Deep in rural Tennessee, in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, sat the stronghold of the most powerful wizard alive. The Merlin. His home was along the same lines as a Victorian manor, with a stout brick wall built around it. It looks peaceful, unless one can see the energies of magic like a wizard using his or her senses can. The whole building is virtually exploding with the amount of energy forced into its stones. The wall is covered in warding spells that will reduce an attacker to a scattered bunch of atoms, wards that put an intense go-away feeling on all guests except those who are aware of the spell, and the most powerful ward, which is on the grand gates, is one of the fury of the south. To attempt to breach the gate by force is to be immolated in fire. And all that is just the first line of defense. To attack the Merlin on his homeground would be only marginally less stupid then invading Russia in the winter time.
The Merlin was standing in his study however, looking over a map of the continental U.S., but this one is marked with another set of borders over the traditional states. A white color is lightly drawn over the southern U.S, with an extension into the midwest, and this represents the Wizard's territory. A bright green covers the state of West Virginia, where the Seelie Court hold sway, for that state is the most heavily forested in the south. Little black dots cover the map, primarily in the major cities, showing where the many Hunters are. To oppose this however, a sickly maroon covers the North-East, and much of the west coast and midwest. That is the land which belongs to the Vampires. A sky blue covers the state of North Dakota, where the Unseelie Court does their business, and a few red Xes are marked across a few major cities showing the last known area of Fallen Knights.
All this the Merlin takes in, and he formulates a plan. He decides to launch a major education plan and fortification of safe houses all along the border. Now, along with the wizards, there are many more people, who have some magical gifts, but it isn't enough to make them full wizards. The Merlin decides to tap this unused resource as an information tool, for he needs every advantage he can get seeing as his opposite Number on the Vampire side is thousands of years old. To this end, he goes to the living area where the entirety of the Senior Council is gathered for the council of war.
"Greetings my old friends, I am very glad you were able to show up on such short notice. I am sure that your own holdings are under threat as well." As the Merlin said this one of the council members, his runner up, smiled and remarked wryly "No need to remind us of how old we really are eh? I remind myself everytime I look in the mirror.."
A few of the other councillors chuckled at this, but another one, by the name of Matthew, stood up and said "Now is not the time for jokes! Even as we speak my stronghold is under siege! Now, Most Honorable Merlin, what is our plan?" He asked with anger rolling through his tone.
"I understand your concern Matthew, so I shall be concise and to the point so that you may all return to your posts as soon as possible. I have devised a plan, one that will be in three separate phases. Phase one is where wizards who lack notable combat skills shall go amongst the various cities to the minor talents and inform them of the situation, and establish an information network. At the same time the Wardens will be establishing at least two safehouses that can act as refuges or fortresses for wizards in the major cities. I predict this will take at least a month for the necessery ground work to be done, and another two months for it to be working properly. No offensive action will be taken at this time. Phase two is where we shall begin our push. With the information from the minor talents we should have a basic understanding of the vampires' strong points and where they are concentrated. I, along with four of you, shall lead the bulk of the Wardens in a push towards the vampires' main points of infrastructure, and attempt a blitzkrieg war. Those wardens that are left in the cities shall attempt to eliminate all vampires from their city, as well as gather the information from the minor talents. And that brings me to Phase Three, where we will launch an all out push to kill the Vampire King Protesilaus, for without him they shall fall." While he outlined the plan the Senior Council were writing down notes and nodding. When the Merlin finished he asked "Now, I want you all to tell the wizards under your command about this, and get the ball rolling. We cannot afford to lose this war, as it would mean the end of a free humanity. You know what you must do. Now go!" With these inspiring words, the council members bowed and walked outside, opened up portals to to their strongholds, and went home, to carry out the Merlin's orders. Victory must be won.

Keira adjusted the sleeve of her daughter's gown as they were escorted through the halls of the Merlin's abode. It had been two days since she'd received the summons and left Darielle and Kiran in charge of her court. The entire arrangement had been a mess of preparations and measures taken to secure the kingdom while she was away. Sylvaya had been pining to go on one of her mother's diplomatic trips and had drew the line at not meeting the famed wizard. Keira had given in and allowed the girl to travel with her. Now that they were in the sweltering Tennessee heat it was obvious that the girl was regretting leaving Chicago, the city where they were holding a temporary court for Sidhe in the area. Upon the threat of the vampire court and an alarming number of Winter Sidhe, she had decided to take the trip to speak of the alliance between wizards and her court.

"Straighten up" Keira tapped two fingers under her daughter's chin as they paused in front of a set of wide oaken doors. She made sure the sunset orange and pinkish gown she wore was straight as the wizard escorting them opened the doors, allowing the Queen to sweep into the Merlin's meeting hall. She raised her head at the few remaining wizards in the room. It was perfectly time, just as the younger members of the council had left, leaving advisers, the Merlin, and several wardens in the room.

"I believe you know why I am here, Merlin" Keira smiled accordingly as Sylvaya and their attendants stopped just behind her. They watched on as their Queen adressed the Merlin informally. They were equals even here, and nothing was going to change that.

He was watching the wizards file out when the radiant Queen of Summer glided in surrounded by her equally stunning entourage. The Queen came to a stop, and spoke out in a voice that made one feel warm on the inside. As she talked, the Merlin strode forward and took the queen's unblemished hand in his own aged one, and delicately placed a kiss upon her hand. "Why of course! You are here about the Alliance are you not, for I assume that you are willing to march forth with the Council in response to Winter's declaration of war?". As he spoke these words he turned slightly and walked over to a small circle that was emblazoned in the fine wood floor. The Merlin outstretched his arms, and spoke a short incantation. Within the circle a small creature now stood. It was of the servitor race called the Tredish, created by the ancient wizards long ago, and this particular one was bound to the Merlin, to serve as he required. The little fellow was impeccably dressed, and looked like a small man. It bowed, and asked in a squeaky voice "My lord, how is my service required?". The Merlin responded with "Bring me a bottle of '83 Bordeaux, and a glass." he turned his head back towards the Queen, and said "And you O Queen? What would you like to drink while we discuss these terms?"

Keira Saphira

Keira signaled for the attendants to stop as she and her daughter remained standing forward. "I'll have to decline any beverage. But it would be nice for Sylvaya to have a glass of water while we discuss" Keira nodded in approval to the Merlin, choosing her words carefully. "I am here to discuss the alliance as the Sidhe of our...estranged sister-court have made an increasing approach on crossing territory lines set long ago. The Vampires are growing bold as well, daring to drink from members of my court" She felt the familiar fury rise in her throat. "I've stood by idle for too long. The vampire kingdom has overstepped their bounds, and alliance or not I will not stand for this sort of upset"

Her eye was caught by the creature standing before the wizard. It was a shame that they were bound into slavery in such a way. All Sidhe, Winter or Summer, strongly believed in free will for all of Mother Nature's creatures. If only the wizards would see it her way. She bit back a sad sigh for the Tredish and turned her eyes back to the Merlin. "I dare to presume that you've encouraged action to be taken against those...vile creatures." The Sidhe's eyes flashed dangerously. "My own court asks for you assistance, Merlin. But we will not hesitate to strike alone"

It was late at night, and the air was pleasantly warm as Alexander walked the streets of Chicago. His eyes were alert while he walked, for with the war having begun the vampires were even more active, feasting on the defenseless humans to stockpile as much energy as possible. Alexander had been listening to the police reports and the amount of missing persons has shot through the roof, quite a few of them being in Chicago, which meant he had work to do. Being one of the four Wardens of Chicago, it was his job to hunt the hunters, and that was what he was doing. Since the war had begun the amount of work he had laid on him had quadrupled, and he had killed three vamps so far. Not including that fellow he had accidentally incinerated... His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a slight slurping noise in an alley behind a bar. Immediately alert, Alexander cautiously stepped towards it and was greeted by the sight of a few too-pale women dressed scantily holding their mouths to the throats of some young men. Stepping forward into the light, he called out "Don't you know raw food is bad for you? Here, let me cook it for ya!". He then thrust his hand forward, and a jet of pure flame slammed into the shortest of the three, turning her impeccable skin into a burned horror, and then into a blackened skeleton. While the vamps were shocked, Alexander clenched his fingers into a fist and called out "Pyros, Estleris, Serve me!". Upon these words a pair of golden doors opened, and two armored warriors stepped forth. Hashari, another of the races created by the wizards of old, used for close melee encounters where a wizard's skills don't really help. These particular two served Alexander, and had been with him for nearly fifty years. They stepped in front of Alexander, and pulled out golden blades that gleamed as if sunlight bathed them. With a wolfish grin, Alexander pointed his hand towards the two vampires, and said "Well lads, looks like we do get some action tonight. After this, drinks on me?".

Alexander winced at the blow to his face, but the threat to his life turned his attention back to the vamp he was currently tackling. With a wry grin he remarked "Ya know, for an older vamp, you know nothing about confrontations. Death threats come AFTER the banter!". The vampire in question glared at him for that comment, and retorted with "You know, for a warden, you talk WAY too much" in a thick Irish accent that was slightly beguiling. Her eyes also began to draw Alexander in, but he snapped his gaze away and said "Oh lovely. Stereotypes. Ya know, for a dead person, you talk WAY too much!" with a wink. She gave a small smile, and merely said "Do you like the sound of my voice O Warden?" as her voice lowers into more sultry tones. Between the voice and the eyes certain ideas are starting to pop into Alexander's head, but the iron will that is drilled into all wizards shoved those ideas down. Angrily, he growled out "Don't play that game with me, vamp. I'm not some weak willed teen you can just lure..". The vampire's smile merely widened as she said "It's not about allure. It was never about allure, warden. It's not a game. It's a permanent state. If someone responds, they're going to respond...". Alexander's fury at these words and himself for being attracted at all ignited. He shouted in her face "I'll be DAMNED before I respond as you so put it. I am a Warden of the Council dammit, and no HARLOT of a vamp is gonna get in my head!". She gave a small chuckle and then said "Harlot? What a choice of vocabulary you have, Warden" ,she turned her head slightly, "Even though you have no idea how wrong you are." Seeing that his choice of words had made her uncomfortable he tore into her. "Ma always said I had a way with words... So, did the terrifying devourer of men get hurt by the mean old wizard's words?" Alexander's voice with filled with scorn. She draws back as if slapped, and turns the power of her gaze to 120. Her voice is bubbling with anger as she says "Careful of your words WARDEN." she spits the words out, "I did not survive 600 years of hell and men and blood and fire to let some child of a wizard psychoanalyze me!" and as she finishes her remark she twists her body under his grip, gets her feet in his stomach, and then kicks out, slamming Alexander into the wall, and then she runs swiftly, vanishing into the Chicago night. As Alexander picked himself up, he looked about, rubbing his gut, and muttered to himself "This is going to be a long war..."

Sylvaya scanned her eyes over the wide hall as her mother spoke. She'd been to plenty of meetings with her mother, but this one was supposed to be "crucial" to her race. In all honesty, she didn't exactly understand how talking to a cranky old man was going to help the Sidhe. They should be out there fighting off vampire hoards, she should be fighting them. What better way to prove herself to her court than by killing a few bloodsuckers. But her mother would never let her out. "Princesses are supposed to rule their country through diplomacy and good leadership, not through bloodshed" as her mother insisted whenever she brought it up. Princess Sylvaya Saphira of the Seelie court would never see a battlefield if she had anything to say about it (which she certainly did).

The young princess's eyes strayed to a tapestry pinned to the wall across from her. It was a wide woven cloth, meant to look old. The fabric was obviously newer because of the detail of the "Supernatural Tree" printed on it. Most tapestries were made by Sidhe seamstresses and depicted the Sidhe race at the top. This one was an unbiased one, similar to the one Sylvaya's mother had created specifically for their diplomacy hall in West Virginia. The top held the four ruling races: Vampires, Wizards, Seelie Sidhe, and Unseelie Sidhe. The branches reached out to the Hunters on the left side and Fallen Angels on the right. Humans were somewhere near the bottom. Sylvaya scanned the tree, looking for the Unicorns and Sprites she loved. Their image was not shown on the display.

"Where are the Unicorns?" She turned toward the Merlin in mild anger. "Or Sprites and Fairies? This is incredibly inaccurate! The Goblins and Trolls and Centaurs are missing to! It's outrageous!"

As the Merlin acknowledged the Queen's refusal of the refreshment, and her outrage at the enemy, he gestured for her to sit. "Truly , your people have been wronged! I assure you that the Council will do everything in its power to help bring down the Vampire Court, and push the Unseelie back as much as possible." he said in a reassuring tone, one filled with the clear note of truth, and the strength of steel behind it. He himself was about to sit to get into the meat of matters, how and where the two nations would coordinate, and to give her a copy of the overarching plan he had drawn up, when one of the other Seelie, probably the princess based on the way she looked, gave an outburst. She prattled on in a youthful moment of heated anger, over something as silly as random tapestry. Talking about the lesser supernatural. The Merlin raised one of his silvery eyebrows, and fixed her gaze with a steely look. Thus began the soul-gaze, a two way look of one's innermost soul. This ability is only inherent in the most powerful of mortal wizards, and nothing could be hidden. In her he saw the fires of passion, ambition, and a love for living things. He looked upon that youthful yearning for adventure, and thought of a use for it. And what did she see? She looked upon the Merlin's true self, the solid pillar of confidence in the center, wreathed in the flames of his own passion, his love of his people, and the final thing she saw was a chunk of icy fear, fear of losing the war, and dooming his people to extinction. With a wave of his hand he broke the connection, and began to speak. "I will forgive you this outburst, madame, but if you think to presume that you can challenge anything of mine in my own abode, then I shall be forced to declare that you are breaking the laws of Hospitality, and you would have to answer to your Mother by your own laws, which I know are harsh in that area. But I shall answer your question. This tapestry was commissioned for the various races and groups of Mankind. Humanity, its evolutions, its devolutions, and its growth. I had it made to show what we stand for, and that is the Human Race."

"Sylvaya!" Keira sent a scornful look at her daughter. Still, she admired her daughter's passion. All living things were equal, not lesser than one another. "You'll have to excuse my daughter, Merlin. She has not remembered her court grace lessons through her anger." Keira sent another hard look at the girl. "But also you must understand that in our court she was raised to know that all creatures are equal to one another without exception. She is just expressing these beliefs. I believe it will turn her into a gracious queen one day if she learns to channel that passion into a more hospitable way" The queen recovered quickly. "Sylvaya, if you intend to learn something, I insist that you join us and leave the tapestries alone."

Keira turned back to face the Merlin as her daughter crossed to them. "Now, as we were saying. In my opinion, the first step to victory is showing unity despite our enemy's endeavors. At first I thought one of my two sons would be the best choice, pairing them up with a wizard. But the boys are in Europe, securing a treaty with the fairies of that area."Her eyes went to her daughter, wondering briefly if Sylvaya was the answer to their unity.

Sylvaya hissed in displeasure as she crossed to her mother, furious that the old man was treating her like a child. She was princess of the Seelie court, not a mere apprentice underling of his. What right did he have to boss her around. Her mother, however, was another story. Queen Keira of the Seelie Court, mother to Princess Sylvaya and princes Eric and Evan, certainly could give her orders. Not being able to deny the queen was an important part of Sidhe culture, but it was a pain. Not to mention the insulting tapestry. There was no "mankind". Only creatures that nature blessed with her life. How dare the old man interfere.

"Now, as we were saying. In my opinion, the first step to victory is showing unity despite our enemy's endeavors. At first I thought one of my two sons would be the best choice, pairing them up with a wizard. But the boys are in Europe, securing a treaty with the fairies of that area." Sylvaya's eyes snapped to her mother again. She'd sent those two to visit creatures she knew Sylvaya loved, and then wanted to use them to show the force of the Sidhe court? What about her, the heiress to the throne, soon-to-be queen of every Seelie Sidhe in the world. Wasn't their confidence enough in sending her to help the wizards? Granted, she didn't like the old man to begin with, but being able to leave the protected walls of a castle or court would be enough!

"I'll do it!" Sylvaya agreed quickly. "If It were allowed I would pair off with another wizard."

The Merlin watched, bemused, at the exchange between mother and daughter, and then his attention was redirected to the war when Keira brought it up once more, speaking of unity. He listened, interested by the idea of pairing a Sidhe and a wizard up, and looked through his head, for a good wizard to pair a Sidhe noble with when the young one broke through again, volunteering for the job. The Merlin smiled, for he had just the man for the job. "Well that settles it then. There is a Warden in Chicago, by the name of Alexander." he turned, and began writing down the address, along with a formal order for Alexander to take her in and treat her with the utmost respect, and to keep her alive at all costs. "Alexander is an excellent wizard, and he has just the attitude she needs. Be warned though, he is a war-wizard, and he does not suffer fools lightly. I advise caution." And with these words he dipped his ring into a pool of red wax and slammed it into the parchment, marking it with his seal. He then strode over, and handed the letter to Sylvana. The Merlin moved to face the Queen, and said "Well M'lady, I hope that is sufficent. Now, if you will follow me into the study, there are specifics that I must show you on the war map. Oh and I almost forgot. The young one requires transportation." The Merlin waves his hand, speaking in a low baritone in Latin. When he finished a portal had opened, connected to a park in Chicago.

Sylvaya took the letter in her hand with a badly disguised smile. "Thank you" She tucked it into a bag an attendant handed her, glad she had thought to bring a change of clothes. With a swish of magic she transferred the gown she wore into a mortal outfit; simple but effectively making her stand out. She gave a small curtsy to her mother before slinging the messenger bag over her shoulders and stepping through the portal into a green park. Sylvaya was suddenly surrounded by lush green trees and grass. The air was overhung with the acrid smell of pollution but Sylvaya took no notice.

"How did he expect me to find this Alexander" Sylvaya cursed under her breath. The address on the paper was easy enough, but she didn't have the map of Chicago memorized as her mother did. And asking for help would be asking for death in such a politically torn area. Anyone could be vampire or Unseelie.

"So Keira does send her pretty little daughter to do her dirty work" Sylvaya spun as she heard the wickedly cold voice from behind her.

The voice belonged to an Unseelie Sidhe. He was taller than she was, dressed in mortal garb that outlined his toned muscle distinctly. Cold blue eyes stared her down as Sylvaya took a step back, surveying her situation. Judging by the black, star shaped pendent that pierced his left ear he was one of the Winter Court's higher ups. Stars in her kingdom were marks of crimes against the queen. In the Unseelie kingdom, they were the marks of assassination squads the Queen ordered to track and kill higher ups of Summer. Sylvaya imagined that she was at the top of his list, right below her mother.

"I wouldn't talk so big, Winter" Keira fumbled slightly as she jerked the dagger from the inside lining of her bag, holding it out in front of her as she'd been taught. The blade was made of silver, with a hilt decorated with falling leaves. It was a specially made one, the tip being made of just a pinpoint of iron. Enough to wound when it pierced skin, but the essence caused barely a ringing in the ears of whoever was touching its hilt. It was one of Sylvaya's most prized possessions.

"Are you sure this..Alexander...is the best choice for showing my daughter around Chicago? She's been there before, mind you. But she's never left the court before" Keira wondered as she followed The Merlin toward his study, worry blossoming in her mind. The world was a dangerous place, and though Sylvaya was as skilled a fighter as either of her brothers, she was still naive on how things worked. "And will she be able to find your Warden? Surely he won't recognize her by face, even if she's a princess of Summer. If he were to mistake her for one of the Unseelie bunch...."

Besides the obvious flaws in the plan, Keira knew that the Winter Court had loosed its Sidhe into Chicago long before the death of such an important vampire figure. Her own Sidhe were fighting them under the noses of the humans for years. The wizard Warden might not know Sylvaya, but any Sidhe would. And not one of them would hesitate to kill the young princess and leave their opposing court without an heir in a time of war. She wondered how adept this wizard would be if the Merlin dared to give him watch over her daughter.

The Merlin watched as Sylvana walked through the portal, and then turned to the queen and responded to her question "I assure you that Alexander is one of our top wardens. He is a potent war wizard, and he will keep your daughter safe. And if he is paying attention then he will recognize her for who she is. There is a fairly big difference between winter and summer." He then gestured towards his map, and began pointing out the concentrations of Wardens. The three biggest concentrations were in Washington D.C, Atlanta, and Nashville. While pointing these out, he poured himself a glass of the wine, and threw it back.

"This war worries more then anything else right now. The idea that so many will die is a tragedy in itself, and I will not allow anything to get in the way of victory. Do I have the assurance of your full support? The warriors of Summer will be sorely needed.."

"The Summer Court will offer any support that we can. I assure you, those already in the more vampire oriented areas are fighting back as we speak." Keira nodded, still not sure of her Daughter's safety. Sylvaya was heiress to the throne and her only daughter. Her perseverance was the only barrier between anarchy and order. By law, a queen of Summer could only mother four children. Though she had three, it would take years to raise another queen, and Sylvaya would do wonders for the kingdom. "However you mist understand that it depends on the safety of my daughter"

Vampire. Sylvaya sensed her before she saw the redhead. The woman was walking seductively toward the Unseelie Sidhe in front of her, ignoring Sylvaya all together. She doesn't know who I am Sylvaya sent a silent prayer toward the Mother Gaia before she used her magic to shroud herself and bolted toward the exit of the park. Hopefully the Unseelie wouldn't reveal to the Bloodsucker who she was. Being a Sidhe princess was a dangerous title in Chicago. It would be better if she avoided other Sidhe while she was here, lest they gossip about the Queen of Summer sending her daughter to the forefront of the war. Keira pulled out the little piece of paper and held it up as she exited the park.

"288 31st street" She read off quietly, glancing up at the street sign. She was at Janura park, a few streets over. If she headed east she'd be fine.

Before leaving, Sylvaya turned to the brick wall surrounding the park. She could leave a message for the vampire woman that had saved her. She pricked her finger on the tip of her blade, mixing the silvery blood with magic so that only a supernatural could see it. Bringing her finger to the bricks she carefully scrawled her message. Thank you....if we shall meet again, I'll refrain from killing you -S.S. After stepping away, she sealed the small wound with magic and set off down the street, assured that her cloak would hide her from anyone who hadn't been exposed to her magic. Both the Vampire woman and Unseelie male would see her if they were looking, but she wasn't too concerned with that.