In the Shadows

In the Fae Court, it is not only those places in the light that harbour life, it is not just the places where things are clearly seen that creatures of great beauty and mystery catch the attention and enrapture the senses. In the shadows, in the overhanging cornices and decorative facades, in the nooks and crannies and the smallest pieces of darkness, there live creatures as darkly beautiful as any of the Winter Court themselves. It is in these corners that the true nature of the fae begins to show itself, and it is here that the warnings that mortals fail to listen to become real. In these shadows are the creatures of illusion, of possibility, of imagination and fairytales, these are the creatures that provide the way deeper into the Court, through twisting halls and marble corridors so cold they burn like heartbreak on the skin. These are the creatures that whisper to the discontent, the bored, the uninterested. It is these creatures that promise grandeur, adventure, escape, power to the powerless, fame to the common man. These creatures of darkness and shimmering light are the fae of illusions, of dreams, and they are more dangerous than the marsh fae because they are so much more enthralling.

To say that the creatures made of such escapist desires are evil, or predatory, as a blanket statement would be wrong and heinously inaccurate. In fact, some of their works live every moment in the hearts and minds of those exposed to their influence and provide courage, as source of strength, a way to understand a chaotic world outside the Court that has less mercy than the Winter Queen herself. They are those that give us stories, in all forms, who give us a much craved for break from the daily grind and they are what allow us to go back again with a sense of lightness and relief. These are not the fae to be wary of, not from the outset. Every dealing with these creatures is known by all involved to be temporary, and it is because of this that mortals join into agreements easily. Reading a book is easy; it has a beginning, a middle and an end, and can be picked up and put down at the whim of the reader. There is an involvement in the world of the story that does not require or demand that the reader stay there longer than necessary. Computer games that follow as story are similar, they are part of something, they draw the player into the world, but the player goes in knowing that there will be an end. The story will conclude, and based on the decisions made the hero will succeed or fail. Storytelling is the way of these types of fae, and they are the least dangerous of their kind.

The evolution of those creatures I mentioned are more consuming and show more in common with their Winter Court brethren. These are the creatures who offer not a timed escape, but an indefinite one. These are the games than never stop, that keep going as long as you wish them to, these are the ones what whisper that this is better than the world you came from mortal, here you are what you want to be, here is where the world will answer to you and be what you want to make it. Here are the chances you have been missing, the dreams you have held it yourself because you know that you will never reach them. Come to us, the voices say as soft as velvet, come to us and we will make it right. And so people go, and they wrap themselves in the embrace of creatures that take them to places they had only dreamed of, opportunities they could never obtain in the world outside the court. Here are the fae that offer the second chance, the Second Life, to live as you will it. And these are the dangerous fae that once they have you enthralled you will go back to time and again despite everything. They are like chocolate, like coffee, like the song you can’t get out of your head but don’t want to. They offer the chance to life again. And in a world where time is divided into sections, are allocated and filed and torn from meaning without most realising it has happened, it is no surprise that these fae are becoming more evident in this Fae Court.

But the warnings must be said, and so I will say them, though I see you tilting your head to catch that faint whisper of someone wishing to hear your dreams and hopes and desires. What they make, these fae of illusion, is real to those in the illusion, for however long they wish it. These illusions can give meaning, can shape a person, can make them breathe more easily and be content. They can give what the world has taken, can offer what the real world cannot. But they cannot be separated from the world as most of the illusionary fae can, and it is this that causes the danger, that makes people shiver and shy away, that makes them violent in action and word. It is the instinctive realisation that one must be wary in dealings with even so minor members of the Fae Court. What they offer is as true as the feeling of any other shared experience in the world, just do not forget the dangers. It is too common to see someone walk willingly into a shadow’s embrace and hold on like a lover.

Be cautious wander, for this is the first steps we take into the more dangerous aspects of this Court and I have no wish to leave you behind. But I am just a small fae, and so if you wish to continue, follow my steps, listen to my voice, and remember that I am guide and warning only, I cannot save you should you stray too far into those welcoming voids.