The elegant woman sat on a raised dias before the five children. A strange glow emitted from her essence, and her eyes sparkled with curious light. She stood, her soft robes flowing, blown by an unseen wind, and walked gracefully down the ivory steps to the five small figures. Her long white hair streamed behind her, and her delicate shimmering wings fluttered pleasantly when she halted, and then she raised her slender arms to the ceiling of the large, radiating, solar.
"Olukun, my children," she greeted, her voice sounding smooth, like a whisper.
"Olukun," they answered, looking up placidly at her.
"I am Bella, Queen of the Fairies, Keeper of the Spirit," she said, her arms coming down to rest at her sides. The children knelt down before her, bowing their heads in silent reverence. Bella moved in front of the first child, a boy, and he raised to his feet, lifting his face to her light.
He was young, about the age of twelve, and his shaggy brown hair curled lightly around his unusually large ears. His eyes were the color of amber, rimmed with long, dark lashes. The boy's face bore an untamed fierceness, his eyebrows arched dangerously, as if he was ready to pick a fight. Bella peered down at him with her grey all-seeing eyes, and he smiled, revealing sharp teeth.
"Rafe," Bella whispered, and the boy nodded, his hair falling clumsily into his eyes. Bella smiled, reaching out her hand to brush the hair from his eyes, "Rafe, you are a child of the dark forest, a prisoner to the moon, a loup garoux."
"You are wild in your ways, a savage fire burns in your heart, you are a beast of the night, Rafe. You are one of the Protectors," she said, reaching into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a silver chain with a crescent moon dangling from it. She slipped it around Rafe's neck, and he could smell the delightful smell of lilacs as she did so.
She moved on to the next child, a girl, about the same age. She rose, her long black hair parting to expose her round chocolate brown eyes. Her forehead was broad, as were her cheekbones, and her chin jutted out slightly, proving that she was a proud, determined girl. She wore a deer hide skirt, with fringe on the bottom, beaded bracelets adorned her wrists and ankles. She wore no shoes, and her bare feet were weathered and tattooed with tribal markings.
"Tiger Lily," Bella breathed, placing her hands on the shoulders of the girl, "You are a child of the earth, a familiar sister of both the plants and animals, one with the tall grass, and peaceful with the cool wind that rustles them." No expression showed on Tiger Lily's face as she listened to The Fairy Queen.
"You are a proud leader to your people, a stubborn, driven, aggressive spirit," she placed another necklace, from this one was hanging a silver feather, "You, Tiger Lily, are one of the Protectors." A tiny grin spread across the girl's face now, but she quickly hid it, bowing back into position.
"And Kira," she said, her wings fluttering as she stepped in front of the tall blond girl. She was thin, but her arms were muscular, there was a scattering of freckles across her cheeks. Her hair glistened in the light and appeared wet, as did her clothes, which were light blue colored shashes of silk and finery that draped off her trim shoulders. The girl's lips were full and poised, as if she was about to whistle.
"You are a person of the sea, a mermaid. You swim among another world, apart from the world of the sun worshipers of the land. Your people build structures of which the likes have never been seen above the surface. You are strong, thoughtful, and most importantly, kind. This makes you, Kira, a Protector," Bella said, presenting her with a chain from which was hanging a silver seashell. Kira nodded, her lips moving into a shy smile.
Bella glided on to the next child and beckoned for him to stand. Leaves were stuck haphazardly throughout the red strands of wild hair that stood out in all directions from his head, and his green eyes twinkled slyly, as if he knew something everyone else did not. He wore clothes that seemed to be made of jungle leaves and twine, on his skin was colorful remnants of war paint, and at his belt, there was strapped a set of wooden panpipes. The boy looked nervous as he scratched a skinny leg with a dirty bare foot.
"Ah, Peter," Bella sighed, "You are a clever, cunning boy. A born leader, you live in your tree huts high above the ground. Yet, you do not stay on the ground for long, you take to the skies and dance with the stars. You pretend and you wish, everything seems but a game...but deep down inside, there is a sensible disposition, and you exercise this right everyday. This, Peter Pan, is why you are a Protector."
He received a silver chain that had an acorn strung onto it. He beamed his tiny pearls at her as she moved on to the final child.
He seemed different from the others in some way. The boy had dark hair that created a curly mass on top of his head. His ears were pierced with suspended shark teeth, and his eyes were shadowed with charcoal from a driftwood fire. A sword was buckled at his belt, and his hand had never left the hilt of it while he waited for Bella to speak. He wore boots that were laced with tough dried seaweed, and a little dusting of light colored sand clung to the toes of them.
Bella smiled at him, "James, You come from the huts near the long abandoned caves. Your people are secret, they roam in packs. You are an excellent fisherman and an even better hunter. A vigorous heart beats within your chest, and you are a warrior that none shall reckon with, and you are powerful enough to meet the challenges of others," she paused, lowering the silver chain bearing a charm of an eagle's talon, "You, James, are now one of the Protectors."
Bella climbed up the steps and reached her throne that was made of frosty icicles before she turned around. She sat, regally, placing a hand on the orb-tipped staff that leaned against the arm of the throne. Her wings fluttered and sparkled, sending glittering specks of light in the children's direction, it was at this time that she spoke.
"Protectors," she adressed them, and at once they all straightened and listened intently, their young faces tipped upwards, "I am Bella, Queen of the Fairies, and also, The Keeper of the Spirit of Neverland. I have chosing you five children to defend the spirit that keeps all of our world the way it is. You alone hold the key to it's power, and hold it's life in your hands. I, and the other inhabitants of Neverland are putting their trust in you to withhold your duties and not let us down."
"You keep us in eternal youth, spring rains, summer heat, autumn winds, and winter. You are the five guardians of The Spirit...and this is an honor...a great honor to behold..."
Floating orbs of golden light came from the high windows, and flickered down to dance among the children. Peter, in his curiosity reached up to touch one, but it suddenly giggled and shied away. The children gazed with awe at the erratic movement and Bella leaned back in her throne, pleased with her choices, at ease with the Protectors that held a large burden on their shoulders.
Neverland would prosper from this action.
"Olukun, my children," she greeted, her voice sounding smooth, like a whisper.
"Olukun," they answered, looking up placidly at her.
"I am Bella, Queen of the Fairies, Keeper of the Spirit," she said, her arms coming down to rest at her sides. The children knelt down before her, bowing their heads in silent reverence. Bella moved in front of the first child, a boy, and he raised to his feet, lifting his face to her light.
He was young, about the age of twelve, and his shaggy brown hair curled lightly around his unusually large ears. His eyes were the color of amber, rimmed with long, dark lashes. The boy's face bore an untamed fierceness, his eyebrows arched dangerously, as if he was ready to pick a fight. Bella peered down at him with her grey all-seeing eyes, and he smiled, revealing sharp teeth.
"Rafe," Bella whispered, and the boy nodded, his hair falling clumsily into his eyes. Bella smiled, reaching out her hand to brush the hair from his eyes, "Rafe, you are a child of the dark forest, a prisoner to the moon, a loup garoux."
"You are wild in your ways, a savage fire burns in your heart, you are a beast of the night, Rafe. You are one of the Protectors," she said, reaching into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a silver chain with a crescent moon dangling from it. She slipped it around Rafe's neck, and he could smell the delightful smell of lilacs as she did so.
She moved on to the next child, a girl, about the same age. She rose, her long black hair parting to expose her round chocolate brown eyes. Her forehead was broad, as were her cheekbones, and her chin jutted out slightly, proving that she was a proud, determined girl. She wore a deer hide skirt, with fringe on the bottom, beaded bracelets adorned her wrists and ankles. She wore no shoes, and her bare feet were weathered and tattooed with tribal markings.
"Tiger Lily," Bella breathed, placing her hands on the shoulders of the girl, "You are a child of the earth, a familiar sister of both the plants and animals, one with the tall grass, and peaceful with the cool wind that rustles them." No expression showed on Tiger Lily's face as she listened to The Fairy Queen.
"You are a proud leader to your people, a stubborn, driven, aggressive spirit," she placed another necklace, from this one was hanging a silver feather, "You, Tiger Lily, are one of the Protectors." A tiny grin spread across the girl's face now, but she quickly hid it, bowing back into position.
"And Kira," she said, her wings fluttering as she stepped in front of the tall blond girl. She was thin, but her arms were muscular, there was a scattering of freckles across her cheeks. Her hair glistened in the light and appeared wet, as did her clothes, which were light blue colored shashes of silk and finery that draped off her trim shoulders. The girl's lips were full and poised, as if she was about to whistle.
"You are a person of the sea, a mermaid. You swim among another world, apart from the world of the sun worshipers of the land. Your people build structures of which the likes have never been seen above the surface. You are strong, thoughtful, and most importantly, kind. This makes you, Kira, a Protector," Bella said, presenting her with a chain from which was hanging a silver seashell. Kira nodded, her lips moving into a shy smile.
Bella glided on to the next child and beckoned for him to stand. Leaves were stuck haphazardly throughout the red strands of wild hair that stood out in all directions from his head, and his green eyes twinkled slyly, as if he knew something everyone else did not. He wore clothes that seemed to be made of jungle leaves and twine, on his skin was colorful remnants of war paint, and at his belt, there was strapped a set of wooden panpipes. The boy looked nervous as he scratched a skinny leg with a dirty bare foot.
"Ah, Peter," Bella sighed, "You are a clever, cunning boy. A born leader, you live in your tree huts high above the ground. Yet, you do not stay on the ground for long, you take to the skies and dance with the stars. You pretend and you wish, everything seems but a game...but deep down inside, there is a sensible disposition, and you exercise this right everyday. This, Peter Pan, is why you are a Protector."
He received a silver chain that had an acorn strung onto it. He beamed his tiny pearls at her as she moved on to the final child.
He seemed different from the others in some way. The boy had dark hair that created a curly mass on top of his head. His ears were pierced with suspended shark teeth, and his eyes were shadowed with charcoal from a driftwood fire. A sword was buckled at his belt, and his hand had never left the hilt of it while he waited for Bella to speak. He wore boots that were laced with tough dried seaweed, and a little dusting of light colored sand clung to the toes of them.
Bella smiled at him, "James, You come from the huts near the long abandoned caves. Your people are secret, they roam in packs. You are an excellent fisherman and an even better hunter. A vigorous heart beats within your chest, and you are a warrior that none shall reckon with, and you are powerful enough to meet the challenges of others," she paused, lowering the silver chain bearing a charm of an eagle's talon, "You, James, are now one of the Protectors."
Bella climbed up the steps and reached her throne that was made of frosty icicles before she turned around. She sat, regally, placing a hand on the orb-tipped staff that leaned against the arm of the throne. Her wings fluttered and sparkled, sending glittering specks of light in the children's direction, it was at this time that she spoke.
"Protectors," she adressed them, and at once they all straightened and listened intently, their young faces tipped upwards, "I am Bella, Queen of the Fairies, and also, The Keeper of the Spirit of Neverland. I have chosing you five children to defend the spirit that keeps all of our world the way it is. You alone hold the key to it's power, and hold it's life in your hands. I, and the other inhabitants of Neverland are putting their trust in you to withhold your duties and not let us down."
"You keep us in eternal youth, spring rains, summer heat, autumn winds, and winter. You are the five guardians of The Spirit...and this is an honor...a great honor to behold..."
Floating orbs of golden light came from the high windows, and flickered down to dance among the children. Peter, in his curiosity reached up to touch one, but it suddenly giggled and shied away. The children gazed with awe at the erratic movement and Bella leaned back in her throne, pleased with her choices, at ease with the Protectors that held a large burden on their shoulders.
Neverland would prosper from this action.