Prologue

In the beginning, the universe was created. No-one knows quite how. Some say it was the work of a god, or several gods, others that it was the result of a giant explosion caused by colliding atoms. All that is known is that, in the beginning, there was only one universe, the core universe and within it, the core earth.

  Then, as the core earth evolved and creatures came into being that were capable of making decisions, the first split happened. One creature, however great or small, made a choice, and that choice created a rupture in time and space and a separate world was born, parallel to the core earth, in which that creature had decided to take the alternate option, and created an alternate outcome. This rupture did not occur without a consequence however. The darkness of the void between the two worlds began to fill with light. Life spilt over into the gap between the worlds, and a new place was created which was an echo of every single reality. This was the echo plane and it was connected with every parallel world. As each world evolved and more parallel worlds came into existence, the echo plane grew in size and creatures began to emerge from gaps in the space between the echo plane, and the various worlds. These creatures began to evolve and soon several races similar to humanity began to appear.

  The greatest of these were the people of the North whose capital city of Caersan was linked, through a portal, to the core earth itself.

   Here developed the creatures most resembling humans, though with a few subtle differences. The peoples of the North had the ability to harness the natural power around them, an ability which the true humanity later termed “magic”. They were also gifted with incredible longevity, still being considered young when they had lived for a thousand years.

  Within these people grew a hierarchy, the more powerful governing the less powerful, as it always is within nature. The most powerful became what are now known as mages, with the ability to call upon the powers of the five elements themselves.

  Time passed and eventually there came a time of great war with a neighbouring people to the East. These were also people of magic, though they had not the gift of longevity. A group of champions was selected from the most powerful and tactically skilled of the Northern people. The people of the East did likewise and a great battle ensued, the likes of which had never been seen before on the echo plane. The battle raged for eighty days and nights until only five remained, three men and two women, the most powerful of both people. Seeing that they could not defeat one another, they formed a truce and the peoples of the East and the North were joined under a single ruling body, the five survivors.

   Each of the five perfected their powers and were soon able to harness one particular element more than the others and bend it to their will, something that had never been seen before.

   The eldest male, Saeran, leader of the council of the five, mastered the power of water. His brother, Jareth, mastered the element of air. The third male, who came from the people of the East, Garhan, possessed the power of fire and his companion, the lady Therian, was gifted with power over earth. The fifth, and most powerful of the five, was Marithea, who had dominion over the element of spirit and the ability to change her shape at will.

   Jareth and Therian were the first to produce a child, a young boy by the name of Leholan. Even at birth he had golden hair and eyes of the deepest blue. He grew into a handsome boy and began to demonstrate his father’s strength over air.

  Several decades later, in accordance with expectations Marithea and Saeran had relations with one another and soon after, Marithea gave birth to a baby girl, named Eleyn, meaning ice, so called for the colour of her eyes. The child showed exceptional talent at controlling the element of water, and many soon said that she would surpass her father with her power. She was also strong with the power of spirit and had inherited the ability to change her shape at will, favouring the forms of birds and predatory cats above all else. As she grew she was trained in combat and soon became a skilled and formidable warrior, even without her powers.

  Within a few months of Eleyn’s birth, Garhan and Therian also had a young girl, named Khairen, whose strength in the control of the fire element was matched only by her temper. Only Eleyn’s cool temperament and humour could balance out Khairen’s anger and the two soon became close friends and confidantes, looking on each other almost as sisters. Khairen was also a formidable warrior and, although she preferred to heal rather than to harm, once involved in a fight, she refused to back down. Only Eleyn could ever convince Khairen to concede on any point.

As Leholan reached his eightieth birthday and both Eleyn and Khairen entered their third decade of life, still only children in the eyes of their people, though in soul, man and women even then, Marithea gave birth again, this time to Jareth’s daughter. In her early years she was so much like her mother that she was named Marithea the younger and, although she had some power over earth, she showed greater promise with the power of spirit. She too proved to be a strong warrior, though she never equalled her half-sister.

  The three girls grew into beautiful women. Khairen, with her long auburn hair and deep brown eyes received many a suitor from distant lands, as did young Marithea with her long golden hair that caught the light, and eyes of the deepest green that were always soft and smiling. But it was Eleyn who was greatly renowned throughout the echo plane for her soft voice, her wit and humour, her military prowess and, above all, her piercing blue eyes that, as she aged, became a deeper blue. Though many came to try their luck with the three, none succeeded.

  Time passed and Leholan began to realise that he had fallen in love with the young Eleyn and he asked her to join with him. She consented at once, confessing that she too loved him and the five gave their blessing.

  Peace reigned for several years and in time, Eleyn gave birth to a baby girl she named Genevive.

  But all was not well. Marithea the Elder had become bored with her position and wanted more power. In order to do this, she proposed an alliance with the creatures of the South. These were known as the vampyri, a race of warriors that fed on human blood and were evolved from similar, nocturnal creatures that had entered the echo plane from the core earth several centuries before. The rest of the council of the five refused to sanction this alliance with such unnatural creatures. Marithea, enraged by their refusal, formed a secret alliance with Leuca, the head of the vampyri, promising to him Eleyn's child, Genevive, to him to turn her into a powerful vampyri, in return for his help in making her the one true leader of both peoples.

  One night, whilst the city of Caersan slept soundly, Marithea the Elder began her attack. A vast vampyri army snuck through the city gates, aided by her magic, and slaughtered any that they found. Roused by the screaming from the city below, Eleyn rushed into her father’s chamber to wake him from his sleep. As she burst through the door she saw her mother, standing by the bed, plunge a dagger into her sleeping father’s body. She grabbed her father’s sword and rushed at her mother, who changed her form into a bird and escaped through the window to freedom.

 Eleyn ran back through the halls of the great palace to her own bedchamber where she woke Leholan. Together they woke Khairen and young Marithea and they all armed themselves for battle. Many vampyri fell before their blades and their magic, but they were outnumbered. They were captured and forced to watch as Therian, Jareth and Garhan were led out, bound tightly in ropes, and their throats were cut.

  Marithea the Elder emerged, carrying the baby Genevive in her arms and handed it to Leuca, who vanished with her into the night, followed by Eleyn’s anguished cries.

  The four captives managed to struggle and fight their way free and, with Leholan and Eleyn holding off their vampyri guards, young Marithea and Khairen escaped through the portal in the palace courtyard, the portal that led to the core earth. Leholan ordered Eleyn to go through as well and she obeyed but, before Leholan could follow, Marithea the Elder closed the portal with her power, trapping the three women on the core earth, with nowhere to go, and no idea as to Leholan’s fate.

   Centuries passed and they travelled the core earth together, never daring to return to their home lest Marithea was still searching for them. For all that time Eleyn searched for Leholan and Genevive, never giving up hope that they may still be alive, but never finding out for certain. Destroyed by her mother’s betrayal, Marithea the younger abandoned her name and instead took the name of Elgai, a nickname that her father Jareth had called her in that time before the betrayal, meaning sweet one.

  It wasn’t until centuries after the time of the Great Betrayal, as it became known to them and many others on the echo plane, that they were to begin to find the answers that they needed. When they met Andrew Lyttle, it was the beginning of the end.

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