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From the Pages of Averno's Diary...

08.23.04 - Whereas I used to think Sajhiri was incapable of managing the technology in the world around her, I was surprised to find her general eschewing of most of it was not from lack of ability, but a deeper choice. It seems the inhabitants of Gaia, and likely the Feien as well, prefer the more personal touches of non-technological communication and service. Interesting. I myself rather dislike manual labor, that is what minions are for afterall, but at the moment I am rather low on minions.

What better way that to gain some laborers and hangers on than to offer them the personal attention and touches which seem to be what all beings crave. I admit, I'd rather have a living being serve me dinner than a machine. I played a bit with Sajhiri's laptop while she was out of the room and I have to agree with her. It's terribly cold and impersonal. But it is quick for research. I've been learning a lot off of this thing called the "Internet" as well as Sajhiri's library. Humans are strange things, really. I still don't understand the odd foreign language they seem to delve into online. What in the world does AFK, GTF, *g*, and ROTFLMAO mean anyway!? Stupid humans.

I've discovered humans and other beings online: nameless, faceless, and identityless, are meaner, stupider, more easily provoked, more dishonest, crueler, and angrier than those you meet face to face. I think it is the lack of easy identification which seems to free them from the boundaries of morality, responsibility, and conscience. There is no consequence in their minds to online behaviors, therefore they do not behave as they do in life. Strange that. Those you do not have a real personal connection with cannot and should not be trusted.

I'm going to be spending more time at the tavern this week if I can, to test out this theory of personal relations that Sajhiri opened up for me. Perhaps she is not as completely useless as I thought.

Date: 08.24.04
Location: The Tall Tales Tavern (Sajhiri's Tavern)
Synopsis: A quiet morning results in news of Em's traveling to Tir Nan Og, confusing Sajhiri, and Averno and Corvus meeting for the first time. A bargain is struck between them.
Participants: Sajhiri, Averno, and Corvus.
The Scene:

Sajhiri was settled on a stool behind the bar of the Tall Tales tavern, sipping her usual cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. The place was all but empty this early in the day, save for herself, and a smaller figure sitting at a table in the Feien-sized portion of the room.

Averno was sipping a cup of Chai and scribing with quill and ink on some pages of Feien-sized paper. Strange notations of descriptions of a few of the Feien she had met (as few as they had been) and her estimations of them. Strengths, weaknesses, level of usefulness...her brow was furrowed intently as she put her thoughts to paper.

Sadly, most of the entries indicated the Feien she had met thus far were not overly useful, except for Sunil, who might be able to protect her from that "psychotic red and yellow freak."

There was a creak as the door to the Tavern opened. For a moment, it seemed as if it might be a trick of the wind, but then a small dark figure floated inside. The door slid shut without complaint. The newcomer surveyed the area quickly, large black wings gently waving in the air. He seemed slightly confused.

Sajhiri glanced up over the top of her paper as the door opened and blinked a few times, not spotting the Feien at first. Then movement from the large black wings drew her eye. She lowered the newspaper to the bartop and smiled in greeting. "Welcome to the Tall Tales Tavern, can I get you anything, sir?" she queried in a cheerful tone.

Averno was so absorbed in her thoughts she didn't even hear the door open and close, but Sajhiri's words of greeting plowed through the haze of focus. Her glossy black curls dripped across the tabletop as she turned her head towards the object of her bond's address. A brow arched at the sight of the strange Feien. Now THAT looked like someone with power. Well...except for that confused look. That was troublesome. Hopefully he didn't have dolt genes in there anywhere.


The stranger drifted over in their direction, examining every aspect of the tavern's décor, and pondered his situation. "Actually, perhaps you can be of service. I'm attempting to find a human girl. She stepped into the lawn out there and disappeared." His eyes landed on Sajhiri with a satisfying unsettling result. One of his eyes was black, the other a freakish grey color.

Sajhiri paused a moment to digest the Feien's words (and stare at his mismatched eyes) and after a moment they finally sank in. "Oh, you mean in the center of the tower? The fairy ring? It would have to be one of the Kithain then, of the Silva Regia...the denizens of Tir Nan Og. I'm afraid only Kithain and natural planar residents of that place can cross over unless carried. I'm sure if you asked her she'd bring you across? Er...I didn't get your name? Or hers? Was it Shiaree or Ahnna, or maybe Xannyia?"

Averno gathered up her teacup and put a blank page over her notes before she carefully employed her flight spell to reach her bond and the guest without spilling the hot liquid on herself. She tilted her head to study him.

The fairy shook his head, causing his long blond ponytail to swish through the air. "No, none of them. I'm looking for Emperial Teal Atreides-Piett. Shoulder-length dark brown hair, blue eyes, glasses? I'm her feien, Corvus.

Well, that wasn't what Sajhiri had expected to hear. Last she could recall, and that only vaguely, was that Em hadn't been able to get through the ring. But that was a fuzzy memory. Her face darkened as she thought back on the missing pages of her research notes. "Are you sure? I don't think Em is able to cross through the ring...she couldn't last time..." Ah, the wonders of having your memory supressed by dark magics.

Averno took the moment of hearing the other Feien's name as a good point for an introduction. "Salutations, Corvus. I've not had the priviledge of meeting you since my emergence. I'm Averno, Sajhiri's Feien. May I say you have stunningly lovely markings? So unlike any I've seen before." She smiled as warmly as she could muster, but even so it was a bit forced and with a slightly cold edge to it. More like a doll's smile than a person's

Corvus took careful stock of the small feien. He disliked physical flattery; that was more Aileron's domain. There was something downright wrong about this juvenile's smile. "That's because the markings are a result of a gemstone merging," he said simply. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Averno's eyes widen in curiosity and she peered more carefully at the markings. "A gemstone merging, you say? I don't believe I've heard of such a thing. Granted, no one has been particularly forthcoming with information since I emerged. I've had to pull what little I could from books and that odd thing Sajhiri calls the 'Internet'. It has been...most frustrating."

Sajhiri leaned on the bartop, still trying to puzzle how Em could have pased through the ring. It was a terrible nagging sensation. But she found Corvus' markings rather intriguing too...or was it his name? Something about his name bothered her too. Everytime she thought she had a grasp of it, it flitted away from her like grains of sand through her fingers.

"The Internet, feh," went Corvus. He had decided that Sajhiri posed very little help to him and focused his attention on Averno. "My bond spends entirely too much time there. Suffice to say, there is practically nothing you can learn about feien fairies through either the Internet or books. Your best bet is my writings posted in the shop. Besides our recent emergence into the Gaian community, feien have never been in much contact with humans, thus they possess precious little information on us."

Sajhiri, taking the hint, shuffled off to the back room to check her supplies.

Averno's face lit up at the possiblility of a reliable source of information. "At the shop! Well _someone_..." She glared at Sajhiri, "...has yet to take me there. I will make it a point of insistence so I might peruse your writings, sir. Thank you for the enlightenment, as I very much tire of being completely useless...as one Feien referred to me." Her lips pressed together in a tight line at the memory of Calico's words and then his assault upon her person.

"Can you tell me, it is customary for Feien to resort to sheer violence or utter rudeness upon meeting another Feien for the first time. With the few I've met, it has happened almost half of the time. Most distressing..."


Landing next to her, Corvus said, "It does depend. Some are friendlier than others. I am generally regarded as the most objectionable of all feien." A fact he prided himself on.

Averno arched a brow, giving him a more thorough once over at the closer range. "Well as you've not yet grabbed me by the hair and threatened my life, tried to make yourself look more attractive by behaving like a juvenille cretin, or brought about a desire to dump my tea in your lap, I'm afraid perhaps that regard being placed upon you is misguided. "

"Childish games," remarked Corvus. "Juvenile theatrics. Far beneath my level. Just how many feien have you met, then?"

Slender fingers stroked across a pale jaw as Averno pondered. "Four at this point. The first was a young fellow with red markings and white hair, belongs to someone Sajhiri calls 'Ice'. He seemed to think himself quite impressive. Then there was the utterly psychotic red and yellow one. He's the one that tried to hurt me, and who I dumped my tea into the lap of. I don't know who he was or who his bond is. Then there was Sunil, who at least didn't try to hurt me or impress me. She didn't know who the one who tried to hurt me was, though. She was working here as a bouncer but she hasn't been in for a few days. And there is Ruya, who is a waitress here, and seems pleasant enough."

"Sunil," hissed Corvus, scowling. "A stupider feien you will not find. Thinks rather highly of herself, too. Totally obtuse, too wrapped up in herself to bother to notice anything around her. An utter imbecile."

Averno seemed surprised. "I see, well, I'll do my best to avoid her then. I was hoping someone could teach me to defend myself, either physically or magically. So far she was the only one who seemed capable, but I never brooched the subject with her. Do you have any recommendations for teachers?" Her fingers twined absently in one of her curls, almost as a reflexive motion.

Corvus drew himself up at that. "The only reason she seems at all capable is because I taught her!" He was torn between pride and anger. "My tutelage was wasted on her."

How very informative that was. "Indeed...and would you be willing to, perhaps, take on a new student? Such as myself? In exchange for...lets see. Well, if Sunil continues to work here, I can certainly keep you up to date on what she is doing, probe her for information so to speak." She narrows her eyes. "You also mentioned needing to follow your bond through to Tir Nan Og. I can probably arrange that and believe I know a way.

It took a good deal of control for Corvus to refrain from salivating greedily. "That is an acceptable trade," he said, nodding. "Assuming you're good for your part of the bargain." He eyed her warily. Juveniles always unnerved him.

Averno smiled with a glimmer of desire in her eyes, knowledge and training were within her grasp. "I assure you I am. Sajhiri travels to and from the Fey realm daily, and when she does she brings several specific items with her, some of which are large enough to smuggle you in. If it is carried by her, it will cross when she crosses the ring. She always informs me when she plans to go, and I can get you into the tower and into one of her bags before departure."

Unfortunately, that method of travel would require him to be dependent upon not only Averno, but also the types of packages carried by Sajhiri. It was also already a plan he had been considering with Em. The sum value of her offer to him was the intelligence on Sunil, and frankly, he had better ways to use his time than monitoring that whelp.

Of course, Averno herself could prove useful. He knew secondhand that quite a few things happened in this tavern, and knowledge of those events might be something worth pursuing. Here he had the tavernkeeper's own feien. What better source was there?

"That seems acceptable. As for Sunil, information on her is of interest, but not of use. Perhaps you might make your monitoring something broader and of better use to me, such as the entirety of this establishment?"

Averno waved a hand dismissively. "That is easy enough to do. We have an accord, Corvus. I thank you."


He smiled faintly. "And I thank you."

From the Pages of Sajhiri's Diary...

08.30.04 - What a hectic week and a hectic weekend! Things were very busy on my end, and I dragged Averno with me everywhere. She, the Aduthulë twins, the Sphinx, Maleficent, Patria, Imbrium, and I all watched the Gaia Olympics and I threw a small party over the weekend for my menagerie to celebrate the good will of the Olympic games.

We also spent a great deal of time in the last few weeks watching the Earth Olympics. Averno seemed to be most intent on watching the fencing matches. She made me purchase a purple plastic cocktail rapier for her from Em's shop. I'm not sure how comfortable I am about that. She wanted one of those bee stingers the Feien use as daggers as well. I was leery about it, but she told me that handsome fellow, Corvus, who was in the other day was going to teach her self defense. He looked responsible enough, so I acquiesced.

She has been very secretive and avoiding me since she took up residence in the crawlspace above the tower portcullis. She generally only spends time with me when she wishes to head to the tavern, and only then because it's easier on her to ride my shoulder over there than to cross the expanse of the vast lawns by herself. I don't doubt that she could do it if she wished to, but it would likely tire her out greatly.

That Corvus fellow seemed rather important and if, as he said, he is bonded to Em, he likely is at the heart of the Feien. Hopefully he'll be a good and mature influence on Averno. I think she needs to socialize more.

Date: 09.02.04
Location: Sajhiri's bedroom in the Silva Regia tower.
Synopsis: Averno begins sifting through her bonds things to look for useful data to use against her to get what she wants.
Participants: Sajhiri and Averno.
The Scene:

Averno cautiously poked her head around the corner of Sajhiri's open bedroom door as she perched delicately on the door knob on the outside. The Darkness Feien scanned the room with narrowed eyes, mere violet slits in her beautiful pale face as she focused on finding any threats within the room. There were none to be seen, as it was empty of any life outside of the variety of plants Jhiri kept there for decoration.

Averno launched into the air, her wings beating against the near-still currents of the tower, and drifted into the bedroom proper. Around her hips was tied a purple piece of string, and cradled in a loop of that string at her side was her plastic cocktail rapier. The light glinted dully off the bee stinger secreted in the hair piled atop her head. The girl was armed and dangerous...well at least to anything smaller than she was. It was doubtful anyone of her bond's size would feel the poke of either weapon as more than an annoying insect sting.

Violet glinted in the dim light of the room as Averno's eyes settled on Sajhiri's nightstand, and the leatherbound book that lay atop it. "Her diary...just what I was looking for..." she smirked darkly.

It took effort, but the Feien managed to heave the cover open and slowly began to turn pages in the tome. She frowned as she scanned a few passages, having to walk across the pages to properly read them. She paced back and forth diligently, absorbing every iota of information about Sajhiri she could.

"Zaine Draconis...we'll have to see what makes him tick...and what's this...?" She ran her hand over where several pages had recently been torn out of the diary and let out a small yelp as the thin edge of the paper left a shallow gash across her left palm. "Damnable parchment! Even when she's not here Jihaar manages to injure me by her very essence!" She scowled and huffed as she flipped back to the prior page, trying to piece together the mystery of the missing page.

"She was talking about bringing Em here...Em is Corvus' bond? But later here she says that Em couldn't go through the fairy ring to Tir Nan Og? Corvus said she did though...so somewhere between that page and this one, Sajhiri has been confused, forgotten, or...well...deliberately been purged of some memories. Iiiiiinnnnnteresting. Maybe I'll hitch a ride with Sajhiri next time she heads there, and see just what might be occuring that would block out an important memory..."

Averno's head snapped up as she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the winding stone staircase of the tower. "Damn!" she spit out, and with every ounce of her strength, she pushed the diary closed again. Exhausted, it was all she could do to dive under the bed before her bonded waltzed through the bedroom door.

Sajhiri looked exhausted herself, and rather dazed, as if she wasn't quite aware of her surroundings. She sunk onto the bed, fully dressed, and fell into a deep slumber immediately.

Averno slunk from her hiding place and hovered in the air near her bond's face. This was not normal...and rather unusual. It was almost as if Sajhiri had not been aware of where she was going or what she was doing. She glanced back over at the journal pages once more with a sinister smile. "Someone has the ability to manipulate her memory...and that is a very powerful act. I must learn how it is done, and who is doing it..." Without another word, the fairy flitted back out of the room.

From the Pages of Averno's Diary...

09.13.04 - I have been practicing most dilligently with my rapier while awaiting Corvus' return to begin my training. I realize he is a very busy Feien, so I've taken the time to hone my swordplay skills the best I can without a teacher.

I received an odd plant from my bond. It is called a nightmare bonsai, and the tiny tree is small even by Feien standards. It has lovely red blooms on it which bite and like blood. I am quite enamored of it. I've found it can be pacified with a gentle stroking of the topmost branches, but will otherwise snap at and bite anything that comes within reach.

I've placed my journal and most prized possessions around it's pot, so it can protect them for me from any would be thieves. I despise thieves. I've been feeding it a drop of blood a day to keep it hungry for such, as well as water and the special elixir I was given to keep it healthy.

I have spent much time thinking upon Corvus. I should like to find out from the other Feien what his importance is in our society, but Sajhiri, damn her, has been too "busy" to go to the Tavern of late. If it were not so far away, and were the doors in the tower and the cottage not completely enormous and beyond my abilities to open, I'd go by myself.

Well...maybe I would. I don't relish the thought of running into that psychotic one again without my bond there to back me up.

Date: 09.22.04
Location: Castellum Umbra in Tir Nan Og
Synopsis: Averno continues to spy on her bond, this time in Tir Nan Og, where she learns of Sajhiri's good self being surpressed by her Dark Side, which serves the will of the mysterious Majestrix Nox.
Participants: Sajhiri, Majestrix Nox, and Averno.
The Scene:

The sensation from passing through the Fairy Ring as a passenger was gut wrenching, and nearly made Averno vomit. Fortunately it was also accompanied by a cacophany of bell-like sounds else Sajhiri might have heard the Feien's moans and gagging from her pack. It passed swiftly, however, leaving behind only small tingles in her extremeties and goosebumps on her arms.

How much time had passed since crossing over she didn't know. Averno had let herself doze after the wrenchingly unpleasant passage and slept until Sajhiri set the satchel down somewhere that felt cool through the leather. The chill woke the Feien and she slowly crawled to peek out through the flap of the bag. Sajhiri was nowhere to be seen. That was both good and bad. Good, because she wouldn't see her bonded skulking out of her satchel, and bad, because Averno now had to decide whether to try and find her, or explore without knowing when Sajhiri would come back and cross through the ring again. The latter would mean Averno could be trapped here for who knows how long. That she couldn't bear.

Averno climbed out of the satchel and launched herself from the cool marble table, wings lifting her up as her eyes cast about. From her diminutive size it didn't look all that different from the tower, other than the walls and floor were marble rather than stone, and there were dark and worn old tapestries on the walls. The marble was black as night, veined with violet and silver, and quite lovely in Averno's eyes. She paused a moment to admire her own reflection in the highly polished walls before her ears caught the sound of voices.

The tiny Feien (tinier than she could imagine at the moment) flitted quickly out of the room's open door and down a long, banner-hung corridor. Smokeless flames of a violet hue burned in iron sconces on the walls. She followed the sound of the voices past several closed doors, and out into the brighter lit great hall of Castellum Umbra, lit by bronze braziers which cast sickly green light around the rounded chamber.

Seated on a carved throne made of what looked to be the bones of children was an enormous fey woman...well human-sized, but for Averno to see any fairy folk that big made them enormous. She had hair not disimilar from her own, falling in sausage curls, black as night, only the larger fey's hair also seemed to contain galaxies within its shadowy depths. She was barely clothed in tribalistic garments, and tattoos graced her face, wrists, and one leg. She was adorned in trinkets of bone, feather, and beads, mostly depicting celestial objects.

Seated at her feet was none other than Averno's bonded. Sajhiri had a michevious and even cruel look on her face as she spoke to the seated fey woman. the Feien flitted closer, keeping to the shadows.

"Once Vulpina and Corvus are grown to adulthood, I shall feel less threatened by the presence of the Sun Court, Sajhiri. Then, and only then, shall I venture out of the hallowed security of Umbra and wreak the havok our kind our meant to wreak." The dark woman's voice was chill and smooth, like silk run against frigid marble.

Sajhiri nodded her head slowly. "Indeed, and the good portion of myself is securely bereft of any knowledge of this place, or the Moon Court being alive. It has become difficult, with the influx of new bloodlines in her research. I've had to convince her subconsciously that Emperial and Kamiki didn't pan out. So far, she's buying it, but if she thinks too deeply she might break through the blocks and realize they came to the dark castle and freed Moon Court fey, Majestrix."

Nox hmmmed quietly, rubbing slender fingers over her pale jaw. "Do what you can. I imagine someday she will realize what is afoot, and try to stop us, but my magics, and those of Vulpina when she is grown, should suffice to supress her when needed. Make sure that those other 'pets' of hers..." the word was spat out venomously "...don't help her to realize her folly too soon. I need your aide until the court is stronger."

The red-eyed Sajhiri nodded. "Of course, Majestrix, your will is my command."

Averno cringed back into the shadows again as the pair drifted into quieter talk. This explained a great deal, but more would need to be learned. It wouldn't do to interfere with this Dark Sajhiri's plans yet. But she might need to if there ever came a threat to fully destroy her bond's good side. Dark Sajhiri was not nearly as useful...read malleable.

The Feien flitted swiftly back towards the room the satchel had been left in, and curled up in the inside pocket once more to dwell on the situation.

Date: 10.05.04
Location: A hall in the Silva Regia Tower
Synopsis: King Cervus of the Silva Regia Suncourt seeks out Averno to discuss Sajhiri's odd behaviors.
Participants: Cervus and Averno.
The Scene:

"All is not well with her, I too have sensed it..."

Averno eyed the young Fey King, Cervus, with narrowed violet eyes as he told her his concerns for her bonded. She didn't trust the strange Tir Nan Nog fairy. His kind were generally smaller than the Feien, but his stag antlers and strange archaic speech disturbed her. Nevertheless, the blood of his ancient family flowed through Sajhiri's veins, so when the Sun Court King was concerned about her, there was good reason for it. She took note of the sincerity and worry in his large dark eyes, so reminiscent of the totem he was named after.


Averno dipped her head, her fingers lightly trailing over the hilt of her cocktail rapier as she paced back and forth on a windowsill of the Gaian tower the Mengaerie called home. The sun streamed through the window to the floor below, but the darkness Feien carefully trod around the beams of light, remaining in the shadows the high stone walls cast. She paused in her tread and turned to regard the other being with an appraising glance. "You can feel when all is not well with her?"

Cervus inclined his head as he murmured, "Indeed. When she freed me from my curse, she did so by virtue of sacrificing part of her soul and her life essence to break the bonds of ancient magics. It has linked us in the process. I can often sense when she is hurt or sad or angry...or not herself. In the past few months I have been unable to locate her when I sense she is unwell. It is as if she has hidden herself from me in these times, and that worries me even more."

Averno tapped a slender finger against her lips as she pondered silently for a long moment. She knew the cause of Sajhiri's odd behaviors, but she was not yet willing to share her knowledge with the strange fey. She wanted to consult with Corvus first. She trusted her Feien mentor far more than this so-called King.

"I'm not sure why she's been acting so odd. I've had a hard time tracking her down several times when I've needed her of late. But she seemed just fine yesterday when she gave me a lovely gift." Other than that she's seemed normal to me...maybe a bit snippy now and then. Maybe her fiance has just been irritating her." Averno did her best to sound sincere, and with her native charm the Fey King seemed to buy every word.

"I see..." he murmured, his concern causing his regal brow to crease. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked out the window into the bright of day. "If you notice anything else odd about her behaviors, or anything else of a strange nature going on here in the tower, will you be so kind as to let me know, Lady Averno?" Cervus asked quietly.

Averno smiled her most alluring smile and set a pale hand on the fey man's forearm. "Why of course I will, Your Majesty. Sajhiri is as important to me as she is to you, afterall. She and I are bonded as well, and were it not for her caregiving, I would not be here either."

Cervus jerked his arm back instinctively from her touch. To cover the sudden repulsion from the physical contact with the darkness Feien he smiled cordially. "Many thanks, milady. Now, if you shall excuse me, I must go seek my betrothed." He turned on his heel, visibly shaken by the sudden attitude change of the woman.

Averno held in her laughter as she watched the rattled Fey depart, slinking back into the shadows herself. He might prove to be an ally in the future. But in the present, she would keep her knowledge to herself.

Date: 10.08.04
Location: Sajhiri's Office in the Silva Regia tower.
Synopsis: Averno spies on her bond and discovers her dark side in control and preparing to track down more Moon Court Kithain.
Participants: Averno.
The Scene:

Averno crouched in the shadows of the rafters in Sajhiri's office. From above she watched with narrowed eyes as the woman below her continued to scribe spiderwebs of ink across geneaology pages, tracing bloodlines through the centuries. At the ends of the webs were two names...Lupinus and Aranea. Normally, Averno was bored to tears by her bond's Fey searches, but this one was being conducted by the dark side of her guardian's persona.

Sajhiri's eyes glowed an eerie red and a wicked smile danced across her lips as her traceries moved from position to position, seeking the end of the trails for both the ancient cursed Fey children. With a flourish she circled a pair of names at the bottom of the page.

Averno flitted closer, down to a window valance, to better read them. 'Anqua von Uberwald and Sayuri_Nitta?' she thought to herself, perplexed. She realized after a moment that these must be kithain, and due to the darker side of her bond seeking them out, they had to be Fey who followed the pale skinned fairy woman with the hair embodying the night sky. The one raising forces in secret from Cervus and the rest of his companions.

The darkness Feien filed that tidbit of info away for future use. Surely it would come in handy at some point. The tiny being launched herself upwards and flew out of the room into the depths of the tower.