Author's Note:
This is not a translation. It is an original story written by me that I intend to publish commercially. This story is copyright in its entirety by me. Please do not post the content on any other sites.That said, it would be hypocritical of me to forbid fan translations. I would ask that anyone doing fan translations observe the following conditions:
1. Provide a link to this site. Preferably the main Aetheria page: here.
2. Do not compile the chapters into an ebook. Do not sell the content. (Please contact me if you want to become the official translator.)
Comments and suggestions are welcome. There's still time to make changes before the official publication of the first book, so if you see anything that seems out of character or doesn't make sense, let me know either by posting a comment or through the contact form.
Thanks, and hopefully you'll enjoy the story!
Prologue
Gray.
Not solid, but a kind of meandering mist.
That was my impression of my surroundings. I had no idea how long I had been here. It may have even been only a moment or maybe years. There was a sense of timelessness in this place. A formless world churning aimlessly… no, maybe it wasn't quite aimless. Occasionally, the swirls seemed to congeal into something recognizable, as if an idea was given substance, and for a brief moment, a Will—a being—could be seen.
Looking around again, I was able to make out bright spots in the mist, places that maintained a dense consistency and drew in stray tendrils of thought from the mist around them from time to time. Realizing that I was not alone, I noticed a radiant presence that was substantially brighter than the others and my gaze was naturally drawn in that direction.
I gathered my thoughts—my essence—and moved through the mist, occasionally catching glimpses of the dreams surrounding the other beings while I passed by on my way toward the mysterious light that dwarfed the others. Perhaps approaching such a powerful being was recklessly foolish and risky, but the warm feeling that light was emitting felt almost like a mother looking out upon her children.
The closer I drew toward that warmth, the more the light seemed to coalesce into the impression of a feminine figure dressed in a fluttery and gauzy white dress with sun-bleached luminescent hair floating in the mist behind her.
In the cynical depths of my mind, a stray thought regarded the image as cliché, but whether to call the impression that of a queen or an elfin woodland maiden… it was hard to say that it was either or maybe even both. Regardless of the impression, the presence that I had approached gave off a sense of unfathomable power and strength of existence.
While her impression never did completely solidify, she gave an inviting smile and beckoned me into her presence with a delicate open hand and a gentle sweep of her gauze draped arm. Her eyes seemed to show delight at the unexpected encounter.
"I see that you have awakened and I'm glad that you have come to approach me," she said lightly, and then her expression turned a bit sad. "Our kind are a special existence. We are beings of pure energy—the embodiment of thoughts and ideas given form by a Will. We are beings that must constantly embrace change. When one of our kind ceases to change, to grow, to evolve, stagnation occurs, and once the will weakens and fades, our fate is to fade away and become mist. But that is not the end—the mist does not become nothingness. It disperses and joins the mist of others who have passed and is gathered up when a new Will sparks the birth of a new being."
She pauses, taking in my expression before continuing, "And so while it's sad when one departs from us, it is an occasion for joy when it leads to a new friend being born."
Was she saying that I had just been born?
Before that, the question that came to me was: did I die?
I somehow felt that I had the common sense of someone who had been alive for quite some time and that I had a corporeal body before this. However, try as I might, I could not remember anything from before awakening in this place.
"Where is this place? And why am I here?" I worried about the protocol for addressing such a superior being, but considering the conversational manner in which I was addressed, I decided to respond similarly.
With a slight tilt of her head, she appeared to consider how best to answer. "This place? Hmm… to say that it is a place between worlds, as those from the outside do, is not quite right. It is definitely a part of the world, and yet it also sits apart from the world that is perceived by those who are not of this place. Those from the outside would call this The World of the Fae or more simply The Mist.” And with a bit of an impish smile she continues, "As to why you are here, is there some place else you desire to be?"
The World of the Fae…faeries? Does that make her the Queen of the Fae… does that make me a magical being as well?
I looked down to try to see my hands…
Do I have hands?
The impression was blurry and indistinct.
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"Of course, that's not what you really wanted to ask, is it?" She smiled knowingly. "You see, your existence is a bit special. But even so, you had stagnated, and your will was beginning to fade, so I'm relieved that you were able to return to us. That said, while some things were gained, it seems that in the process, much was lost."
Ugh… that’s a bit scary to hear. I wonder if that explains why my memories of the past are missing.
Her attention seemed to wander to something in the distance for a moment before she focused her gaze squarely upon me with a serious expression.
"I'm still quite worried for you, but perhaps the change you need to save yourself would be better sought outside the mists that we call home. My foresight and divinations are indicating that a time of turmoil will be coming to the world, and that there may be a chance for you to have a significant impact on what is to come. Unfortunately, the foreseen time for you to journey outside of these mists has come quicker than I expected—or perhaps you were longer in returning to us than expected, but—"
As the Queen of the Fae continued talking, a scene came into focus. It was a scene of a peasant-looking woman struggling as she crested a foothill while carrying a wounded boy. Behind her in the distance a medieval-style village burned. While the peasant-looking woman appeared human, the boy had black horns growing back along the sides of his head and had a reddish, black-tinted skin that made him look more demon than human.
"—while I can influence the passage of time to some extent, I cannot stop it completely and the time remaining before you will have to choose grows short—“
The sounds and smells of the outside world were steadily becoming clearer and more real. I was shocked when suddenly, with a desperate mournful cry, the woman collapsed and dropped the boy in front of us—just on the other side of the mist and not two arm lengths away.
I could see now that the woman had terrible burns and wounds. There was also an arrow lodged into her back, and it was clear from the state of her clothes that she had lost way too much blood. She reached toward the boy, but her strength had already left her, and the light was fading from her eyes.
As I looked on horrified, the essence of the woman’s being began to dissipate from her body. The boy didn’t look to be in much better shape, as he was unconscious, and his breathing was ragged and irregular. His shirt was dyed red from blood.
"—due to all that has happened, and due to his physical wounds, this boy has already lost the will to live. He will die soon."
"Why are you showing this to me?"
"As an immortal and magical being of the Fae, your body has an innate ability to regenerate wounds, physical or otherwise. You will lose your immortality, but if you were to merge your existence with this boy, perhaps in a way, both of you can be saved and given a chance to make a difference in the events to come. By assuming a physical body, you will be able to exist and live in the world apart from the World of the Fae."
If you spring this on me so suddenly, how is that fair? You're asking me to decide to give up what and who I am on a moment's notice—what's up with that?! If you had foreseen this event why couldn't you have prevented it… or healed them yourself?!
"I do apologize for the abruptness, but you must hurry, or your inaction will make the choice for you. The window of this chance will not hold for much longer."
The boy gasped and gave his final breath. I could see his spirit beginning to disperse.
Geh!!
I just witnessed the woman die in front of me, and I didn't want to see that happen again. I hurtled through the barrier of mist, grabbing up as much of the boy's dispersing spirit as I could on my way to merging with the boy's body—willing it to breathe!
Darkness.
The sound was hazy, but I thought that I could hear the Queen's voice in the distance, so with what willpower remained, I sought to regain consciousness and listened.
"… you have done well to have saved the boy… but for you a new journey, and a new struggle will now begin… it is not much, but to aid you in your journey I have bestowed upon you a gift…you have been given a special aptitude to learn new skills and gather companions to yourself… what you choose to do with these gifts is up to you… while trouble is already stirring in the world, there will likely be some number of years before it reaches to you… my advice to you: grow, build your skills, gather companions, and make your way in the world…"
A dream-like image of the Queen had appeared in my mind as she spoke, but in the end even the distant musical sound of her voice was swallowed into the darkness.
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