19. The place where it all began

Dear diary,
 
I'm treating you today by writing in the most beautiful place on earth, I am sure of that. Today was wonderful and had a lot to take in, so brace yourself, it's going to take a while. Let me start off by saying this. I've never imagined I would get to know what I know now. And I must say I am scared. I feel privileged in a way, but responsible too. For a lot. You'll understand soon. It's okay, Bart will manage. He has some amazing friends near him, and the most amazing nutcase poppy girlfriend. <3
 
I'll start with the amazing day of... whatever actually. I forgot to check what day it is. So, the day before yesterday started like any other day. Me and Xebec were in the captain’s quarters, this time Nixie being the captain of course, plotting a course and trying to predict when we would arrive. It was due today, somewhere in the evening with good wind. Lucky us had some good windy days the past week, almost. But the fog wasn't helping. As we reached land once again, Xebec had to slow down so we don't crash into anything. Just before sunset we reached some tall rock formations, cliffs. I called Xebec to the map and we concluded we had arrived at the Sapphire Fountain, its outer edge at least. It was very foggy so we couldn't really see much, but we spotted an entrance at some point. For safety we decided it would be better if we would spend the night outside and go in first thing in the morning. Who knew what other obstacles could have been there. Next morning we set sail into one of the gaps between the cliffs. Everything was good until suddenly the ship stopped violently, as if we hit a castles wall. I went to check for rocks underneath the ship, but nothing was there. No shipwreck either, nothing. We were all a bit confused and a little panicked, as it didn't seem we had hit anything, until Pullius recognised a magic veil in front of our ship. It was a barrier. I tried touching it, and it felt very smooth and soft, but unbreakable with force. Drenizek was the one most annoyed by it since he started punching it while screaming: "LET ME IN! LEEET MEE IINNNN!!!" I quickly went to talk with the Black Sylph. I told her we arrived, we arrived home. She immediately started to giggle and jump everywhere. She was so excited she wanted to come out on deck. I offered her my arm, as she wanted to walk there herself. I told her about the crew but she didn't mind. I could see that glimmer in her right eye get brighter with every step we took towards the bowsprit. When we got out of the mess hall everybody remembered the angel that saved them from the lady of the sea. Except Dillen who was a total ass, but it's not even worth mentioning his words. I could feel the Sylph's excitement as we got closer to that magic barrier and when she reached it and pulled it towards her, the ship started moving again. We were inside.
 
The fog started to clear slowly as we were advancing. I was on the ledge with Eve when I saw a fish. YES! A FISH! Then I heard a seagull, then more fish and more seagulls. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. Besides us we saw nothing but death for over a month. As the fog cleared we could see the water we were sailing on. It was the most beautiful azure blue I've ever seen. It truly looked like a sea made of sapphires. I couldn't see all of this without shedding a tear of happiness. I took Eve by the hand and hugged her for a while. We felt calm, after so much distress and loss. We kept on sailing for the rest of the day. The crew was happy to work hard once again, as the wind picked up massively. We were flying. Night came so we dropped anchor in the middle of the sea, mesmerizing at the clear sky and all the life around us. There was a beautiful scent in the air. I don’t even remember when I fell asleep. All I know is I woke up on deck, with Eve on my chest. I kissed her good morning a bunch of times and we continued to admire the view that was before us. The Black Sylph was with us and she was constantly pointing towards where she felt her home is. At some point a huge school of fish started to push us. It was amazing, I almost fell in the water. We reached another chain of cliffs and rocks similar to the one we entered from. We found an exit, or rather an entrance to something greater. We took a few rowboats, because we were closing in on a shore.
 
We entered some sort of heaven there. Or maybe a fracture of heaven. We noticed a small rock which had a sylph engraved on it. There was no path to follow but we went in that direction. The Black Sylph was almost dancing of excitement while guiding us towards where she felt home was. We entered a beautiful large field full of flowers. Roses, dandelions, poppies (yes, I thought of Eve), lilies, everything. The Black Sylph stopped, and so we did. The crew went on chasing some butterfly somewhere. She gave us her mask, and we could finally see her face. It was saddening… She was all black, corrupted. Except her right eye, glimmering like the brightest star on the sky. She thanked us all for helping her and hugged the ground. We could hear her! A voice in everybody’s heart, calling Ftheis. A voice so pure and brave… We watched as bits of her started flying with the wind until there was nothing left but her clothes and the cookies she ever got from us and Damaschini’s party. She was finally home, with the Almighty…
 
Soon after, a few butterflies came at her belongings. We looked closer and realised in awe that those were not butterflies. We were seeing Sylphs. Small winged elves. They were barely the size of a peach. They touched her clothes and flowers began to sprout from them. Nixie helped us with the translation, as they were speaking old Elvish. These elves were the Black Sylph’s family. They told us her name was Sea. A derivative from the word Seith, meaning bonding. A perfect name… She was truly an angel. She bonded us all together like nothing else could. The sylphs wanted to thank us by showing us and answering any questions we had. They brought us to a pond, where they all pointed their fingers. An image started to form. Multiple images. One of the sylphs was narrating the story as we went. Nixie tried to understand as much as she could and tell us. We were about to see the place where it all began.
 
It all started with a few lights of different brightness. They were the first beings created by the Almighty. Angels. One day the brightest light called upon Ftheis and asked Him for something, telling Him they where feeling lonely and wanted to love and create something. Ftheis heard his prayer and so the lights paired, each pair giving birth to an elf. Those elves were taller and had wings. They lived in the most perfect world. Beneath the celestials. The world we saw at the monument of life, filled with what we now call elvish steel and star essence. At some point the elves crowned one of their own as the king of all elves. He wore a round crown made of silver with 3 tips pointing towards the sky. The brightest light was furious, as it wasn’t his elf, despite his being the tallest, smartest, fittest and most beautiful by all standards. The light went to Ftheis asking him for something, but this time on a darker note. Then he began ascending into the sky, higher and higher, while shining brighter and brighter until he violently dropped beneath every other light and turned into a source of darkness, a shadow, a demon. He and almost half the other lights turned into shadows. That was when Heaven and Hell were born. The darkest shadow and his followers asked their elves to leave the others. And so a separation between the elves was formed as well. A war soon ensued between the celestials. A horrible war. One light was not involved in either party though. It was the pair of the former brightest light, now called Lucifer. It stood there watching the war. Her name was Aneith. The elves didn’t like the war, and they were hurt by it. Seeing their parents fight was awful. One day the king of all elves went to the now king of all turned elves. He tried to convince him to come back and live peacefully again, so that their parents wouldn’t fight anymore. Aneith then went and asked Ftheis for something, then it went and talked with the other lights. It arrived on earth where the two elves were talking and whispered something into her child’s ear. She whispered of death and murder. Elves were immortal and did not know yet of conflict and killing. She gave him that knowledge and a black sword, which he used to stab the king of all elves in the chest, murdering him. The first time blood was spilled on earth. Aneith’s eyes turned from green to purple while a choir formed of both angels and demons started chanting her new name: Xantinya. Then half chanting and praising her as loyal, while the others as a traitor. Every star essence she touched turned into Xenatine. She turned into a shadow and plunged into hell to her pair, Lucifer. The elves started massacring each other, going straight ahead into a war that would wipe them all. That’s when the king’s daughters prayed to Ftheis to save the elves and take it all upon them. A huge rupture then happened. The sky began to shatter, the ground collapsed, trees, plants, life seized to exist and in a split moment one world became 9. 9 new worlds each different and stronger in one particular way than the others. Ftheis threw the kings family in our world, the world of magic, and the turned elves into the world of death. Then He cursed them all with eternal life and Xantinya to forever be linked with the mortals' destiny, so she would finally understand them. After a long time, elves began to sprout from every corner of our world, this time tall as we know them today, but without wings or immortality. That’s where the story of when it all began stopped. These elves here where the king’s daughters. A lot smaller though. They were once tall, like every other elf, but the curse and desire of man to surpass God slowly ate at their size. The Wester Desolation being right next to this place affected them greatly.
 
They showed us how Sea got to us. A long time ago, when Gava fell, a powerful lich lord came here and wanted to destroy this place. The elves fought him, but he managed to capture Sea. For years he tortured her, ripping her wings and experimenting his dark magic on her. He slowly cursed every bit of her, corrupting her being. When the curse reached half of her body she disappeared suddenly into another world. The world of the soul. Where she wandered around, in an empty field until she was found.
 
We were all in awe and shock. Who would have thought we would live to see the world’s genesis. The sylphs implored us not to tell the elves anything. I feel weird. Relieved but stressed at the same time. Happy but sad. Our purpose evolved. We once only wanted to bring Sea home. Now we must stop Xantinya from destroying ours. The thought of stopping a demon is unnerving enough. But Sea managed to escape her immortality and go back to Ftheis, so nothing is impossible. We now have knowledge, a blessing and a curse, but most importantly we now know what to choose from. Fighting or giving up. And I won’t give up on anything, no matter how hard it might seem. We will manage somehow. That’s the beauty of life. It always sprouts. I know Sea will watch us from heaven. We won’t disappoint her. Here is where it all begins. We will miss her.
 
May the Almighty save our souls.