Magik

Night falls on the magical woods of Lunathill. An expansive blockade of thick overgrowth divides the wild landscape of nature from the influence of man. A towering mountain surrounded by water, wildflowers, bush and trees, populated by every manner of animal big and small.

In the heart of Lunathill, massive ancient trees dance to the music of the wind. Their leaves cling to the melody as their branches bend to the flow of the nights sweeping crescendo.

All manner of winged creatures takes to the air, to ride the waves of the wind, as the sun sets behind the tallest trees twilight dulls to the rising moon. Flowers petals begin to close as they sleep, and dream of tomorrow.

Pools of swirling water light up, along with the babbling brooks and raging rivers. Each revealing the vastness of life inside them and illuminating the woodland bed. Great fish of tremendous size and iridescent colour drift silently below the strong river currents. Tiny amphibious creatures of hop from the swirling pools in unison.

A cacophony of birds sing their brightest night songs as the insects play with patterns in the air, their chitin lighting up to the rising moonlight.

The pulse of life and magic is so well practiced in these woods that even the slightest, isolated disturbance rings to the furthest points of it's almost unreachable depths.

It was on this night that such a disturbance did happen. With the snap of twigs and the crackle of wood, the songs of Lunathill changed.

Tears stream down a child's face as hurried movement carries them through the vast overgrowth, carving a path to the nearest clearing. The sound of heavy, desperate breaths. The smell of disease and blood hangs in the air. The presence of this stranger threatening the peace of the inhabitant's untouched wood. The very life of Lunathill could be at stake.

Water splashes underfoot. Heavy footfalls startle the elk, spoiling the wild cats kill. The crashing footfalls awaken the bear, and the smell of blood invigorates the dire wolf pack. Each distracted by the foreign nature of this being move deftly to investigate what it could be.

A humanoid woman wearing a strange long nosed mask was a sight none had seen before. The woman lifts the sling from her back, placing a small human child at the mouth of a moonlit clearing. The child's tears intensify, as their arms outstretch for comfort, only to be rejected by the kneeling humanoid that had carried them there. Tears fall from the corner of the masked individual. She said the final two words the child would hear ever spoken to her by man again, "I'm sorry".

The animals watched on silently, only the flash of their eyes and gentle glow of magic made them seen. The masked woman took off with speed running back the way she came. Her wounds trailing blood behind her, she grabs a dagger and howls in an attempt to distract any predators from the child she left behind.

Meanwhile, the toddler cried. She cried for her mother. She cried for her father, but mostly she cried for sister to come back. To please come back. Only to be met with emptiness. Tears soaked her red dress and fell onto her black boots. She sank to her knees, still holding out her arms, desperately holding them out in the hope sister would return.

The animals were unmoving. Captivated, by this child's vulnerability and uniqueness here in their wood. Time passed and they remained silent as the song of nature sounded around them. She cried so fiercely and for so long, the woods responded. The wolves howled, the bears roared, and the elk shrieked. As even the smallest of creatures joined in, the ground shook and the water bubbled. Together they had awakened the heart of the wood. The mighty purple scaled, brown furred Lycandrake, Aeostavo.

The earth shifted as this gargantuan dragon awoke from its timeless slumber. Moss and critter covered fluff rise into the open space as the trees part and revealing the magnificent beauty of an immortal being. Aeostavo's scales were a brilliant bright purple that shone upon the back of the little girl standing alone in the mouth of the clearing. His fur covered in other smaller forms of life that started to fall away as he stretched out his neck.

The animals bowed low to the ancient, magical heart of their wood as the little girl turned to the purple glow behind her. Her heart ache and tear-stained cheeks are forgotten, for a moment of complete wonder. She looks up at Aeostavo's warm face. His expression softens and the little girl smiles.

"Life of my life, why have you summoned me for judgement of this being?" Aeostavo asks.

"It is of man's world!" Said the wild cat, leaping from the tree line.

"As was I before bringing life to the mountain young cat." Aeostavo replies.

An owl perches on a tree branch by the dragon's side "Great Aeostavo, it doesn't belong here, any creature must have more than one of its own kind. It has been the natural law for millennia".

"And you wouldn't have it be an owl? Why then am I still allowed to live here? I am the last survivor from man's world, I have no clan" Aeostarra teased.

"Why, because you are the magic of the moon. The heart of the wood. We would surely lose ourselves in your absence. I think everyone would agree, you are a part of us all, despite having no direct kin." The owl concluded.

Most of the woodland creatures nod in agreement. Aesostavo looks around for any standouts in the judgement.

"Bear clan, you roared to us for judgement. Would you vouch for this youngling?" The Lycandrake asked,

"While they are not strong like a bear, I felt their potential for bravery. I would vouch for them, on behalf of my clan and my honour!" The bear exclaimed, stepping out besides the child, sitting back onto its hind legs.

The little girl awestruck, hugs the bear, "You see, brave!" The bear laughed.

"Will anyone else speak for the youngling?" The Lycandrake looks around once again.

Prowling paws step forth and encircle the girl and the bear. All but one, laying on the floor. The dire wolf still standing nuzzles into the little girl, "We will. She may not have blood kin but has the potential for cunning, and her pack can be all of us".

"Wise words young wolf" Aeostavo nods.

A large fin rises to the surface of the water, a thunderous voice stretches out onto the land. "We will support whichever clan her true nature is part of but, if she fits in none of them, then she must be exiled back into man's world, or given to the way of the hunt! Look into her heart, no other judgement would be just" Bubbles surface as the creature dives deep again.

"Great pike, speaks truly Aeostavo" Said the mouse.

A brief murmur of discontent sweeps across some creatures. The elk deliberate, the bugs chatter, but whispers of agreement throughout end up being the consensus. Aeostavo raises a claw and silence falls throughout the wood. Everyone holds their breath in this moment of anticipation. The dire wolves step aside, and the bear gently nudges the little girl towards great purple scaled Lycandrake.

He smiles at the little girl, offering up a claw for the girl to climb into. The little girl looks back to the bear and wolf. They nod as she turns back to climb into the dragon's claw. A deep rumble can be felt as mighty wings upheave earth and tree and stone. He looked into the child's eyes speaking to her in her mind "Be not afraid child, I know it must be scary, but I have you and while you're with me, you will be safe." The little girl eyes wide and mouth agog, stares deeply into the lycandrakes eyes.

Aeostavo smiles and with great force, they launch into the sky. Higher and higher they climb until the animals below see a dragon's silhouette against the moon.

There, floating amongst the twinkling of the night's stars, both Aeostavo's and the little girls' eyes beamed in the moons embrace. A purple sparkle emanated from the Lycandrake's scales, creating a solid glistening platform of purple energy with all the pictures of all the animals in Lunathill on it.

"Step off child. A full moon has the strongest magics, so I assure you it's quite safe." The Lycandrake whispered in the girl's mind.

The toddler looked down at the clouds and instinctually grabbed the dragons claw ever tighter, pressing her face into the soft edges of his claws. Scrunching up both eyes and squeezing all four of her limbs tight around the Aeostavo's claws. She begins to cry again and speaks the words.

"Want m-my, s-sister..." As she wipes her nose with her clothes, sobbing away.

Aeostavo's looks down realizing, reasoning with one so young may not be possible in his current form. Brown fur gently bellows in the breeze on his lower body as his purple scales twinkle in the moonlight. He shifts his weight, deftly pulling the child to his chest, she continues to hold on tightly. Then, his form begins to shrink. His scales and fur recede and are instead replaced with humanoid features similar to that of a man. A young-looking man with purple skin, bright green eyes and dark brown hair. He steps onto the platform. Both the dragon sigil illuminates with each of his steps. He picks up her chin and points at the symbols beneath his feet.

"There, you see. Nothing to be afraid of. Right here, right now. You are safe with me." He wraps his arms around her as he kneels down. She feels her feet touch the warm energy of the platform and lets one arm down, then two.

"Walk into the center and I will ask Mother Moon to lend me her light." Aeostavo smiles floating up.

The little girl timidly scurries into the center of the circle. Not once taking her eyes off this man. She looks up in astonishment as tides of magic come from this man holding his hands up, with palms open to the nights sky.

"Mother Moon, hear my prayer. We find a child that requires judgement. A child from man's world that was abandoned in the heart of Lunathill. She stands clanless, with few that may vouch for her if her heart is theirs. Yield me your power. Your power to shine a light on her hearts true nature. What could her nature truly be, on the inside..."

The platform begins to vibrate as Aeostavo frantically gesticulates in the sky, as he is possessed by the moon.

The little girl's eyes flash black and a beam of moonlight pours out of her chest. Pulsing motes of energy expel violently from her across each sigil. Every passing second a sigil lights up, then another, and another. The light dances around not settling at first, pinging each animal's icon. Aeostavo lets out a scream as the booming energy of Mother Moon consumes him.

He looks around, A beautiful woman in a flowing red dress sits in the hook of a crescent moon across an endless sea of darkness. Aeostavo, confused as to why he's in his deity's domain.

"Mother Moon" He bows. "It is rare, we speak outside the realm of dreams. Why have you brought me here? Is it for the judgement?" He asks stepping towards her.

"Some look at the blessings of the moon as a curse. But you? Sweet, Aeostavo, you founded a safe haven for nature after the butchers of man enslaved or killed your kin. You used your blessing to help the life of the wilds and the wilderness... But, you worship before me, asking for my power for judgement? No. Sweet Aeostavo, she is of man's world. She is not special. She is not unique. She is clanless. That is, for all but you." Mother Moon chuckled.

"What? But if her heart is not one of a dragon, that would kill her!" He pleaded.

"No love, the way of the hunt would kill a little one such as she. Should you choose to take her into your clan, the wilds may yet speak her name. But the decision must be yours, along with all of the consequences." She flicks her wrist until the moon becomes a glimmer in Aeostavo's eye. He flashes back into his body. He looks down at the platform. Sadly, no beacon for any creature's sigil remained alight.

His drifts down next to the little girl's unconscious body on the dais.

"It takes a lot out of anyone, but I fear what comes next for you may prove the hardest trial any wild one will ever know." He stokes the hair from her face and gently puts her on his back, shifting back into his dragon form. The beating of wings lasts for a second as they fold in, diving back towards the earth with awesome purpose.

The girl awakes, almost weightless as they dive towards the surface, gripping tightly into the Lycandrake's fur. As he extends his wings, he banks around the mountain back towards the court clearing for judgement.

The animal's whispers fade into the darkness as the great Dragon returns. An air of anticipation is palpable on the night air. The luminescent creatures hover above the water. Fins protruding from the pools, claws scratch from the thicket of the bushes and fangs glimmer as the host of animal's growl for judgement.

"Be silent!" Aeostavo exclaims. The various distractions melt into nothingness as the clearing looks up at their arbiter of justice. "Mother Moon has said, this girl i- That this girl is... To be one of the Dragon clan."

Some howl in praise while others sneer at the judgement.

"When she comes of age, she will be granted my gift. Until then she will learn the way of the wilds from all of us, but make no mistake, she is under MY protection." The Lycandrake sighed

"The way of the dragon shall continue." Shouted the mouse.

"Mother Moons will be done!" Cried the owl

"And what of her name?" Asked the Direwolf clan, "Each one of us is given a name by our forbearers, for the human to be in your clan you must tell us, what name is hers?" Said the Direwolf elder.

A serene silence engulfed the clearing once again as the Dragon turned his head and looked into the little girl's eyes. She smiles at him trustingly. Not knowing a path more dangerous than that of the hunt would now be her destiny. Aeostavo looks back through the clearing at every life and thunders these words:

"Let all the wilds know, this child is my clan and under my protection. And so, her name shall be henceforth, Magik!"

The animals rejoiced and bowed before the dragon and the moon, knowing this could be the start, of a brave new world. A world, of Magik.