The region known as Thokta Dell was, at one time, a patch of forest called Granitegrey. After thousands of years, the inhabitants of the woodlands expanded their area of influence over most of the Sefspar Peninsula, save for nearly one third of the land mass south of Annayl, the main city of the Fah’Voy Ra. This makes the dryadic race one of the most outspread races of Logos-Anima.

Approximately twelve aunnei ago, the Fah made a pact with the Nymphs, and for many reasons. The most commonly known reasons were least important to the wooded race, though they alone could justify the alliance. It became more than an understanding that, if war should ever come to be for either of the races, the counterpart of the treaty was expected to assist the one being attacked. It is written that this does not include a voluntary declaration of war on another race or any attempt to invade another land.

Trade was not discussed at length, as the Fah are, to this day, amazingly self-sufficient. However, the treaty made provisions for the nymphs to travel throughout the Sefspar Peninsula to hunt and gather Nyfyle. Though Lower Sefspar is plentiful with Nyfyle, the area was restricted to the Nymphs with little reason offered. No questions were asked and all that was provisioned was appreciated, as this part of the treaty afforded such generous use of Thokta Dell to the Nymphs.

The final provision made in the treaty was the apportioning of the land which lay between the peninsula and the Nymphallatess as common ground to both races. As a result, neither could build on the land, though both could use it as a resource.

These things, along with the personal imprints of Overseer Ardoren Lohtohr and Poliden’Ra, the High Priest of the Fah’Voy Ra, were etched and inked into Shei Rhessi’s back. Though she was just born, Shei Rhessi could also remember a copy of the treaty being carved onto the back of a wooden idol, which was shaped like a Fah in fetal position. Impressions were made and the idol was placed into a shallow bowl of water which would remain inside the Governing Chambers at the top of Annayl.

There is simply no wonder why Shei retained the lofty position of Diplomat. Anyone who knew her personally, including herself, also knew that she was involved in law and diplomacy from the very moment she was born. Everything she knew was taught to her only once; her retaining of information was as certain and quick as only the best trained and finest bred Nyfyles.

This last thought was a direct quote of the Overseer’s highest counselor, Manada’Vin, who kept Shei in her quarters and taught the little Halfling everything she knew. Day and night for eight aunnei, the little blue girl soaked in everything that was said by the counselor. This training was the will of Shei’s mother, who was also the eldest daughter of Ardoren. ‘Ah mother,’ Shei thought, ‘I wish I knew you better’.

Only a season after being dispatched by her mentor, Ardoren called upon Shei to appear before his court so that she could be recognized as an official. Though she never thought of herself as famed, she was the only one of her kind and was the living, breathing emblem of peace between Nymph and Fah. Upon her arrival, she realized that she was the guest of honor in a celebration that consisted of the most important nymphs; those who made certain that everything under their care was in order. These were those blessed with royalty and riches in the Nymph world. On that day, she would stand in the center of the crest emblazoned into the floor inside the massive Lohtohr Royal Hall. There she would be given the title of Sole Diplomat of the Fah and would then be recognized as royalty from that moment onward. The kindred royalty buzzed their wings loudly in congratulations of this recognition.

As the memory faded, Shei was still rubbing the Hymnissa sap into the skin on her lower back. The characters of the treaty read very clearly even though she had more than tripled in size over the last twelve aunnei. There was something pranaic about them; they were certainly not regular scars. Perhaps it was a Fah characteristic to maintain such detail in the flesh without any distortion. The ink was greenish yellow and seemed to glow, especially with the Hymnissa sap applied to it. The sap also brought out the ‘grains’ that ran across her skin like a fah’s age-rings.

The greenish-blue light shone through the domed window of Shei’s quarters, amplified slightly by a nyfyle’s eye-cap which made up the pane. It hadn’t been for too long that the Halfling had been awake. The morning’s thoughts were brought about by a dream which had reenacted the treaty signing. While this dream had remained consistent in- its number per season; at its end, a familiar phantom loomed closer and more crisp a detail- that idol. As though hours passed in her sleep, the wooden statue maintained center stage in its position of her vision, coming more into focus. Its arms were wrapped over legs which crossed at the shins while the knees remained tucked close to the chest of the eloquently carved Fah-Sapling, holding up the head by its firmly planted chin. The last moment of the dream ripped her from slumber, bringing about the speaking of the idol, whose tongue shook the whole of Logos-Anima with one word.

The water in the shallow bowl in which the idol sat motionless suddenly rippled violently with that word.

[SISTER]

Shei knew that there are certain things in the world that should not be ignored, which is why the Diplomat was so careful in her application of the sap. It was because of this dream that she would ride to Annayl today, making this her first visit to the Fah city since her arrival at Nyphallatess almost ten aunnei ago.

With the markings on her back exposed luminously, Shei clothed herself in a robe which kept the treaty bare. No longer dazed in recollection, she made her way through the morning’s merchant faire towards the Dictorium. She felt like she had someone guiding her steps, as her path was unusually efficient for this time of morning. It was this time of day that the Nymphs gathered in the common areas to trade wares and food. Every step was precise and the space around her was never intruded upon. Once clear of the crowds of merchants and their customers, the path was effortless and quick.

The four guards watched her approach for only a moment before they jumped to life and opened the massive, heavy doors in time for her to pass through to the Hall with an uninterrupted pace. Two of them walked through the threshold with her for a moment as they made their way to the back of the door. As soon as they were in position, the guards on the outside would pull as those inside pushed. It took all four of the stocky guards to open both doors at the same time, yet two would remain on the inside as long as there were people in the hall. The custom presumed a precautionary measure for both the royalty and the regalia inside, as nothing was more treasured by the Nymphs than their royal class and the history of their great past.

Shei circled around the Great Table, eyes focused on each of the Regalium discs mounted onto the living walls. Most of them were carved with the Antebasal Characters the Nymphs wrote at the beginning of their existence. These characters were associative cuneiforms based on the elements and the primitive nyfyle communication, so they were a slight challenge to read for Shei. The Diplomat stopped at one and attempted to decipher it every time she arrived in the hall alone, though she rarely completed the translation in one session.

The one that caught her eye was perfectly round, etched with a crescent moon, a quarter the size of this Regalium, with its points at the lower right edge. Inside the crescent was a nyfyle egg that glowed steadily red. Antebasal Characters surrounded the mounted egg decoratively, reading “Ka’Lida Desporsese, The Fiery Guiding Lights”. The rest of the Regalium was imprinted with a story.

“Ka’Lida, we remember you for your bravery at Cetmana and your sacrifice to Nymphkind. The shadow of Hegeset surrounded you in your final moments as you laid your hands upon the Inflicted General and crushed him with your power…”

There was a single soft thud at the door. The guards turned their attention from the center of the room to pull the door open for her guest. Pahkah arrived with another guard without wearing any bindings. As they entered the Dictorium, they were laughing amongst themselves. “I’ll be just outside, Pahkah. You can finish your story later.”

“Blessings, Nesonda. I won’t be long.” Pahkah lifted a hand in parting as the giant doors closed once again after the friendly guard.

“I see that you’re making friends, Pahkah,” Shei smiled and flitted her fingers at the outside of her legs. Since she didn’t have wings, this was as close to the Nymph’s respectful acknowledgement as she would get.

Pahkah was dressed in a white nyfyle silk robe, trimmed with a light, dull orange colour. His dark skin contrasted the clothing mystically. “We spend a lot of time together. When he stands guard outside of my quarters, we tell stories to each other. It’s been almost a season since our first meeting,” he explained with a small smile. “How are you today, Shei?”

“I’m troubled, honestly. I think that the Fah are calling for me. I’ll be riding to Annayl today, so we don’t have very much time. Since I’m not certain of the time of my return, I wanted to congratulate you on your upcoming meeting with Ardoren!”

“You’re not going to be there?” Pahkah became a little drawn at the news. “I’m afraid that I won’t adequately represent myself when I’m in front of your royals. Nevertheless, thank you for your wishes…”

“You just need to be honest. While Ardoren has a very strong presence, his inquiry will be far less thorough than mine. He just wants to see for himself that you are not a danger to Nymphkind. Well, he might also want to see the ‘strange, dark man’ for his own eyes. I’m certain that my correspondence with him was not the only account of you that he has received!” Shei was matter-of-fact in her comfort, but tried to lighten the tone jovially.

Pahkah resisted the queue to relax. “What troubles you? Why are you going to the Fah with such urgency?”

“It would be very difficult to explain. I’m half Fah, so I have ahnsha xithortikos theshera with them… do you know that phrase? No? It’s a connection. Here.” Shei pointed at her head. “The Fah speak with each other through three skesokt- mediums: Voice, ahnsha and kosoritha. The last is ‘branch tapping’ and ‘wind making’. I can kosorit with them with sticks, but I cannot make wind.” Shei seemed to be struggling for words that Pahkah would understand. Shei looked at the dark man in a way of asking him if he got her meaning, even a little.

“I think I understand what you are trying to say, but I couldn’t claim to know anything about these forms of communication, except for voice. So they called you in your thoughts?” Pahkah seemed more focused on the conversation now. Still less than an aunnei into learning Dragontongue, he still has to put effort into the task.

“Precisely. Since even my experience with the Fah is limited, I cannot tell how urgent the calling is. This is why I have to go.” Shei appeared to be looking at something beyond the  space in front of her for a moment. Then her tone changed slightly. “I suppose when I return, you’ll be one of us?”

“I have to admit that it’s a bit strange for me to consider. Only four of your ’seasons’ ago, I had no idea that I would become one in the fold of a people besides my own.” Pahkah became thoughtful and sighed. “Especially a people who, for the majority, have insects living as a part of them- a part of their bodies”

“I couldn’t even begin to entertain the thought of living in a world on which there is only one intelligent race. Even while most of the races of Logos-Anima live amongst themselves, there are cities like Crell, to the northwest, which are shared by all.” Shei visually strained to imagine a world where only her ‘kind’ strives.  Shei let out a small laugh. “I can’t even conceive that I am the only one of my kind, despite my thirteen aunnei of life.”

“We have something in common in these lands,” Pahkah muttered almost inaudibly.

“I must depart. Even by Nyfyle, I will be traveling for most of the day. If I am indeed being beckoned for, I do not want to keep my quarry waiting for longer than they have to.” Shei looked into Pahkah’s eyes. There was something different about this. Either something in his eyes or somewhere between them. She collected extremely small details about him in this long moment. The dark man stared into the space in front of him, possibly still thinking about being alone. He had beautiful ‘burned clay’ skin, though it seemed toughed by his planet’s harsh sun. There was a dark spot in his left eye that seemed like a symbol for his planet’s single moon, in orbit around its host. She noticed this a lot, though has never commented on it. Every time the Diplomat looked at the dark man, it felt like the first time.

He finally looked up at her. Her eyes appeared to adjust in such a way to look even deeper inside of him. He could feel her depth and was dwarfed by it. Despite his forty-seven Earth years, her understanding and logic felt so small. Her countenance was pure and mild, like only the most pious of the priests with whom he prayed. “Your presence will be missed, Shei Rhessi. Blessings be with you and may the gods guide you back here safely.”

“Pahkah, I will return soon. If possible, I will attempt to be of the audience chanced to see the first outworlder become one of Nymphkind. Until then, be honest to yourself and others.” She turned swiftly and made her way to the doors that were already swinging heavily open. Some of the figures on her back were easily readable. He caught words like “trade” and “land” as she got further away. They became indecipherable as she reached the guards. Then the doors shut.

Two of the guards remained, remaining silent and unobtrusive. The amount of discipline that they made evident was noteworthy. They did everything in their power to maintain their protection while making themselves invisible for only the sake of Pahkah’s comfort. His escort remained just outside the heavy doors, allowing Pahkah to have his space. This room had only one exit, which was heavily guarded. The Mayan would bear the time alone for a few moments more.

He began to pace around the massive hall, taking acute notice of the walls, which appeared to be made of moss, vines and wet bark. The Regalium were propped against them with perfectly aligned knobs coming from beneath them. Each of the discs had a relatively slender tree trunk in front of them; possibly for closer review should a nymph need to dictate a certain disc’s story. They were each strange in their own way- studded with an orb or an egg, carved with characters of various ages. The one thing that each of the discs had in common was that each of them felt very alive. As he passed them, he could feel the presence of some one. Something alive that bade its own space in silence. He closed his eyes next to the one that Shei stood near most often. This one was supposedly the First Nymph, De’Kandis. He could feel his presence. The Nymph’s persona glowed upon Pahkah. He could feel De’Kandis looking at him as clearly as he felt Shei’s eyes only moments before.

Then he felt breath and body warmth, as though the First Nymph stood directly behind the Mayan. The air died around him. The warmth turned to a great heat. The breath became a force pushing him easily to his knees. Pahkah fell forward, landing on his calloused palms.

[You are not alone. Not like I was in the beginning. Not like Shei is now.]

In a rush, visions came to him. It was his life before Logos-Anima. Time that was spent in the fields, before the alters or in the makeshift bedding in which he and his wife slept. His gods felt close to him, unlike the moments that preceded the vision. His skin began reflecting the yellowish-white light of the sun back on Earth. Either his mind was swallowing itself or the First Nymph was sending him back in time and space. No- the latter was not true. The potency of the vision that overtook him was of a quality only realism had. Suddenly, his people surrounded him and spoke hundreds of words at once, in a deafening, single voice. Hands came from all directions and gripped him with black, searing palms and fingers. He saw then the shamans from the feral tribes hailing from the great southlands, appearing as malformed half-bears and half-wolves. He saw his gods retreating into the depths of the underworld, drawing fabrics of mystery upon themselves. The world and people he knew were consumed by fire, war and famine.

And then, his people were bathed in blue-green light, sleeping in a calm, secluded place hidden entirely by mountains and forests. The land produced crops and game aplenty, even for the hundreds that lived now in a single society. The women bathed in a pond near the edge of the plain they inhabited. The men planted crops, hunted for food and prayed to the gods. Peace ran pure and without dispute amongst the tribe. For the first time in their history, the Mayans lived as one and shared the world with each other. They built temples and carved idols, but not a single man-slaying weapon was crafted. As far as his people were concerned, they lived amongst the gods in a land in which life would never exhaust itself. The days that bore the necessity of ritual sacrifices were over long ago- back in the final days on Earth- until the tribe returned by the will of the gods as promised.

Then the skies erupted into fire. The mountains became scorched and life near these flames was consumed in brief flashes of fire, like airborne cinders. The torrent of death roared forth like a flood, charring all in its path. The flames left behind burned until all was ash and ember. Down the sides of the mountains came the fury of something far beyond any understanding, and it rushed towards his people. They stood in awe, already sweating in the heat that approached. Nothing could be done. No screams. Just a feeling of absolute betrayal. The gods were never amongst them. In these final moments, the Mayans realized that all the wondrous things that were locked away in their promising past was no more than a mocking illusion. No matter the fault, be it the folly of accepting such a strange fate or the lies of those who offered such promise, it was all about to end. Decorative feathers and hair began to flare up. Skin became ashen and weightless. All the people ignited like dry leaves and became no more. Even the waters of the lake nearby became steam in only moments and were offered no chance of becoming a cloud. Stones melted away and all life was extinguished. A shining, smooth slate of grey rock was all that remained. The forested mountains were left as jagged razors from the force of the sweeping fury that effortlessly reduced even Death to a mere, laughable illusion. Behind all the chaos, a shadow darker than any night preceding it swept over the sheared landscape ominously. Hideous and unforgiving, a single, great dragon made total annihilation seem like a simple child’s game.

Pahkah’s throat felt flayed inside from screaming and his focus was lost behind unrelenting tears. The forceful shaking of two stout hands at his shoulders finally jarred him out of his fantasy. It was all a vision. For only moments, he saw through the eyes of a god who reveled in catastrophe. It was so marvelous that nothing could have prepared him for what he just witnessed. Like the world in the aftermath of the inferno, his mind was seared with molten horror.

“Pahkah! Pull it together!” Nesonda screamed at his patient.

A soothing male voice came closer to him. “… next to the- My Gods. I’m going to need more than nyfyle milk for this. Please get some klasastiphe for me at once.” The voice was right next to the Mayan’s ear now. “It’s all right, friend. I just need you to lie down. Listen to my voice… ahm-ahyahm-oahm-moh-oi-um. Listen… there. Ahm-ahyahm…” The voice repeated the soothing chant until sleep took firm hold of the trembling, steaming man.

*

Shei actually had to go to the military ward of Nymphallatess to gain a warfyle simply because she was the only civilian in the city not to have a way to fly of her own. Warfyles were kept, however, to transport goods, weapons, prisoners or anything that was too large to carry. The Nyfyle was more than capable of the weight of the nymph that hosted it, which made their flight very fast and very efficient. A nymph could make fast work of the flight to Annayl, but the Diplomat was a different story.

Since warfyles were much too large to be hosted by a nymph, they were trained to answer to voice commands from those the Warfyle Master gave permission. There were usually two of these masters at any given time, so that the warfyles weren’t rendered useless upon the death of their master. This made a nymph of this profession one of the most valuable nymphs in the whole of Nymphallatess- perhaps even Sheidell.

Hours had passed with Shei riding the neck of the warfyle. While she was now flying over Thokta Dell, the Diplomat would still have a notable length of time before she arrived at Annayl.

She pondered the Fah’Voy Ra. Being one of the only living creatures in the world to see a dead Fah made her a rarity in ways other than just her breed. Other than the Fah, Shei was able to describe any of their functions at length. The question that has been posed to her most often was the subject of their speech. ‘How do they do it?’

A Fah head was once cleaved in half right in front of her. As the halves fell to either side of the ornate sword, she could see the brain, the organs responsible for sight and the vocal cavity. The Fah have a ‘tongue’ which they scrape, vibrate and click on a ribbed section right behind their featureless faces. This cavity has two openings, which could be synonymous with the area right behind her jaw bone, that have fleshy lids for them to produce the M, P, B, F, V and U sounds. The soft flesh inside the “U” shaped portion of the jaw bone on a nymph or human is a diaphragm that changes the tone of a Fah’s vowels.

Though historically made in the images of the gods that fell in Granitegrey so long ago, the Fah are uniquely different from all the other races in Logos-Anima. By function or appearance, the Fah’Voy Ra is one of the most beautiful races on the planet, at least in Shei’s opinion.

The Fah’s greatest defense is its ability to hide in plain sight. By burying itself to the waist and sprouting leaves, it can become a full, leafy tree in a matter of moments. While this also helps the Fah regain energy, it must prune itself of the leaves to regain its manual dexterity. Some Fah have dedicated life to ‘treehood’ by planting itself and allowing its roots to become true roots. The motor skills of a male Fah’s body are lost after mere weeks of inactivity, while females must endure a whole season to bear children. It is said in the Fah sciences that the ambersap that is secreted by females keep atrophy from occurring. While this skill is noteworthy, it is far from pranic.

Prana comes very easily to the use of a Fah. It is supposed that they are among the most powerful pranaic races of Logos-Anima, but this is only because the Fah have slain dragons and chased them away from the area of the world now referred to as Thokta Dell. It is also assumed that no soul has ever seen a Fah exhaust itself of pranaic output. Shei believes that the Fah are simply excellent at avoiding war. Aside from the Dragons themselves, the Fah have no real enemies. It should also be noted that the Fah, while avoiding war, are prepared for it at any moment.

While it is very easy to injure a Fah, it is extremely hard to kill it. As most of its vital organs span the whole length of its body, there is no point that has been readily identified as the weak-spot. By cutting off a Fah’s head, you only remove its voice and its conscious parts, like sight and thoughts. Headless Fah are said to be just as dangerous as those with heads, save for a sense of absolute direction. Even more startling, the Fah can regenerate each part of its body if it is alive, including the head. While that is the case, an arm cannot regenerate a body.

When a Fah dies, its body becomes extremely malleable. Most of Annayl and the other tower cities are actually constructed of dead Fah. As the tradition has it, the highest honor for a Fah is to become part of Annayl, as that is the only way to father another Fah.

The soul of a Fah lives on after death, but is forever anchored to the body in which it resided alive. The eyes of the dying can plainly see the Souls of Annayl stemming from the city walls, their arms reaching out to touch the seeds of the Innoktic Priests.

Nearing the twilight of the Dying Season, the Fah females plow a large circumference around Annayl, removing any small plants and other impurities from the loose soil. They walk lightly on the tips of their footroots and kick when walking in the field. During this time of the year, it is unlawful to walk on these softened grounds though there are still paths by which Fah may enter and leave Annayl. When Growing season starts, the chosen females root themselves waist high into the soil and petrify. As they enter into this trance, their skin becomes thick with amber sap. Though all the females are ready, they may still have to wait weeks before the Innoktic Priests release their pollen. What they are waiting for is the least windy day of the Growing Season. Being that the Priests are at the top of the city, the powdery dust that they produce must fall straight down for it to land in the Fertile Circle and onto the waiting Fah.

The Fah are complicated, mysterious and always a joy to consider, Shei thought. The twisting spire of Annayl towered infinitely into the clouds now coming into sight. She was here and soon to land.

The warfyle would have to be fed as soon as the journey was complete, but even the Fah’Voy Ra have resources healthy enough for the large insect to eat. Shei leaned down and spoke. “Gahna.” Land.

Immediately, the warfyle made its descent to the ground directly below it. The Diplomat could see Poliden’Ra, accompanied by his personal guard below. Shei had indeed been beckoned for and was apparently on time. There was a heaping mound of Fyle Hash near the spot the insect had landed. As Shei made her way off of the massive warfyle, it stalked over to the hash. Her feet hit the ground with a muffled thump, right in front of Poliden’Ra himself. “Father. In honor of your call.”

The Fah King hissed and bowed his head at Shei. When he addressed her, the hiss before the vowels in her name made the sound a hard ‘HEE’ sound. ‘Sh’ was the hardest sound for the Fah to make. Shei still believed it impossible. “It is an honor to have your presence.” Poliden’Ra spoke slowly and definitely.

“Why have you called, my King?”Shei asked plainly.

The Fah looked over at one of his personal guards and gestured. The light-green guard stepped forward and issued the details of the calling with the greatest enunciation Shei ever heard come from a Fah. “Are you not the emissary between the Nymphs and the Fah’Voy Ra, as well as the daughter of Poliden’Ra? You have been called to us because of the Fah Di’Fet, with which we need assistance. Please accompany us to the Governing Chambers.” At that point, the whole unit turned and made their way to the Gates of Annayl. Shei followed.

The journey was long and silent. Shei was accustomed to the city of Nymphallatess, which was almost always active with chatting, music, industry and movement of all forms. Annayl was however dense with ahnsha vodm or “thought-energy pressure”. It felt like water in the ears to Shei, who had lost her acclamation to this effect long ago.

Annayl was a city without guards, for the most part. Even those that accompanied Poliden’Ra were not so much guards as they were parts of his mind. Each of the young Fah added their own capacities to that of the King’s, including their minds. The one that spoke of the Fah Di’Fet was possibly taken into service because of its art in speaking without error. Essentially, the city itself is given credit of staying guard over its civilians. Every vertical structure was interrupted with one or more Fah heads, giving the city living ‘eyes’ to see by, warning all within it about any danger outside of the walls or any intruder within. Despite this, there were no heads within the Governing Chambers; at least, none without bodies.

Upon reaching the Governing Chambers, the King rooted himself at the center of the room. Likewise, the nine others that surrounded him found their roots in soil in a circle around Poliden’Ra. The chamber was perfectly circular, with rings surrounding the King and his ‘guards’. In front of the king was an alter on which a shallow bowl of water rested, containing a relatively small wooden idol, carved in the shape of a Fah. On the idol’s back was the Fah copy of the treaty.

The light-green Fah spoke once its foot roots were completely submerged in soil. “The Fah’Voy Ra desire to call upon the Nymphs in accordance with the treaty you carry. We believe that war is upon us. The enemy is the Fah Di’Fet.”

“Tell me more about your enemy.” Shei responded plainly.

“As you know, the Fah tribes exist harmoniously in Thokta Dell. We are divided loosely by slight moral differences, diet and traditions. While these differences are present, all of the Fah accept these as defining tribal occurrences and continue to submit to the governing powers exhibited by Annayl, with the exception of one. The Fah Di’Fet.

“In order to understand the nature of our enemy, you will need to recall the traditional beliefs of death for the Fah in particular. It is observed that the spirit which lives inside a Fah body…”

“Never leaves the body.” Shei interrupted.

“Precisely. With that in consideration, imagine for a moment what would happen to a Fah unblessed enough to be eaten by another Fah.”

“My Gods…” Shei’s mind was struck with horror. The answer came to her in such a way that her throat seized its escape.

“If you supposed that the soul of the devoured Fah combines with that of its aggressor, you are wholly correct. The Fallen Soul does not merely take residence in the body, it infuses with the soul or souls previously existing in the aggressor’s body. It is further observed that the souls fight for control of the body, yet since none of the souls have a complete identity, the result is the dissolution of logic and identity. It is an abomination which becomes addicted to the devouring of the lives of its fellow Fah.”

Shei stared in silent dread. Di’Fet is the general phrase which refers to a place in which the soul lives forever while suffering eternal agony. It all made sense. If the Fah revered the honor of being combined with the walls of Annayl and if that were their ideal ‘afterlife’, to be dismantled, tainted and combined with a creature bent on the devouring of its kin… That would be…

“Di’Fet for a Fah. Absolutely.” The light-green Fah finished her thought. He heard every word. “Poliden’Ra knew the existence of such a creature and feared it more than anything. He condemned the lands beyond Sefspar’s Gorge and forbade travel there by any creature, hoping that the lack of the preferred food supply would drive the creatures to extinction.” The Fah paused ominously.

“His conviction was so passionate that you, Hee, were created in the guise of a peace treaty with the Nymphs in the effort to plan for this very occurrence.”

Shei’s heart sunk to unspeakable depths.