The Legend of Aynuria

Arexium, the once great continent, is now plagued by compromised ideals of those who came before. From the anchor of the capital, the City of Chains, to the Sacred forest that bears her name, the Celestial Breath, Aynuria. A storm unlike any that have been seen was created – the maelstrom, a storm of arcane nature, replacing the rain with fire and the dead rising from where the snow once laid. The weather, once controlled by nature, is now controlled by the arcanum. However, for this story we go before the maelstrom took control, to the vibrant green forests that bear the name of their protector, the dragon Valonscale.

While most dragons are covered in scales and take on hoards, Valonscale’s body, in place of his scales, bore chunks of what looked to be trees and lichen. His eyes shone a bright blue, with a fire-like quality. His wings when unfurled were large and almost a pearlescent white, and his legs were as large as the sturdiest of oaks. Valonscale was not as large as some of the more well known dragons, but he still stood among some of the tallest trees in the forest. Within the forest he was known to be a compassionate dragon to those who were lost within its depths. Nurturing them, teaching them how to survive and become stronger both inside the forest, and out. On occasion he gave them gifts of power so that they could protect the lands they call their own. Those who came into the forest wishing harm upon it and those who resided within, knew Valonscale as a fearsome dragon that was not patient with outsiders. His compassion for those that were lost or needing to find a way is where the story of Aynuria began.

Feral winds began howling through the trees. Limbs cracked under the immense pressure placed upon them. Trees broke at their roots, as if made of straw. Arcane winds sparkled and crackled through the air. A large meadow, surrounded by large willow trees is where this arcane spark chose as its place of mischief. Like ash falling from the sky, the spark landed, runes slowly appearing adjacent to each other until a circle connecting them came into focus. A light red outline started to trace the circle, like water following a dry creek bed, flowing so delicately on the surface until it completed the circle. A bolt of lightning struck the ground, and no faster than the lightning struck, a child appeared at the epicenter of the strike – a child no older than three years with dark hair, small pointed ears, what looked to be the start of freckles, and eyes as blue as the highest elevation lakes, almost as blue as Valonscale's. She sat and looked around, arms outstretched, as if in the middle of asking to be picked up by someone. Her eyes welled with tears, slowly letting out fearful cries that got louder as if a symphony’s crescendo. Her cries echoed throughout the forest, alerting all beings from the smallest of mice, to Valonscale himself.

As the panicked cries echoed off of every tree, Valonscale rose and began his trek to find the culprit. Slowly, a posse of all manner of beings began to follow behind alongside, and some even riding atop Valonscale. Mice, birds, hermits, fae, spirits, ermine… no creature took pause. The meadow in which the child appeared was no larger than a small ship, in size and shape, and looked as if at one time it may have been a camp of some sort, long forgotten and claimed once again by nature. The ermine were the first to approach the child, naturally curious, they started to play, rolling around the child, letting out playful squeaks, quelling the tears that dressed her rosy cheeks. Valonscale approached, head down, a soothing, yet rough voice echoing through the forest , “ARE YOU LOST CHILD?” Anyuria, saying nothing, slowly stood up with the grace of a newborn foal, began waddling over to Valonscale and attempted to get the hug that she was promised before she arrived. She was only able to find purchase within the confines of the large dragon's snout. What by most would be considered a vengeful and terrifying dragon was nothing but a large teddy bear to this small child. Aynuria locked eyes with Valonscale, their eyes glowing, as if a fire was lit between the two. “I UNDERSTAND CHILD, WHERE IS YOUR HOME?”

Aynuria said nothing, only started to cry.

“WE WILL PROVIDE UNTIL THOSE WHO LOST YOU RETURN OR YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO VENTURE OUT ON YOUR OWN. AS WE HAVE DONE FOR MANY BEFORE YOU. WHAT IS YOUR NAME CHILD?”

Aynuria just looked up into his eyes with the same fire and intensity that he had, peering into the deepest parts of each other's soul, eyes unwavering.

“INTERESTING, YOU POSSESS A GIFT I HAVEN'T SEEN IN MANY MOONS. NOT MANY CAN SPEAK INTO MY MIND. NONETHELESS, AYNURIA IT SHALL BE.”

It is told time heals all wounds. Valonscale was old. He grew with the forest, had seen the fires bare the roots, turning lush forests into deserts. He knew that the saying was correct: all things in time become new. He began looking after the child, sending envoys to places unknown to try and find this child's parents. Thousands of questions rushed through Valonscales mind, “WHERE IS SHE FROM?”, “WHY IS SHE HERE?”, “WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?” , “SHE POSSESSES A GIFT, BUT WHY HERE, WHY NOW?” Endless questions to an even more curious situation.

…One Week passes…

…Two Weeks..

…One Month…

…Six months…

…2 years…

…10 years…

…15 years…

The envoys of the forest returned slowly; there had been no reports of a missing child in this realm, at least matching Aynuria's description. The once rosy cheeked girl grew into a beautiful woman. Dark brown hair with oak leaves and twigs tastefully entangled throughout, slightly pointed ears, bright blue eyes, a flowing foliage green dress made out of leaves with a driftwood corset with webbed shoulders. Her canines – slightly pointed, a smaller nose, freckles and a sword that looked as if the scabbard was made of a piece of driftwood adorned her hip. The handle was what looked to be entangled ivy with a gem, gray, almost black with blue stripes throughout, at the end of the hilt. Her time within this tangled web of trees, vines and other lost souls gave her a purpose. Those within the forest showed her kindness, teaching her how to thrive within the limbs of the mighty trees, or down in the darkest of caves. She watched, and saw the compassion that those within the forest show, and the stern fighting it took to keep it, and the creatures within it alive.

Over time Valonscale started to take Aynuria under his wing. Slowly, this small child turned from a scared child, to a fearless warrior of the forest. From hiding under this strange creature, to riding atop. Gaining the respect of the forest was no small task but she had an innocence about her that could break down even the strongest of individuals. She never uttered a word in the conventional sense, she always just looked deep within the soul and you knew what she wanted to say. At first Valonscale thought it was just him she could speak to in this way, but over time she grew this gift and was able to speak to all manner of things. As long as their eyes could meet, they could communicate.

Some who wanted to meet Aynuria found difficulty in it. The eyes are windows to the soul, but not everyone is blessed with eyes. The trees do not see as the foxes see, and the moss does not see like the eagles see. The gift she possessed grew, however, and even those without eyes began to hear her thoughts through touch, her eyes still blazing with that familiar blue intensity. Although some still wanted to hear her voice, not their own answering. This caused sadness to grow within the forest. “Why does this lost child not speak to us?”

Valonscale, seeing the sadness within those who wished to hear the lost child, came up with a solution. Valonscale gave her a gift, a small driftwood spider. The spider looked like old driftwood cobbled together with moss, with each connecting segment pulsing with blue energy.

“MY LOST CHILD, YOU HAVE SAID NO WORDS IN YOUR TIME WITHIN THESE WOODS, IF, AND ONLY IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK LOOK INTO THIS SPIDERS EYES, AND YOUR VOICE SHALL BE HEARD.” He explained with a caring but booming voice.

Aynuria bowed her head and placed her hand next to the spider, allowing it to crawl onto her hand. Her eyes lit up in unison to the spider's joints and energy. A little flash occurred in both of their eyes and the spider turned around to face Valonscale, similar to how Aynuria showed appreciation to the gift, the spider also bowed. The spider paced in a circle and started to speak in a soft feminine tone, almost a whisper, but there was a presence in it that everyone listened to, not unlike Valonscale's own booming voice. The voice was caring, and hypnotic; it had almost an ethereal quality to it.

“Thank you, for your precious gift, I will cherish it until the end of my time.” Tears started to run down Aynuria's face. “I have heard my voice a million times in my head, but it has been locked away deep within my mind. I appreciate all you have done for me since my untimely arrival to your forest.” She started to look around at the crowd of animals, spirits, and numerous other dwellers of the forest. “I would also like to thank each and every one of the members of this forest. You took me in and taught me your ways, helped grow my abilities in ways I couldn’t even imagine. You are my family and I appreciate all you have done for me. I hope one day to be able to return the favor.”

Valonscale spoke up with his quiet yet somehow booming voice. “AS YOU KNOW, YOU ARRIVED TO US LOST AND ALONE. THE ROOT CAUSE UNBEKNOWNST TO US, ASIDE FROM THE MAELSTROM …UNTIL RECENTLY.”

Aynuria, along with the whole forest, seemed to be on edge. This was a mystery that most had written off as just an odd but welcomed surprise to the forest.

“THE MAELSTROM GROWS STRONGER, IT SENDS OFF PULSES OF ARCANE ENERGY OF ALL THE SCHOOLS. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT YOU WERE PLUCKED FROM YOUR HOME, WHEREVER THAT MAY BE, AND WERE PLACED HERE BY THE STORM.” He took a breath and laid down, looking Aynuria in the eyes.

“I HAVE BROKEN A PROMISE I MADE TO YOU WHEN WE FIRST MET. I HAVE NO MEANS OF GETTING YOU HOME. I MADE A PROMISE TO YOU, TO GET YOU HOME ONE DAY. I KNOW NOT WHERE YOU CAME FROM.”

Aynuria walked forward towards Valonscale and, just as she did when they first met, hugged his snout. This time her arms were large enough to find purchase around his snout.

“You have done more than you promised. You have given me a home within these woods, treated me as a member of this family. I would love to have met my family. However, since years have passed since then, I am unable to say that they felt the same. You saved me, when most would have let me die.” Aynuria, voice cracking, trying to hold back tears, continued. “I am an outsider. You have shown me love and compassion, and I have attempted to do the same. You gifted me a sword; the animals within these trees taught me to use it; the cats that walk in the shadows, they taught me how to be one with them. Even though all have accepted me as their own, I feel like an outcast; everyone protects me, helps me-” Tears started to well within her eyes as she peered deeply into Valconscale's. “I only ask that I make a promise to you, allow me to help you protect this place, and all places like this. Even though I am not FROM here, I come from here.”

A deep sigh came from Valonscale, regretful but proud. As his voice almost changes to that not of a dragon, but of a celestial being. Calm, quiet, demanding, almost matching Aynuria's. However, the voice did not come from his mouth but from all the trees and beings within the forest. As if the voices of all the creatures were speaking in unison.

“Our child, you have only known me by the name the forest gave me: Valonscale. Our true identity is known to some as the Celestial Breath. We are celestial being… of sorts, We give help to those who are lost, We are a part of the cycle of life, and death. All of this can be found in nature, As we breathe the world breathes with us, as we fade and decay the world absorbs us of all we were and all of the mistakes we made in life and gives us life anew. Everything is at peace in the cycle. All is provided in nature, life and death. The cycle of life and death is most prevalent in nature. Both are in unison. It takes great power to protect this forest from what is happening from outside these trees. Some of us had seen it, you were privy to a first-hand experience.”

Aynuria couldn’t help but take a step back and look around. The area they were standing was now shoulder to shoulder full of hermits, animals, fae creatures, and spirits. All with the beautiful glowing blue eyes.

“It has been slowly ripping apart the outer layers of these woods, its root is on Wraithclaw island which lays in the center of Milgrif Lake. It has been said that a powerful sorcerer resides on the island; myths and legends state that there is a lich there, a powerful sorcerer that has uncovered the secret to immortality. I am not so sure of that.” The forest let out a deep sigh, and all returned to normal. Birds started singing beautiful songs, distant howls of the wolves could be heard, foxes barked as they played with each other, and the faint music that the fairies played to pass the time. Valonscale sat up looking to the sky, wings somewhat unfurled

“THE SOURCE OF MY POWER WAS A GIFT, A GIFT FROM THE CELESTIAL BREATH BEFORE ME. THE COMEDY OF LIFE AND DEATH IS NOT LOST ON US; WE MUST CHANGE AND BE REBORN AS THE FOREST IS. I CAN GIFT YOU SOME OF MY POWER, AS I HAVE BESTOWED TO SOME THAT HAVE BECOME LOST WITHIN THE WOODS. HOWEVER, THE POWER I GIFT TO YOU WILL BE MORE. THOSE WHO TAKE THIS POWER LEAVE, AND PROTECT THEIR OWN AREAS, YOU SHALL STAY WITHIN THESE WOODS. SO MEDITATE WITH ME CHILD, HERE IN THIS FOREST MEADOW.”

Aynuria, sat without saying a word, placing her sword on her lap. Her spider crawled to the center of the sword and funnily enough took a similar sitting position to Aynuria. She let out a sigh and looked at the forest and the creatures surrounding her.

“You say those you helped before, some left to go protect their own lands. What of those who didn’t leave, or accept your gift power, those who were never able to make their way out of the forest? Those who surround us now, are they the ones that either choose to stay or are unable to escape those who wish to do harm?”

Valonscale looked towards the sky at a pair of vultures circling in the distance.

“THE WORLD IS CHANGING…THE PEACEFUL WAY OF THE FORESTS WILL NOT ALWAYS BE. SOME ACCEPTED MY GIFT AND LEFT, OFF TO PROTECT THAT WHAT MATTERS MOST TO THEM. YOU ASK OF THOSE WHO DIDN’T. EVERYONE IS LOST AT SOME POINT; I AM NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO HELP THEM IN LIFE, THOSE WHO PERISH IN THESE WOODS ARE STILL CARED FOR; AS I SAID, LIFE AND DEATH ARE A CYCLE. WE ARE ONLY A PART OF THAT; IT IS OUR MISSION TO HELP THOSE FURTHER ALONG, OR BEHIND IN THAT CYCLE FIND PEACE. NOW PLEASE, MY AYNURIA, ALLOW ME TO MEDITATE WITH YOU.”

She closed her eyes and let out a large breath as the world was slowly muffled, as if she was listening to the world through a glass, until it slowly faded into the silence of her mind. Only two creatures sit, her and a figure that looks similar to her, only as a child. Slowly playing through memories she has had in the forest, all of the ways the forest has helped her, how awestruck Valonscale was with this lost child growing to become part of the forest she had no reason to be in. The memories pause looking onto the meadow they both sit within, it is different, it is not green, but dying. Trees lay bare, leafless, cold, the ground brown and dry, the once dark and peaceful areas of the forest look almost burned. Animals and fae lay dead, the new inhabitants, shadowed, tearing apart the forest and all who live within it, almost looking like marionettes, strings leading up to a hooded figure within the center of the maelstrom.

The images shift, this time in a different direction. A battlefield, arcane bolts of lightning flying through the air, smoke rising from freshly killed soldiers. Large glacier capped mountains frame this corpse riddled land. A figure stands in the middle of the battlefield, blood slowly dripping down her brow, a large wound to her abdomen, still oozing blood, but blue fire is slowly healing the wound. Smoldering bones and ash of what once was a mighty dragon lay to the side of the figure. As the figure steps, grass blooms beneath their feet and withers as the foot leaves. Wings slowly appear on the back of the figure. Symbols start to appear on the ground around the battlefield slowly connecting, centering around a shadow on the opposite side. The figure, slowly rising up, begins to start weaving intricate hand symbols that materialize and evaporate into the spell. The shadow, weaving symbols, as if directing an orchestra, the earth starts to split, all matter of demons and fiends start crawling out of cracks created by the spell. However, when they approach they turn to dust. The few who are strong enough to get through are peeled away. Blasts of energy bounce off the slowly lifting figure, ricocheting off of an arcane shield, causing the battlefield to crackle and strobe. The arcane shield slowly shows cracks from the constant barrage. Arm outstretched, symbols surround the arm matching those of the ones on the ground. Two screams, and a bright flash.

The image stops, nothing but darkness and silence remains. Aynuria and Valonscale sat in silence, tears shimmering off of their faces. A voice appeared from the void, the Celestial Voice.

“This is what is to come, I give you this gift with expectations, the expectations few have succeeded in keeping. You will experience pain, loss and rebirth. Not as yourself but something stronger, larger than your own consciousness.”

Aynuria opened her eyes and looked around, the forest all watching her. A scent of smoke lingered on the air. Ash fell like light snow. A tear slowly formed as she looked back to Valonscale who was now standing once again, looking to the sky.

“I’m ready.”