The Druid's Muse (prologue)

The king turned his thoughts to the KIR-IZMIR. Its existence brought about the beginning of life, and eventually the birth of the elves. Humans referred to it as the 'life stone', for most races couldn't recognize, let alone speak the Elven tongue. To look at it without knowing or believing the legends, one might only see its physical presence and dismiss it as simply a pretty stone. Twice the height of an Elf and perhaps an arm's length wide, it jutted out of the ground at a slight angle. During the midafternoon hours, rays of light hit it just right and dozens of facets along the crystal's smooth edges created a rainbow of reflections. A beautiful spectacle in and of itself, to a believer it was truly awe inspiring. KIR-IZMIR. It was the source of all magic good and true, acting as a conduit of nature's energy, energy that sustains all creatures of magic. Elves, Pixies, Elementals and a handful of other beings were all born of it. If lost, the Elves have no defense against the dark forces that threatened them. The life stone was the only thing keeping them alive through the evil sickness that ravaged everything. Even so, the Elves and their land were being poisoned, closer to the end than ever.

Eden Sylvestri, protector of the life stone, shut the window and tried to let his mind go somewhere else for just a moment. Finally, he turned around and started walking towards his bed, the dull pain in his mind and body telling him to rest. He crawled into the warmth of his bed and sunk into the soft blankets, trying not to dwell on the future, but finding it impossible. Turning his head to look out the window once more, he let his gaze glide along the pinpricks of light that littered the sky, eventually resting on the crescent moon glittering peacefully in the quiet night. Comforted by a faint glimmer of hope, a faint smile came to his face and he shut his eyes. Moments later he was sound asleep.

Midnight came and went, and all was still in the Elven nation of Aubusson. In the early hours while the city slept, some time before the sun was to rise into dawn, a deafening howl pierced the night air. With it came tornado-like winds that swept and swirled about the center of the gardens, where the life stone had remained since the beginning of time. Eden was jolted out of a deep slumber, and sat up in bed still groggy and a bit confused. He peeled himself away from the warm embrace of fine bedding, and stood up to investigate what seemed to be a windstorm. Suddenly, a searing pillar of fire roared downward from the sky, and exploded into the garden's center, creating a deadly inferno.