Andaara
Dalayan Beginner
Sunlight broke through the leaves as the branches surrounding the edge of clearing weaved back and forth in the breeze. She blinked lazily and watched as the light moved across her eyelids. Around her the blades of grass danced and gleamed as though garnered with thousands of tiny jewels. A gentle summer breeze made the light hair of her fair skin sway with delight. She lay on her back upon a flat rock amid the clearing, unmoving, bathing in the warm light of the sun with her outstretched arms. She watched detachedly as her arm rolled softly over the surface of the rock and toyed with the grass blades beneath with her fingertips, almost of its own accord. Such days were so few and far between now. Warm rays of wonder and beauty hardly ever found their way through the mist and fog. But today was special, today was a gift, and she was making the most of it. She lay there upon the flat rock, letting the warmth of the sunlight strike her through the trees. Every nerve upon her skin tingled with delight as the warm light moved across it. Even after all this time away from the deep shade of her home, her skin was unaccustomed to direct light from the life-giving sun, and she reveled in it wherever it touched her. It slowly and soothingly moved across her bare skin, relaxing her muscles and her mind. Her thoughts began to stray and the cares of the world were slowly fading away. Most of them.
She thought of the small village from which she’d come. A copse of trees amid the forest, indistinguishable from any other place among the great shadowed floor save for its small huts and houses surrounded by low wooden fences. Shadow pervaded the surface, gloom and cold hung everywhere like a clinging layer of mist. The trees of the Great Forest towered like great unyielding sentinels, their hands outstretched as if to shield the beings dwelling beneath them from the light and breeze above. She thought of the population there. Fond memories of her family and friends she’d left behind warmed her thoughts and brought a smile to her content face. How she longed to see them all again. She thought Elves to be so beautiful, so exquisite, beings of pure radiance and filled with life, knowledge and power. She thought of the strange Dark Elves she had met in her travels. So mysterious and exotic, the brief encounter had left her bewildered and rapt with curiosity. But however hard she looked, she could not find any of their kind again. Her thoughts turned toward the gruff and barbaric Humans that had recently taken up residence in her home. So pompous and preoccupied with themselves. What a sad waste of such great potential. She didn't know why the Council tolerated their presence, but she meant to find out when she returned. Her mind drifted back through the years, through the people she’d known and the experiences she’d had. She dwelled upon the good times, gently removed the regretful thoughts from her mind. This was too beautiful a day to waste thinking about disappointment and missed opportunity. Times like this do not come often and must be enjoyed when they are present.
As a light breeze teased her skin yet again, she felt her nerves jump and dance with delight, and she dreamed of what would come to pass when she returned from her journey. She left a youngling, no idea of what to expect outside her village and an unbound excitement of what lay ahead. She was simple then, only caring for the next adventure, the next discovery. And there had been plenty! She never dreamed of mountains glowing red and purple in the sun, rising higher than the tallest tree in the forest. Gleaming crystal blue waters stretching so far that she could not see the distant shore. Cities that gleamed in the distance with majesty and granduer. Yet she drank in these wondrous sights with her own eyes. She had seen much over the past years. She left her world behind as an unproven child and would return determined and full of purpose. She heard the calling, saw the visions, and was never one to ignore such things. Signs and omens wrapped around her like a cloak, yet she knew not what they meant. She had been witness to so much she began to doubt what the learned Elders of her village really understood about the world around them. She wondered why they tolerated the presence of a Human among the Council, even though he was much more advanced in thinking and reasoning than the rest of his unrefined brothers. They had gone soft, allowing him in as a compromise to keep the growing lowly population within their town from revolting. After all, who would be left to do the work if they were gone? Not that she would be sad to see them go… the thought of their presence in her village was distasteful.
Another soft breeze brought her up out of her dark thoughts and into the present. She drank in the warmth around her, smiling contentedly. The breeze, the sunlight, and soft grass… all the way the world should be. But at the fringe of her small piece of utopia something wasn’t right. There was something she could not place her thoughts upon, could not reason through. It was as a small sliver of darkness invading her perfect rest. She tried to relax, tried to concentrate on the soothing sounds of the wildlife around her and the wind rustling through the leaves but it would not go away. The noise was distant but constant. Soft at first, it was persistent and growing ever so gradually in volume. She felt the warmth of the sun slide across her skin like melting butter, soothing her as it moved. Her muscles began to tense just a little and she struggled to hold her relaxing posture. She was slowly losing control and it annoyed her, she felt her peace of mind quietly slipping away. As if waking from a dream, she suddenly had a sense of things being horribly wrong.
Her perfect world crashed in upon her so suddenly it left her mind reeling. Her eyes were still closed, but the dancing light of the sun became the sporadic flicker of bonfires. The sunlight dancing among the trees limbs became flames dancing between sword and spear. The warm buttery sunlight turned to blood, freshly flowing across her body. She lay no longer upon the rock, but against the side of a wagon, pinned beneath a crate. All around her was chaos and screaming, the clash of metal on wood, the cries of her fellow Elven brothers fighting for their lives. Her vision was blurred and her head throbbed with terrible pain. She could not see clearly, but she was suddenly roused from her dream-like state and the memory of the caravan ambush flooded back into her mind. Frantically she looked around, unable to move beneath the weight of the wreckage. Her legs were badly broken and her upper body was bruised and cut in countless places. Her sword arm dangled lifelessly from the spoke of the wheel she lay upon, and each labored breath brought with it sharp pain. She could make out several of her brethren fighting for survival around her against creatures that appeared to walk on four legs and fight on two. She could not see clearly through the blood-matted hair and dim light. She never saw the ambush coming before she was knocked with great force from her perch atop the wagon.
She struggled to make sense of things, to sort dream from reality. Her mind tried desperately to recapture the dream she had been ripped from, but the agony of her own broken body rooted her firmly in the present. Suddenly across the clearing a being came into view. The most beautiful High Elf she had ever seen. He stood resplendent in white robes among the chaos, unmoving and uncaring of the situation surrounding him. His eyes locked on hers and she could see him clearly, though the world around him was a blur. Her mind sharpened and she found herself unable to look away from him. She felt a great energy flow into her, electric waves carried along the line of his gaze. Serenity descended upon her and time slowed to a fraction of its relentless march. Her body began to heal itself as she lay transfixed by his gaze, breathing easier and less painfully at every draw. She felt she knew him but could not place his name. His mouth opened and he began to speak to her. She did not understand the language but knew the meaning of his words. Slowly he drifted through the battle, unaffected by anything going on around him. Her gaze was locked on his and she felt powerless to pull away. Her mind blanked as his undecipherable words were seemingly whispered in her ear, yet she knew what they meant.
A sudden unexplainable feeling of warmth and vigor came over her broken body as she heard him speak clearly and softly, “Andaara, awaken, you are home. Behold the wonders you have sought throughout your journey. I have been waiting for you my child and you have finally found me.” He was before her now, bending forward to take her hand in his. His touch was warm and electric, power and knowledge rippled along his soft skin and jumped into her mind like raw electricity. “You have only to follow and I will show you how to become what you are destined to be. Follow me Andaara, and discover your Truth. Here at the end of your journey, you will find it is only just beginning...”
She thought of the small village from which she’d come. A copse of trees amid the forest, indistinguishable from any other place among the great shadowed floor save for its small huts and houses surrounded by low wooden fences. Shadow pervaded the surface, gloom and cold hung everywhere like a clinging layer of mist. The trees of the Great Forest towered like great unyielding sentinels, their hands outstretched as if to shield the beings dwelling beneath them from the light and breeze above. She thought of the population there. Fond memories of her family and friends she’d left behind warmed her thoughts and brought a smile to her content face. How she longed to see them all again. She thought Elves to be so beautiful, so exquisite, beings of pure radiance and filled with life, knowledge and power. She thought of the strange Dark Elves she had met in her travels. So mysterious and exotic, the brief encounter had left her bewildered and rapt with curiosity. But however hard she looked, she could not find any of their kind again. Her thoughts turned toward the gruff and barbaric Humans that had recently taken up residence in her home. So pompous and preoccupied with themselves. What a sad waste of such great potential. She didn't know why the Council tolerated their presence, but she meant to find out when she returned. Her mind drifted back through the years, through the people she’d known and the experiences she’d had. She dwelled upon the good times, gently removed the regretful thoughts from her mind. This was too beautiful a day to waste thinking about disappointment and missed opportunity. Times like this do not come often and must be enjoyed when they are present.
As a light breeze teased her skin yet again, she felt her nerves jump and dance with delight, and she dreamed of what would come to pass when she returned from her journey. She left a youngling, no idea of what to expect outside her village and an unbound excitement of what lay ahead. She was simple then, only caring for the next adventure, the next discovery. And there had been plenty! She never dreamed of mountains glowing red and purple in the sun, rising higher than the tallest tree in the forest. Gleaming crystal blue waters stretching so far that she could not see the distant shore. Cities that gleamed in the distance with majesty and granduer. Yet she drank in these wondrous sights with her own eyes. She had seen much over the past years. She left her world behind as an unproven child and would return determined and full of purpose. She heard the calling, saw the visions, and was never one to ignore such things. Signs and omens wrapped around her like a cloak, yet she knew not what they meant. She had been witness to so much she began to doubt what the learned Elders of her village really understood about the world around them. She wondered why they tolerated the presence of a Human among the Council, even though he was much more advanced in thinking and reasoning than the rest of his unrefined brothers. They had gone soft, allowing him in as a compromise to keep the growing lowly population within their town from revolting. After all, who would be left to do the work if they were gone? Not that she would be sad to see them go… the thought of their presence in her village was distasteful.
Another soft breeze brought her up out of her dark thoughts and into the present. She drank in the warmth around her, smiling contentedly. The breeze, the sunlight, and soft grass… all the way the world should be. But at the fringe of her small piece of utopia something wasn’t right. There was something she could not place her thoughts upon, could not reason through. It was as a small sliver of darkness invading her perfect rest. She tried to relax, tried to concentrate on the soothing sounds of the wildlife around her and the wind rustling through the leaves but it would not go away. The noise was distant but constant. Soft at first, it was persistent and growing ever so gradually in volume. She felt the warmth of the sun slide across her skin like melting butter, soothing her as it moved. Her muscles began to tense just a little and she struggled to hold her relaxing posture. She was slowly losing control and it annoyed her, she felt her peace of mind quietly slipping away. As if waking from a dream, she suddenly had a sense of things being horribly wrong.
Her perfect world crashed in upon her so suddenly it left her mind reeling. Her eyes were still closed, but the dancing light of the sun became the sporadic flicker of bonfires. The sunlight dancing among the trees limbs became flames dancing between sword and spear. The warm buttery sunlight turned to blood, freshly flowing across her body. She lay no longer upon the rock, but against the side of a wagon, pinned beneath a crate. All around her was chaos and screaming, the clash of metal on wood, the cries of her fellow Elven brothers fighting for their lives. Her vision was blurred and her head throbbed with terrible pain. She could not see clearly, but she was suddenly roused from her dream-like state and the memory of the caravan ambush flooded back into her mind. Frantically she looked around, unable to move beneath the weight of the wreckage. Her legs were badly broken and her upper body was bruised and cut in countless places. Her sword arm dangled lifelessly from the spoke of the wheel she lay upon, and each labored breath brought with it sharp pain. She could make out several of her brethren fighting for survival around her against creatures that appeared to walk on four legs and fight on two. She could not see clearly through the blood-matted hair and dim light. She never saw the ambush coming before she was knocked with great force from her perch atop the wagon.
She struggled to make sense of things, to sort dream from reality. Her mind tried desperately to recapture the dream she had been ripped from, but the agony of her own broken body rooted her firmly in the present. Suddenly across the clearing a being came into view. The most beautiful High Elf she had ever seen. He stood resplendent in white robes among the chaos, unmoving and uncaring of the situation surrounding him. His eyes locked on hers and she could see him clearly, though the world around him was a blur. Her mind sharpened and she found herself unable to look away from him. She felt a great energy flow into her, electric waves carried along the line of his gaze. Serenity descended upon her and time slowed to a fraction of its relentless march. Her body began to heal itself as she lay transfixed by his gaze, breathing easier and less painfully at every draw. She felt she knew him but could not place his name. His mouth opened and he began to speak to her. She did not understand the language but knew the meaning of his words. Slowly he drifted through the battle, unaffected by anything going on around him. Her gaze was locked on his and she felt powerless to pull away. Her mind blanked as his undecipherable words were seemingly whispered in her ear, yet she knew what they meant.
A sudden unexplainable feeling of warmth and vigor came over her broken body as she heard him speak clearly and softly, “Andaara, awaken, you are home. Behold the wonders you have sought throughout your journey. I have been waiting for you my child and you have finally found me.” He was before her now, bending forward to take her hand in his. His touch was warm and electric, power and knowledge rippled along his soft skin and jumped into her mind like raw electricity. “You have only to follow and I will show you how to become what you are destined to be. Follow me Andaara, and discover your Truth. Here at the end of your journey, you will find it is only just beginning...”
