A scene from one of my novels, Stalemate, a part of the novel's history that will be told later in the story.

The seasons visit Taerion, but they are unruly, unpatterned. One day it is sweltering hot, the next rainy, tomorrow the sky just might dump 6 inches of snow on you. Weather disasters run rampant, but them people move on and deal with it. After all, this is the way Taerion has always been hasn't it? The humans think so, though regular seasons and weather exist in their history scrolls, it seems little more than a myth to them. But the other races know better, many of them lived during those times, while others were raised hearing stories of The Tesari, "The Change" A being of prophesy who is said to be the new Goddess of nature, to change all the havoc and chaos nature has fallen into.

So what happened to nature? Who was the old goddess of nature? Perhaps I should tell you the story...

Syndranalsa sighed heavily as she stroked the fur of the rabbit sleeping near her. Spring was always her favourite season, all of the new life made her giddy with the pleasure of being its nurturer, its mother. But for all her maternity, she was lonely for companionship. Sure, there were the other deities of the other races, and there was Onshtranals as well, but she really wanted to spend time with the elves. Though they were creations of Onshtranals, she found that they intrigued her more than any other creature.

Her eyes sparkled slightly as she spied on a group of them dancing, laughing, singing, celebrating nothing in particular, right in the middle of the forest. This particular group had been doing so since Spring began a month ago. Syndra nodded to herself and decided. What could it hurt to join in the fun? Onshtranals had never forbidden her from doing that.

Sydnra leapt from the treetop she'd been sitting in, and transformed from an owl to a delicate, pale, silver-haired elf and walked into their celebration. One by one, the elves began to pause in their celebrations to stare at her, whispering in wonder.

Syndra blushed and bowed deeply to them all. "I should be honored to join your festivities?" For a moment no one replied and Syndra feared she'd made a grave mistake.

Then she spoke, bowing deeply in return. "My Lady, we would be honored to have you among us, I am Navianna." The golden-haired elf took one of Syndra's hands and lead her into the middle of the festivities. The music started up again, slowly at first, but then the festivities returned to normal. To Syndra, though, it seemed they were brighter than they'd ever been.

From then on it was easy, she joined them every night they celebrated, and it seemed that they now celebrated her company instead of just the coming of Spring. One particular evening, Syndra sat on a fallen log and watched the dance a bit. It was different this time, this time she watched as one of them, not apart from them. They were all so beautiful, but her eyes kept falling on one in particular as she danced and whirled with the rest. Navianna twirled, dipped, and leapt around the fire with the other dancers, the flames turning her hair to flowing, molten gold. Flames danced with light and shadows on her skin, pale as the moon, smooth as still water.

Syndra stopped in mid thought, taken aback. She'd seen it many times, but who would think the mother of nature would fall under such a spell. It wasn't unnatural after all, love was a thing of spirits, not body...

The dance stopped and Navianna crossed the gathering to nibble on some of the berries they'd gathered for the celebrations. Her eyes swept the crowd and then fell on Syndra, she smiled and gave a courteous nod. Syndra replied with her own. Navianna averted her eyes, sticking one of her hands in a pouch at her hip, and pulled out a long, wooden flute. She turned it over in her hands and then put it to her lips. Music had already started again, but as Navianna continued her song, the other noises slowly stopped.

Sydnra's heart beat loudly, slightly interfering with the sound of the flute that reached out for her, growing louder as Navianna neared her, twirling, going low to the ground and leaping back up, moving like a faery dancing on water. Syndra could barely breathe she found herself so enchanted by the dance. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of bliss in motion, Navianna knelt before her, pulling the flute from her lips, she bowed her head deeply, and held it up in both hands to Syndra as though it were an offering.

"The dance of courtship!" Syndra caught one of the whispers that followed the performance as she paused in taking the seeminly delicate instrument. Courtship...? Syndra looked down at the beautiful figure before her and felt as though her heart might burst with an odd sort of thrill she'd never felt before. Such a thing should be private...shouldn't it?

:Please,: Syndra spoke in Navianna's mind. :Look at me.: Navianna obeyed, and Syndra saw that she had the most startling eyes, a deep emerald flecked with many different shades of green.

:The Mother: Navianna spoke back. :Forgive me, Even though I knew...:

:You cannot get me off your mind?: It was Syndra's own feelings, but she spoke them as a question to this beautiful elf.

Navianna nodded. :I only dare, because I see you look at me, and I imagine I see my own feelings mirrored in your eyes and face?:

:You don't imagine. I...I accept your courtship Navianna Elf.: Syndra reached out and took the wooden flute in her right hand, then, with the other, she took one of Navianna's hands. They both stood and Syndra drew her close, kissing her on the mouth as she'd observed so many other couples doing.

From that day, Spring bloomed into full summer in response to Sydranalsa's great joy, and the festivities grew more frequent. Navianna and Syndra grew closer, sharing warmth, hearts, and finally, one night alone, they shared their souls, sitting beneathe a willow in meditation as they entertwined their entire being, sharing knowledge, memories, and experience, leaving no secrets left open between them.

Syndra thought there could be no end to her new found joy, but she was wrong. Sometime in midsummer, the sun rose early upon their festivities, in the middle of the night in fact, completely stamping out the moon, the only celestial thing under Syndra's control. A bright light passed through the forest, accompanied by many grim-looking elves.

Onshtranals entered the circle, appearing as a wizened old elf with long silver beard, and shining bald head. He stood taller than any around him, reaching just over seven feet tall, and he was not happy.

:Syndranalsa!: His deep voice boomed in her mind, she could tell by all the winces of those around her, that she was not the only one to hear him. :You have tread on that which is sacred!: His eyes swept over her company of celebrators and fell most cruelly upon Navianna.

Syndra felt her heart harden at that. If he dared harm her...

:You could do absolutely nothing about it!: He overheard her thoughts.

Syndra turned a bright crimson. :I have done nothing wrong my Lord God: She protested, letting her own thoughts be heard to all as well.

:Nothing wrong?! NOTHING WRONG?! And just what do you call that insolent thought of yours? And all for this abomination: He made a sweeping gesture over her and Navianna.

:Natural. A meeting of souls Lord Onstranals, what matters the body...?: Syndra thought he was actually turning purple.

Then he smiled, a cruel, calculating smile. :What matters the body hm? Alright then, if that be so. But attonements must be made, this elf worships you. No one is to worship anyoen but Me! You know that is true, a sacred law. This creation's punishment shall be to survive in ugliness, we will see what matters the body.: He smirked, and pointed his golden, sun-topped staff at Navianna. A beam of light shot from it toward Navianna.

"NO!!" Syndra jumped in front of it and got hit by the full blast. Her body twisted with pain and she screamed out as the light coursed through her like a thousand white-hot needles. She lost control over her form, and all around watched, astonished, as the beautiful elf transformed into a silver dragon with great wings, shadows racing over her scales, dyeing them black in passing. Holes burned into the great wings and they began to rot until there was nothing left of them. Syndra collapsed as all that was left was a great, wingless lizard, blacker than shadow, heaved great breaths in pain.

:Sacrificing yourself for this?: Onshtranals shook his head in disgust. :Fine, I will leave you your trinket, but not without a mark. The rest of you lot are traitors to your God and the faithful. I have watched you worship this worthless servant of mine, and you will pay. So as you worship her, you will join her.: He pointed his staff again, and it swept over the accused. Every elf it touched fell to their knees in pain, their pupils widened to expand over the iris, eating the whites, until they were left with nothing but the black of their pupils. Their hair darkened to match, and their skin darkened to a tawny brown from the sun power's touch.

:This is your mark, so every loyal elf will know you for what you are.: He spat. He aimed another blow at Syndra as she attempted to rise to from the ground. :And that is your curse traitor, you shall live forever, unable to stand the light of the sun or even its reflection on the moon, you will have to go underground, forever separated from what was once under your control and protection. Darkness is your realm, and you shall be ruler of spiders, bats, and other such creatures of the dark, never to see the surface again. As for your followers, they will never be able to face my sun again, even a cover over their eyes will not stop their pupils from absorbing its brightness with justified pain.:

And thus began the race of Dark Elves, and the imbalance of nature as Onshtranals attempted to replace his former goddess with others who always failed nature's test.

But the knife of corruption bled Syndra, slowly eating all that was good in her as she lay in the darkness of the underdark, and her followers did what followers do. They followed, and so began the realm of Darkness with only one thought: Revenge.

And that's where the story begins, the birth of the Tesari, the start of her tests, and the fight for her power, in a time where the land searches for peace from the war of nature, without a clue on where to start.