Chapter Four

I stared down at the book lying in my hands as I sat silently in my room. The sun had already set, and the Inn was silent. My eyes drifted again to the window. The moon shone brilliant and graceful in the night sky. The stars twinkling like diamonds. My eyes made their way back down to the cover of the book which I held in my hands.

I didn't know why I even brought it back with me. I could only guess that it was out of pure curiosity. After Mr. Taytum helped me set up citizenship, I had wandered over to the library to open the account. After hours of wandering the halls in the library, the musky scent of the books seeping into me, I happened upon it. I didn't choose to find it, I think. I believed that it had found me.

"The Art of Eleusian and the History of Their People." I read the title out loud again, for maybe the hundredth time. It didn't have an author. But it had a place of origin. The Crystal Valleys.

I ran my fingers over the worn cover and shuttered. It was still hard to believe that I was linked to something I had known to be so horrible. Something my father had led me to believe to be horrible, that is. It was a wonder my mother never said anything about it. Only my father knew what he was. What we both were. I opened the cover slowly, taking a breath, and began to read it aloud.

"In the beginning…

…when the world we live in now was named Earth, and the only race we had ever known were called 'human' we began to understand that though people were unique, they had certain qualities that bound them as one.

First, in the year 3000, we divided the 'human' races into subcategories. The first were the Elites, people of up most devotion to the Gods, and Higher Beings. They were people who served in the churches and temples, and lived as healers, and connections to the outer planes.

Then there was the Cairnians, people who connected to the earth, and to all it's creatures. That was when we were told 'Earth's' true name was Escatrya. It has been called this, ere since.

We then had the Aerialis', the common people. They were what would be considered normal, having rounded qualities. People who could dictate their own future, and were not controlled by outer forces. They ranged in all aspects of character and ability.

Then there were the dark ones, known as the Wyverns, who submerged themselves in knowing everything about anything, and using it against their enemies. They were commonly found in the outer islands, Twenty Mercies, and the Crevicyes. They were smart and powerful in magic and in knowledge, but were sickly and frail looking in most cases to make them seem vulnerable and trustworthy. They were rumored to have books written about people, documenting everything they could get their hands on about them.

We then have the Tiaga Clan, beings skilled in weapons and armor. They are the crafters and engineers of this world, and have been thus since the beginning of time. They were often sought after in times of war.

Last but certainly not least, we have the Eleusianites, the most rare and majestic of all beings. They are the beautiful ones, the ones powerful ones. During the war of 3030, the Eleusianites were cast into exile. The true reason for this has never been told, or fully understood for that matter. One could guess that they were feared, envied or even hated. They were a kind people, never involving in war, yet were victimized.

Once exiled, it was rumored that they moved their people into the Crystal Valleys, a place so barren rarely anyone has gone in and come out alive. Yet the Eleusianites prevailed. It was said after that, a hundred years or so later, people started to leave and start lives anew in places that suited there gentle souls. The Eleusianites started to mix in with the other races and soon the pure Eleusianite line died out, as did all the other pure lines. Most races started to cross-breed with those of other races, and so it was ultimately decided that, in 3600, that again there would be only one race, and they were known as he Emprials.

Though, in the course of the cross breeding, there in fact are direct descendents of the Eleusianites that are rumored to be hiding in places such as Erycana…

I froze, staring down at the words on the page. I felt my hand shaking and I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down.

"…rumored to be hiding in places such as Erycana…" I repeated again.

…because of the striking similarities in the people, being both beautiful and working as healers. It created a perfect place for them to start anew and still practice Eleusian in secret. Though it was common for them to completely discard their heritage, as to keep their children from their troubling past.

Now onto the actual practice of Eleusian…

I closed the book quietly and looked down at the cover once again. It was scary, reading about something that matched so perfectly. Though, what I just read was a bit…odd to say in the least. I had never known that there were different types of people other than Emprials, but then again I didn't even know that the Art of Eleusian had originated from some old dried out line of people called Eleusianites. And, in addition, I had never known that I was connected to them.

I closed the book gently and closed my eyes wearily. That was enough reading for tonight. Maybe even forever.