“After many weeks, months, years of travel, we found it. The entrance to a legend. An
underground oasis where our goddess and savior resides.”
From the Ilithianan Chronicles of a forgotten age
The Enari Telik
123 years before the end
They saw their forest change. First with the stars. The disappearance of those tiny dots of light, created an eternal black at night. Then with the sun. No longer yellow, it became red and the heat from it intense. Water in the river and lakes, lessened. The trees around them began to wither, the soil dried up and became infertile. Their Elder Tree, though still hanging on was on the verge of collapsing. Even as their world began to change for the worse, the Enari still found a way to ignore it. Even him.
Telik stared out from his burrow to where the Elder Tree stood. The field was plain now, as they had been unable to grow anything there for quite some time. The giant tree leaned heavily to one side, as if water was nonexistent on the other. Kaya was kneeling before it with the other elders, praying. Even his own father Vinak, took part. Then there was his son, Sari.
He was still too young to understand fully what was happening, so Sari ran around, playing with the other Enari pups. Telik watched them and wasn't sure if he could take their ignorance any longer. They had to leave soon, or face starvation and thirst. If their forest was dying, surely there would be another out there, still full of life.
As he allowed his mind to drift, Telik remembered an old tale. A legend about a secret oasis, hidden deep underground. His ears perked up. That was it! If they could make it there, they would be safe. At least that was what he hoped. He took a step forward but then paused, hesitant. No. Believing in an old story like that was something expected of a pup. But he was fully grown. Telik shook his head. Maybe if the tree topples. But not now. We're still fine, we still have food and water.
He sat down, frustrated. That was how the others thought and look where they were now? Still praying to the creators, waiting to be rescued. That wasn't him. But then, what was he waiting for? The approval of Enari who were set in their ways? Who wouldn't leave their forest, even if all of their lives depended on it?
Telik glared at them now, an anger welling up inside. He was angry at them for doing nothing and at himself for allowing them to do nothing. Then he perked his ears up and listened. The deep sound of cracking wood. He only knew it because of the countless other trees he had seen fall. But this... Telik stood up. No, no, no, no! I didn't want this to happen! I... I take back what I said!
The giant willow tree they had worshiped through the course of many generations, their guardian, protector... fell with a giant crash. Half of that strong trunk, still held fast in the ground. The other half, dead and lifeless beside it. All four of the elders were on their feet now, their eyes locked on the devastating event that had just occurred. Sari stopped playing and ran straight to his mother. She made no movement to pick him up. In moments, Telik was by their side.
“What do we... do now?” one of the elders asked.
He remembered her as the one who had first spoken to him on the day his mother passed. “We leave,” Telik said.
All four elders looked at him. Three of them gave him an expression like they thought he was insane, Vinak just looked away. Telik chose to ignore their stares and picked up Sari. He was right and he knew it. Staying where they were was like waiting for death to take them and he refused to do that.
“No,” another elder said.
Telik looked at her. “Why not?” he asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.
“Because this is our home. It always has been and always will be until the day that we die,” she said in a calm voice.
Until we die... he couldn't accept that. He wouldn't accept that. Telik looked down at his son who was now squeezing tightly to his arm. “You're wrong,” he said.
“What?” Kaya asked. She reached up to redirect his head so that they were looking into each others eyes. “You can't possibly believe that?”
“Home is wherever your family is,” he explained.
“And what if your family chooses not to leave?”
“Why would they if there was something more out there, that could save their lives?”
“Why would we want to leave if we live in a place that has always provided for us?” the elder countered.
He ground his teeth together. While it was true that their forest had always provided everything they ever needed to live, Telik believed that it was too far gone now to recover enough for them to keep living in it. “We could argue over this all day, but I know there are some out there who believe the same thing I do.”
“So you're just going to leave?” Kaya asked.
“Yes,” Telik said. “You should come too.”
She took a step back and shook her head emphatically. “No... I can't.”
“You can stay if you want to... I won't try to force you to leave, but I'm taking our son,” he replied. What he said to her was cruel but Sari would not stand any chance of surviving if he stayed with his mother in the forest.
Kaya bowed her head. “Alright,” she said. “I know that... you just want to keep him alive. So take him and go.”
He walked away without looking back. As he took the first few steps toward a new future, Telik could feel a wetness in his eyes.
“Easy son,” came an old, gruff voice.
Telik glanced over to see Vinak walking beside him. Other footfalls crunching through the dead underbrush caught his attention and he glanced in the other direction. Telib walked on his other side and behind him were many, other Enari. They were all as determined as he was to stay alive, it seemed. They left the safety that the trees had once provided and stepped onto a desolate landscape. Their journey to find a legend had begun.
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“Our time has come as this world sinks beneath molten fire. The great Elder Tree sprouts from
the black stones, unaffected by the heat and acts like a beacon, calling us.”
Liquid fire spewed from the mountains, followed by black smoke and ashes. Almost like the world had suffered a great wound and its life was now, draining away. Ettrian stood in his tree, unable to pull his gaze. He couldn't understand how the world had gotten into such a state. Barely hanging onto life, slowly dying. Is this the dwarves doing? he asked himself as he continued to stare.
They were a greedy race, always digging in the mountains, searching for rare metals. Dwarves knew no limits when it came to that sort of thing and would often dig down deep. Perhaps this time, they had gone too far.
He shook his head. What good would blaming them do? It was the elves who were in charge of monitoring such things. They were supposed to tell the dwarves when to stop digging. Maybe it was them who hadn't done their job.
“Ettrian,” came a low voice from below.
Ettrian lowered his gaze to see one of those short, stout people standing there. “Do you know anything about this?” he winced as he said it. Hauzen was a dwarf, but despite the dwarves and elves dislike for each other, he was still a friend.
Hauzen shook his head. “It wasn't our doing,” he said. “The mountain just started... bleeding and we're not sure what to do about it.”
“There may be nothing you can do,” Ettrian said and he believed it to be true. If it wasn't the dwarves and it wasn't the elves then maybe the time for their world to die, had come. He turned his gaze back to the mountain and paused, listening to the sounds of nature. After a long moment, he turned his gaze back to Hauzen. “We should gather our people together. I should think... our lives will all soon, come to an end.”
Hauzen said nothing, but nodded and walked away.
Ettrian stayed where he was and sent a bird to deliver his message instead. The lightning finch was the fastest in Eshar, a little thing that could dart from one elf to another in seconds. Just like how lightning would strike the ground one moment and be gone the next.
A low rumbling in the distance caught his attention and he looked toward it. At first, he could see nothing happening. Thunder perhaps? But no... there were no clouds in the sky. Well... clouds of black ash maybe, but nothing natural. Then he saw green. Ettrian squinted, thinking that it might be a trick of the light.
Out of the cooling liquid fire, sprouted a giant willow tree. It was grand, something truly magnificent. It was magic. Ettrian opened his eyes wide as it continued to reach for the sky. Stretching, stretching and stretching some more. Around it grew other forms of flora, all surrounding the wide trunk, engulfing everything in its path.
Maybe... just maybe we can be saved, he thought and then hopped down from his tree. Landing with a quiet thump on the ground. Some dwarves and elves were now standing before him, waiting for news about the fate of their world. He pointed in the direction of that great willow. “Friends,” he said. “The life of Eshar is slowly ebbing away, but we can survive. If we go to the Elder Tree.” Ettrian turned around and started walking towards it.
After a few low murmurs of agreement, the others followed him to what would become their new home.
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“Only after the felling of our tree, did I decide to leave. I wish I had
realized sooner what those disappearing stars would mean.
From the Ilithianan Chronicles of a forgotten age
The Enari Telik
2 days before the end
Everyday the world became hotter, the ground dryer. Most of the flora now gone and the only animals left were small and insignificant. Clouds in the sky, were practically nonexistent and they could no longer rely on them for shade. Each step they took over the smoldering ground, was agonizing. But no matter what, they had to go on.
Determined more than ever now, to find that oasis, Telik trudged far ahead of the others. A thin trail of blood left in his wake, as he no longer had the strength to lift his feet. They had been traveling for a very long time and along the way, many of their friends were lost. Some succumbed to hunger or thirst, others simply to exhaustion. For the ones that remained... he would make sure they found paradise.
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“Telik,” came Vinak's voice from far behind.
He chose to ignore his father, tune him out. No one could stop him from finding that legendary place.
“Telik,” Vinak called again, this time closer.
Telik stopped and turned to him. He was sure that his face had a twisted expression on it, because seeing his people so thin, panting, exhausted, broke his heart. “What do you want?” he asked, choosing to remain firm.
“We need to rest son,” Vinak said.
“We have no time to rest,” he replied, then turned around and started walking again.
Vinak caught his wrist. “Look at what remains of our people. They are all exhausted, hungry, thirsty.”
“Their hunger and thirst is why we cannot rest,” Telik said. “If... no, when we find that oasis, they will have all the food and all the water they may ever need.”
“That may be so,” Vinak said. “But what about right now?”
Telik snorted and turned away from his father.
“That is just like you brother,” came another familiar voice. Telib stepped out from behind the other remaining Enari, Sari by his side. “You never could listen to reason.”
“What do you know?” he asked.
“More than you apparently.”
Telik narrowed his brow, “what do you mean?”
“Walking during the day is foolish and so is sleeping at night.”
Telik was still angry but still, he had to admit that his brother had a point. Days had become almost unbearably hot and the opposite was also true for nights. After leaving Iluon, they had just chosen to do what came naturally to them... or was it he who chose for them? Telik shook his head. “How are we to find our way without the light the stars had once provided?”
Telib sighed and then approached him, taking up his hands. “You believe we can find that oasis, a legendary place that has only ever appeared in stories. Why is it so hard for you to believe that we can find our way through the night,” he paused. “Maybe that is what we need to do.”
“Daddy,” Sari said as he clung tightly to his uncle's side.
Telik bowed his head and then fell to his knees. “You're right,” he said. “Maybe that is what we need to do.” then he opened his arms and beckoned Sari. The little pup ran into a long awaited embrace.
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“The day the Draeya had been waiting for, has come. As the seed is finally
planted, so do we go to plant even more and to help the forest grow.”
Dracca paused on the edge of a very thin, tree branch. He leaned over, using his tiny claws and tail for balance, laid his ears back and sniffed the air. With his large eyes, he could see things much more clearly than some of the other animals in their domain. For he was a Draeya, one of the forest children. And in this very moment, Dracca had a job to do.
With one, single leap he catapulted himself into the air and using the ether in it, he transformed into a tiny sparrow. Then he dived down. Nestled under the canopy of a giant oak tree – giant for him – was a tiny seed and with his newly formed talons, he snatched it up.
“Dracca!”
The loud voice of his friend, gave him a start. And it took much flapping of his wings and much control to prevent himself from crashing into the trunk. Using one of his legs, he pushed off of the tree and flew up. His descent to the tree branch where Niko was waiting, was less than elegant. He ruffled his feathers and looked over.
Niko, who had taken the form of a chipmunk, sat there staring at him. “I think... your flying needs a little work,” he said finally.
Dracca huffed and looked away. “My flying is better than yours.”
“That is because I don't fly.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Dracca said. “What do you want?”
Niko hesitated for a moment and looked away at something in the distance. Then he turned back to Dracca. “The world tree is being born.”
Out of excitement, Dracca nearly toppled from the branch and almost broke his transformation. He turned to Niko, eyes wide. “Born? Like right now?”
Niko nodded. “Like right now,” he said.
Dracca didn't wait for anymore words. He hopped off the branch and took to the sky, carrying his seed to where the big tree would appear. Once there, he would drop it and go back for another and then another and then another. That was the pattern and what the Draeya had existed for, for their entire lives. Once all seeds were brought to the big tree, they would then begin the mass planting. Excitement filled him as he continued to fly.
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“I went in after him, but then I found he was gone.”
From the Ilithianan Chronicles of a forgotten age
The Enari Sari
The last day
Sari woke up to a gentle shaking of his shoulder from his father. When he opened his eyes, everything truly was dark. So much in fact, that it felt as if he was blind. He crawled to his knees and immediately shivered. His uncle Telib had told the truth about nights being cold as well. Every night thus far, he really didn't have to feel the chill, because he always slept bundled up with his grandfather or uncle and could take in their body heat. Tonight though, would be different. Tonight they would be on the move.
“Are you cold Sari?” came his father's whispered voice.
Sari nodded but then stopped, realizing that that action would be useless if he couldn't be seen doing it. “I-I am,” he said, teeth chattering.
“It'll be alright, I'm sure we'll all warm up when we start to move.”
Sari felt a large hand take his and he squeezed it tight. “H-how are we g-going t-to find our way?” he asked.
“Together,” was all his father said, before leading him forward.
In order to make sure they didn't get separated, every Enari linked up to another with their hands and then they continued in single file. There were a couple of times when they had to stop because someone fell, but that was to be expected in the pitch black. Even so, their pace was steady.
After some time, Sari raised his head and sniffed the air. They stopped as the line they had made, halted. Others doing the same thing. There was a scent he hadn't experienced for a very long time. Water, grass and wildflowers all mixed together. Excited, he looked around at the others.
Forgetting about the line, Sari broke it and ran ahead. He followed that wonderful scent, forgetting all about the cold and his aching feet. Day was approaching slow over the horizon and now, he could feel a little warmth and see a rough outline of the ground. This excited him even more and he picked up his speed.
“Sari!” his father called, though his voice was now far behind him.
“Sari, come back!” his uncle and grandfather this time.
Ignoring his fatigue, Sari kept running. His feet soon went from hard earth to soft grass. There were small, colorful flowers everywhere and a thin stream, running into a large cliff. He peered toward the cave and saw a single tree on either side of it. Enjoying the shade the cliff above provided.
Voices sounded in the distance, but Sari didn't care. They would catch up to him soon. He limped now, over to one of the trees and peered up into its long branches. You'll protect me right? He thought, right before he sat down in the grass, and leaned against its supporting trunk. Then he closed his eyes, wondering if it would be alright if he napped until they arrived. Sari's mind drifted off into a void of dark.
“Sari... oh Sari...” his father, he thought. “Please wake up... please.”
“Let's go Telik,” his uncle's voice.
Gently, he felt himself being lifted into the air. Then carried somewhere, but his mind was too foggy yet to figure out...
“Help him, he's... my son!”
“I will do what I can,” a female voice. Fragrant like the flowers and free like the wind. “Put him there.”
A cool, refreshing liquid washed over him and for a moment, he lay there still with his eyes closed, taking it in. Silence. Then his eyes fluttered open and astonished gasps all around him, followed by sighs of relief. Sari looked up and saw the most beautiful creature ever. She was bipedal like them, with ears flat against her head, long, dangly red hair and a petite nose. She wore a long piece of fabric over her skin, it was blue and flowed around her form.
“Now,” she said, turning to the others. “You have come here looking to be saved?” it was more of a statement than a question.
“Who are you?” asked his father.
She looked at him calmly. “I should think you should know.” when no one replied, she continued. “The goddess Reiya.”
His father seemed to scoff at that. “I believe in no goddess.”
Her expression looked a little hurt. “You may choose to believe in me or not, that doesn't change the fact that I am here.”
“If you are our world's deity, then why is it dying?” his father asked.
“Even I have my limits,” she replied. There was a hint of sadness in her voice. “I am the goddess of nature, I control the plants, the water, the animals. Not the sun or the stars.”
“Then why are you here?”
She paused and cocked her head. It made her look sort of like a curious bird. “I have come to offer you a reprieve.”
“A reprieve? And what would that be? What could someone as powerless as you offer?”
That seemed to have struck a chord and she frowned. Still, the goddess remained calm. “You and your kind have always appreciated what I've done for you, even if you didn't realize it. So I've decided to show myself and offer you a chance to be saved.”
Sari listened for his father's reply, but he remained silent for a long time. Finally he said, “how?”
“My power is waning, but I can use the last of it to give you new forms and a seed which you can plant to grow a new home.”
“New forms?” his father asked. “What do you mean?”
“As you are now, you would not be able to make it back to where your journey began and that is where you must plant this,” in two of her hands she held a glowing orb. There were two layers to the thing. The outer layer was white and the inner layer black.
Sari looked up at his father to see his eyes go wide. Then he nodded. “If... we take this and plant it, we will be safe.”
The goddess nodded. “And you will be saving many other lives as well.”
His father looked away and into the eyes of his people. Then he looked back at her, “new forms you said? So...”
She nodded again. “You will be different than you are now.” the goddess turned to speak to everyone. “Not all of you will be the same species, but you will all have a purpose in your new home.”
“You want us... to protect it?”
“Yes,” was all she said.
His father turned to everyone and waited, looking into all their eyes. Once again, there was a long moment of silence. Then one by one they nodded. He turned back to the goddess. “Alright,” he said. “Change us.”
Her face seemed to light up at this and then, her flowing robe, flowed away. Becoming a blue mist which wreathed its way through the area, wrapping itself around everyone. Then all Sari saw, was blue.
Sari thought that any transformation that would change the physical body, would hurt. But that was not how he felt. Instinctively he knew he was changing, his body becoming larger, his snout more narrow. His back straightened and his front arms changed into legs to fit his new shape, hind legs thinned and paws formed. His tail became longer and wavy, his ears much longer and finally, long, thick fur covered him. The new form he had been given, was more like a relief than anything else, all the pain he had felt moments before, gone.
He opened his eyes and looked around at the others. There were a few who were like him, some much larger which Sari could only assume, were the fully grown adults. There were even more Enari who were different from him and each other though. Even his own father.
Sari's gaze landed on two who had not changed though and his eyes went wide. “Uncle Telik... Grandpa?”
Vinak shook his head. “We are sorry but we cannot go with you. The goddess has granted our wish.”
Why would they not want to come? Or be transformed? Sari didn't understand, but before he could open his mouth and ask, the goddess Reiya stepped forward and placed the seed before his father.
“You must take this now,” she said. “You have less than a day to plant this seed.”
How would they get back and plant it in that short a time?
His father picked up the seed in his maw and then turned to go.
“Wait,” called the goddess.
He turned to look at her.
“With your new forms you have all been given new names,” she said. “You should already know what those are. Now go!”
That's right. My name isn't Sari anymore... it's Silva, he thought as he turned to follow his father. Tuon was a lot like him in appearance, but his fur was an unnaturally green color, like the moss that grew on trees. And large antlers like the branches of a tree, grew out of his scalp, small, pink flowers on the ends.
Let's go, Tuon said, though it came as more of a thought. Then he was off like the wind.
Silva followed with the others and was surprised at the speed at which he could run. He knew that his age hadn't changed, he was still a pup, but he could almost compete with the adults.
“And one by one they changed. In voice, in calm, in alertness. In appearance and in their name. All became the great Daemari of the Elder Forest. Creatures of the Forest,” the goddesses voice reached his mind as they flew over the landscape. “Protect my forest well, young ones.” then her presence was just gone.
As the sun's light began to wane over the horizon, they entered what had once been their forest. Tuon paused for a moment and glanced around, but there was nothing to see. The trees which had once kept them safe and fed, were now enormous, dry sticks in the ground and there were no Enari left to be found. You should have listened to me, Tuon said as he stepped forward.
They all followed him to the dead stump of what had been their Elder tree and waited as Tuon took the seed. Gently with his front paws, he dug a hole in one of the large roots at the base of the trunk. Then he stepped back and watched.
The sun's light had almost completely faded when it happened. A burst of energy was released and the tree came back to life. It didn't stop there however as it grew larger and larger. All of the changed Enari ran back to where their forest ended and gazed in awe at that magnificent sight. Tiny creatures spread out everywhere planting... seeds. Those seeds sprouted and became enormous trees as well, though not as large as the elder trees. Grass spread out, then ferns and bushes. In mere moments they were looking at a forest, greater than theirs had ever been. A white mist formed around the exterior of the forest. It was done.
Tuon took a deep breath and stepped beyond the mist before anyone could follow him. Excited, Silva bounded passed everyone else and into the forest. He came to a stop though as the mist began to clear and the others came in after him. He glanced one way and then another, looking for his father. But he was nowhere in sight.