Pieces of chaos
The Elsewhere University is rare place, where reality is thin, thin enough that you can slip through, that you can turn belief in reality, that you can see Crows and wyrms and other things mostly Else (but for cats. Cats care not for reality and walls between worlds. Cats walk where they want when they want how they want). But thankfully it isn’t so rare to attract True attention.
Oh there are courts. Petty tiny things when you look at it, seasons and times of days and even smaller, weaker minnows. And even then, you will never find whole courts or their rulers. Dukes and barons and princes yes, but not kings and queens.
Spring with its bloom and renewal and growth, strong enough to heal every wound of living and choke and conquer Earth like kudzu. Summer with its sunfire and strength and sea, powerful enough to burn and drown and smother world. Autumn with its harvests and decay and storms, mighty enough to unleash decay upon planet and bring rot and illness. Winter with its cold and darkness and silence, great enough to freeze and stifle and bury life itself.
Day with its blue sky and illusions, night with its black heaven and stars, golden dawn and grim twilight. Light, blinding and scorching and with radioactive smile. Night, deep and hungry and greedy and starving.
Fire that wants to feed and smother. Air that cannot be seen or heard, thinking itself above all but always felt. Earth from which all rise and all return to, mother of all. Water,deep and changing and most cunning and determined of them all.
Seelie, so beautiful and joyous and with endless order. Unseelie, terrible and painful and with unstoppable chaos.
Life that only wants to thrive. Death, most just, taking all.
They play their games, commoners and nobles alike, and their godlike rulers (pure things lsying deep beneath dreams, less people and more personificatipns) lustening to games, and forms belief bestows upon their subjects, ways humans interpret and respect and defile and fear nature, plotting against thousand other courts.
And knowing they are but small fishes swimming above great abyss.
There are three, Fair Folk know, three beings that can walk mortal world without shattering it. Three things from depths that were before time and will be after cosmos ends. Three beings resting in demersal zone, three avatars of True Royals, three pieces thrown to explore small small world.
Gentry know of them, though few have seen them. Stuff of legends and nightmares they won’t share with anybody. They learn of them, whispered in darkness of Underhill. Even Wyrm and crows know better than to challenge Three. Crows and Wyrms don’t trick or bargain, they take and devour. But neither does True Royalty, even avatars made to be weak-they walk and crush those who oppose them.
Do not ask of them. Gentry won’t dare answer. Do not seek them. They can’t be hunted. They may be exploring this young universe. They may be plotting. They may be hands and eyes of The Queen. It doesn’t matter. Pray you never find then.
Tall One is first. Thin and of long neck. Bone and mask, antler and crown. Where veil is thin they come and watch. They walk,silent, more unknown than Anna Monday. None know their motives or desires. They dwell in human world. Once you see them you know you are caught too deep. Question is are they warning or executor, neither or both.
Second is Hidden Darkness. It dwells in Underhill, hiding in tidal pools of Else, exploring reaches even most terrible fae avoid. Did it come to them because they were terrible or did it make them such. It seeks fun, and horror, and shall you find it- a formless shadow- it will devour you, body and mind and soul, power and existence and Name no matter what you are, mortal or Fair.
Third is Fairy Godmother. She waits in hall of sorrow between worlds, story attic warmed by fire of childhood dreams, cloak of tears and wand of silver bone. She goes where there is pain and need, bound by ancient promise of most famous tale. She seeks legends, and took all the best and worst world had to offer-wisest,strongest,bravest,most foolish,weakest and most cowardly. Only kindest remained free. If you are in need, she will bring you, and by magic and mundane, act and advice save you. Do not demand her help. Do not ask for more. Do not spit on tales.
And yes, I know I shouldn’t be speaking this. But I am doomed either way. As for you, dear enemy… do not turn your head. It will be easier that way.