Prologue- Beginning
It began long ago, in a place not known by any name, in a time when the earth was only cooling after being created by a greater force. To some it was the time when nature had only just begun, when the animals of the world did not even know their purpose. They did not know how to live, where to live and feared even their own kind if they ever stumbled apon them. All that stood tall and proud in this vast valley of tiny shrubs and cowering creatures was a large gate. The size of a three storey house, as wide as two double-decker buses, it was made by unknown materials, for no purpose other than for another image the creatures would fear. It had no earthly purpose of being there; it's structure and design beyond the capacity of anything living a that time. The creatures were then dumb and did not even understand basic tools and skills, including finding shelter and catching food. They were scattered amongst the valley, dying slowly from ignorance and of no imagination to go beyond their own shadowed fortress. They were ugly, small creatures, former ancestors of what creatures we know or had known of today. They bared little resemblance to our modern day animals, and what similarities they held were small and insignificant.
Some of the creatures gathered around the gate, staring up at it as if a god; a place they could find the answers to why they were left on the lonely planet to die. They wanted to know why they had been created and by whom and who was it that wanted their death to follow as swiftly as their creation? The questions they asked themselves, being to scared to ask any other creature, were only a distraction to finding their own purpose. Some no longer even tried for food but merely sat at the gates, awaiting some sign that they could survive with the help of the power behind them.
As time passed, those who awaited answers soon died and the rest of the creatures began to explore. Only a few feet at a time at first, but many had found water and crawled into it to live. Then many saw the tall mountains in the distance and wanted to be with the clouds and the upside down river, or the sky. Many started talking to one another, some more so than others. Basic communication arose and soon those of the same spices did not fear one another but instead worked together. The small creatures found ways of hiding, some in trees, some in tunnels they built underground, some in the tall bushes that were now beginning to build up. The taller, faster creatures worked in packs and picked on the weaker, slower animals for food. In these times, there was a mutual fear of every other creature and so those who did not hunt, stayed by themselves and their own kinds. There were invisible barriers between the creatures of the forests and those of the seas. Those who crawled on their bellies crawled away from the flat-footed creatures and no animals dared to know what the others were up to. It was a modern-day paranoia and from these rumours' battles began to arise.
Only two centuries after the first creatures had been created there was a great war. The elements of the world; earth, wind, fire and water did not know their purpose. They did not know of eachother to begin with but when they met, there was a panic. All four of the elements did no longer want to be where they were put, and began to fight, causing chaos for the creatures. They began to spilt the world up, the earth breaking into pieces, the water flowing down short openings in the ground, the fire breaking out in parts of the forest and spreading rapidly and the wind moving in tight cyclones, causing things below it to demolish and die. As these wars became more severe, the animals began to blame one another for the chaos. They fought eachother, sometimes only in small numbers, sometimes it was an entire forest of animals battling for their trees. Animals parted from each other's company without turning back. They moved to other parts of the valley, undiscovered by most and started to build homes away from the wars, the mysterious gate at the very centre of them.
Amongst those to stay were the humans. Though not humans then, barely recognisable to any modern day man or woman, they were one of the creatures demanding solitude from any other animal. They did not hunt though, they only gathered food from the trees, away from anything they thought was dangerous. They did not wish to explore but instead wanted to stay with the gate. It was precious to them; a thing of beauty and they wanted to create something similar. They guarded the gate, watching over it and attacked any creature that went near it. They hated the flying creatures, for they could see what laid above the gate, what mysteries that could unlock what it was there for. If any flying creature was seen near it, they would make sure it never came back. The very first ancestor of what we would now call a chicken had its wing broken and it never fully recovered. The humans loved the gate, as if a parent, a teacher into what could be their purpose on earth.
One of the humans, a small girl, was not interested by it. She saw it as nothing, just another tree or creature that had been created. It was ugly and of no purpose. She wanted to leave the clearing in the forest and go to other places. To end the wars and find a new home. One with the other creatures, not where she was attacked by other animals and by her own kind for not loving the gate. She sometimes heard by the other animals of lands far more magnificent then her own. Ones where they had water other than what fell from the sky, food that she could make herself and not in constant fear of other animals. She liked the other animals, especially the flying ones. They were her favourite. They sometimes dropped their plumage to her ground, showing her what made them fly.
The girl was one day exploring the forest, being thrown out of humankind by all as they saw her a threat. She was caught trying to help an injured bird instead of killing it. She was told to leave (though not with words, speech was something they were yet to evolve into) and she did, scared but also excited of what worlds she would discover. She was gathering food for her journey but had no way in which to carry such a vast amount. She left half with a heavy heart, knowing that there may not be any more food to find after crossing the boundries of her people.
"You could use the leaves of that tall plant over there."
The first words of communication that had ever been spoken came from behind the girl. She ran and hid, dropping what food she had to escape the talking monster.
The talking monster was a creature no animal had ever seen. She was tall, short-haired and wore amazing clothes. Clothes were not even known yet amongst the humans and the girl was frightened. The creature was not walking, but floating amongst the trees towards where the human was hiding. The tall creature smiled, holding out her long slender arm to help the human to her feet. The human agreed to her offer and stood to the talking creature, having just been given the power of walking on two legs. The human was amazed at the creature and wanted to know more about her.
"You must be confused. You are staring at your future state; what you will look like in thousands apon thousands of years to come. I look like your future shadow, in fact at the time when the world will end. Because of your fellow human beings, your land will be destroyed for good. So I have travelled to make sure this will not happen. I have chosen you to be a guardian of the land, the one who will protect the humans from evil beyond the gates. I am an Oracle, beyond anything you can and will ever understand. I was created from a tear of That who created all of us. I have been made to find those worthy of protecting their species. You will grow and teach the other humans to build, to find safety and evolve into good creatures amongst all others that were created. I give you the gift of speech."
The human opened her mouth and felt beautiful words forming in her throat. A thousand words suddenly filled her mind; every single language ever known to humans was suddenly placed in her. She could speak in the tongue of the first leaders of the land and of the modern day people. Every kind of communication could be heard in her mind. It was overwhelming but it made her mind at rest somehow. She was able to speak back to the creature she did not understand out loud, only inside. The creature's words were understood in her heart and now she could talk back to the Oracle.
"Thankyou." The human said slowly, not entirely sure what that word meant. It made the Oracle smile though.
"You are welcome. It is your birthday today, is that right?"
The human was not sure, but she trusted the Oracle and so nodded.
"Today is a sacred day. For today I will appoint one of each animal to become a guardian, to protect their own kind from harm. They will no longer hunt but eat the fruits of the land only. They will have no use for weapons but will find powers within themselves to help others. These powers cannot be found out by other creatures, or else grave measures will have to be taken."
The creature stood back and the human felt a burning inside herself. She cried out and fell down, not knowing of such a pain.
"I have appointed you to choose your decision. By the time it takes for the earth to revolve once one itself, you will die unless you want to be a guardian. As I have already told you too much, you will not be allowed to survive. If you feel that no good could come of your becoming a guardian, you can choose to die. If you do want to protect the earth, then I will find you and your destiny will begin."
On the morning of the next day, the human had met another creature. A small four-legged creature with a long mane that too had been appointed the opportunity of becoming a guardian. He was scared at the offer, not knowing what other powers he would be given. He too could talk and was speaking to the human, a creature his kind had feared but thought they were better than other animals they knew of. The beautiful baby creature spoke to the human as the day moved on, and then they both knew they would have to decide for themselves. It was up to them alone to choice their fate, being the first decision they had ever made. The human wandered in the forest until she found one of the rivers made by the element of water wanting to explore the land. This river was fierce and looked dangerous. The human did not go near it to find out but watched it toss and turn, churning the creatures that dwelled inside it until they would leave it alone. They wanted to stay though and would not leave without a fight.
The water stopped, as if it were a wild beast, shot by a hunter. The only "hunter" the human could see was an oracle, floating gracefully to the river. The river moved steadily now, as if slowly breathing again. The Oracle pointed her finger at the surface of the water and it started to glow. The golden colour put the human in a trance, staring at it with astonishment and wonder. The water began to shake and from it sparked thousands of tiny droplets of water, scattering around the river, falling onto the land to which they did not disappear. The Oracle saw the human being and smiled at her. She beckoned the human girl to join her. The human got up and walked over to the Oracle, not knowing what her spell meant. The Oracle opened up her hand and inside laid a tiny creature.
Barely half an inch in size, the small creature was asleep, curled up and breathing softly. The human stared at him and then at the Oracle.
"Looks like you."
The Oracle nodded and with the tip of her little finger she shook the creature awake. The tiny creature woke up, yawning and wings suddenly appeared from the creature's back as he sat up. The creature did not have legs but instead a long tail, much like a fish's.
"This creature will be the guardian of water, he will instruct it where to go and how help the land and the creatures who dwell on it. He will look after the creatures of the sea, making sure they are well protected. Your modern day self would call them fairies."
The human looked at the fairy, who was gazing at the creatures that held him and were staring back at him.
"Fairies." She repeated.
"Yes." The Oracle replied. "I have already created the first fairies of Fire, Wind and Earth. Finally now they will bring peace to their elements."
The human girl wanted to learn more. She wanted to know about the creatures beyond the gates the Oracle spoke of. She wanted to discover what made her so special, why she had been chosen from all the other humans. They were more interested in the gate and wanted answers more than her. Why had the Oracle given her the power of speech, or walking, when she was ungrateful for her world? She wanted to leave it after all, so why was she to be a guardian?
"Yes." The human said.
The Oracle stared down at the human. "You want to be a guardian?"
"Yes." The human repeated happily. "Yes, I do."
"Then it will be so, but know this; if you speak of your powers to any other creature, be it your mate, your pet or anything else that does not hold your powers, they will die. This curse will be thrown apon you and your children to come. You will battle against the strongest of forces and will not die unless you sacrifice all of your powers or if you destroy the stone that will hold your powers. Only the purest hate can destroy it but even then your love and will to protect can save it. You will know of the Other Worlds, those much older than this one, ones not yet created and those beyond any understanding. With the powers I give you, you will be brave, strong, wise and above all have compassion for other creatures. These skills will vary amongst your children but the basic powers will still be inside of them. I want you to travel the world, protecting those you see and also finding originals, as ones who hold your powers will be created every decade until the end of time. You will explain to them what I have said to you."
The Oracle hugged the human girl tightly. "I shall call you Echo, for you are a shadow of greater powers, some even of that who created us all. You were carved as a mortal but your immortality and lust for a peace in the world are like those who can only watch the world below our feet. I now produce to you another gift that will prove your difference amongst all over creatures."
A song filled Echo's ears; it was so beautiful she felt her body swaying as if in a trance. She tried to move towards the sound, feeling her way past a darkness that had hit her eyes. She felt a happiness inside herself like no other, it was as if she was at a pure peace only the dead could ever understand. The signing grew stronger until it shrank into a visible light in Echo's cupped hands. She opened her eyes, feeling the peace drop to the realisation of life fill her and saw in her hands a round stone, the size of a grape that was changing colour rapidly until it rested to a soft green. Echo turned the stone over and over, and saw a chain suddenly grow from it.
"Wear it around your neck at all times as it is the key to the powers you possess. It was glow to the shade of every emotion you are feeling and guide you along your fate. Care for it and it will care for you. All eyes rest on you now, good luck." The Oracle vanished and Echo looked around, clutching the stone tightly as she feared it had all been a dream.
Echo felt a burning sensation run through her veins and she felt her body slowly shutting down, as if she were dying. She was afraid at first but then she saw in front of her the world spinning, making her relax. She fell down and slowly drifted to sleep, the first human to be transformed into what we refer to as witches. She would find other witches, soon have children, explain to them their powers and raise a family to guard the earth as she did. She soon died, only six hundred years after becoming a witch, during the worst battle ever known to creatures. Her children and their children fought with her until the very end, having closed the gates to the Other Realm from all evil. Already they were cast away from other human beings, known as savage people who were to be left alone. This custom was to follow in the same pattern for thousands of years, all witches turned away from others and left to live alone, as if they were not protectors but they evil they fought, day in and day out.
Soon the humans, as with many of the species, died out and no traces were left of their existence. They would grow again and multiply in years to come; but for now the witches remained a secret. During the Ice Ages the witches moved to the curious Other Realm until only a few remained on earth to stay protecting the humans. The witches of the Other Realm started to concentrate more on their own peace between the demons, forgetting their fate to protect the Earth creatures. Witches would remain a taboo, a rumour and above all a joke. No animal would ever know the truth of them and their forefathers before them. The earth would be left in ignorance until the end of time, as the Oracle had predicted.
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