D.N.S. presents
Genesis:Lineage
Part I: Abandonment

Prologue:
It was a cold and lonely night. Momma was oot in th' streets again, clenching me lil' baby sister Moiyra tae her breast. I could hear her shrill cry through the window of the cellar in which I used tae hide when things got tae hard an, I could nae take the world any longer. I sat there...waiting for it tae end. She went oot there ev'ry night, calling the name of a man. A man who dinnae wanna thing tae do with us. A man so cruel, so heartless that he would leave his only love for havin nae produced a male successor in which tae bequeath his estate. A man known only tae me only as...me Father. 'Tis late evening in Dublin Ireland, 994. Mummy, me sweet angel, wayward in the night, No one responds tae yuir heart broken sobs. They jus turn the other way as if the madness had taken ye. I would jus as well join ye in yuir morning. My tears fall in vain, jus as yuirs do. I wish nothing more than yuir happiness, I would end yuir tears f'rever if I could, but as is, I could nae end my own if I tried. I shall ne'er trust another man again. I will not let him break me heart as me Da did yuirs. I shall ne'er let them get so close tae me. I love ye mummy, and I shall stick through this depression an help ye through it. An me two little sisters I shall tend. We will see this through mummy, ye'll see, and then we'll be a family again. I know I'm young, but yuir in no condition tae be raising us on yuir own. Ye'll see, we'll get through this an I'll help ye....

Interlude:
The fall leaves ascend the skies, as they twist and turn about a young girl runs about catching them before they fall. A taller fair young lass comes up behind her an grabs her sides then lunges the small girl towards the sky careful not to drop her or let go, the in a swish she spins the girl about in her arms. The small child cackles in joy.
"Fly me more Mirage! Fly me..." The small child cries in jubilation.
"I'll fly ye tae the moon an back lil' one." The tall girl calls back.
"An further...?" The girl calls again.
"Och, yes, tae any were ye wan', I'll fly ye in tae eternity...where we'll live fer e'er and e'er..." She called as she began to slow down.
"An' e'er Mira...?" The child looked back to her elder sister, face as that of a porcelin doll, eyes of large globes of shimmering glass. She then slowly placed the girl down upon the cobble stone.
"Look a ye, yuir as bright as the sun an mature as the aged rock, ye make me so proud me little Moiyra. Yer growing so fast..." Mirage said looking upon her little sister with a mother's content.
"I love ye Mira." She smiled back then took Mirage into her loving embrace.
As the girls giggled together in their delight they had hardly noticed the horse and carriage pulling up to their house. The middle child Gweneth, charges out the door to greet the man.
"Is there somethin' I can help ye with sir?" Gweneth said as a devious smile crosses her face. She was always known to be the flirtatious type.
"I have a message fer a young lass named Mirage...Mirage Mahony...?" He said in a kind voice.
"Uh t-that would be..." She lied deceivingly.
The man handed her the scroll then got up on his carriage and left. Gwen stood their and admired the beautifully set scroll in her hand. Her eyes gazing over the wax set emblem of the Wiccan temple. She tucked the scroll into her long sleeve and stood their smiling. Mirage had caught Gwen out of the corner of her eye. She walked towards her in anger and shouted, "Gwen! Yuir supposed tae be taken care of mother taeday."
"I have nae obligation tae ye, or tha sickly wench in there...Besides, when some man come a courtin' I'll be oot of this place faster n' a wisp o' the wind, then ye c'n waste away yer days, fer all I care." Gwen said in a smug voice.
"Ye'll do nae such thing...besides, no man in his right mind will have ye." Mirage said.
"And I suppose they'll have ye instead, a spiteful ol' bitch...They'll be tearing down the door fer ye." Gwen responded again.
"Och, thats right ye said ye don' wanna man, that they're nothing but cruel an ye'll have nuthin tae do with them....Well is that so...or maybe they really don wanna have any thing tae do with ye?" She said trying harder to be more cruel with ever other word that came out of her mouth.
"That is enough Gwen...Our mother is in their dying, an all ye can think of is getting yerself a man..." Mirage cried out.
"An why not, I have no other man tae look up tae...she drove away our father!..She couldn't concieve a boy child an that's what drove him away...That stupid Mare..." Gwen retorted.
"That was nae her fault..." Mirage said.
"No!? If it wa nae fer her...Father would still be here." Gwen shouted staring coldly at Moiyra, then she tromped off in to the house.
Moiyra ran over to Mirage clinching to her dress.
"Mira!? What does that mean!? Did I do some thing wrong?" Moiyra said as tears started to gather. Mirage looked down and said, "Nae Moiyra darlin, ye can nae help what ye are. Neither c'n any one else." Mirage said as she started to cry.
She knealed down and held her younger sister close.

Interlude:
The night grew dark as every one got ready for bed. Mirage finished off her choirs and went into her sisters room to turn down their beds. She came upon a scroll on the dresser of Gwen's room. She recognized the Emblem melted into the wax. She slowly removed the seal and read the writing there in.
Gwen was covering the food with a thin cloth to keep from vermin getting on it. She turn to leave when she saw Mirage standing in the doorway.
"Is there something I c'n do fer ye sister?" She said then noticed the scroll in Mirage's hand.
"Explain yuirself." Mirage demanded.
"Och, that, It is of nae importance sister. Ye won't be needing that any ways." Gwen said.
"Oh, 'tis an invitation tae the wiccan temple, tae study under the tutelage of the head priestess." Mirage said in a displeased tone.
"Like I said ye'll nae be needing that. Ye must tend tae mother an Moiyra, ye'll have nae time fer that." Gwen responded.
"An what were ye planning tae do with it?" Mirage continued.
"Well, since ye won be needing it, I figured I could use it, its me right as well as yuirs." Gwen responded.
"Ye will not be using me invitation any mor'n I will." Mirage growled.
"A bit touchy aren't we?" Gwen said wandering about the kitchen trying to find something to do, so as to avoid the conflict rising between them.
"Ye know it is me right tae choose tae study under the head priestess, ye have nae right..." Mirage said.
"I have all the right ye do. She's me mother as well, Why should ye be the only one tae take the birthright!" Gwen shouted.
"The Head priestess told ye...Ye have nae lineage. Ye take after father, and besides ye'd only misuse the power given tae ye." Mirage said.
"Ye think ye have all the right, that yuir better'n me?!! Well I'm jus as good as you!" Gwen rose her voice in anger.
"Go find yuir self a husband. Thats all ye wanted anways. Yuir not cut oot fer this!" Mirage concluded.
Gwen became enraged. She let out a cry then knocked all the food off the table. She headed out the door enraged.
"Clean that up!" Mirage shouted at her.
"Clean it yuirself house wench!!!" Gwen shreiked back.
As Gwen made her way to the streets Mirrage picked up the bread, fruit and broken pottery from the floor. Her face clouded over as she began to sob to herself. Moiyra walked in from her bed room and made her way over to Mirage. She hugged her slightly as Mirage began to fall appart.
"What happened Mira? Wheres Gwen?" Moiyra asked.
"I dunno Moiy...I do nae know..." Mirage sobbed.

Interlude:
the next morning the sun arose. Mirage was up at the break of dawn ready to start work. She was reluctant to leave little Moiyra alone with her sick mother, but she had to support the family. She bent over to pick Moiyra up from the floor in which she was playing. She carried her over to their mother's bedroom door.
"Ye be a good lass now, jus stay in mummy's room an don answer the door fer n'one." Mirage told her as she began to open the door to the room.
"That wo' nae be necessary sister." Mirage turned to see Gwen standing at the front door.
"I'll be more'n willing tae take care o' her. Like I do e'ry day." Gwen continued.
"Gwen, och I was so worried aboot ye...Where did ye go?" Mirage asked as she trembled in disbelief.
"I...spent the night at an inn..." She said.
"Gwen! Da ye realize how dangerous that is? An where did ye get the money fer this?" Mirage questioned in anger.
"It does nae matter...I'm back...an yuir late fer work." Gwen said as she took Moiyra from Mirage's arms. Mirage headed for the door then turned to her sisters.
"Gwen...?" Mirage started to say.
"Yes?" Gwen responded.
"Thank ye.....an welcome back." Mirage said as she walked out the door. Gwen looked back and smiled.

Interlude:
That evening as the shop began to close and Mirage took the coins into her purse and hid them in her corset, then packed up her supplies for the night she began to feel a strange presence over her. She looked around the shop only to see the shop keeper had left. She went on with her business an packed up to leave.
The time she reached home she felt the presence again. The Sun descended and the night arose as she went into her house locking the door behind her. She made her way into the kitchen were she spotted her sister with a man, tending to her flirtatious nature.
"Excuse me..." Mirage called out to the two.
"Mirage! Uh...this is Shamus, Shamus O'donnell...He's a traveler...He needed a place tae stay fer the night." Gwen said in a nervous tone.
"Sister, may I have a word with ye..." Mirage said as they walk into the bed room.
"Are ye oot of yuir skull child. This man c'n be dangerous. Ne'er invite someone in tae this house with oot me permission." Mirage began to shout in an angered tone.
"Well...I c'n fend fer meself, an if ye don' trust him ye c'n use yuir power. Besides, hes harmless...ye c'n tell with yuir powers if he were out tae defile and rob us." Gwen said.
"Yes, but ye still don take chances...What if he'd gotten tae Moiyra o' Mum?" Mirage said.
"Ye ne'er trust me!!! Ye think I'm always gonna cause something bad tae happen!" Gwen shouted back.
"I had nae been wrong yet!" Mirage shouted. Gwen just scowled at her.
"Look...Just don take foolish risks...ye often do that...I'm jus trying tae look oot fer ye." Mirage concluded then walked back out to see the young man bouncing Moiyra on his lap. She smiled to her self as she let out a chuckle. He turned in suprise as he stood up holding Moiyra. He walked over and handed the small child to Mirage.
"Sorry...I could nae help meself...Such a darlin' lil' girl...is she yuirs?" Shamus asked.
"N-Yes...she's my youngest." Mirage lied to avoid the later advances.
"Where's the man o' the house." He asked Mirage was tempted to say, "Non o' yuir business." but instead continued with curtious detachment.
"Their Father is dead...I'm a widower." Mirage continued to lie.
"Och, I'm sorry, dinnae mean ta pry." He amended.
"Quite all right, Me oldest daughter is available for courting though." Mirage continued.
"I'll keep that in mind ma'am." He said.
"Gwen, let Shamus here take yuir bed, ye c'n sleep with me taenight." Mirage called out to Gwen.
"That will nae be necessary ma'am, I only needed shelter an food, I can sleep on the floor." He said in a refined manner.
"Dinae be foolish, yuir a guest." Mirage responded.
"Thank ye, I'm willing tae pay, I would have gone tae the town inn but it was full, seems I'm nae the only one traveling north." He explained.
"I see, well, we're settling in fer the night so go on a set up while I fix diner." Mirage said.
"Thank ye again ma'am." He said then left the room.
Mirage turned to her sister in puzzlement to see her sister returning the look.
"Yuir our mother now? An what's with the widower bit." Gwen questioned.
"Ne'er ye mind, I'm more concerned with our guest...The inn was full?!" Mirage pondered.
"Ye think he's trying tae hide from someone?" Gwen asked.
"Very sharp, Gwen. In fact that was exactly what I was thinking." Mirage responded.
"Well, he's no harm now is he...he needs our help." Gwen said.
"Nae, but keep yuir eye out any ways. I don like tae pry, but if he's putting us at risk...well...just keep yuir eye oot." Mirage says then turns to the door to put Moiyra down. She places Moiyra in the bed and set up for the night. Gwen check on their mother again and then comes to bed as well. When Gwen enters the room Shamus is already asleep.
"Should one o' us stand watch?" Gwen asks.
"That will nae be necessary, I'll slip some nightshade in tae his drink tae make sure he sleeps through the night. Ye go tae bed now." Mirage said as Gwen slipped in on the other side of the bed.

Interlude:
By the time Mirage wakes, Shamus has already left. She jolts out of bed as she checks on every one in the house. Nothing seems out of place and every one is accounted for. Every thing seems fine but she can't help but think of why the night shade hadn't worked. She watched her sisters as they started to wake.
"Gwen?! Moiyra!?! Did either o' ye see Shamus leave this morning?" Mirage asked in shocked voice.
"What do ye mean...did'n ye put night shade in 'is drink?! Why didn' it work!?" Gwen panicked.
"He must have nae drank it, otherwise he'd be out l like a drunken souse...or...maybe it jus did nae work on him." Mirage responded.
"Ye bumbling fool!!! What if something had happened. What if he got tae mum! Ye were supposed tae take care o' it!" Gwen shouted.
"If I remember correctly sister...It was ye who brought him in tae the house tae begin with..." Mirage began in a hostile tone.
"Jus' like ye tae try and blame this on me!!!" Gwen interrupted.
"It WAS yuir fault...But...nothing happened, so we'll just let it go now...I gotta go tae work now, so ye watch o'er mum fer now AN DON let any one in the house, e'er!" Mirage sharply accused as she began to leave. She reached the door then turned back to see her sister with tears in her eyes turn away. The strange feeling that had been persisting through out the day grew stronger. It caused goose bumps to rise on her flesh, fierce pangs to coarse through her stomach, and sharp pin prick stings to shoot through her mind.

Interlude:
The pain got worse throughout the evening. Mirage couldn't concentrate on her work and all through the evening she would continued to strain and try to focus. When evening came around she finished the pouch she was weaving then looked to the sky through the musky window. The shop keeper turned to her as she placed the pouch on the table.
"Something bothering ye luv?" She asked in a mother's loving tone.
"Hmn!?...Och...tis nothing ma'am, I...I jus need some rest." Mirage says.
"I noticed...Ye didn't do as much taday as ye usually....Mirage?!" She asks again.
"Y-yes mum?" Mirage looks away trying not to show the dismay in her eyes, the pain welling inside her.
"Why don ye take tamorrow off...I c'n get Rhiannon tae take over fer ye...ye'd still be paid o' coarse...but yer mother 'as taken ill an she'll need ye their...we'll hold up here."
"Thank ye mum...I...I'm sorry...things have been difficult...since da left." Mirage tries again to avert her gaze.
"I know child...Ye go home now...I'll be closing up...Tis getting dark...the spirits will be out roaming soon." The woman says with a slight resonance of humor in her voice.
"Thank ye mum." Mirage smiles ephemerally.

Interlude:
The wind howls as it whips through the streets of the lonely town in Dublin. The sky has clouded over like a blanket covering the earth. rain begins to fall as a storm sets in. The angry sky crackles and roars as splashing sounds of a single woman's footsteps is heard through the forsaken streets. At the next thundering roar the young lady hastily gains ground. The next flash of lightening lets out a mere paces before her. She jerks back to avert, then skids upon the drenched slick road trying to come to a halt with effect. She falls forward as a flash of a vision appears in her decent. She sees a young woman seemingly younger than she, standing before her. She had long Dirty blonde hair, pale skin, about as tall as her younger sister Gwen, deep crimson red eyes and was dressed in warrior garb of brown leather and gold accessories. She continued to lunge forward towards the girl and they both symotainiously brought their arms up across their face to guard against the collision. Mirage falls through the girl as if she were passing through smoke. She hits the ground and wheels around in shock to see nothing there. She rises to her feet as the thunder rolls. Her eyes grow wide as she slowly paces backwards. She then turns back and scrambles towards the door of her house. She rushes in slamming the door behind her. Her heart beats like the falling of the rain as she makes her way further into the house. When the feeling over comes her yet again. She opens the door to her mother's room to see Gwen and Moiyra beside her death stricken mother. Gwen held her mother's hand in hers as she prayed with her in silent prayer. Her health was fading as her skin grew more pale and her gaze grew more vacant. Mirage walked closer as an over whelming sensation came over her. She felt the placing of a hand on her shoulder as her pain dissipated. She turned startled to see a cloaked figure emerge from behind the door.
"I share your pain child...Cora was a great woman, such potential...Now passed to you in threefold ." When the figure spoke it was with the essence of a goddess, in a deep commanding, yet kind and compassionate voice. She spoke in an accent unusual for any in that region of the known world.
"W-who are ye!?" Mirage asked.
"Yes...there is much potential in you, and the child.....With proper training, you may even accede me." The figure said. Then with the grace of the wind the person removed the cowl to reveal their face.
"I am the Head Priestess of the South temple....You did not respond to my message ... I understand...you have more important matters..." The woman says as they turn to the bed.
"Can ye help her?"Mirage askes.
"This illness is selfinflicted, She will not last long...I would help child, but I can not heal a broken heart. She has lost all hope...and in doing so...all will to live. Your sister can attend to her...You must join me at the temple...your powers, if left unchecked, can grow beyond your control...Both you and your little sister Moiyra must join me at the temple."
"But, Gwen..."
"She will remain...her fate is not your own. She has a life all her own she must live. As for you and your sister...you must come with me...I'll give you three days to pack your things and say your good byes. Then you will set forth on the road and journy south."
"But wait....Ye said their fate is not ours....what is their fate..."
"Head my words child....You must journey south...allwill be explained.
She places the cowl on her head, the fades into the shadows in a cover of fog.
"What in?!...Saints preserve...she was a mirage!? but how..."
"...Mirage!?...Where'd ye come from!?" Gweneth Shreiked.
"Mother's getting worse....I dunno what tae do...we can nae afford a doctor." Gwen continued.
Mirage just looks at her eyes widened in fear.
"Mirage...ye look like ye seen a ghost. Was' wrong?!"
"N-nuthing..." Mirage says as she gathers Moiyra into her arms and paces around franticly.
"Mirage!?...MIRAGE!? Was' going on...answer me...."
"Look...I gotta leave fer a lil' while..."
"Mirage..I can't manage things here....how..."
"Look ye'll jus hav'ta...."
"Whats happenin!? MIRAGE...." Gwen turns Mirage to face her.
"Look...I can nae explain....I have some money stored away in the cellar...It ought ta hold ye till I get back. If ye need any help with mum the Millers down the street have offered some healing herbs..."
"MIRAGE! Whos gonna support us, what if mum dies...an why d'ye need Moiyra...Was' going on?!"
"I'll explain later..."
Gwen grabs her sleave and turns her to face her again.
"Don' leave me.....Nae like da...I'll be good I swear."
She looks her in the eye and recalls the day her father left:
"Da!....don leave me....Ipromise i'll be good....Iswear!!!"
"Mirage...tis' nae ye...tis yuir mother....I tried all I could...She jus dos'n wanna produce a boy...she does this tae make me mad."
"Nae,Nae daddy! She does wan tae...She can't help it really..."
"I'm sorry, I can beleive that."
Mirage thinks to her self "I remembers him well, the male chauvinist, so set in his beleifs that when you can't have a son its the womans fault. A popular beleif back in those days. He was ever reluctant, and always beleived what ever it was every body beleived. It was probaly why he left, converted, then remarried a pretty little bonnie with no mind of her own. I see them every now an' again, they travel a lot. I see them in the market, him, her and their new son. How I despise them. Looking so happy. He had completely removed us from his life."
"I'm nae leaving ye, I'll be back...I swear it." Mirage says.
Tears filled Gwens eyes as she jerked away.
"FINE! Then go if ye want!!!" Gwen shouts running into her mother's room. She throughs her head upon the bed sobbing aloud.
"Gwen...I'm sorry." Mirage begins to question her actions.
She gently placed her hand on Gwen's head and then walks out the door.

Interlude:
With Moiyra on her lap Mirage rides her stead on the trail headed south. The branches of the trees whip past her as she rides on. Once she reaches the South Temple she is greeted by the seven preistesses of the south. She looks around finding the place in shambles.
"What happened here?!" Mirage askes.
"A man by the name of Lord Gareth, He offerd a place at his side and did this, when we did not accept." One of the preisteses said.
"Who is this man!?" Mirage asked handing her young sister down to the preistesses.
"He is the reson why YOU were brought here...To put a stop to this evil." The head priestess called out as she aproached her.
"He set fire to the temple and ran off with a number of our preistesses." She continued.
"And the girls?!"Mirage asked.
"Those who are not dead have been converted. The fool...Setting fire to the temple of the south, the element fire. Yet still, are numbers have decreased immensely, us seven are all that is laeft of the thirty somewhat that we had. The other temples have bben informed and will be joining us shortly."
"It does seem strange though...Ye think he'll come back?"
"Oh...we're counting on it."
Mirages begins to feel the same dark presence as she had before on her way home from work. She thinks to her self "Theres some thing wrong here...I can feel we're all in danger."

Interlude:

It doesn't take long for the two to set in, as it was, the temple seemed like a second home to them. Mirage take her still unpacked sack and heads towards the door.
"And where would you be going then!?"
"Head priestess....ma'am...I'll be heading home now....I shouldn't have left me mother and sister unattended...now that Moiyra is settled here, I'll be going to check up on them."
"Dear Mirage, how to say this...Your mother has already passed on my dear...I am sorry."
"D-dear god....Then...I must go...Me sister...I promised her..."
"She has left home....In the three day journey in which you came here, she has left to marry the young lad Shamus McDonnel shortly after your mother died, the man as it seems, is a soldier in the Scottish army. His regimine was here to investigate the attacks on the temple, if you were wondering why your night shade didn't work on him, it was because he did not drink it. A soldier learns to be cautious on the road. As for your sister, she is living happily in wellness and wealth. I f you return home it would serve only to complicate matters further."
Mirages sack falls to her side as she stares blankly in disbelief.
"So, it has come tae this....Ye take after him after all..." Mirage thinks of how even her sister has found a new family, and completly wiped her out of her life.
"God preserve lil' sister."
"I'm sorry Mirage, it was imperitive that you be here...This was designed so that you could let go with the least amount of suffering as possible...I trust you understand...my intensions were good."
"Aye, an I suppose tis better this way..."
With that being said, Mirage unpacked and settled in to her new home.