Ti aspettiamo mercoledì 11 novembre all’SVS in via s. Giovanni 30.

La prima riunione (per i genitori) è alle 16.

Costruiremo insieme burattini, inventeremo storie e….ci saranno altre sorprese

Carlo  Liliana e Marispina

X  BAMBINI  DI  SCUOLA  ELEMENTARE

Robertyn stood at the doorway to Merayla’s room. His sister was asleep in the bed. Talis moved around the room sprinkling herbs on the floor in a circle around her bed. Eryk moved behind his father placing little silver medallions at regular intervals. They joined Robertyn in the hallway once finished, Talis closing the door behind him.

“She is guarded now. No one will be able to enter the circle except those tied to Merayla in love. She can sleep in peace.” Talis explained to Robertyn putting a comforting hand to his shoulder. “Join Eryk and I for a quiet night cap. We still have many things to discuss before we leave in the morning.”

Robertyn knew he needed to sleep the last few hours of the night but also knew that he would most likely spend the time tossing and turning his mind churning through the events gone and those yet to come. He might as well spend the time with Talis. At least he would then be achieving something.

Talis led the two men to the room set aside for him. The room had the usual items of furniture including a large four poster hung with fawn coloured curtains. Across for it was a table with four cushioned chairs arranged around it. On the table was a pitcher of mead with three matching goblets.

Talis poured the mead while Eryk and Robertyn made themselves comfortable.

“Now Robertyn I am sure you have many questions. I shall do my best to answer them all,” Talis smiled handing him a glass before handing one to his son. “And Eryk I think you might have a few questions of your own about what you have been drawn into.”

Robertyn took a sip of the mead and tried to sort the chaos of his mind into a first question. He opened his mouth to speak but Eryk bet him to it.

“Are we related?”

Talis laughed at his son’s question. “Yes.” He answered and Eryk’s face paled. “But not very closely.”

Robertyn raised an eyebrow in Eryk’s direction. “Just exactly what have you been doing with my baby sister?”

“On my life, I have done nothing yet to dishonour your sister.” Eryk assured him placing his hand over his heart.

“Yet? You’re planning too?”

“No, no!” Eryk replied. “I would never dishonour her! And in time with your permission I shall do her much honour.”

“As happy as I am Eryk to see you are discovering the female species, we do have more pressing matters to attend to.” Talis interrupted the two young men. “We have much to achieve to restore the throne to your family Robertyn and it seems we have an adversary who is not above killing to stop us and stop the prophecy.”

Merayla had fallen asleep pretty quickly after she had shut her eyes. She could head Talis and Eryk moving around her room as she drifted off. She was so tired. It seemed like an age since she had truly slept. In her prison of nothingness she had slept but it was different. This was truly restful and healing sleep, in a soft bed that felt so good pressing against her body. Each touch and sensation was heightened. In her mind it was years since she had truly felt anything. And with these thoughts she had fallen asleep. The dream came to her shortly after that.

Merayla was on the edge of a wood. It was night and a full moon hung in the sky. Nor far from where she stood across a field she could see a simple wooden cottage, a soft glow shining from its window. It seemed far more inviting than the dark wood behind her so she headed towards it hoping to find some hospitality. She knocked on the door and waited. There was no sound inside so she knocked again. There was no answer again. She moved to the window and peered in. The room was lit by a large lamp sitting on a rough wood table. The cottage was a large open room, to one side a bed was separated from the rest of the room by a hanging sheet. The fireplace held a few trembling embers. She could see no one inside and it was obvious from the dying nature of the fire that no one had been in there and tended it for some hours.

Merayla sensed someone watching her and quickly turned from the house, but there was no one there. The sensation remained and Merayla started to feel a little afraid. She didn’t know quite what to do. She didn’t want to be out here with the feeling of eyes on her, but she did not want to enter the house uninvited either. The silence of the night was broken with a loud howling. Suddenly the dream jumped and Merayla found herself standing at the edge of a cliff top. She could hear the waves breaking on rocks well below her. Metres in front of her stood a beast. It was part wolf, part hyena, part man to look at. Its mouth hung open, huge sharp teeth glinting in the full moonlight with dripping saliva. It dropped onto all four paws and growled at her. Merayla was trapped between the beast and the cliff. The air around the beast shimmered and it became a man. He was horribly thin, his ribs jutting out from beneath his skin. His hair was greasy and mattered. His teeth as he grinned at her were yellow and rotting. He crossed to her grabbing her wrists.

“He is coming for you. He will have you. He is coming for you. He will have you.” The air shimmered once more and the beast returned, its claws cutting into her wrists painfully. Blood began to ooze from one wound. The beast sniffed its muzzle to her wrist. She felt the cold tongue taste her blood. It stumbled backwards from her and began howling. It turned and ran from her.

The cliff she stood on was a narrow outlet and she had no choice but to follow the same course the beast had taken.  And then suddenly the dream changed again.

Sitting in his chair Robertyn suddenly got a chill down his spine. Something was wrong. He felt scared, an overwhelming terror.  Before he could make sense of it both Talis and Eryk were on their feet.

“Merayla!” Talis said. The three men thundered from the room towards Merayla’s. Liliana was already standing in the doorway to the room. A bright white light shone out from within. Liliana stood completely still bathed in the light. Robertyn called her name, she remained motionless. He grabbed her arm and found himself drawn from his body into the mind of his youngest sister, into a mind filled with terror.

Merayla found herself on a cross. Her arms were tied to the arms, her body tied to the post. The night sky was filled with heavy clouds and thunder echoed across them. At her feet small ugly creatures placed sticks and branches around her. The beast man stood off a few yards watching their progress. In his hand he held a burning torch. They were going to burn her. Merayla had been terrified of burning to death for as long as she could remember. She didn’t know why. She loved fire but in her darkest nightmares and terrors there were images of flames, of overwhelming heat consuming her, stealing her breath away. She struggled at her bonds, the rough rope rubbing painfully against her skin. It was no use the ropes were too strong and too tight.

“Don’t struggle sweet mistress. You are his and he shall have you or the flames shall have you.” The man giggled, his face contorting in a hideous grin. Merayla continued to struggle. Maybe something would give. She couldn’t die, not this way. From the darkness behind the man she could see moving lights, torches, burning as they were carried closer. As they neared Merayla realised it was the seven hags she had seen before she had been taken into the dark prison. The fear inside her grew and threatened to overwhelm her. A scream escaped her throat which seemed to amuse the beast man even more. He turned and bowed to the seven women as they moved past him to form a circle around Merayla. Each woman was dressed in a gown of a different colour, red, orange, gold, green, blue, purple and black. Each held in their hands a wooden bowl filled with a steaming liquid. Merayla forgot her struggles as she watched them begin to circle her. With each step they took they placed their hand into the bowl and then flicked drops of its contents onto the wood surrounding Merayla.

As they circled they chanted Circum Circum Dominus Convienon Ater Asperitus Exorius The chanted the words seven times as they circled anti-clockwise around her. At the end of the seventh time they stopped and turned to face Merayla chanting Ater Asperitus parvala orcolos est vestrium. One at a time starting with the woman in black facing Merayla they emptied their bowls onto the ground before them. A white light grew up from the ground where the contents had fallen. The light moved out merging into each other. It rose from the ground a few feet upwards and then remained constant pulsing brightly. The seven hags flung themselves to the ground crying Ater Asperitus Exorius over and over. The beast man began dancing around laughing.

“He comes, Master comes. He comes for the princess. He comes from his princess. She is his and he comes. She is his and he comes.” The ugly creatures who had been loading up the kindling all began to shriek before running off into the darkness. Merayla began to frantically struggle against her bonds again.  As the beast man danced and laughed he shimmered and changed into the beast once more. His words and laughter transformed into wild howling. He nearly dropped the torch he was carrying but quickly grabbed it with his claws. He threw his head back and let out a long howl which was soon picked up by the hags. The sound cut through Merayla’s mind like a red hot blade. The pain was so intense she screamed. Her voice joined with the howling in such a way that despite the pain she cut it off. The last thing she wanted to do was aid the calling of their Master. She could only assume that their Master and the red eyed man were one in the same. As if her thoughts had called him he appeared in that instant before her. His red eyes the first thing to catch her attention. They bored straight into her, as if reading every secret part of her mind and soul, breaking her open for his entertainment. She tried to look away but his gaze held her. She watched in horror as the eyes remained constant but he began to change. His body moved and morphed first taking on the form of her father,  a man she had never really known, then her brother, then Talis, then Eryk before reverting back to his original appearance. Each change had been like a knife within her. Finally he broke their eye contact looking down at his hags prostrated on the ground around her.

He said nothing but they rose and moved to stand behind him alongside the beast. The beast moved forward and passed the torch to the red eyed man.

“Burn for me”

Robertyn found himself lying on the floor in the hall outside Merayla’s room a large javelin across his chest, each end held by Talis and Eryk. He jumped to his feet pushing away from them. He reached out to pull Liliana out of the way so he could get to Merayla but before he could touch her Talis grabbed him pulling him back.

“No!” He yelled “You cannot touch Liliana and you cannot get to Merayla.”

“You said she was safe.” Robertyn growled grabbing Talis and throwing him against the wall. “You said nothing can get to her.”

“I was wrong.” Talis admitted dropping his gaze unable to hold Robertyn’s. “She should have been safe. I thought she would be safe. I have never failed before.”

At the dejection in Talis’s voice Robertyn loosed his grip. “They have her again.” He said to Eryk.

“Her body remains.” Eryk replied guiding him to a point beside Liliana but not touching her. Past one sister Robertyn could see the form of his other. She lay on the bed still just as when he had last seen her.

“But they have her. They are going to burn her. I saw. I saw through her eyes.” Eryk shook his head sadly.

“They have her in the Otherworld, they have her spirit, her dream self. She is dreaming.”

“Then she is safe? Thank god.” Robertyn let out a deep breath relieved.

“I’m sorry but she isn’t.” Eryk said pulling him back away from Liliana.

“In one of strong of soul as Merayla, what happens on the soul plane will manifest on this physical one.” Talis explained.

“Liliana?” Robertyn asked, realising that his other sister could be in as much trouble as his youngest. “What have they done to her?”

“Like you became when touching her, she is within Merayla’s mind. But unlike you we cannot break the connection. She is held in the light.”

“What can we do?”

“I wish I knew.” Robertyn’s heart sunk. This had been the worst night of his life. He had thought he would die the first time Merayla had been taken from them, and now she was here and he still could do nothing to help her, and Liliana was caught too. He wanted to scream, to smash something, to smash someone. He threw himself against the wall and screamed.

“Feel better?” Eryk asked

“Hardly!” Robertyn rounded on him. “My sisters, the two most important things in my life, in my heart are about to die.”

Talis moved between them. He could see Eryk tensing with Robertyn’s words, he knew the tension within them both needed an outlet and a fight between them would be the perfect outlet they could see. “If I have to break up a fight between you I cannot think. Robertyn go and bring your Godmother, Eryk wake the council and bring them and all the scrolls and books we have here.”

He watched the young men run down the hallway. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Liliana’s shoulder and let himself be drawn through her mind into Merayla’s. There was little the others or his books could do. He needed to see the enemy. He needed to see his strength and power. And perhaps he could use the newly awakened power within Merayla to save the sisters both.

selected the “interesting” ones

5th September

James Tiberius ( Karenia, Bennett, Fletcher & William)

Reihana Jose (Ben)

Eleanor Ida Margaret

Rosie May- (Ella & Max)

September 12 (New years conception? heaps of BA’s)

John Conrad

James Russell (Thomas)

Zavier Harlem (Arizona, Hunter, Devan, Katana & Samara)

Theo Christopher ( Isaac & Zakiyah)

Freya Isabel (Liliana & Alex)

Emery-Mae Lillian Rose

Mary Louise

Maia Aroha

Aria Melody ( Tui, Alex, Nina & Daniel)

Acasia Olivia

September 19th

Fergus George ( Isaac, Meg)

Fletcher Allan (Freyja, Milly & Bella)

x2 Marcus’s

Molly Florence

Yasmin Katja

Jemima Louise (Harriet)

September 26th

Alice Leone (Kate & Daniel)

Pippa Rose (Hazel)

Heidi Summer

Jay Aaron (Ethan)

Jacoby Mackenzie

Rawiri Jerome & Liam Mark (Evelyn)

Mackiah David

Eryk was quickly carried inside at Talis’s request. They carefully laid him out on a rug in the hall.

“Who are these people?” Robertyn whispered to Blodwyn as he watching Talis kneel down placing his hands on each side of his son’s head, his fingers resting against the temples.

“They were once all students of Talis and now form the council of the thirteen.” Blodwyn guided Robertyn and Liliana to Talis. They formed a triangle around Talis and Eryk.

“Do as I do,” Blodwyn instructed them placing her left hand on Talis and putting her right hand on Robertyn’s left arm to the right of her. Robertyn placed his left hand onto Talis and clasped Liliana’s left arm, which she in turn placed on Talis as well before reaching her right hand to her godmothers arm. Talis looked to his former students and nodded. They quickly formed a circle around the five placing their left hands on Blodwyn, Robertyn or Liliana, clasping their right hands to the person next to them.

Talis began to hum a single note, to Robertyn it sounded like he was saying hugh. The dragon riders soon picked up the note and joined. The note was long and deep resounding around the great hall. Robertyn did not know whether he was meant to hum as well and decided that since Blodwyn was not he would not either. She had closed her eyes so Robertyn did the same. He was immediately aware of a warm energy coming from Talis. As Robertyn concentrated on the energy he felt it move. It danced up his arm leaving his skin tingling and warm; he could feel it joining with more energy flowing from Blodwyn’s hand where he held him. He felt the power flow into his body. It seemed to be shining forth from various points from his head down his body to his groin. Then it sparked out flowing down his other arm to Liliana and into the four hands against his back.

His mind was filled with blackness. It felt empty, yet heavy, threatening to envelope and drown him. He began to stuggle against it reading to withdraw from it and the circle of energy he was part of. He felt a gentle squeeze on his arm from his godmother. He knew she wanted him to calm himself but the darkness was closing in around him and he wanted nothing more than to break himself from it. He pulled himself back trying to break away from her grasp but her gentle touch was firm and he could not loosen himself. He wondered if this was what Merayla felt and a his stomach churned thinking of the fear it would hold for his little sister. She must be so scared. Merayla, that was why he was here, if she was here, if this blackness was holding her he had to fight against the fear. He couldn’t break the circle or their chance might be lost and his actions could cost her life. Robertyn ceased his struggle and swallowing the overwhelming fear he calmed himself.

To his right he felt Liliana begun to struggle and get free from his grasp. He strengthened his grip on her arm and willed her to be calm. As much as he could without letting go he moved his fingers comfortingly against her skin, willing her to know he was there, he was supporting her. They were together and the darkness could not break that. After a moment her struggling ceased and he softened his hold on her again. The blackness was still there inside him, pressing against him, flooding his mind. He pushed back at the darkness trying to will his thoughts and his presence  to his youngest sister. Merayla he called with his mind pressing the word against the darkness. Merayla come back to us please.

Merayla twisted around at the sound of her brother’s voice. She was dreaming, Eryk had bought her to a circle of stones at the edge of a wood. They had been enjoying a meal of fruits and cheeses and Eryk had been telling her of the healing properties of all the flowers that grew within the circle. Eryk had gone silent when she heard her brother’s voice call her name. Eryk pulled her to him wrapping his arms tightly around her. The blackness began to return breaking through the dream

“I won’t let go no matter what” Eryk said as he faded from her sight. She was returned to the nothingness again and could feel nothing. Eryk’s was no longer there but she could sense him still holding her and she held tighter to the illusion inside her.

Merayla come back to us please Merayla heard her brother in her head.

“Robertyn I’m here.” She called over and over. The blackness seemed to cling to her skin holding her firm. She thrashed against it. It threatened to smother her completely and she was losing the sensation of Eryk’s arms around her. She felt the darkness press against her mouth and nose like tendrils moving down her throat and suffocating her. She tried to pull away but it was all around her crushing her, killing her. She tried to call to Robertyn, to Eryk but could make no sound. Her mind began to fill with darkness. She struggled against it imagining a bright light in her mind. With all her remaining strength she flung the light at the darkness like a lightning bolt. Then there was only darkness.

Robertyn could feel his sister and feel her fear, the darkness was becoming more oppressive and he felt himself struggling for breath. Then suddenly out of the darkness was a brilliant light. In the light he thought he saw the image of his sister floating limp, then the light hit. He felt himself falling back and the hands touching him and the people beneath his own hands disappeared. He landed on the floor of the great hall with a heavy thump. He opened his eyes to see the rest scattered in a wide circle around the room. He looked to the centre and saw Eryk his arms wrapped around a woman. At the site of the woman Robertyn’s heart leapt and fell. It hadn’t worked. They hadn’t saved his sister. Eryk and the woman stirred and opened their eyes to look at each other. Robertyn could not be sad when he saw the joy on their faces as they stared at one another. They may not have saved his sister but they had at least saved Eryk and his mystery woman and perhaps there was still time to try again and save his sister. Surely dawn was still hours away.

“Eryk, is that you?” The woman asked as Eryk sat up moving her to the floor beside him. Robertyn’s heart leapt again. He knew that voice, it was the voice of the women that had filled his life with love since before he was born. It was the voice of his mother dead so long, and the voice of his sister Liliana. Robertyn shook his head, was it possible? Was this woman his sister? Talis had said that she would be moving through her life, dead by morning. Had they saved her? Had she played out her childhood and youth in the hours he had been gone from them?

Robertyn crawled towards the woman lying within the arms of Talis’s son.

“Merayla?” he called softly, tentatively, all his hope within the one word. His voice caused a flurry of movement as the woman turned and on seeing him near flew across the floor to him.

“Robertyn!” she cried, tears forming quickly in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. “I heard you. You came for me.” She flew into his arms embracing him fiercely. Robertyn stared into her eyes and knew this was his sister. She was a child no more. She was a woman, equal to him in age. She wasn’t the same girl who had left but she was back and she was safe and that was all, at that moment, that Robertyn cared about. His heart had broken thinking her gone, imagining her dead, but she was saved, returned to them.

Liliana slowly approached them.  She looked questioningly at Robertyn who nodded in reply. Liliana dropped to her knees and Robertyn drew her into the embrace.

Talis helped his son to his feet.

“Are you okay Eryk?” Eryk embraced his father then nodded.

“I feel fine Father. Exhausted but none the worse for wear that I can tell.”

“What happened?”

“To be honest I don’t know. I was at the house with the others waiting for word from you, and then suddenly I was somewhere else, another place, another land, the Otherworld I think. And Merayla was there. I don’t know how I knew but I knew she was there for me to train. I became master to her as you have been to me. I showed her the world and taught her the ways of magic and nature. Somehow as time passed she aged from puberty to adulthood yet I remained the same.” Eryk stopped and watched Merayla with her siblings. A soft smile lit is face. “She is the most amazing woman father.”

Talis chuckled and squeezed his son’s shoulder. After all this time his son, finally, had lost his heart and to a royal woman of prophecy no less. Talis looked to Blodwyn who was watching her god children, a smile warming her face as her own tears of relief and happiness fell. It had been just hours since Merayla’s disappearance. Though it seemed the world and have moved and changed in that small time. Whoever the man with the red eyes had been his plan to destroy the prophecy had failed and he had in fact aided their cause. Merayla was now a grown woman, and capable of the greatness prophecy hinted at. Time would not have to be wasted now waiting for her to grow into her body and into her magic. The Lord and Lady moved in ways no mortal could comprehend and the evil attempted had been turned into a blessing. The time of prophecy had arrived and now they had a better chance than ever imagined of succeeding, restoring the Fae blood to the throne and bringing magic back into their lands. Magic was already blooming and blossoming, Talis could see the energies radiating out of the returned woman infusing all around her. He was pleased to see that as her energy merged with his son’s it became a soft rosy colour, the colour of love. The greatest power in the world was love and in this room evil forces had created and strengthened it in ways they had much reason to fear. Love would conquer, love would restore, love would heal and the prophecy would come to pass.

Merayla sat in the darkness. She had no idea how long she had been here now. It seemed like an eternity and perhaps it had been. She could feel nothing at all. No floors beneath her feet, nor walls to meet her outstretched fingers. The man with the red eyes had said “Out of time out of space, withered and dead before dawn meets this place” How many times had she gone over that in her head? As she moved around her formless prison the air made her skin tingle. Like those time as a child she had tried to find magic within herself, her skin had tingled and magic had been so close and yet so far out of reach. As a child she had been a child the last time she had felt the ground beneath her feet and seen the light, seen anything, but child no longer. The only thing she could feel was herself. And the curves dictated she was child no more.

Time passed and Merayla’s mind returned to the last moments of freedom. Standing in the great hall beside her brother and sister, discovering they were in fact of royal blood with a great destiny ahead of them. She had been scared, had wondered if it was all some wondrous mistake. Then they had appeared. The man with the red eyes and his black winged harpy woman. They had swooped into the hall startling everyone. The man had looked straight at her. “No destiny, no third, the prophecy broken, the world torn asunder by the words spoken. Out of time and out of space, withered and dead before dawn meets this place” Then nothing. Nothing for so long. She felt she might go insane. Perhaps she had. But there were still dreams and in her dreams and day dreams she was real again. She lived, she felt, she learned. And she loved.

As the curves had come to her body, so had his face come to her mind. His smiling eyes all the time keeping the fear at bay. His eyes so clear, full of understanding. He took her on journey’s to places never before imagined. Tall snow covered mountains, deep into jungled forests, to the shores of a great ocean that stretched on so far Merayla wondered if it ended with a sudden drop. They talked always. Words of wisdom, stories and tales, and learning, so much knowledge poured from his lips into her. A lifetime of knowledge in every dream. She dreamed herself magical, as she had always dreamed in her youth, her life before darkness. He taught her as master to apprentice the ways of the soul, the command of the elements, the call of all creatures. She dreamed herself powerful and wonderful. And so she kept her sanity, or at least the illusion of sanity. She did not dream of her life before. She tried not to think of her brother, her sister. For she did not want to feel her tears.

Robertyn looked to his godmother, Blodwyn was a mess. One moment tearful and holding tight to himself and his sister Liliana, the next screaming and thundering at the almighty powers, her ancestors and anyone else she could lay the disappearance of Merayla at the feet of. Talis was pouring through scroll after scroll and book after book. Jered and Derek were talking to everyone in the household. Merayla was gone, vanished with the intruders. The dark caped man with the burning red eyes and his seven angels of darkness, ugly hags with great black feathered wings. He had spouted his nonsense rhyme and vanished taking Merayla with him. He had threatened to kill her by sunrise and as the night wore on Robertyn felt more sick. He was helpless, he did not know who the man was, he did not know where he had come from nor where he had gone to. How could he find Merayla by sunrise, how could any of them. He had never felt more worthless and helpless and it made him sick to his stomach. He wished he could be sedated like Liliana, who sat stunned and quiet. Her senses dulled by the potion of Talis’s.

“I have it!” Talis yelled startling half the room into silence. Blodwyn looked up from her recent bout of tears at him. “What?” “Out of time and out of space; a pocket plane. It’s a pocket plane. He has put her in a bubble of space not of this world. Time does not work as we know it there, the laws of nature do not work as we know them at all. Time is moving so swiftly for her that by sunrise she will have aged her whole lifetime and will” Talis paused, the excitement leaving his voice and demeanour.

“She will be dead,” finished Robertyn.

“How do we get her back Talis, we have to get her back!” Blodwyn stood up and moved to see the scroll Talis had been reading. “How do we get her back from this plane? Can we get her back?”

Talis put his arm around Blodwyn’s shoulders. “We will get her back, we have to.”

“But how?”

“I don’t know” Talis confessed his hand falling to his side. “I know the theory of these pocket planes, and then even if I could find one I don’t know that I would find the one holding her.” He dropped into the nearest chair putting his head into his hands. “Perhaps if I had time, I had resources and I had the council of the thirteen I might be able to come up with something.”

As if on cue a young paige came running into the hall. “Dragons, the dragons are coming.”

Talis was out of his seat and half way to the door before the boy had finished his first word. Eleven dragons were circling and landing as Robertyn reached the courtyard. He was only a fraction of a second slower than Talis. A body seemed to be laid out across the back of the first dragon, a rider seated behind it, keeping it in place. Robertyn’s heart skipped and tears sprung to his eyes. But as he closed the distance he realised this body was too large, too tall to be Merayla. This was the body of a grown man, not a little girl.

“Lord and Lady, no!” Talis exclaimed as he neared the dragon. The rider dismounted and was joined by the riders of two more of the dragons. Together they released the body and let it slide into their arms. Gently they laid it out on the ground. Robertyn noticed first that it was breathing. The man was unconscious not dead. Then he realised how like Talis this man looked, much younger, but still very alike.

“Eryk,” whispered Talis as he knelt on the ground. “My son.” He began to weep. The first rider put his hand on Talis’s shoulder and squeezed it.

“Master, he is not dead. Four hours ago he collapsed, there was no warning, we were simply eating midmeal. We have not been able to revive him thus far and thought it best to bring him here.” “Four hours ago,” Robertyn repeated “That was when Merayla disappeared.”

“Are the others all here?” asked Talis. The first rider nodded before replying. “We eleven all came with Eryk.”

Talis stood up and turned to Blodwyn who had joined them. “The Lord and Lady shine on us. Here is our hope!”

Everyone hushed as Talis held up his arms. He waited a few moments to have everyone’s attention before he began to speak. His voice had a melodic aspect to it. Lulu felt a shiver run down her body as it relaxed, her mind stilling at the sound of his voice. As he spoke his words formed in her mind, she felt as she saw and felt all that he said.

“In the times gone by all was ruled by a great family. Long had their blood stood uniting the lands together under one banner against our enemies. The land blossomed in their wisdom, the harvests swelled under their guidance and the land was happy. Long lived were these rulers. Longer than we the common people, longer than they the lord and ladies.  The last to rule this great land of ours were the High King Alexander and his beautiful Queen Jusandria. For long years all waited for a child to be born to them. Many feared the Queen to be barren but despite the urging on his councillors the Alexander would not put aside his lady love. Their love was true and pure and though they despaired they had faith that from their love would blossom new life. Their faith was strong and in time they were right to hold to it. A beautiful child was born to them, a girl given the name Lilith. The kingdom rejoiced.

As was tradition on the eve of her one mood birthday a great feast was held. The child would be presented and a godparent would be chosen. This godparent would become as a parent, as sibling, confident, guardian and guide to the child. It was a position of great honour and none knew who would be chosen. The night came and the King and Queen’s closest friend and advisor, Myrddan, was chosen as GodFather. Myrddan was also the kingdom’s greatest weaver of magic and mystery. As he took the child into his arms to accept his role in her life he fell into a trance. Lilith glowed deep red in his arms. His voice shook the room as it thundered in prophecy from his lips. In my arms lies the downfall and salvation of the kingdom. No more in this age shall the High Queen and King rule our lands. For an age shall we rule unto ourselves. Should any sit upon these thrones and seek to rule then shall the land plummet into darkness and our enemies shall claim all as there own. The family shall be hidden, the waters eternal shall sustain. And so shall the symbols of their sovereignty be taken and for their hidden away in the arms of the family. When the age is done once more shall the family return and unite the lands and defeat the darkness as it comes. Then he fell silent.

No one doubted the words he had issued as truth, and none hesitated to follow them through. That night the King and Queen and their newborn were whisked from the castle, never to return. The Lords and Ladies of the lands agreed to rule in their own right and peace prevailed.

Unbeknown to their subjects the line of the family continued. Another child was born to the queen, a son they named Aneil. Their children grew and found loves of their own and were married. The family had two lines. Myrddan prophesied once more before disappearing from all record and all knowledge. He foretold that from the line of Lilith would come they that would rule and restore the kingdom, from the line Aneil would come the line that would protect and hide the symbols and the future rulers until the age was ended and they may come forth again.

Many years passed and both lines of the family flourished. Then came the time of hiding. The symbols were set forth with the daughters of Queen Lilith the granddaughter of Aniel. Lilith tasked her daughter Blodwyn with the task of watching over the line of the family.

Blodwyn took the line of her great great aunt from their place by the Fountain Eternal and took them back out into the lands to live as their subjects lived. Many generations of the family royal have come and gone in hiding. So many that they no longer know who they are or what they are tasked to do.”

Talis paused for a moment. Lulu’s head was spinning. In her heart she felt she knew what he was about to say, but she feared it was ego leading her to this conclusion. Talis’s voice returned to normal as he spoke again. Still commanding but lacking the magic of moments before.

“The age has ended. Darkness threatens at our borders and the Eye glows for release. The royal family long exiled must not seek and retrieve the symbols of their authority, they must restore their throne. They must unite the land as only they may do, as they are destined to do. And they must lead us to victory.”

Lulu felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Godmother Lil standing beside her. Merayla was already standing up and walking to stand beside Talis.

“Follow your sister.” Lil said to Lulu and Bobbob. They both rose and followed Merayla.

“Three members of the royal line remain, who without knowing the truth began questing for their birthright. Tonight they reclaim the truth of their heritage.”

“Bobbob..” said Lulu clutching tight to her brother’s hand.

“Bobbob no more.” Said Lil “It is time to put away the names of your childhood and go by the names you were given at birth.”

Talis and Lil moved to stand behind the three Fae children.

“It is more pleasure and right to present the heirs of this Kingdom. I present their Royal Highness’s Prince Robertyn Emrys Fae, Princess Liliana Morgana Fae and Princess Merayla Kayla Fae.”

Variety Lights | Federico Fellini, 1950

Federico Fellini may be considered a legendary figure these days, but his introduction into cinema was a lot more humbling. In the summer of 1944 as Italy was being liberated and World War II drew to a close, Fellini was making money by drawing caricatures of Allied solders. It was during this memorable summer that he was approached by Roberto Rossellini about contributing on the project Rome, Open City. Of course, Fellini had written for films before, but it would be many years yet before he took his first and rather tentative steps into directing. Indeed, part of the reason Variety Lights presented such an opportune platform for Fellini was because he would be teaming up with an experienced Milanese director named Alberto Lattuada. They would go on to form a firm friendship in their creation of this fun little film about a travelling troupe of theater people – a film that would go on to critical and commercial failure,  costing each filmmaker dearly. The story itself concerns the dangerous influences of fame and greed, encouraged within a provincial vaudeville group when a pretty young country girl joins them and makes it big. Primarily, this affects the aging stage comic Checco (played by Peppino De Filippo) who already harbours illusions of fame and grandeur. He falls for the girl Liliana (played by Carla Del Poggio, the wife of Lattuada) and becomes convinced that the she and he are destined for greatness, ruining his relationship with the lovely Melina (Giulietta Masina, the wife of Fellini) in the process.

Variety Lights is a warm debut from Fellini though never presents much forward development plot-wise as the story is rather static. While characters aren’t seen to evolve they certainly gain more depth as the film rolls on, and each is unique and likeable in their own way – most of all Checco whose hard-headed attitude never abates throughout. The film also offers an intriguing insight into the lives of these kind of performers,  whose very being we are introduced to through colour and glamour but that we later find out is  tawdry and poor existence. One of the more important reasons to see Variety Lights however is that it shows a young Fellini as he discovers concepts and ideas that will play a prominent part in his entire career. An example of this would be the uniquely Fellinian use of Rome’s piazzas, which are seen as full or empty to signify either wild social enjoyment or solitude and loneliness. One of the film’s finer scenes involves Checco waiting dejected outside his hotel in an abandoned piazza for the lovely Liliana to return. She comes back with news of signing for a much more famous theater group, and Checco doesn’t hesitate to mention all he has done for her. He ends by hinting that perhaps in return she should allow him to share her bed, to which she agrees without hesitation – uncovering the lack of morals she usually hides. Checco sees this and slaps her in retaliation, in turn removing his own facade to reveal a good and honest man underneath – perhaps bettering any of his peformances on the stage. Variety Lights is an enjoyable ride but one that suffers slightly from bloated writing and crossed morals. Though above all it should be noted as a critical point in Fellini’s development and in his new style of cinema that would eventually replace Neorealism.

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