Long ago, before man ruled this earth. Before the animal took the planet over. Before the first flower bloomed. There were the mountains, there was the deserts, and then. . . Then there were the rivers. . .

Mountains may crumble, deserts may grow life, and rivers may change, but water is eternal. It fades, it grows, it carves it's way through every obstacle. The same thing could be said about life.

The river of life will never truly end, but then again, it never truly began.

Long ago, before man ruled this earth. . . in a place very far away. . .

Sever Entreina

There was no beginning. There was no end. Only a middle, and that is where this strange story begins.

In the plains of the aincent Sylvian treaty lands, it was peaceful, as it always was. The plains stretched into forest, and that forest gave back to the plains. Every once in a while, a swath of dirt would cut through the landscape, people making their long ways between villages. The groaning of the rusty wheel, merchants shouting out there wares to every passerby, and children laughing as they followed this dusty trail.

Three cloaked men rode among the long line of travelers on the most traveled road in this land of peace. Riding apart from the rest of the thourough fare. They leaned away from those and only spoke in the hushest of whispers. The leader was a small spry form covered by a massive cloak, which hid all but the pointed nose. A sleeve lifted, not even divulging a glimpse of more flesh. A motion in the direction of a small village.

"Naru?" The second rider said cautiously, eyes searching the jovial pack of travelers passing by the three dark figures. Massive eye ridges hung heavily over those dark bead eyes. Out of the three, he was the biggest, easily topping any of the people here by at least a head if not more. "Are you sure? It is but a small village." He was uncertain. This massive, muscle bound man.

Naru tapped his reins in response, setting the animal to a slow canter, hoofs clapping against the packed dirt. The large man followed suit, who in turn was followed by the third member of this small group. This one seemed of average height, between the two extremes. Armor glinted beneath that heavy riding cloak of his, as well as sparkling blue intelligent eyes.

"Hor'shin." He spoke, watching the people walking the road. His curious eyes traveled to the large member, who had tensed at that name. "You are not to say that in public, Ser Mathew." The Giant spoke cryptically.

The middle man shrugged. "You have nothing to fear from these people, hor-"

The large man twirled around in a second, Gigantic axe only mere inches away from Mathew's neck. Heavy breathing created a mist around the giant's mouth. "Do not test me, mathew, or I will cut you to shreds." He spoke heavily, every threat pronounced.

Mathew's sparkling eyes glanced about, and he closed them shrugging. The large man, Hor'shin followed the gaze to the people on the road, who were openly staring at him. Once they noticed him looking, they jumped and hastily made in the opposite direction. Soldiers were not looked on well in these lands. "Keep your temper in the village, my freind." Mathew told the larger man. "Who knows what we may find. . ."

And so the story began, not in the beginning, and not at the end, but in the middle with a simple group of three who entered this village.

The warm rays of the sun filtered down from the blue sky. . .

It was sweltering hot. The baking sun pounded into the mute yellows of the fern fields. The tall plant swayed listlessly in the wind, waving to the hot sun. He ran his hand against his forehead. It came off slick with sweat. His feet tingled from walking among the fern stalks. The plants grew straight up over his head in long rows, before splitting into hundreds and hundreds ot tiny interlocking branches spreading out in a gigantic floating blanket. Walking under that blanket was even hotter. It was like being in an oven. Gathering the last of the seeds that had fallen off the night before, he started making his way out of the quiet ferns.

"Hey!" A voice shouted out just as he was about to leave. Turning around, he groaned at the sight. Sprinting full blast, was a young teen like him, with short dirty blonde hair, blue mischeivious eyes, and most importantly. . . news. Looking around for an escape route, the man breifly thought about going back into the sweltering Fern blanket behind him. torn between indesicion, eyes wide, he looked back from one to the other, desperate.

Just as he made his decision, the ground dissapeared out from under him. The air whooshed past him. His head exploded with pain. "Ugggh."

His eyes opened up, staring straight up into jack's wild blue eyes. He felt the body weight over his. "What the hork, Jack!" He yelled, pushing the other boy off of him. Getting up, he dusted himself off, now covered with the prickly fern seeds. They got stuck to everything. Wood, Clothing, hair, stone. Grunting in exasperation he began to walk away.

His body jerked back, Jack's cable of an arm whipping him. The kid was grinning from ear to ear. "Guess what?" Jack said, squirming with trying to keep his secret in.