Your fairytale is our reality - prolouge

Instructions

Prologue The child lying on the tree stump was not normal. Their skin was a shining purple, and their limbs sparkled with energy and flame. Their hair was wild, and black as soot. Beautiful. But strange. The two people standing over the baby looked just like them. One was crying silent tears, the other staring solemnly ahead, no expression on his face at all. His hair was wild like the baby’s, but greying with age, with highlights of a light serene purple. He carried a staff in his hand, a hand that was enveloped in a heatlessflame. Beautiful. But strange. “Are you sure this is a good idea, witheredmist?” The weeping figured asked, a shake in her voice. “I’m sure goldenfalcon.” He replied. “If this child stays in the forest any longer, it will not be safe for them.” The figure burst into tears again, wet droplets dripping down her purple skin. She stared at the child with intensity, love burning in her heart. Her eyes fell on the child’s face, one eye flaming scarlet, like her own, but one eye blank and sightless. She couldn’t do it. But she had to. “You’re right. You’re always right.” At that moment, a third figure stepped into the clearing. This new arrival was not like the others, with white skin and blue sparkling eyes. “Anna.” The crying figure whispered. “It’s good to see you again.” “You too” Anna replied. A brief flicker of understanding shot through the women’s eyes, before goldenfalcon looked, away, overcome with emotion. The staff-carrier stood between the two women, unsure what to say. They seemed to have forgotten all about the child. He cleared his throat quietly. “Er, well. The child.” The two women snapped back to the present. “YES. THE CHILD.” goldenfalcon whispered, almost too loudly. “Right. The child.” Witheredmist stepped closer to the baby. They looked up at this imposing figure and cooed, holding out their tiny flaming fist. Witheredmist raised his staff to the sky, and began to chant: “As the grass dances and the trees sing, bind this child in a shield of skin.” As he spoke the words, the child began to wail. A change grew over their shining purple skin, leaving it white just like a humans. Anna took a scrap of cloth from her bag, and wrapped the baby in it. With a final nod to the figures, her eyes straying on the sobbing one, She retreated into the trees. “What’s their name?” Witheredmist asked quietly. “Twistedfern” whispered goldenfalcon, shooing the tears from her eyes. “I’ve known it since the day they were born.”