The following is one excerpt from the gigantic library of stories I am building for the Phantammeron novel. In the tale below, I outline one aspect of the curse of the Argyl-Pyr, or Silver Cauldron that held the cursed waters of the Pool of Eternity. This cursed cauldron held the last of the waters that sat beneath the massive tree called Celebreava, which held the food of the Gods. When the waters of the pool were ripped away, the tree stood dying alone in the vast Fey Wilderness called Phantaia, and the fruits withered on the tree. It is this relic and its destiny that played a large part in the fate of so of many characters in the book:

In the youth of the world, following the forging of the elements by the fathers of water, earth, air and water, sat an immense land of promise; a lonesome place devoid of all life, yet fertile. This was the land given to the “shining ones”, the sons and daughters of Fey. This was the place prepared for the Children of Shining, the true kindred of the All-Father, who is the world, and who’s essence is the world. He sacrificed himself, so that they might they find a home for themselves and their children in this blasted world. It was their world, given them by this father, who’s flesh was the earth eternal, and who’s heart still beat within it, and for them with love. To this middle realm came the spirit of the White Hawk, Shavalima, which descended through this blue mist, and lay down wings spread, across this central land of Adda. Around the distant borders of the world, lay the Midgardr ring of stones built by Skatha’s Giants, the Skaelings. And in between a lay a silent land enshrouded by a dark mist. The giant’s wall and the spirit of the Shavalima together held firm and protected this place from the evils of Ramaratha and his demonic servants who sought to destroy this middle realm they called Adda.

Cast out and fallen into this land of limitless shadows and darkness, came the Children of Shining, who in time left the wilderness of Phantaia, as it lay dying and the One Tree shed its last dying fruit, which was their only sustenance. Fleeing to this place, they found their ways by silver trails and moonlit paths to the place prepared for them in Adda. There, they came upon the sleeping walls the city of the Giants and made a gift to them, such that these servants of the earth might forge for them a city of their own; a City of the Gods, which was called Partholand in those days. It was an immense city of delights that spread its cobblestone streets across the plains of Adda, and held the secrets of the Shining Children from the prying eyes of their enemies, Fey-Bala and the spirit-demons of Ramaratha. In this mighty city the Children hid from the too from monstrous beasts of the world, who roamed about the edges of the black forest around Partholand and devoured all that came through there. But the Shining kindred left upon a time and cast out a life-giving light upon the rocks and forested valleys below, and all became green and new life was born. No force in those days could stop this new life, for in those early days it was the enlightened will of their father, Aman, that that should be, as only their lights held the power to give life and fill the world with their loving spirits. In those early days, the Children walked upon the face of the earth, sowing the seeds of Eternal Springtime and the Seasons came, the leaves grew as bud, flowered, and then turned red and fell in the fall, and winter snows blessed the peaks and the cycle of the earth was given by them and them alone. Adda itself blossomed as one great force and the animals came forth and rejoiced at the beauty given them.

There, in this mighty city, from the fringes of the world, came the elemental fathers of fire and earth, Rashû and Marû, held a special court at the center of the earth, away from the spying eyes of Lyrlû and Manû, daughters of the waters and sky. For their son, Manon was to take make a pact to instigate the union of Earth and Fire by taking a bride, the red-haired fiery Rhiallon. Mannon however, was still a boy-child and loved hunting and joined a retinue of his kind, roaming about the earth and was still filled with childhood’s games and the dreams of youth. Yet, Rhiallon, the wild daughter of the Fire Lord, was demanding, and early on she had her heart set on the handsome Mannon. So the Lords of Earth and Fire vowed to make this pact such that the realms of the two would be bound together eternally by their children and hold sway over the world apart of the Lords of Water and Air. Manon reluctantly agreed, and in the courts of Partholand, their love together was bound forever.

But hidden from the Lords of the Elements, their parents, the children of the forces of the world played with the Children of Shining and together forged a secret bond unbeknownst to their kind. There came Narû the earth-child, and Fey-Hannon the child of spectral light, Fey-Ama the eldest who was but a young woman, the little flame of Monadas, and Ollûm of the Silver-Tail who is the Moon, and Unavera the shining girl charioteer of the sun, Gona the forgotten dark child, and little Keva of the western winds, little Nokkath her cold northern brother, Lamlíel the ocean spirit and little Laveanna the secret spring. There in a secret place inside a glade of the earth, in childhood visions, in silly laughter, was a special willow tree planted upon a mound erected by Narû and planted by Fey-Hannon. There they danced around this sacred tree, and Gona was made king of the mountain. The gentle shadow-lord, could only smile for he loved his brothers and sisters dearly and the joy of their union was his as well.

Meanwhile to Manon and Rhiallon a child was born, and his name was Minnod. As a youth he grew quickly to manhood. In his day he was the most handsome of youths; and invincible to the beasts of the world, for his skin was of rock yet in his veins flowed the fire of his mother. And this unbridled and untamed passion lay hidden in his heart, one which he could not control, and would be his undoing in time. It was the will of the Lords of Fire and Earth that this eternal being be introduced to the Fey-Ama, who as the leader of the Children of Light was enamored of the youthful Minnod. In time, their children would then have the power to forge together against the evil Fey-Bala who was building an army to destroy Partholand. But the Argyl-Pyr and the taste of its waters by the lips of Lamliel and Minnod was yet to change this.

…to be continued