The sole purpose of a Forpal’s life is to protect its master. That was the little white dragon’s duty. At anyone’s birth there is a chance for an anomality to occur; Instead of one life form two could come to be. This would be no ordinary twin birth, as the mother didn’t play a direct role in a Forpal’s creation. Instead, a Forpal manifests itself, seemingly out of thin air, with a radiating light beside its future master. And this Forpal’s master was none other than the girl named Rheka.
From the very beginning on they were together. Day and night. When the girl slept, he did too. When she ate, he ate as well. When she chose to relief herself of her bodily droppings, he was also there. And relief herself she did. A lot.
As Rheka gradually started to develop her walking abilities things started to change around the house. Curious and agile as she was, she’d quickly get herself into trouble. No object was left unharmed, as she dashed and climbed around in her home. Much to her companion’s detriment, the little dragon tried to prevent things from being broken when the girl tipped them over.
Soon enough, the girl had turned her curiosity to the outside world, giving way for new trouble to arise as she started chasing cats and dogs around in the neighborhood. To say they weren’t very fond of her would be an understatement. Displeased and agitated by her actions, some of them tried to teach the girl a lesson, but quickly fled the scene when her draconic guardian approached them. Much to his surprise. Unfazed by all external factors, the girl continued her exploits until one fateful night, when her guardian’s protection would no longer suffice.
A Forpal’s bond with their master is unbreakable. Incapable of being disrupted by distance, no matter how far. Unshakeable and eternal, only terminated by death. Should one find death, the other will most likely too lest a curse far worse beseech them.
A bond through their very souls. Mutually, they can feel what the other is feeling. Their emotions, as well as their pain. With their subconscious, one can sense if the other is in danger. As was the case with the little white dragon, when he stormed through the night, rushing to the girl’s aid once again.
His ability to fly was yet unknown to him and would be for long thereafter. It was rather poor, but it didn’t matter, as the dragon’s body moved on its own, guided by instinct. He could only wonder why he had started to feel this urge. The urge to protect. Who was the girl to him? No one but a stranger for sure. He had dismissed her entirely at first. She was always around, but was he supposed to watch over her? Had he already failed at that task? Regardless, the little dragon would certainly not hesitate when the day arrived on which his master would be in dire need of help. And one of those days had come much sooner than expected.
A white bolt could be seen exiting the house in the dark of night. In mere minutes, the dragon had closed the distance between him and his master, arriving just in time to stop carnage from unfolding. Before him, in the midst of the forest stood the Black Phoenix. A fearsome creature not many had encountered before and lived to tell the tale.
Unaware of the danger they’d found themselves in, the little dragon rushed to shield the girl from impending doom, as the Phoenix’s terrifying Shadowflames engulfed the two. A force able to bend the very fabric of reality itself. Yet both of them remained entirely unharmed. The girl, barely 4 years of age and still asleep, summoned a barrier to defend against the incoming attack. How? Well. Let’s not spoil the mystery for now, shall we?
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The initial attack had been deflected, but there were more to come. For a moment the entire forest illuminated in a bright purple light, as the bird’s screeches roared through the woods once again.
Through the light stepped a man of elder age. A man, filled to the brim with emotion, yet visibly calm on the outside. Who once had been eager to jump into battle whenever conflict arose, he now preferred to take things slow. Past trials of joy and suffering had shaped this man into what he was now. A man who had cheated death many times throughout his extended lengthy life. There were not many who had walked a path like that of the tormented old man they called Vrintas. His ability to make use of the arcane had vanished together with an old friend long ago. But fight he could regardless. And quite effectively so, as he took the Black Phoenix head on.
Coincidentally, this was not their first meeting. It was just one of many. He knew what the bird had once been and who it truly belonged to. Though to the Black Phoenix itself, Vrintas was as much a stranger as any other. An array of emotions went through Vrintas’ mind, and as feelings of anger mixed with sadness, he briefly remembered times long, long past.
Ring after ring broke away from his fingers as he summoned the powers of the arcane to keep the bird at bay. In his mind he prayed. Prayed that he wouldn’t be forced into a corner. Things could never go well then. This was the little dragon’s cue to escape to safety. But it was no easy task, since the girl he was supposed to flee with, stood in awe of what was unfolding before her. Never had she seen something so... stunningly beautiful. A firework of lights reflected in her eyes as she watched the battle excitedly. The dragon threw himself against the girl and finally managed to toss her on his back, bringing them one step closer to freedom.
With no light and no memory of the way he entered before, exiting the forest would be a hard task for the little white dragon. Was it here? No. There? No. How about here? Not even close. Every tree looked the same, every resemblance of a new path identical to the one they were on already. He couldn’t see the wood for all the trees! At some point, Rheka pointed at a seemingly random tree. “There!” She shouted, pulling on the little dragon’s ear in the same second. The young girl had figured out the direction they must have entered from earlier. Despite the fact that she had been sleepwalking when she did. Even so, Rheka had an exceptionally good sense of direction. The little dragon didn’t quite believe in what his master was saying, but what choice did he really have at this point?
As soon as they passed the tree, they were on the right track. Not long after they reached the forest’s edge, the dragon crumbled to the ground in exhaustion. Rheka stepped off his back, smiling confidently while she brushed the dust from her knees. For her this adventure wasn’t over, as her grandfather hadn’t returned yet. Leaving family behind wasn’t something Rheka would do. Ever.
Even though she hadn’t spent much time with her grandfather then, she adored him, nonetheless. Her father Ursus had been absent for most of her life. It was surprising that she even knew who he was whenever she got to see him. Destroying the front door every time he returned home had certainly left an impression on her. However, Vrintas seemed to always be there for his granddaughter. Granted, he spent plenty of time in his basement or elsewhere away from home, but he tried. This time he had to. He’d enter his granddaughter’s room when he returned from his journeys at night. Patting her on the head while she slept. Just as he did, after he came out of the forest with bruises and burns all over.
Much like during their many encounters before, the now Black Phoenix did not manage to beat Vrintas this time either. Their day would surely come, but that is a tale to be told at another time.
That night, old Vrintas regained some of his youth, while Rheka’s and even her Forpal’s curiosity increased tenfold. Perhaps the secrets that laid within the arcane would be enough to satisfy them. For now, the three departed home, to recover and regain their strength, as they would certainly need it in the days to come.