, and how I got there in the first place. Alas, I panicked, kicking and punching, until I eventually managed to maneuver myself out of that pile
As I said, not really a good start.
Turns out, I had been mistaken for a failed experiment-... wait, do Scholars teach about the Well of Souls nowadays? No? Fine, let me give you a quick summary of the experiments I'd been part of.
The Well of Souls is, or rather, was a gnomish invention that reconstructs and reanimates the body of a dead person, who'd been attuned to it before death. That's the short version, please don't ask me for specifics, I'm not a necromancer, nor a Gnome.
In any case, I had been such a person in my past, my first life, if you'd like me to put it that way. I had been attuned to the Well, died, and came back.
A little bit late, hence I was thrown into that operation's trash heap. Not the most pleasant experience, but I pushed through.
Now, I won't give you the specifics of me fighting my way through the tower, because, as I am sitting here in front of you, you already know I made it out alive.
But, having fullfilled my mortal destiny already, I ended up becoming something way bigger than just someone who came back from the dead – I became the Fateless One, and gained the ability to manipulate and tear the weave of fate around me, my every action affecting it for the better or the worse.
And back then, when everyone was bound by fate, it was an incredible power to have.
Imagine you're playing a board game with your friends, but they've all decided to let you ignore the game's most basic rules. Imagine the impact that'd make on your game, how much of an advantage you'd have.
Being able to do anything may be a basic thing now, but during that time? Unthinkable.
As the only person in the entire world, I was completely free and unrestricted. It was humbling, yes, daunting, but also so very empowering.
I stepped out of this tower, knowing that the world had no restrictions for me, no path for me to walk on.
Of course, I was still bound by the laws of nature I could still die, but I had a chance, you see. My life was my own, for the very first time.
Now that I've explained in what kind of situation I was in, let me get you some sugar, before I get to the topic you're really here for – my first encounter with the Fae.