The night suddenly became alive with screams, and the smell of things burning...

~

We awoke to father shaking us roughly. "My children! Quickly! Quickly, we must flee!" I remember Moonsong grabbing my arm and pulling me from confused slumber, hurrying me out into the night, now ablaze. Father yelled something, directing us to the trees, and quickly disappearing in the mahem.

We huddled amidst a thicket, far from our small village, praying those that wished us harm, would not venture so far, awaiting Father. We heard more screams and then yelling, it was coming near, we could not remain in the thicket.

It was then that we decided to seek refuge in different directions, and meet at the thicket upon first light.

I had not run far, when a man appeared before me. I was frightened at first, thinking he to be one of the assailants. His face was kind, however, and his eyes(one of brown and one of gold) though hard, were also kind. He spoke then to me, with a smile, "Come...I will protect you. Come into my home, quickly now, they are coming for you." There came the sound of men racing through the forest, the choice was made. I entered his home, not knowing that I was leaving behind my life forever.

That night, he showed me to my room, saying that he would alert me upon first light so that my twin and I might be reunited. The warning never came.

When I was finally awakened, the night had again occupied the hours. I was brought to a chamber and told to kneel before my 'keeper', little did I know that he was indeed my Keeper. He spoke again, his face no longer kind, his voice as harsh as any bitter winter wind. "I am GoldEye, your Master. You have come willingly into my Realm, and shall remain, until I give you leave." He approached me then, placing a rough hand beneath my chin and looking me over. "You will dance, yes?"

I was wise to see this, not for the question that it was posed to me as, but as the command it was meant to be. I could only nod, for still was I in the depths of the massacre I had witnessed. It is a blur to my mind after that moment. I was in deepest despair, thinking my entire family slaughtered. I no longer cared about freedom.

I cannot say how long I remained his slave, only that I loathed each night, for it meant that I would perform for his company, to be oggled by strange faces.

Then there came a day, when I was awakened by a strange sensation, one that I had not felt since I had entered this prison. I arose quickly, thinking that perhaps this had all been a dream. I felt her searching for me, Moonsong, my twin. This would change my demeanor as GoldEye's slave. I became rebellious, often angering him, hoping that he would become displeased and release me. To no avail.

This went on for sometime, he only smiling at my change in behavior, and I becoming frustrated and desperate to leave.

I thought that I had seen Hell's wrath the night my home was scoured from the earth, known all the loss that was possible to bear. Again, I was blind to what would come.

He entered my room one night after a performance, this startled me for he had never come into my room since the first night he had brought me here. There were no words, and I cannot voice what happened even now...

I can say that he thought, or rather hoped, that this would break my spirit.

Little did he know, that it would only strengthen it. Early in the false winter that spread in his Realm, I brought into that fiendish place a Daughter. I had but a moment with her. She was beautiful, her eyes already searching mine, those dark eyes...so unlike mine. They reminded me of the flint my father had taught us to tip our arrows with, and thus I named her before she was taken from me. I whispered it to her, as one of the other slavewomen swept her out of my arms. "Flinteye.."

And then she was gone.

~

I refused to dance, outraged that he would not allow me to see my child. He took me by the arm, briskly pulling me into an anti-chamber and speaking again in the hushed voice I had first heard. "I am releasing you, my Dustchild. I want you to seek out your family and find a place to raise the child in. When this is done, you may return for her."

This was it, I had been rewarded the freedom that I had hoped for! I would find a place far from this Realm's reach and take Flinteye there. In this place I would build us a new life, for I knew that I would not find my family.

I would later find all dreams are crashed upon jagged cliffs, scattered like meaningless thoughts.

That eve, I was released out into the forest that I had met GoldEye in, and first instinct directed me to the thicket that Moon and I had parted at. The scents that had once been familiar to me, were now gone. I was once again a stranger in a strange place. The land had changed, all taken over by the dense wood. Only the blackness that loomed high in the form of mountains, had remained untouched by the uncounted years. And as I stared at this landmark that told me I was finally "home", I felt that strange sensation again. I recall squeezing my eyes shut and turning around. I heard the silent steps that only a woodland creature can master and slowly reopened my eyes to find that I was stared upon. At first I only noticed the eyes..so familiar to me, those eyes. One golden eye and one blue. I was overjoyed, and then realized that it was a wolf. Memories flooded my mind and I called her name out in my mind. ^Moonsong..it is I...it is Dust! ^

And so we were reunited. I made haste to find a place suitable to raise Flint, telling Moon naught of her existance. We ventured together to a Realm in which a place known as The Green Dragon Inn was nestled. This was what I had dreamed of. Different peoples populated the area, in this place we could start anew. Here it was that I first found love, in the form of the daemon Faustus. To him I also spoke naught of Flinteye, the reasons for my deception escape me now.

I returned to the forest alone, and called out GoldEye's name. To my astonishment, he answered rather rapidly, arriving through a portal. Beside him stood a woman I did not remember having met, announced to me as his sister- Setsuke. They refused me Flint, saying that she was no longer mine. I returned to the Green Dragon, still not telling either Moon nor Faust about Flint and what had transpired. I knew, as I had looked into the metallic green gaze of Setsuke, that I was now to be hunted. Not only by her, but my own Daughter as well. I shared nothing, after being held a captive for so long, all I knew was to keep all to myself.

Setsuke came for me one afternoon, but I was protected by both Moon and Faustus.

She was defeated quickly, my secret revealed. I told them both then, that Flint would come for me next, making them both swear that if she succeeded and I was sure she would, that she was not to be harmed. They did so reluctantly.

I had thought long about this, and had decided that I would not fight for my life against my Daughter, knowing her to be an innocent to the truth.

When the time finally arrived, I would let the truth be known to her and hope that she was strong enough to move on.

~

I cannot recall the pain now, or even how it is that she did bleed me of life, but I do remember her cradling my head in her lap and learning all that was the truth and that was kept from her, distorted even. She said to me that she would give to Faustus my wolf's pelt and a piece of my heart. This I had requested of her, and that she destroy the rest of the heart. These things I know that she did, and as I sit in the darkness and recall all of this, I wonder now, what will the future be.

The Daughter that I loved and do still, dearly, deserves much more than the life I brought her into. I can only hope that she leaves the path she was directed to and finds the true path.

~

This is our beginning, we are the DarkChildren. Though we have been through many pains, we live to tell the tale and hope that our progeny will learn from them. So it was before, and shall be forever. When asked of you, who spoke the truth of the DarkChildren, know that it was I, Dustchild.

KAI 04/99