Elenael stood a few feet away from the woman and didn't know whether to stand still, move closer to talk to her, or turn to run away. While he hesitated, she rose from her vegetal throne and smilingly caressed the trunk on which she had been sitting a few moments before. As if alive, the twisted tree reacted to his affectionate gesture and gradually straightened up until it was upright again and pointing skyward. Elenael looked at the scene in amazement. The strange woman then slowly approached him, her hands outstretched, as if to mean that she meant him no harm.
The two came face to face. The woman, although she was not very tall, had to bend down so that her face would be at the same height as Elenael's. In a soft voice, she told him with a friendly smile: “Welcome Elenael, I have been waiting for you for a long time. My name is hard to pronounce in your language, but you can call me Sylha.” There was something strange in the way she spoke. After a few moments, Elenael understood what it was: she was not speaking but directly transmitting her words into his head.
This revelation troubled the boy. The woman, who didn't seem to notice Elenael's concern, turned and gestured toward a patch of greenery a few feet away from them. Roots then sprung up from the ground, writhing like huge earthworms, before coming together in three shapes. When it was over, a table and two wooden stools stood on the grass. Sylha motioned for Elenael to sit down and the boy complied, still on his guard despite her kind attitude.
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Recommended music : Dark Fantasy Studio - ( ) (link in the footnote)
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“You are probably wondering where you are and what you are doing here? I get it, it's a strange world and everything must seem... weird to you. And you’re right: this place is not real. It is, in fact, a universe created by my mind. Most people don't imagine that a place like this could exist, but some individuals have a gift, an ability to see and visit these worlds. In my language, these beings are called Fravashis. And you are one.”
Elenael was silent for a few moments, trying to understand what the woman was telling him. As he didn't know what to say, he finally explained: “I started my ritual to find my affinity and suddenly I found myself in a sky filled with lights. Did you bring me here?” Sylha smiled, before answering him.
“No, dear child. It was your power that gave you access to the multiverse. This 'void' is where the soul goes as soon as someone dies. Then, normally, it continues on its way. However, some get lost, often because the deceased still have regrets or remorse. In these cases, these spirits create a reality, a world around them, to alleviate their sadness or relive strong moments in their lives. It becomes their home. And at the same time, their prison."
"So the stars I saw...?"
"Yes, each represents a soul stuck in the multiverse."
"So does that mean you're dead?"
Elenael had only known Sylha for a few minutes, but he realized that he was already starting to grow attached to her. The idea that she could be locked up in this place forever made him sad.
"My case is a little different: I chose to stay here. The Multiverse is a place only Fravashi can come to. So I decided to place a remnant of my soul there so that someone like you can easily find it.”
"But why me ? And what should I do?”
"Why you ? Because the Light has chosen you. As for your purpose? That's a good question. I don't have a simple answer for you, there are no clearly defined rules or goals. People like us, Fravashis, don't choose their power, just how to use it.”
Elenael was feeling lost after hearing to all these explanations. Suddenly, he thought of something and looked up at Sylha, his gaze full of hope. In a trembling voice, he asked her: “Are you… my mother?”
The woman caressed his cheek with tenderness and compassion. She answered him with sadness.
“No, my boy, we are not from the same family. This power you have is not something you received from your parents, it was the Light itself that chose you.” She hesitated for a moment, then whispered, half to herself. “But, if I did have a son, I would have liked him to look like you..."
Elenael looked down at the ground, unable to hide his disappointment. Sylha remained silent to respect his sadness, which she seemed to share in some way. The mood had turned a bit gloomy, so she suddenly asked with a mischievous tone, "Would you like to see my true form?" The effect was immediate and the boy nodded, glad to think of something else.
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Recommended music : Dark Fantasy Studio - Seasons (link in the footnote)
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The woman stood up and took a few steps back. For a brief moment, her image flickered, like a mirage in the desert, before she completely disappeared. In her place, a huge golden dragon was now standing. The reptile's body was colossal, as big as a house. The creature was lying on the ground and its skin glowed as if it were made of light. At the end of her long neck, her head was so large that Elenael standing up couldn't reach the height of the top of her skull. Her huge mouth seemed to be smiling with the same affectionate, slightly wistful smile that Sylha had before. It is this detail in particular that finally convinced Elenael that the dragon and the woman who disappeared a moment earlier were really one and the same person.
With a little apprehension, the child came closer. He was now standing in front of an eye as large as his own face. Sylha's voice then echoed again in his head.
“This is my true form. I hope I'm not scaring you?"
"No," replied Elenael admiringly, "You are magnificent!"
"Oh my young friend, I have a feeling we're going to get along really well!"
Side by side, the child and the dragon discussed at length, about many different things. Sylha's head was curled up on her front paws like a huge cat lying on the ground, her eyes half-open. Occasionally, Elenael would dreamily stroke the scales that seemed to be made of liquid gold, which the creature seemed to find amusing and rather pleasant.
After some time, the boy started to worry that the tower magicians and his friend Wyann would worry about his absence. Sylha reassured him immediately: time in her world did not pass with the same speed as in reality: even if he stayed here for a whole year, only a few minutes would have passed in the mage tower.
She also told him her own story: she had been the most powerful and the wisest of her race, but all her people had already disappeared for a long time when she died. When she was alive, she was also a fravashi and she had saved many souls.
She then proceeded to explain to Elenael what the one that was chosen by the Light could do. His first skill was a power the child knew well, one that allowed him to see the aura of other creatures. Sylha called this sensation: the anima. Elenael, who had always wondered about this ability that he was the only one to have, was happy to finally be able to find some answers. The dragon explained to him that this power was the foundation skill of the Fravashis. She also told him that it could evolve to become more powerful. The true form of the spell allowed the user to pierce the veil of reality to discover things as they really were.
"But what it the purpose of the fravashis if we don't have a specific mission?" Elenael was still trying to understand what his new role was about.
“To my knowledge, no one knows where we come from or what our purpose is. In my language, Fravashi means “loved by the light”. We have been chosen. By whom, by what? I don't know. Through the ages, many Fravashi have existed. I even came across one when I was still alive. Why are we here? My opinion is that we are here to save the lost souls."
"Save them from what? And why are they lost?"
"There could be several reasons why they are lost. Such spirits leave their body but stop in the multiverse instead of continuing on their way. Most of the time it is because of the emotions they felt at the time of their death: anger, sadness, remorse…"
Elenael was fascinated so he asked Sylha: “They lost their way? To where ?"
The dragon smiled “That, my child, nobody really knows. Maybe after death we come back in another form, in an eternal cycle. Maybe we go somewhere else, depending on our beliefs. However, some remain stuck. The mission of the Fravashi is to help them.”
“And how can we do this?”
“Our power allows us to see and explore the worlds they have created, these prisons that protect and hold them at the same time. If we're strong enough, we can free them.
"It looks complicated..." The boy had a feeling that maybe he was not up to the task, and he felt ashamed.
The dragon smiled sadly. Instead of trying to comfort the child, she decided to speak her honest opinion. “Yes, it is difficult, especially at the beginning. That's what I'm here for. I choose to let my soul rest here so that if a new Fravashi would ever find me, I could accompany and guide him. If it accepted of course.”
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Recommended music : Dark Fantasy Studio - Over the world (link in the footnote)
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Elenael who hated above all the feeling of loneliness he felt since he had separated from his grandfather, jumped up, all excited.
“Are you going to come with me? But how ?"
“Calm down, my young friend. Yes, I can join you when you return to the real world. But only if you agree to my rules. The first rule is that you won't be able to talk about me or what a Fravashi is. To no one, ever, unless I allow you to.”
Without hesitation, Elenael replied, "I agree."
The dragon smiled at the boy's excitement and continued, "The first rule is the most important. There might be others in the future, which I will give you as and when they are needed. But if you’ll have me, I promise to watch over you and guide you.”
"I accept." replied Elenael with emotion. "Now what do we do?"
“First, I need a more…discrete form.” The dragon disappeared and in its place appeared a small butterfly that seemed to be made out of light. “That should do the trick. What do you think ?"
Elenael couldn't take his eyes off the animal. It reminded him of his village and his childhood. His voice was full of emotion and admiration when he replied. "It's so beautiful..."
Sylha softly laughed. “When you go back to your world, I imagine that they'll want to know what your power is. You just have to tell them that you can summon me. You can’t tell them anything else, it is better that we remain discreet for the moment.”
She remained silent for a few seconds, and then added with a grave voice. "One last thing. From now on, I would like you to practice reading the aura of everyone around you.” Elenael looked uncomfortable, but the dragon insisted, "It's important, you won't be a good Fravashi if you don't master this power. You can start with me.”
The child hesitated then he obeyed his new mentor. Usually it took him a little concentration to observe someone's light, but the anima of Sylha seemed so strong that he saw it right away. It had the brightness of a late afternoon sun, intense and blinding. It was… incredible and, at the same time, unbearable. He couldn't take his eyes off this marvelous spectacle, despite a stabbing pain that was gradually mounting. The pain was burning himself from within. He wanted to scream, but just as the air was about to come out of his knotted throat, he lost consciousness and everything disappeared.