[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Fifty-Two

Appearing Characters: Agamaggan (Memory), Ariesera, Arthak Saurfang, Ashamane (Memory), Aviana (Memory), Brightwing, Dambala (Memory), Freya (Memory), Glaidalis Shadegrove, Goldrinn (Memory), Hannah Bladeleaf, Omnuron Highwind, Rak'Symma, Raenon Shadegrove, Renard (Memory), Sol'chi, Thisalee Crow

December 5th

Arthak approached Ariesera alone, and this time she was in her full draconic guise. She was curled around the edge of a rock and her eyes were closed, seemingly in a slumber. Arthak opted to sit down near here to meditate, and he stayed there for the better part of an hour.

Ariesera says: You are quite the patient one, aren’t you?

The dragon hadn’t moved, and her eyes were still closed, but her mouth had curved into a faint smirk.

Arthak Saurfang says: I believe all things in their time.
Ariesera says: I thought to waste no time myself to see if I could reach out to my aspect. I shall not have any issue multi-tasking, I can maintain a conversation with you in the meanwhile.
Arthak Saurfang says: You have my thanks for the audience, then.
Ariesera says: You are both a curiosity and an engine of curiosity itself. I am happy to offer you a fraction of my attention. So please tell me, what is on your mind?
Arthak Saurfang says: Many things, but, for you… I have spoken with members of other flights, attempting to understand this world, such that myself and my people find our own way in it.
Ariesera says: Is that all?
Arthak Saurfang says: No.
Ariesera says: There are those amongst my kind who have pondered the mysteries of the world over dozens of millennia. I believe you have a long journey ahead of you, my friend.
Arthak Saurfang says: Perhaps, but it is the kind of journey that has no end, so I feel comfortable taking my time. Wisdom is a process, not a destination.
Ariesera says: Well said.
Arthak Saurfang says: I have been, in my previous conversations, attempting to understand the duties of each flight. The parts of this world that they administer to protect and serve. I was hoping I could gain some insights for your own flight.
Ariesera says: The charge of the Aspects is an ancient and sacred promise, it is not one that I share lightly. But if it is insight you seek, I suppose I can oblige. What aspect, forgive my pun, do you wish for me to begin with? This is a broad topic.
Arthak Saurfang says: Foundations. I have the basic understand of what the Dream is, how it ties to the natural world and how the minds of those who slumber are drawn to it. A home and refuge to the Wild Gods. I understand it is connected to these purposes, but there is a foundation why does it exist I am curious about. It’s clearly important if you people have been set to its stewardship.
Ariesera says: Have you wondered why the sky exists? Why the sea exists? Why life exists?
Arthak Saurfang says: I have.
Ariesera says: A philosophical mind indeed. To ask why the Emerald Dream exists… is a conundrum that only begins to scratch the surface of what it means. The Dream existed long before any of us, and it will be there long after we rejoin the earth. To ask why it exists is to ask why any of us exists. It simply is. We are its stewards, for if we do not, then who will?
Arthak Saurfang says: A fair answer. My world… I don’t know if it had its own Dream, but it had what I have heard called Wild Gods. Spirits. This world seems… more alive in that way. Much of that, I believe, begins with the shaping work of the Titans. Did they shape the Dream as they did the oceans and mountains?

Ariesera considered.

Ariesera says: The guiding hand of the Titans can be found in many corners. The Emerald Dream is not an exception.

There was a long silence. Arthak nodded.

Ariesera says: By charging us with its stewardship, the Titans have set upon us caretakers of their work. Our presence in the Dream is evidence of their presence.
Arthak Saurfang says: And you share it with the druids?
Ariesera says: Yes. We have stewarded the Dream longer, but the Cenarion Circle has been a staunch ally. There are others who had begun to learn how to walk the Dream. Numerous peoples over the years have done their own parts to walk amongst the realm, their own visions and ideals of what it means. It has been known by many names to many people. But we accepted our charge, and while we do not shirk away from sharing stewardship, the responsibilities we take are those that we and we alone can maintain. Not even the Lord of the Forests, as important and unique are his own duties, can accomplish what the Dreamer does for the Dream.
Arthak Saurfang says: A blue dragon I spoke with described his sense of his duty. The way he experienced his connection to the leylines and magic and the flow through Azeroth. Do your own people have a similar sense?
Ariesera says: You could say that. Tell me, when sleep finds you, how do you feel?
Arthak Saurfang says: Reluctant.
Ariesera says: Hm, is that because you have more to accomplish in the waking world, or because you fear what you see when you close your eyes?
Arthak Saurfang says: A little of both.
Ariesera says: I have no such fear. The line between slumber and consciousness is a thin line, one that becomes ever thinner. Even now as I speak to you, I soar over the emerald plains of the Dream. I am not the only one capable of this. There are some who can straddle the line between the Dream and the waking world for days at a time. I could do this for much longer. My mother and father, perhaps for years at a time. The Aspect, on the other hand… to her there is no difference. We walk amongst the waking world and the Dream, sometimes we are in one, other times the other. But they are two sides of a singular coin. Though my vision is not as acute as the Dreamer’s… I’m not surprised to hear your nights are troubled. I could sense it the moment I spoke with you. Even recently I fear. Your nights are clouded. Fearful. But I cannot see them truly. I see only the impression and the lingering shadows. But were the Dreamer here… she would know you through your dreams with a single glance. It is a height we all hope to reach. A true understanding of not only the Dream, but of those who Dream.
Arthak Saurfang says: Interesting. Then if you are stewards of the Dream, even with its present malignancy, the Nightmare is your stewardship as well?
Ariesera says: Indeed. In times before its height, nightmares too were a natural part of the Dream. It is not the Nightmare that stirs darkness in the minds of Dreamers, but rather the minds of dreamers that create the Nightmare. All beings that dream, even us, are not immune to what spawns the darkness in the hearts of beings. Before, they were tragic fleeting things. Shadows cast by trees. Sounds unknown from the depths of the forest. These are natural parts of the Dream. These have always been, for as dreams and the waking world are two sides of one coin, dreams and nightmares are another. All are interconnected. But this resurgence and lingering presence that the Nightmare represents… it is something unprecedented. Scars that will not heal.
Arthak Saurfang says: Useful insights.
Ariesera says: You show a great deal of interest in the dragonflights, don’t tell me someone is trying to get you to swear to one of them.
Arthak Saurfang says: No such offer has been made.
Ariesera says: Really? Hmph.
Arthak Saurfang says: I must confess, as you have been kind enough to speak with me about the nature of your people, I would share things with you in turn.
Ariesera says: I’m listening.
Arthak Saurfang says: There is a question first. I have made my theories about such things. I know some are gifted with the ability to dream of the future, but that most are memory. Things pulled from the past. I have wondered if the Dream itself is a memory of a world before walls and many things.
Ariesera says: That is… not inaccurate, though… to quantify the Dream in a single word is not enough. It is a memory, yes, but it is also a hope. It is imagination, but it is also truth. It is as fact as it is fiction. It is both consistency and contradiction.
Arthak Saurfang says: Not dissimilar from those that enter it.
Ariesera says: Precisely.
Arthak Saurfang says: Then… it is called the Emerald Dream, not the Emerald Dreams, and it predates the one known as the Dreamer. Dreams do not manifest in and of themselves, so my question is whose dream is it?
Ariesera says: A fair question, one that I have pondered myself. Perhaps it is a dream of Elune, or perhaps a dream of the planet itself. But I would ask, regardless of what the truth is, would that change my duties? Would that change the Dream? I don’t believe it would.
Arthak Saurfang says: Very likely not. But… cannot understand and the wisdom it brings be a reward all of its own?
Ariesera says: I would say it could. You sound as if you have come to some theory. What do you believe?
Arthak Saurfang says: The most straightforward answer. I believe it is Azeroth’s dream. I know she sleeps. I… this requires some explanation, but I have, for lack of a better word, spoken with her.
Ariesera says: Have you now? That is curious.

Arthak reached into his pouch and pulled a small shard of Azerite. He carefully offered it to Ariesera, and the dragon’s eyes abruptly opened and dilated. She raised her head, now fully in the waking world.

Ariesera says: This… where did you find this?
Arthak Saurfang says: It came from the earth. When the Hammer of Khaz'goroth was misused. There are magics bound to me from my own world, but that I believe have a lineage that leads to the Titans. I felt a connection. I did not ignore it.
Ariesera says: I see. I feel great power from this crystal. It is… not dissimilar from the raw essence of the Dream itself, but deeper and thicker. Watch over this carefully. And should you get the opportunity to do so, show this to my Aspect. She, I believe, would find this very interesting. If you spoke to a member of the blue dragonflight, I’m certain they already compared it to the Well of Eternity, the ancient font of power that caused this world to crack and crumble. If misused, I fear this could do the very same. If a large enough amount were gathered.
Arthak Saurfang says: That is something we have sought to avoid and contain.
Ariesera says: For that I am glad. I admit your theory is my favorite. The origin myths of the shu’halo are ones I have become acquainted with via old friends within the Cenarion Circle. The idea that the Earthmother… perhaps her dream was the first origin of the Emerald Dream is one that has come to me in the past. That she has spoken to you directly is most unusual, doubly so because you are not from this world. But as you said, perhaps the Titans’ influence reached beyond. Like you said, there were Wild Gods there as well. I cannot say how other worlds work, but it sounds to me as if perhaps the Dream is a great tree. Perhaps in the same way the stars hide countless other worlds, perhaps the Dream stretches into the sky like the Dark Beyond. Perhaps like a million branches it finds purchase, and like the leaves of an incomprehensible branch, where there is dream there is a Dream.
Arthak Saurfang says: One tree in a forest.
Ariesera says: These are musings of course. I would much like that, I think, if that were the case. It makes one wonder…

She looked at the sky.

Ariesera says: If there are others like us. Those who have been charged by the Titans or otherwise to watch over their own sections of the Dream. Nevertheless, with your permission, I will share this information with my peers.
Arthak Saurfang says: That is why I wished to tell you. Protecting this world is important. While this knowledge may not change your duties… understanding.
Ariesera says: Indeed.
Arthak Saurfang says: What’s more, I suspect that this world soul… I have reason to believe that it is a… I believe when the Titans came to shape this world, they came to shape it to help safeguard their next generation.
Ariesera says: I see. There are few things that one seeks to protect more than the nest where the young would be raised. So you believe the world itself is a nascent Titan?
Arthak Saurfang says: When she spoke to me, she was older and vaster than anything I had begun to imagine, and yet she also felt young and small. She was in pain. As if she had been struck from a slumber. By a bad dream.
Ariesera says: Then it’s good she has individuals she can trust. Continue looking out for her. I do not think she reached out to you for no reason. But then again, doing things for no reason is equally one of the natures of youth.

Arthak stood and bowed to Ariesera. She thanked him for sharing his information and for keeping her company. Arthak thanked her for her insights, and she said she would be ready to go when his companions were.

Ariesera stretched her wings and body in a very cat-like manner, and then she sat up and looked down at Arthak. She expressed it was a pleasure.

Rak’Symma had taken off to cool off, and she used [Wind Walk] to fly as fast as she could. She was heading towards her old nest where she had lived with Blaithe, and she flew over the cliff where the Wyrmtalon harpies lived.

Eventually she arrived at the nest in the Verdant Cliffs overlooking the sea. The birds were gathered and roosting for the beginning of winter, and Symma landed in the tree and shook as she buried her face in her hands. She started to sob.

A question bubbled up in her mind: “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

She realized that despite the fact she was trying to get over the worst of her own pain, there were people that were suffering more than her, and there were countless problems that had been going on for thousands of years that hadn’t been fixed.

“Why are you running away?”

She didn’t know what to do, and it was unfortunate how the conversation with Omnuron went. She wasn’t sure why she had been hoping he would be kind or warm or welcoming, but it felt like no matter what she said there was a rebuttal, and then there was disparaging remarks and people didn’t understand she was asking for help or answers because everyone else’s problems seemed bigger than her own.

“What would you say if he was there now?”

She wasn’t sure, all she knew was there was no winning answer. She was confused as Proxcera, but she wasn’t Proxcera, and if she was something else, then his words just hurt more.

“If you knew the truth, would you still run?”

She wasn’t entirely sure, but the voice said it was probably time to find out.

She heard a rumble of thunder overhead. She wasn’t sure how long she sat in the branches of the tree as the sky darkened both from time and clouds. Her muscles were aching and freezing from emotion.

There was another voice. One in the grove.

A storm crow landed on a nearby branch. He was large, and from the coloration of his feathers and his decor, she recognized him as Omnuron even before he transitioned to his kaldorei form. He looked up at her.

Omnuron Highwind says: You gave Thisalee a fright, you know, when she couldn’t find where you went. She came to me before the rest of your companions.

Rak’Symma unfolded her wings around herself. She looked worn and nonplussed that she was followed. She shook her head.

Rak'Symma says: Try and believe me when I tell you hurting her was not what I intended.
Omnuron Highwind says: I do believe you. But sometimes, despite our intentions, we still do things we aren’t proud of. Or perhaps the things we do cause pain where we don’t expect it to. Despite our best intentions. Something tells me you are well acquainted with that concept.

Rak’Symma shook her head.

Omnuron Highwind says: What is your plan, Rak’Symma? Do you intend to stay here? I can inform your companions.
Rak'Symma says: No. I just needed some place to think. Some place where I know it’s quiet. Some place where people didn’t have expectations of me anymore. I am going to come back shortly. Though it sounds weak of me, I’m just exhausted and I needed some place to think.
Omnuron Highwind says: I don’t find that weak. But tell me, what answers do you hope to discover? The expectations? The weight? What succor are you hoping solitude will help you discover?
Rak'Symma says: The solitude was to curb my temper. The answers I was hoping to discover you weren’t able to give, and perhaps that was because I was poor at phrasing them, but I don’t think you have them.
Omnuron Highwind says: I can’t know until I know the question.
Rak'Symma says: I’m not a fool, Omnuron. I know there was so much lost when everything fell apart. I know your people had to protect themselves. And I know what it feels like to be lost. In the beginning, when the First Feather gave your people the gifts you use, were there any harpies in your order?

Omnuron shook his head.

Rak'Symma says: Do you know why?
Omnuron Highwind says: I don’t. I assume that if there were any that wished to join, she would have brought them with her, or taught them on her own.
Rak'Symma says: But you don’t know if a missive of welcome was extended to them?
Omnuron Highwind says: Our circle hardly existed at the time. We sought to understand nature so that we could help it heal, so we could help our struggling existence to heal. You may call it selfish, but we did not have the time, nor the strength, nor the capability, to ask those sorts of questions. And when we finally did, we were told it was not our responsibility. We were told it was beyond our reach. There is no easy answer to this. There is no simple person who can be blamed beyond those who orchestrated the shattering of our world. There are many who grew distant from one another. Who fell apart along with the world. And while I wish I could tell you there was one person you could pile that responsibility on, there isn’t. Generations upon generations, millenia upon millenia… there was no singular sin. Just a lot of people trying to do their best to survive. You may resent me, my order, or even all the kaldorei if that is what you desire, but that won’t change the state of things now, nor would it change the influence your presence has had. You ask why no one has done the things you have done? You ask why no one was able to remove the darkness that shrouded Highmountain? Rak’Symma, it is because of you. It is because you are here. There was no answer to any of these things before, but now you are here, and with it, the skies have cleared for the first time in decades. Your people have danced in the sky for the first time in thousands of years. I don’t think this is a coincidence. You say the weight of the expectations that have been put on you have grown suffocating… but you cannot hide away hoping someone else will fix the world. We have been trying. Elune be damned, we have been trying. But there are so, so many cracks that need repaired. I may not have the answers, but I have theories. I have thoughts. And I believe I know where you can get them. Truth be told, your request for the totems was a convenient excuse. But I believe that the answers are much closer than you might realize, and I believe our trip to Shala’nir will make that clear.

Rak’Symma gestured to Blaithe’s grave.

Rak'Symma says: He used to call me his little spark. His guiding light. But one light cannot burn away this much darkness on its own.
Omnuron Highwind says: You’re right.
Rak'Symma says: I’ll admit my temper got the better of me, but I wasn’t lying when I was asking for help. For you to question me and insinuate I was a disappointment, why would I want to follow you back?
Omnuron Highwind says: Because I came here in part to apologize. You aren’t the only one that allowed their temper to get the better of them, but you said words that were just as cruel. That does not excuse the words that I said, and I understand that. But you came to me looking for a person, a people, to blame for your people’s hardships. You may not think that’s what you were doing, but that’s what your words said.
Rak'Symma says: Do you know what your order seems to represent to me?
Omnuron Highwind says: Enlighten me.
Rak'Symma says: To wear the mantle of the winds, to soar and befriend the sky, to take on the mistress’s bounties, to call upon the Mother of Winds… as a power of your own. Something that is insular and protected and guarded. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be. It needs to be remembered and protected… but can you see how it looks as abandonment outright? As if someone had moved in your home and then treated you like a villain to re-enter it. I know the pain the harpies have caused. Blaithe wouldn’t even let me talk to them, because she was afraid for me, and that was so confusing for me, as one one of them. But none of it seemed fair. To me or to them. All I was told is they fell because they had no one to guide them, and they had no one to trust but themselves. Before he could tell me more, I no longer had him to ask. And he didn’t even confer with Ohn’ahra. As sympathetic as she was, she didn’t have answers either. So whatever grand plans and schemes he had waiting for his Lady to return… I know none of it. The more I look at Proxcera’s decisions… if I were looking for one person to blame, it wouldn’t be you.
Omnuron Highwind says: Despite our best intentions, our actions can create suffering for the ones that we love. I cannot begin to think about what great schemes the great raven concocted. I do not know what the First Feather was after. But I have a theory, if you want me to share it. But I don’t know if you would like the answer.
Rak'Symma says: I think it’s a theory I’ve heard before. And if it’s what I think it is, perhaps it’s better I see it before hearing about it.
Omnuron Highwind says: As you wish. But I want you to know, despite everything that happened to me and the ones I care about, nothing would make me happier than for you to be right. For there to be an easy answer, for there to be a way to fix everything. If there could be a future that could be built, or perhaps a bridge can be constructed where once there was nothing but walls… I believe this world would be a much better place. Regardless of what answers lie in store, it is clear you have the power to make that happen. But that isn’t an expectation I will place on you. You have enough as it is. Everything that you do, the destiny you choose will be one of your own making. I believe you have the power to add one more light to this dark world. You may choose to hold it alone, but I would rather see it joined with the others trying to keep the shadows from encroaching ever further. In whatever way that manifests. Neither of us have the answers, neither of us can make the world better, but we can make it better. You can make it better. That much is clear to me.
Rak'Symma says: I did mean what I said before. I’m not above asking for help.
Omnuron Highwind says: That is… forgive me, this may be unkind, but that may be what makes you better than the First Feather ever was.
Rak'Symma says: I never knew her to argue with you.

Omnuron chuckled.

Omnuron Highwind says: When you are ready to return, let me know. There is healing in solitude, just be sure not to lose yourself in it.

Omnuron turned to give Rak’Symma some privacy and sat down on the nearby cliff. He looked outward, and some of the birds came to sit around them. It was evident he was doing a ritual of respect.

When Symma was ready to go, Omnuron opened a portal. Symma looked disappointed at first, and it was evident she preferred to fly. She asked him if he could keep up, and Omnuron mused that it was a contest he was interested in seeing.

They arrived back in the grove. Rak’Symma had managed to win the challenge, and they found Nyxxa napping beneath a pile of faerie dragons.

Sol, meanwhile, had been subjected to experiments where a bunch of dryads wanted to see if Sol could hold and pet cuddly animals. Sol sat down and pet some bunnies, and more and more critters started to creep forward to investigate.

Sol asked if one of the bunnies was actually a druid, and one of the druids joke-gasped and called out “Archdruid Leafbottom, is that you!?” but she was clearly giggling.

Then he heard a voice in his head.

Brightwing says [telepathically]: Wow… Brightwing thought she might have to kill you if you hurt the bunnies, but you are so good with them. You have very good bunny petting techniques. You’re gentle. Brightwing likes that.
Sol'chi says: Thank you. Most things that don’t stab me I get along with.
Brightwing says [telepathically]: Don’t worry, Brightwing won’t stab you.
Sol'chi says: Or bite.

The faerie dragon giggled.

Brightwing says [telepathically]: You’re a good demon. Brightwing didn’t know they existed! Brightwing is glad to see.
Sol'chi says: Not every demon works for the Legion.
Brightwing says [telepathically]: Who do you work for?
Sol'chi says: Myself.
Brightwing says [telepathically]: Brightwing works for Brightwing too! Do you want to work for Brightwing?
Sol'chi says: Probably not, do you want to work for me?
Brightwing says [telepathically]: Brightwing will think about it, but Brightwing is a free spirit!

She floated upside down and drifted through the air, however she informed him that if she changed her mind, she would let him know. Sol thanked her.

Brightwing says [telepathically]: Hold out your hand! Brightwing has a gift for the friend of the bunnies.

Sol held out his hand. Brightwing sneezed in his hand, and it was now covered in glitter.

Brightwing says [telepathically]: Use it wisely! And don’t ever be mean to the bunnies or Brightwing will choke you!
Sol'chi says: Alright.

Brightwing bid him farewell and disappeared.

The group gathered together and Omnuron informed them he had sent word ahead to Shala’nir. He opened up a portal for them to step through.

Shala’nir was at the base of the world tree Shaladrassil, and it was a small night elven village that was attached to a series of barrow dens. Omnuron asked the group to follow him, as the sanctum of G’Hanir was at the heart of the thickets that surrounded the world tree. He warned them to mind their step and move with respect.

They headed toward Shaladrassil, deeper and deeper into the expansive thickets. They saw dryads, though contrasting the ones in the Dream Grove, they wielded spears at the ready, and they were watching them very closely. A few fell in line behind them as they passed. Poisonous plants coated their body and spears.

At the center of the grove there was another large tree with great roots that spread between the much larger roots of Shaladrassil. Some of them served as heart roots for the grove itself. At the heart of the grove was a large stone gate built into the side of a tree, and on the gate was a carving of another great tree which had emeralds set in as leaves. Upon the slab was the symbol of the Druids of the Branch. The area was draped with charms of both the Druids of the Branch and the Druids of the Talon.

At the very center of the shrine was a statue wrought of pristine wood. It resembled a harpy, and in its talons was a stone that was almost translucent with the symbol of Elune placed upon it. The stone radiated a soft light that reflected in the arched wings that unfurled around it. There were two figures kneeling before the statue.

They were both male druids with ashen violet skin and they had silvery hair that almost reflected the stone’s light. One of them was cleanly shaven and looked to be a bit young, and he had his hair in a high top-knot ponytail. His robes could have easily been confused with a part of the glade. It was clear his attire was in itself an ecosystem, as his shoulderpads had flowers glowing on them, and there were insects and butterflies freely flitting around his outfit. Before him was a long staff that appeared to be a hive in and of itself.

The other individual appeared to be a Druid of the Talon and he was garbed similarly to Omnuron, and he was garbed in dark feathers. On his mantle was a wide crow’s skull carved with various symbols. He had a long polearm made of a great talon set before him.

The younger of the two noticed the group first. He stood with a wide smile to greet Omnuron and his companions. His eyes lit up upon seeing Hannah, and he eagerly approached to take her hand.

Hannah Bladeleaf says: It’s good to see you too, Glaid.
Glaidalis Shadegrove says: My name is Glaidalis Shadegrove. It’s a pleasure. I’m one of the protectors of this place, when I was informed Omnuron wished to bring outsiders, I saw fit to escort you personally.

Arthak asked what they sought to learn, and the other druid said that they hoped to get answers.

Druid of the Talon says: Raenon Shadegrove. I’m blessed enough to be the older brother of Glaidalis, and to be brothers in leadership with Skylord Omnuron. When we reached out to me about this peculiar situation, I simply had to see it myself.

He looked at Rak’Symma.

Raenon Shadegrove says: I hope my old friend did not give you a hard time.

Rak’Symma regarded him suspiciously. She got the sense he was earnestly excited to meet her. He expressed that his friend could be stern, but he was glad he didn’t chase her away.

Raenon Shadegrove says: The Idol of Aviana was a gift to us. One that was imbued with the mistress’s own strength and memories. It was bequeathed to us for safekeeping long ago, and…

He offered a prideful smile.

Raenon Shadegrove says: We believe that it may be time for it to be returned to her people. If there were someone who would be worthy of such a thing, certainly someone who had done as much work as you to unite the harpy flights of Highmountain would qualify. We received the old shrines. I saw to their restoration myself. I am happy to give them to you. But there is something we want to see first. This idol is a source of strength, one that is enjoyed by all of the Druids of the Talon. One that is only granted to us for true understanding and respect. It’s a feeling we wished to spread for a great long time, one I have personally wanted to see returned to its rightful place, but the First Feather was insistent it be kept here until the time was right. Forgive if I speak plainly, but I believe your arrival may be that time. If you would indulge us, Rak’Symma of the Skyheart, please step up to the idol.

Rak’Symma exhaled and she stared at the idol.

Thisalee Crow says: You don’t have to, Symma, but maybe you can find some answers?
Omnuron Highwind says: You’ll never learn the truth unless you fly into the darkness. Carry your light with you.

Rak’Symma stepped forward, the magic of the place radiating and pouring down upon them. The very area felt powerful and familiar. It felt close, and yet far. She entered into the circle of roots and flowers, and she came before the idol.

She put Blaithe’s skull on her head, and there was a silent whisper in Sylvan to him, and she reached out to touch the idol. Her talons caressed the stone.

There was a feeling of vertigo that overwhelmed her mind. She felt herself falling as if the grove itself was wiped away. The rest of the group watched as she just stood there, staring at the idol. The wind began to whip and blow loose leaves and hair.

The crystal started to scintillate and sparkle.

Rak’Symma felt everything falling, and falling. Then her eyes opened. She was now flying over a great, endless expanse of golden grass. She was searching for her next meal. She looked hard, her keen eyes scanning the expanse. Her prey was prideful and certain, but they had not met her. They feared her, and they should.

She landed and ran on long legs through the golden grass. She heard her target slithering. She ran and leaped, and her talons sank into a tube of flesh. She slammed the serpent’s face into the dirt and slammed over and over again until it stopped moving.

She took off to carry her prize somewhere safe.

She didn’t know the snake was still alive. It struck at her, and the fangs hit her undercarriage. She dropped the snake and it disappeared into the grass.

She was angry, and she spun to chase the snake, but she felt dizzy. She went to land, and she toppled over. The bite had been filled with venom. She had lost this time.

She heard the snake a safe distance away, waiting for her to die.

She lashed out at the snake and felt her talons connect. She heard it hiss, and as it recoiled she had taken one of its eyes, but it was still alive.

Suddenly, something loomed over her, blocking the sun. She felt her body lifted. And that was the last thing she remembered.

Until she awoke again. She was in a bed of grass, the bite covered with a strange substance. It was uncomfortable, and she picked at the bandage. She heard deep sound, and suddenly she was moved.

The ceiling of the cage opened, and she saw something looking down at her. It was much larger than any animal she had hunted. It was a strange giant with glowing eyes. Its hair was covered with long vines, and its skin looked like stone covered in moss. It smiled at her.

It greeted her warmly, and somehow she understood. The bird hissed at her, and the figure said there was no need for that. A section of the container was pulled away. A strange energy wafted around the figure’s hand and it started to rain and filled a basin with water.

The figure mused that she had been glad to find her when she did, and the bird apprehensively bent down to drink. As she drank, shrubbery started to grow around the basin with succulent-looking berries.

The bird shot the massive figure a side eye, but the bird kicked a bush to knock free some berries, and she gobbled some of them down. The giant chuckled to herself and then turned to walk away with her staff in hand.

The bird started to stalk the giant in the grass. After all, there were snakes in the grass. She stalked the giant for a long while, and she realized the staff had a lot of things on it. Teeth. Bone. Flowers. Feathers. She saw one of her own feathers.

The giant never seemed to sleep. But she was always there when the bird woke up.

However, she never ate.

On day three, the bird killed a snake and dropped it by the giant’s feet and kicked it toward her. The giant laughed. She knelt down, and thanked the bird for the gift, but she assured the bird they didn’t need to worry about her.

The giant cooked the snake and kept the skin and the bones. The meat, however, the bird found the next morning when she woke up.

The giant offered for her to walk with her. The bird looked at her, and decided to climb onto her shoulder to keep a lookout. The giant introduced herself as Freya. Freya mused that the bird needed a name, and she offered the name Aviana.

Freya reached out to give her a gentle scritch, but Aviana bit her. It was like biting stone. Aviana hissed in frustration, but she stayed. Freya laughed and said they could take their time.

They traveled for a long time. They crossed the golden plains, and then they started to enter places she had never seen before. They entered jungles, and Freya found all sorts of strange things to do. She would use her strange lights of trees and nurse creatures to health. She didn’t take any rewards and she seemingly was doing it for no reason.

Not being able to ask her what she was doing got frustrating, but gradually they began to make sense. Slowly, she started to try and form the words, and finally, after some time, she asked “why?”

Freya turned around in surprise and asked if that had been her. Aviana stamped her feet, and Freya asked if she had said “hi?” Freya laughed joyfully and Aviana stamped her feet again. She then moved over to the animal Freya had been healing and made the sound again.

Freya realized she had been asked “why”, and she explained it was because she must because the world had been wounded by conflict. It was her duty and her greatest wish, as it was also her directive, but she would have done it regardless, if only to see beauty like Aviana flourish.

Aviana continued traveling with Freya. Her curiosity was insatiable, and she had started to enjoy not traveling alone. The sights were mystifying, and Freya helped her find whatever she needed.

Aviana soared beneath the trees, and she saw a pack of wolves stalking their prey. The prey was a young creature with massive fangs protecting the body of its mother. They resembled the maned felines of the plains, but it had no mane, and it had pitch black fur.

The cub declared that she wouldn’t let the wolves have her mother.

Aviana started to divebomb the leader of the wolf pack. However, it quickly became evident some of the other wolves were injured. The cub had been fighting fiercely, and as another wolf charged, the cub bit its legs. The wolf yelped, and Aviana hissed with her wings out.

The wolves fled, and Aviana kicked dirt after the wolves, but then she regarded the cub cautiously. The cub also yowled, now believing the bird was trying to eat its mother.

Aviana said she had no interest in hunting her, but she had someone that could help. The cub was suspicious, and Aviana said she didn’t believe she could help the cub’s mother, but she could help her.

At that moment, Freya entered the clearing. She cautiously greeted the cub, and Aviana said she was who she was talking about. Freya knelt down, and a strange wind whipped around the cub, healing her scratches and wounds. She grew a flower, and a sweet-smelling water was nestled in the bloom.

The cub was also very thirsty. She crept forward and then started to sniff and lap at the water. Freya offered a sad smile, but she promised that she would ensure the cub was safe and healthy. She suggested they could stay in the clearing for a bit.

The cub looked sadly at her mother, and she expressed she would accept the help if she had no other choice. The cub cuddled up next to her dead mother for a while, and Freya and Aviana remained in the clearing. In time, the cub crept closer.

When the cub had regained her strength, Freya and Aviana got ready to leave. Aviana asked the cub if she wanted something to remember her mother by. The cub agreed, and Aviana kicked a fang from the corpse of the cub’s mother so that Freya could make a pendant for the cub. The other fang, Freya herself kept.

Aviana told the cub she could come with them.

The cub was given the name Ashamane, and in time, she became fully grown. She became larger than any of the wolves. But she had never sought revenge. After all, they had just been doing what they needed to do. However, sometimes, she would release a horrifying roar to send the wolves scattering.

Periodically, Aviana would divebomb Ashamane to keep her reflexes sharp. They had become good friends over the years.

They met all sorts of creatures, and in a way, they had become something of a family. Their travels took them back to the golden plains. It had been a very long time since Aviana returned. They were faster. Stronger. Smarter. Her eyes were keen.

Somewhere in the distance, miles away, was a trail of blood and bile. It stained the golden grass. They followed the trail, searching for the carnage, and they saw a singular figure trudging through the foliage. There were no bodies, but blood was caked on the body of the creature.

A great boar was there. Larger than any boar they had seen before. This one had thorns that were almost jutting out of his body. Blood oozed from his flesh. He moved with labored breathing. However he was trying very hard not to show his pain.

Aviana had Ashamane go back for Freya, and she flew ahead of the boar. Ashamane called for Aviana to be careful before she raced back to Freya.

Aviana asked the boar if he was having a bad day. The boar didn’t know what happened. He had always been a proud boar, and he would fight anything that faced him.

The boar spit blood at her. Aviana kicked the boar in the face. The boar turned to face Aviana and grunted at her. He felt the fire in his veins light up, and the vines and briars in the boar’s skin appeared to be moving.

Aviana hissed at him and then took off toward Freya with another kick to the boar’s face. The boar charged after the bird. Then he saw a stone mountain in front of him. He dove at the rock, but then the rock grabbed him, flipped him over, and pinned him to the ground.

The stone was a strange figure he had never seen before. The bird flew up next to Freya, and vines reached up and pinned the boar to the ground. The fire roiled inside him. The board started to gnaw at the vines, and strange lights orbited around him. The giant used some sort of energy on him.

Freya told Ashamane and Aviana it appeared the boar ate some sort of parasitic plant, and the running had made it worse. Freya’s magic pushed into the boar’s body, and the pain intensified and lashed out at the boar. It was a horrific burning. He tried to gnaw at the vines, and the giant forced a strange liquid down his throat.

Aviana hissed at the boar to stay still, and tried to hold his head down. The boar lashed and tried to bite her. Ashamane’s fur was fluffed and she looked on in shock.

Suddenly, the thorns in the boar’s skin thrusted out and pierced through Freya’s chest. She was thrown back, leaving a hole in her body. The boar ripped itself free of the vines, and the thorns were out like a thousand quills. They were no longer actively bleeding.

Freya winced as she looked at her wound, but she held her hands out to the boar. The boar started to stamp his hooves, getting ready to charge, but then he realized the pain had lessened to a dull ache.

The boar started to charge. Freya sighed in exasperation and hit the ground. Suddenly the earth disappeared beneath the boar, and he fell into a pit. Aviana looked down the hole, and then looked up at Freya and commented she could have taken him. Freya retorted that she didn’t want her to take him. Aviana said he was just going to be confused in a hole, and Freya said they could deal with confused.

Ashamane tried to lick Freya’s wound, but it was just rock. The boar was squealing and trying to climb out of the bit over and over again. Aviana called to him that he was going to hurt himself. The boar ignored her, but a few moments later, the bird started to rain food down on him. The boar ate the food and then returned to trying to find a way out.

Aviana asked the boar if he was still hungry, and the boar responded that if she came down he would show her exactly how hungry he was.

Aviana said that she would bring food when he calmed down. The boar returned to trying to find a way out. Freya had finished mending her wounds and came over to examine the boar. She explained she had been trying to destroy the parasite, but it seemed that she had instead caused a symbiotic relationship. The parasite was no longer trying to eat him from the inside.

She said after a few days they would let him out and they would leave.

The boar was in the pit for a few days, and slowly he started to realize he had other muscles to flex. He had a strange control over the thorns in his body. He started to try and use the thorns to get out of the pit. Freya suggested they come and find the boar another day after he calmed down. Aviana suggested they leave him in the pit, and Freya said she would feel too bad to do that.

The trio left the pit, and then a fair distance away, Freya raised the pit to let the boar out. The boar sniffed the air, and he smelled them. He started to head toward them. After a bit, they realized the boar was following them. He was steadily gaining.

Freya expressed he was a very stubborn boar, and she suggested that they see what he had to say, and if it was just to pick a fight, they would need to teach him a lesson. They stopped and let the boar catch up.

When he arrived, he couldn’t smell the cat or the bird. He stared down Freya, who explained she had no desire to fight him, and she was just trying to help. She asked if he felt better, and he confirmed. Freya asked if he needed anything else. The boar said no. Freya smiled and said she was glad to hear it. She told him to take care of himself and be careful of what he ate. The boar continued to stare her down, and Freya moved to leave. Boar once again started to follow, and Freya asked if he wanted to come with them.

Boar Wild God says: I picked a direction.

Freya whistled for the others to join her, and the boar bristled, but he didn’t move to attack them. Until Aviana swooped by her, at which point he went to gouge her. Freya scolded them both.

The boar continued to follow. In time, Freya started to refer to the boar by the name Agamaggan.

Eventually, they encountered another curious traveler. However, this one found them. A creature slinked ever-quietly through the grass. It was a fox. It had been watching the strange group of creatures for some time. They were delightfully fascinating, as they communicated with the strange giant, and there was a boar that just followed after them.

The fox decided he had taken an interest in the group. He wondered if one of them had something tasty, and that was why they stayed together. All of them seemed to follow the giant. It could have had something to do with the strange sounds they made, and if he figured out what they meant, he could figure out what they had.

He continued to follow them, and in time, the strange sounds came easily to him. None of them noticed the fox.

The fox decided to play some tricks on them. He mused on a couple of ideas, and he decided to go into the plants and pretend to be hurt. He whimpered and started to limp in the brush. Aviana was the first to notice. She landed on a branch, and she scanned the area, but she saw no danger.

She asked the fox if he had a misadventure. The fox retorted that she should step in something she didn’t see and see how she felt. Agamaggan expressed his desire to eat the fox. The fox and Aviana engaged in a conversation as Aviana tried to figure out what had hurt him. Aviana reported back to Freya that something had pricked a fox’s paw. They arrived shortly after in their full group, and Agamaggan continued to request permission to eat the fox.

Ashamane smelled some catnap nearby, and she went to investigate. Freya knelt down and asked the fox if she could see his paw. She held out her hand, and the fox asked what the entity was. Aviana simply responded that she was tall and big.

The fox showed the giant his back paw, but as he turned he kicked dirt in her face, and then dashed into the trees. Agamaggan commented that the fox counted as a corpse thus could be eaten.

The fox dashed through a gap in the roots, trying to bait Agamaggan into running through a hole much too small for him. The ploy worked perfectly, and Agamaggan got his head stuck in the hole. But there was food down there. The boar dug up out of the burrow and tried to chase after the fox. There was a fruit stuck to his tusk.

Aviana tried to dive at the fox as he headed toward a hollow thick with spider webs. She swooped down to grab him, but there were spider webs right in her face. She landed and tried to wipe the webs off with her talons. The fox charged toward a hollow log and leaped onto it as Agamaggan slammed into it. The log landed in a pond and started to float away.

The fox called out that he had a lot of fun and he believed he liked all of them. He called they should enjoy the treats, and that they could know him as Renard. He ducked into the log again as Agamaggan leaped into the water with a big splash.

Aviana picked up a rock and tried to drop the rock on the log. The log shattered, but there was no fox inside. Agamaggan grunted and returned to the shore.

Freya got the dirt and mud off her face. Meanwhile, Ashamane’s eyes were wide and she was covered with jam and berry juice as she rolled around in it