The foot of the Avalorian mountains, the eastern side, bore a heavy weight of ancient history. Ruins of a stone temple stood there, partially collapsed, its grandeur a mere shadow of the past. In this desolate place, Ygnis, the ancient oracle, struggled to bring Fenrir back to strength. He hovered his hands over the fallen beast's massive form, his brows knitted in concentration.
Ygnis: (muttering)"Come on, heal already!"
A soft purple glow emanates from his hands as he channels the corruption into Fenrir's body. His wounds oozed black blood, and his labored breathing filled the air. Despite Ygnis' efforts, the healing process faltered, as if an invisible barrier held it back. Fenrir's deep growls reverberated through the temple as Ygnis continued his attempts.
Fenrir: (weakened) "Your attempts bear no fruit, Oracle. Something inside me opposes your attempts." Fenrir's voice resonated, pain evident in his tone.
Ygnis: (frustrated) "It's the mana left inside you by Freya, it's a complete opposite of the corruption running through our bodies. Those energies clash in your body preventing it from healing. Were it not for your unusual life force you would be dead already."
Fenrir: (growling) "Mana? That damned human! Freya Caerwyn!"
Ygnis: (nodding) "Yes, mana is the natural power in this world capable of both healing and harm. The good news is that I can feel the remnant mana weakening, the bad news is that it will take at least a week more... Normally I would just use brute force and expel it out but I'm afraid your body couldn't take the clashing of energies."
Meanwhile, deep within the corrupted forest, Nix and Lyska, still cloaked in their monstrous forms, moved cautiously through the twisted landscape. The forest was a mix of greens and corrupted browns, an eerie blend of life and decay. As they moved, Nix could feel the presence of mana, a pulsating energy that sparked a faint glimmer of hope.
"Lyska, do you feel that?" Nix's voice carried a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
"Yes," Lyska responded, her voice tinged with wonder. "It's like a distant echo, a forgotten memory."
They attempted to assimilate the mana, drawing it towards themselves. But as the energy reached them, it recoiled as if repelled by an invisible force. Their monstrous forms quivered with the effort and pain, but the mana remained stubbornly out of reach, the corruption in their bodies resisting its embrace.
Frustration grew in Ygnis' heart as he gazed down at Fenrir, who remained wounded and weakened. The Oracle's ancient eyes blazed with an intensity that matched the fire within him. He stood, his features contorted with a mixture of anger and helplessness.
Ygnis: (angry growl) "This corruption... It's a curse upon the land, a remnant of the ancients folly."
Fenrir, intrigued by Ygnis' words, urged him for information, "Tell me more, Oracle.".
Ygnis: (sorrowful) "An ancient civilization once rulled this world, it's technology and civilization was so advanced you couldn't even imagine. Their experiments seeking to manipulate the very fabric of reality led to a skism in the empire one side fearfull of the danger while the other ignored it. Eventually they went to war against each other and the western side being on the losing end in their folly unleashed a terrible weapon against the east."
Fenrir's eyes narrowed, his curiosity piqued. "And what happened?"
Ygnis: (angry) "The weapon's energy was so great it couldn't be controlled and exploded, the pure mana that served as its energy got corrupted, it transformed into something else. It twisted nature, transforming it into the monstrous corruption we now witness."
Ygnis punched down on the stone floor creating a crater, "Curse them and their experiments, so many years have passed and we still suffer for their foolishness!"
He then continued with his story, "And that wasn't all, after that the god of creation intervened when he saw the destruction humans have caused, he sealed the very mana away leaving only the corruption behind. His way of punishing the humans responsible for the destruction."
---
The power of mana, once bestowed, now locked away,
For hubris and folly did mankind display.
Land ravaged, skies darkened, a reckoning they've sown,
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Till fate deems them worthy, their plea left to atone.
---
Fenrir: (joking) "I never took you for a poet, lord Ygnis. But if it's all just a curse from god why is it that humans can use mana now?"
"I will forgive you this time Fenrir." Ygnis looked at him shortly then gazed at the sky, contemplating. "Who knows, I need to find out the secrets hidden behind Eldric's legacy. How was it that a mere mortal 900 years ago could build an empire from a bunch of scattered tribes and how can the wall he built keep the corruption away? Why did he relinquish his claim to the throne and bound his descendants to defend that wall? Rest for now Fenrir, I'll think about the next step."
Fenrir nodded and started thinking about what he just found out, 'I was human once? I wonder what life I had before. How is it that Ygnis remembers so much? No wonder he calls himself Oracle.'
---
As Ygnis approached Nix and Lyska, he observed their attempts to assimilate the mana. He could see the struggle within them, the corruption yearning for power and destruction. It was a grim sight, and he knew that the line between their rationality and the monstrous curse was thin.
Nix's monstrous form radiated a mix of desperation and determination. She concentrated on the mana, trying to merge it with the corruption within her. Green tendrils of energy spiraled around her, a chaotic dance of power and malevolence. Ygnis' voice rang out, cutting through the tension.
Ygnis: "Nix, focus your efforts on intertwining the mana with the corruption. Let them merge but maintain control. Harness their combined might to strengthen yourself."
Nix's eyes glowed with a wild intensity as she followed Ygnis' instructions. She channeled the mana through her corrupted form, and the violet tendrils started to intertwine with the dark energy that coursed through her veins. A surge of power swept over her, and her monstrous features twisted with a mix of pain and pleasure.
Lyska, on the other hand, faced a different challenge. She listened intently to Ygnis' instructions, her own monstrous form quivering with a mixture of apprehension and determination. As Ygnis advised, she focused on the mana, attempting to use it as a purifying force to burn away the corruption.
Ygnis: "Lyska, let the mana become a cleansing fire within you. Its purity can counter the corruption's malevolence. Allow it to burn away the darkness, even if it means facing pain."
Lyska's gaze hardened as she steeled herself for the dangerous endeavor. She drew upon the mana, allowing its pure energy to course through her corrupted body. Her form shuddered, and her roars of agony echoed through the corrupted forest. The air around her shimmered with a bright, blue light as the mana's purity clashed with the corruption's darkness.
Ygnis watched closely, his eye reflecting a mixture of anticipation. The outcome of their efforts remained uncertain, the thin line between reclaiming their humanity and succumbing to the monstrous curse poised to tip at any moment.
The scene unfolded with a tense atmosphere, the struggles of Nix and Lyska mirroring the larger battle that raged within them. As they fought to master the mana and corruption.
Ygnis left them and made his way up the mountain towards Oakheart. He propelled himself forward, his body moving in a rhythmic sequence, a dance of raw power. Trees whizzed by, their trunks a mere blur as he bounded through the dense underbrush. His path was a straight line, despite the overgrowth and uneven terrain, Ygnis navigated through it all with uncanny agility, his body in perfect harmony with the forest that surrounded him.
In a matter of minutes,he could already make out the towering walls of Oakheart in the distance. Luckily for the scout patrolling the area none of them found him. As he was about a kilometer from the wall he climbed atop the highest tree he could find and gazed at the walls. His cyclop eye when focused allowed him to see even the strands of hair of the soldiers guarding the walls much to his surprise he could see a woman with, black hair and a scar on her left eye, from the description and the feeling of power he figured that must be Freya Caerwyn, the setting sun was casting shadows on her face as she was conversing with a soldier.
She happened to look in his direction making him wonder, 'Did she noticed me?' but she eventually turned her gaze and left the walls 'I guess not, she's not yet at that level... Should I risk it? She doesn't seem weakened on the contrary I can feel an aura of power. Let's leave it be, I should think of a way to collect information from them...'
Ygnis: (muttering) Let's try that scouting team there!
"I tell you, Sven, you're way too cautious." The young man, his face lit up with a grin, adjusted the leather armor on his shoulders and chuckled. "We're in no danger."
Sven's brow furrowed, and he unsheathed his short sword, his gaze scanning the surroundings. "Be careful," he cautioned, his voice tense. "I have a bad feeling about this." His cautious steps brought him to a halt, his eyes darting in every direction.
"What could hu..." His words were cut short as a stone the size of a fist penetrated his head.
"Ahh! Who goes there?" Sven's grip on his sword was sweaty as he prepared to blow the horn signalling danger but just when he was about to blow it a figure appeared in front of him swatting it and his sword away. He tried to speak but could as something lifted him up from the ground by his neck. When he looked down dread took him over as he saw a lipless mouth and a big red eye half closed looking at him, _I'm not getting out of this alive_ he thought.
The creature started to speak, its voice was like the howling abyss, "Quit squirming, you have a chance to live. I am going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them! And don't think about refusing or I'll start crushing every bone in your hand one at a time." And the creature threw him against a nearby tree knocking the wind out of him.
When Sven regained his breath the creature was already in front of him, "Do your worst creature, I don't believe you would let me live anyway." And he spitted at him in hope to distract it so he can reach into his pocket for a vial that contained Alaric's alchemical fire.
But the creature saw through him and twarthed his plan, "Are you sure? There are many of you patrolling, I don't believe all are as loyal as you. Do you want your death to be meaningless and painful?"
"I was there when your kin attacked the gates my best friends died in that battle, people I grew up with. Do your worst!" Said the young scout as he attempted to commit suicide by hitting his head against the tree.
"No you don't!" the creature moved like a snake and cought his head in its hand before it could hit the tree. "You are a brave human." Praised him, as he tied his feet with a rope and hanged him on the branch of a tree with its head down. And he started with the scouts left hand breaking his fingers begining with the thumb, bone by bone. The tranquillity of the forest was shattered by ear piercing screams. But no one was near to hear them.
By the time Ygnis reached the elbow, the scout has fainted from pain. _This won't do, this guy is prepared to die. I'm wasting my time! Just my luck to find the most resilient one._
"Should I let him live?" Muttered Ygnis looking at the sky wich was now dark and filled with stars. "Bah, count yourself lucky human! I'm not in the mood! The sky is too clear for such a dirty deed."
Ygnis vanished in the night after lefting him sprawled on the ground.
The scout woke up soon after and the first thing he did was sound the horn. In about an hour a searching party found and saved him but his left arm was forever lost, he recounted the events that happened and despite his resilience, some Wardens suspected him of giving in because he escaped with his life.
But after Elisia herself checked up on him and confirmed that his arm had indeed been crushed bone by bone, few dared to be angry at him, whether he spilled the beans or not. They decided to shut up and let Freya give her judgement as she sees fit.