Falling From Stars
By: Abby Ebon
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter….
Excerpt From;
"A Wizard Guide: The Study of Alternate Dimensions"
As-Told By, Esther Skygazer
When one thinks to travel beyond our dimension, it is imperative to consider the only known Dimensional Travelers. I speak of the beings known only as Immortals, interestingly all known three are female.
On the Earth there are currently three Immortals; one for the Natural Order of Life (Lady-Grandmother of Forest and Magic), One for the Darkness that is Death (The Mother-Darkness of Blood and Shadow), and one for the Beyond (The Maiden-Traveler of Crossroads).
These beings are not living people, and their ways are not ours; many a fool has used a magical weapon on one of them (mostly on 'Mother of Blood and Shadow') - and suffered dearly. We know more about what they are not -then what they are. The Immortals are not of Earth, though they claim to Guard what they take their names from.
Deep research into early mythology shows they are indeed Immortal, for there are mentions of beings of great power since our beginnings. Merlin called them 'his three accursed mothers'; of his father we know nothing. If they were truly his 'mothers' no one has confirmed; as no one has asked them.
The-Boy-Who-Lived, and Adios (the only other confirmed Dimensional Being), have said some version of this about them on many an occasion; "Always be polite, but never bargain with them- it never ends well."
Guarding 'Dark One'
By morning they had left, save Maia and Tillie, who stood side by side in the Fleet-Foot woods; waiting for the Dark One the Lady Mother-Darkness had promised.
They stood as impassive and enduring as their trees, the only differences were such as one might find between an oak and a pine, obvious, but sameness in the smell, and spirit of earth. It was a part of them, for they were dryads, and their vulnerability was in their trees, yet in this form- they knew they were vulnerable too.
"Should we warn them? Or let the Dark One explain?" Tillie whispered her voice fading like a summer storm, so quickly, so only Maia would hear her. Maia tilted her head, reaching up to flick a green lock of hair off her ear.
There was a silence for a time, and it was expected, a dryad did not answer -or ask a question- without great thought of the repercussions. They had to do this, for if they made a wrong choice in planting their young hamadryads, perhaps too close to a rival-tree of their nature, too far from the protection of the elder dryads, or too clustered among other hamadryads, the result would be the wasteful death of a youngling.
As there were so few dryads left in the world, such a mistake would be, not only wasteful, but deadly to their people. So they took their time, and waited, because dryad could only have one hamadryad a decade …and a hamadryad took a hundred years to become a dryad. So time, they had a plenty, for the First-Eldest had died only recently, and as for the Second-Eldest of their kind, she had walked the earth in its beginnings with the First-Eldest.
"It would be amusing, I think, to see a Dark One explain to a Clan of our centaurs that is there to protect and not harm…" Maia stated dryly, a gleam of amusement in autumn eyes, as they glanced to, and met, Tillie's equally amused golden-leafed eyes.
"Indeed…"
--
TheMother-Darkness of Blood and Shadow walked in her nature, the shadows, and her home alike to the Lady-Grandmother's was made up of the things she was entitled to.
That is the Lady-Grandmother lived in a forest of magically flourishing nature, and was Guardian to those things, and those that lived within. The Mother of Blood and Shadow lived in the elements she Guards; so her home can be described in this way…
A cavern, endless, and pathless, great stalagmites and stalactites miles long (and tall) appear suddenly from out of the shadow that is alike to fog. The ceiling and floor of the cavern is the same; the appearance of the night sky - of the bright stars and beautiful colors of nebulas.
If you can image such place, then prominent in it is the silence. You can hear- and your voice will echo for nothing in this place is to be kept from others; but all things you do, like walking and breathing are hushed, as if smothered by a blanket of shadow.
The Mother-Darkness does not walk alone in this world. Here are the Near-Immortals who send dreams, some pleasant, some terrifying, rare are the prophesy dreams that we remember- though they send those to; as warnings.
There are also three trolls, a few giants, a clan of dwarfs, a family of goblins, a least a mated pair of every species of dragon, the last of the shadow-beings, a horde of every kind of daemon from around the world; packs, clans, and prides of all the different were-beings including the changelings who were the ones who had 'given' the were-beings their changing abilities…and no few about of vampires from all the different sorts of mythologies and lore's; in short this was a collection of the darker natured mythical creatures of the world.
This place was ancient; and if you can think of two things that have always been since humans have walked - one would be this place. The Mother-Darkness did not create this place- just as the Lady-Grandmother did not create the Black Forest.
Here also are the monsters mortals know; and some they do not.
The Mother-Darkness knew you could walk forever in this place and not go anywhere; for to go anywhere here, you must have a destination in mind. The Mother-Darkness wanted and needed to go to the Dark One she had in mind; so she arrived fairly shortly.
"Ah, the noble Lady-Shadow… looking for little ol' me? Or are you wandering the caves again…?" A boyish voice teased, her amused blue-on-black eyes caught the creatures yellow ones. He was a child, and a cross between a changeling and daemon, rare, one of a kind- and deadly.
From his daemon mother he was a Near-Immortal; in his natural from he got glowing silvery skin, black bat-wings, a forked tail, slanted ears, talons- and horns- and cat's eyes; gold-amber with slanted pupils. From his changeling father he could become anything or anyone at a whim, he also had his father's trickster-nature and from both his urge to protect younglings.
"Looking for you puck-ling, I've a job for you." The Mother-Darkness' voice was amused, and warm, something that would have frozen most mortals in shock. For a monster, they thought, did not feel.
"A…job…?" The boy-looking being sputtered, in half disbelief, half annoyed. The Mother-Darkness chuckled, and the boy pouted.
"Well what sort of job am I to be subjected to? Cleaning an old woman's hut? Tricking a nasty boy down a well? Letting a foresters axe find a knee instead of a tree? Well Mother? What will it be?" The boy had obviously 'resigned' himself to a task, and his voice had grown more eager the faster he spoke, until he near vibrated in excitement.
"Nay, you are to raise a babe." The Mother-Darkness spoke, and there was a silence deeper then the mere quiet of the caverns. "How long will it be?" It was not a boy's voice now, nor was he eager; it was the voice of a sullen man.
"The deal was thus; a promise from the Darkness, that none of you or yours will harm a boy with a lightning bolt scar on his brow; and mine let one of my Dark One's guard him; you have what you seek." The Mother-Darkness whispered, like a dieing wind. The feeling of cold indifference was little like a chill in the air.
"Are you bargaining for our lives now?" He hissed, and the amber of his eyes flashed in rage.
"Never fear, the dryads didn't notice the loop, so I will tell it to you. As long as you 'guard' him, and the both of you are safe. When you cease to do so; then the barging is done. A simple matter as these things go, fools mortals and Near-Immortals sometimes are." The Mother-Darkness explained seeking to calm her Dark One.
"How old is he?" The 'Dark One' asked, interest in his voice again. "Mere babies, both he, and the Lady-Grandmother's son." Mother-Darkness of Blood and Shadow said softly. The creatures amber eyes softened.
"Very well, I will play your Guarding Dark One." The Mother-Darkness nodded, thankful, and smiled as the changeling-daemon took shape. He was beautiful, as the dark one's of the Mother-Darkness often are; he took the form of the dessert kin of the high elves; golden skinned, amber eyed, slanted eared (with a silver stud, and a black crescent earring both in his right ear) and dark hair braided in with feathers and beads. His clothing was of dusty-colored pants, and an embroidered black vest. He wore no shoes, his nails were sharper and deadlier then the high elves were, and he did bother to hide the sharper canines of his daemon mother.
"Good luck puck-ling."
He bowed; whether it was mocking, or sincere, was unclear. None the less he grinned mischievously, flashing fangs, and disappeared.