A long hard month has passed since Mellie had been dropped into the aggressive forests of Alanor. All she could do from then on was save herself from the twisted fate she had stumbed into. This world was cruel and backward but she had to adjust at a breakneck pace. But during the quiet between the words, her heart was sqeezing in her chest. She was excited for the adventure but would she ever feel safe again?
She was on her way to find answers. And after she found her answers she could try to build a life here. The fairy sensed her distress and landed on her shoulder, gently patting her, like it did to the grumpy frogs. Grumpy frogs were no fun to ride.
The little water fairy, Ariana was an outcast. When the swarm of Fey had surrounded the manabeast to feed, Ariana felt something other than hunger. Her curiosity bloomed and she couldnt leave this beastwoman alone. Her blood was life itself and just being around her fed her mana. Bravery and anxiety fought a war inside her but she knew this was her path, despite what those stupid old fairies thought.
Water Fairies are born on a full moon, on a nest of lillipads on a body of water, like her home. The glow of the fairy births and the mana they omitted attracted predators, so the whole swarm would stay up and defend the fairypods until they bloomed. Unhatched fairies were a delicacy to monsters and men alike. Eating a fairy pod would give non magical humans and monsters magic powers.
On the month Ariana was born there was no full moon. Throughout their recorded history, Fairies had never been born without a full moon rising. When the moon was eclipsed, the fairypods hatched a month late. The swarm always protected the pods, but since the hatchlings obvioulsy wouldn't be born under the eclipse the swarm hadn't been on alert.
Arianas was the only pod that opened that night. She remembered how quiet it was as slowly pushed the petals open. The darkness around her engulfed her. She was glowing brightly amoung the soft glow of the fairypods, swaying in the water. Stretching out she looked up at the sky and saw two large shapes headed her way. Staring in shock and terror she watched as the two wraiths decended on the lake. Ari screamed, speeding the wraiths faster towards their goal. She sped to the edge of the lillipad and lept into the water speeding away from the horrible things.
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The rest of the pods were devoured as Ariana crashed through the castle walls and landed in the Queens room. She had spent the next year in the dungeons. They claimed she was a disaster, a terrorist and a spy. But she had just woken up, and that much was plain to see. Ari didnt know why they treated her that way, but she knew a better life was out there somewhere if she could just find it.
The fairies couldn't reproduce for a decade after the pods collapse. The newly strong surrounding monsters were eventually killed by human adventurers but by then Ariana was already an outcast. Naturally the death and detriment of their species was blamed entirely on her unusual existance.
Water fairies were talented with water magic and few known could help control the plantlife, like her. Ariana grew wonderous mazes of iby and flowers without thinking about it. The tree she rooted next to the lake had grown taller than the rest, even gaining levels and emotions! Her underwater fairypod would be brimming with vines and flowers she grew during her childhood dreams.
When the Matriarch found out about her differences, she had her isolated from the rest of the swarm, claiming she was infected. Then the swarm had her dancing tree burned. Ari could feel his scream as the fire licked his branches and burned his lifeforce. They didmt belive her about lifeforce. Somehow they couldn't sense the mana they were using, only the water affinity mana. She could see all the colors. And that made her weird and alone.
She chose the woman as her protector and the woman had accepted. Ari soon found out the woman needed her just as much. When she heard the girl introduce herself she knew she found a friend. It was an impulsive decision to leave. She knew they were all glad to see her go. The excitement was making her glow brighter and the fear duller. She tempered her emotions so she didn't bother anyone's eyes.
As Mellie picked out clothes from the boutique and daggers from the blacksmith, Ari flew along observing the curious beings. The matriarch had always told her outsiders were dangerous. Ari now believed the danger was probably being born in such a stupid swarm.