Prologue
It was like walking in a smoky mist as the black light caught the silver raindrops and made it shine like stone in the moonlight. The droplets rested on the nightsky-coloured velvet of her robeas she walked. Despite her dark appearence, her eyes were bright and shining and an angelic smile was burning on her lips. Around her, a crowd had gathered to watch her assent to the gates of the new temple. He stood there silently waiting for her, a shadow personified against the white marble of the pillars. Lifting the hem of her robes she walked softly up the stone steps to meet him. Standing before him she bowed gracefully. He returned the bow and took her hand. Turning to the crowd a hush crept over them as the dark-robed man began to speak.
"None of us are the same here. We do not all lead the same lives, or worship the same gods. Yet we are all bonded together in a way that only we know. This bond is stronger than blood, even stronger than magic. We have all turned our eyes from the Light, we have refused to be controlled by it and we have refused to be blinded by it. It is that truth that has gathered us here tonight. We are the Lost Children that have at last found a home of our own."
He held out his strong hands before him, uttered a short spell and a glittering silver tiara, wrapped with red and black silk ribbons, appeared in his hands. He turned to the girl and spoke again.
"You have found a haven for all those who were denied by their own people. Now they have you to unite them. Do you understand and accept the responsibilites before you?"
A nod.
"Then I, Dalamar Nightson, Head of the Order of Black Robes, hereby place the symbol of those responsibilites upon your head and grant you, Talia Selene, the title Speaker of the Moons, Princess of the Darlenesti, the Dark Elves."
He stepped back into the shadows for her to make her speech. For a moment she was silent, overcome by the event, but then she raised her arms to the sky where the three moons sat watching over her and said just one simple phrase.
"Welcome home."
It was like walking in a smoky mist as the black light caught the silver raindrops and made it shine like stone in the moonlight. The droplets rested on the nightsky-coloured velvet of her robeas she walked. Despite her dark appearence, her eyes were bright and shining and an angelic smile was burning on her lips. Around her, a crowd had gathered to watch her assent to the gates of the new temple. He stood there silently waiting for her, a shadow personified against the white marble of the pillars. Lifting the hem of her robes she walked softly up the stone steps to meet him. Standing before him she bowed gracefully. He returned the bow and took her hand. Turning to the crowd a hush crept over them as the dark-robed man began to speak.
"None of us are the same here. We do not all lead the same lives, or worship the same gods. Yet we are all bonded together in a way that only we know. This bond is stronger than blood, even stronger than magic. We have all turned our eyes from the Light, we have refused to be controlled by it and we have refused to be blinded by it. It is that truth that has gathered us here tonight. We are the Lost Children that have at last found a home of our own."
He held out his strong hands before him, uttered a short spell and a glittering silver tiara, wrapped with red and black silk ribbons, appeared in his hands. He turned to the girl and spoke again.
"You have found a haven for all those who were denied by their own people. Now they have you to unite them. Do you understand and accept the responsibilites before you?"
A nod.
"Then I, Dalamar Nightson, Head of the Order of Black Robes, hereby place the symbol of those responsibilites upon your head and grant you, Talia Selene, the title Speaker of the Moons, Princess of the Darlenesti, the Dark Elves."
He stepped back into the shadows for her to make her speech. For a moment she was silent, overcome by the event, but then she raised her arms to the sky where the three moons sat watching over her and said just one simple phrase.
"Welcome home."