Preface

I shall tell you a tale as old as time itself. A story passed down through generations, from parent to child, retold through the ages. One that every child knows. It plays within their minds and sings within their hearts. But this tale is something different. Yes, this tale I shall tell you is unlike any you have heard before. This is about a boy who never grew up.

But before we can get to him, like all great tales told, I must start at the beginning…

At the very dawn of time, when the world was new, there was light. It touched everything in existence, bathing the world in its warmth. Its reach spanned across the globe, encompassing everything in its glow. It took root deep within the earth and pulsated with energy. Every creature and plant was filled with this light. Even the foulest animal that lived in the darkest trench of the deepest ocean could not help but succumb to the light that pulsed brilliantly. Goodness surrounded every creature and kindness filled every heart, making them glow with a burning gold.

It was from this light that the first intellectual race sprung into existence. They were the fae. Gifted with beauty and magic, they ruled over the lands and seas, blessing all creatures with longevity and prosperity. They were a gentle race who cared for all living things. The magic they wielded gifted the land with fertile soil. From this soil, sprouted the richest and sweetest of fruits and vegetables. Their magic purified the seas, cleansing them from any unsavory taste. Not a single soul went hungry, nor thirsty, under the protection and the rule of the fae. They were peaceful and benevolent rulers, that guarded everything good and pure. Their sole purpose was to rid any evil that could potentially plague the world. For many millennia, all was quiet. The lands were prosperous, the creatures content, and the heavens beautiful. The world was at peace.

However, the time of man arose. With man, they brought upon the world distrust and jealousy. Man was vicious and savage and cruel. They hunted for enjoyment rather than necessity and every creature once good grew fearful and turned to savagery as well. Every plant once vibrant, shriveled from the toxins man produced. The seas became salt, the lands barren, and nothing grew. They had turned the world into a desert wasteland. The fae, horrified and infuriated with what man had done to their beautiful utopia, waged war against them. Man was strong and forged weapons and rallied armies. The battle was massive and both the fae and man lost many to the chaotic bloodshed.

The fae, victorious, returned home, hoping that with man eradicated, the world would return to what it once was. Little did they know, that shadows had sprouted in the far corners of the world. They had grown from man's evil and had begun to spread like a deadly virus, killing everything in their path. Man seemed trivial compared to what the shadows were capable of. If left unchecked, they would ravage the world until nothing was left but darkness. Severely weakened from their war with man, the fae could not do anything but watch their beloved kingdom crumble under the power of the shadows. They spread over the entire globe, consuming everything in their wickedness and evil, and smothering even the smallest flicker of light. Because the fae were left powerless to prevent it, man eventually rose again, joining the shadows in burning the world, and leaving behind a path of fire and destruction. Unable to bear the sight of their cherished world go up in flames, the fae used their dwindling magic within them to create their last hope. A boy.

This was no ordinary boy. Using their magic and light, the fae crafted him out of the stars in the sky. He would be filled with innocence and imagination all children are born with. Unlike man, he would see everything good and pure in the world. In due time, he would be able to wield unfathomable power, the likes of which no man has ever seen. And when the time came, he would destroy the dark, vanquish the evil, and save the world from destruction. But it would take time.

The fae created a dimension, one entirely different than the world they had lived in for millennia. This land had magic at its heart, every plant and creature had it pumping through their veins. It was to be a timeless land, with no past or future. A land where not a single thing aged. The boy would reside over this land and protect it from any evils that would come to contaminate it. It would be a sanctuary to hide until the time was right when the boy would be strong enough to confront the shadows. For this was the boy's sole purpose: to protect the last shred of light and magic left within this world and to rid the shadows once and for all, but he would need help.

To aid him with this immense responsibility, the fae gifted the boy many items, the most powerful being a pan flute. With flute in hand, the fae sent him to the land they created, with the hope that the boy would save them from the darkness that would come to destroy them all.