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jaithev4mp · 25 days

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The Family Lore “How They Met”

Lore: Long ago in part of the magical world, there were dragons and witches. (and of course other creatures but that’s not the point.) They lived separately, unaware of one another’s whereabouts. One day, this quickly changed. One curious dragon, Stefon, was daring enough to explore the vast land, and came across something unusual, something different. He discovered a large hill, covered in purple grass. It felt dangerous, poisonous even, but the dragon did not fold to fear. Finding it in better interest, he transformed to appear human. He then stepped cautiously, onto the edge of the purple field, still in shock of his discovery.

“How could we have missed this for so many years?” Stefon remarked, reaching down to pluck a strand of grass. It glowed with energy as he pulled it from the earth, but seemed to dim once it was cut.

Suddenly, he felt uneasy. As if he was being watched. The dragon stood up, not moving an inch. Slowly, he placed a hand on his blade. In a swift motion, he drew it from its sleeve, spinning around with such force the trees around him swayed. To his confusion, there was a child. She carried flowers. Stefon slid the sword back in its sleeve, as the child posed no threat to him. He blinked, and the child was gone. In her place, stood a beautiful woman. She wore a big pointy hat, her midnight colored hair interrupted by a streak of white. Her most intriguing feature being her round purple eyes. The dragon could have sworn they glowed. He felt uneasy, concerned for the girl who had vanished.

“Where is the little girl?” Stefon inquired.

“There is no little girl.” The witch claimed, voice alluring and calm.

“You lie. She stood before me moments ago with flowers in her hand. What have you done with her?”

“I did not do anything to her. I am her.” The witch answered, her eyes silently asking “You want to know, dont you?”

The dragon stood confused. How could a grown woman be a child? Was it a spell? Sourcery even? Did she have him in some form of illusion? And would it be worth it to find out? Every question came with a more interesting sibling. Not a parent to answer them in sight. Before the dragon could arrange his thoughts, the witch turned around and walked into a thick forest on the brink of the grass. He hadn’t noticed it minutes ago. Was it even there minutes ago? He had no clue. The dragon head ached with the weight of his questions, begging to be answered. “What is this?” he thought. “What is happening to me? Am I going insane?” Stefon transformed, back to his original self, and flew home. He must let others know about what he’d found.

Three days had passed since Stefon had run into the witch child. (Woman? He still wasn't sure.) He had retold the story to his village, as they listened in wonder. They asked Stefon to show them the purple hill, he obliged, finding his way there once again. The townsfolk were in awe. The large colorful trees that seemed to glow, the lush softness of the grass, and the diversity of strange creatures. They had never seen such a beautiful place before. The townsfolk were filled with such awe and amazement, wanted all the beauty to themselves. So, they came up with a plan to trick the witches and take the land for themselves. The plan was simple: get close enough to attack. The people succeeded. They played the witches, lied to them, even killed some behind their backs, until their foes caught on. Finally, the witches fought back.

Eventually, war broke out between the lands. Everyday blood was shed. One day, Stefon was sent to look for invaders on their stolen land. He made it to the lookout and there he saw her. The witch. It had been years since he’d seen her. Stefon would worry late at night, how she was. If she was okay. Seeing her once again felt like meeting someone from a dream. The woman appeared even more beautiful than when they’d met. She stood with one hand propped up onto her hip, weight shifted onto one leg. Her hair was long, clothes a bit beaten but loved. She still carried a mysterious aura, but felt tired and worn. Even after all this time, Stefon was still enchanted by her looks. Her dark purple eyes captivated him the same way they had those years ago. He was absolutely infatuated. He needed to learn more about her, get to know her. He needed her. The two stood in silence. They seemed to be taking in the gravity of each other's different looks. There seemed to be a stand off of who would move first. Then, the woman slowly removed her hand from her hip, and advanced toward Stefon. He blinked. In seconds, she was standing in front of him, eyes seemingly speaking more words and feelings than he could comprehend. She reached around to Stefon’s side with one hand, and pulled at his wing, extending it.

“Who gave you permission to touch my wings?” He pulled away, the girl releasing him quite easily.

“No one. I just felt like it.” She chuckled. Her voice was soft and smooth as silk.

“Why do you appear this way and not a child? Are you trying to bait me?” Stefon refused to let his guard down. Even if he wanted to reach out to her so badly, he could not let his facade fall.

“I’m not a child silly man. I’m a woman. It was a spell, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me if I appeared small and defenseless. You want proof?” She smirked, appearing to play with Stefon like a toy. A puzzle she could solve easily, but choosing to take her time.

She walked behind him, pausing for some seconds, expecting him to turn around. When he didn’t, she prodded and poked at his wings. He finally gave in, and slowly shifted the other way. She signals him to watch. He rolled his eyes in false annoyance, but watches her slow movements carefully. Their eyes meet, and the woman’s begin to glow. She seems to shrink in size, her body proportions changing. Her hair shrinks to her shoulders, her arms bulk in size, and her clothes alter themselves to fit. There standing before him, the little girl he had first spotted.

Stefon was in awe of such a spell. He had never seen anything like it. Such a power could only come from that of a god, he thought. But she wasn’t a god. Simply a witch, a very tricky and powerful one at that. Stefon felt an urge to let others know about such power, but hesitated. If they knew about such power the townspeople would want it for themselves. They would try to take it by any means possible. Even another war. He couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let the people harm them. But most importantly her. He couldn’t let them harm her. For a strange reason, he was drawn in by the woman. “Maybe her eyes. Their ability to draw you in at even a glance.” He thought. “Or her un-cowardice to stand so close to, and even poke at, a dragon. Perhaps this proved to me that she really means no harm.” Stefon felt the heaviest of guilt. He realized he made a grave mistake. The dragon was overtaken with a feeling of sorrow. Like a pit in his stomach. He could feel it line the insides of his body, coating him in a layer that weighed him down by tons. It was heavy and painful. Stefon could sense love and compassion coming from the witch. He felt sick to know how much harm his kind must have brought to her. He wanted it all to end. He wanted peace, happiness, but most importantly her.

He looked down at the small girl in front of him.

“I love you”

She paused, placing a finger on her lip. She flicked her hand and quickly transformed back into a woman.

“We’ve only met twice. You don’t even know my name. How could you love me?” She met his gaze, crossing her arms.

“Because I—“

“Love, according to you and your people, is war, shame, and blood shed. You don’t love me. You want my power and our land. That was your goal all along, wasn’t it? You don’t love me, you love our land, you love our power, and you love our riches.” She yawned, resting her hand on her cheek.

Stefon sighed. The woman was right. He knew nothing about her. He didn't even know her name. And on top of that, he had invaded her land, killed her people, and ruined her life. He had no right to push such feelings onto her. Still, he couldn’t resist the way she made him feel. He was infatuated with every aspect of her.

“This is true. I had every intention of stealing your land. I didn’t ask for bloodshed but my people brought bloodshed and I did nothing to stop it. Yet, I have changed. I feel differently.” He gently took her hand and placed it on his heart.

The witch could feel the fast pace of his heart. She stiffened, startled by the sudden touch. After a pause, she pulled her hand away letting it drop to her side.

“..And what of it? Your heart beats? As does mine and everyone else’s. The pattern you use to prove you’re alive means nothing.” She states, shifting her weight to one foot.

“You say your heart beats. At this pace? If so, perhaps you should get that looked at. Does your heart beat now the same way as mine?” Stephon nods at her chest, saying “go ahead.”

The witch pauses. She pretends to look for an answer, but flushes a shade of pink when she opens her mouth to speak. She closes it again, pouting. Then plays with her hair for a moment as she looks up to meet his eyes.

“You want the truth? My heart beats only like this when you’re near. But I cannot permit you to love me. You have caused pain and suffering for my people, and loving you would destroy my honor.” She says calmly, a pink color creeping into her cheeks.

“Fine. Allow me this. You don’t have to love me. But I will love you.”

The witch paused. She looked down at her hands.Then nodded. “I suppose.”

“I have another request.” Stefon steps closer to the woman.

She sighs, “Well, spit it ou-“

Stefon pulls her in by the waist, and cups her cheek with his hand. Their lips meet, dissolving her words in an instant. The woman appears shocked, eyes wide with surprise, but gives in, swinging her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into her.

Suddenly, Stefon separates them, to look the woman in the eyes. “What is your name?”

She looks surprised by the question, then breaks into a giggle. Her head hits Stefon’s chest, her shoulders shaking with laughter. Finally, recovering her senses, she raises her head to look him in the eyes.

“Now is the time you decide to ask?” She giggles again. “Astrid. My name is Astrid.”

From that day on everything changed. Stefon and Astrid saw each other everyday, talking about their interests and what they love about their land. The two knew they should’ve kept their lives a secret, they didn’t care. They talked as if nothing mattered. They grew to know each other well and fell madly in love. Some years had passed of seeing each other. Astrid was now pregnant with their child and to be due soon. It was on this day, Stefon was caught in important business. He was ordered to ambush the witches and take more land.

He resisted, tried to tell his boss it wasn’t worth it. His boss wouldn’t listen. Stefon had no choice but to obey orders. However, he alerted his wife, and told her to have the witches prepare themselves. This would not be an ambush, but a battle. He lead his troops to the soon to be battlefield, and was glad to find an army of witches on the other side. At least they would have a chance of survival. A few witches came after him, he dodged and avoided their attacks, trying not to harm them. A witch pointed to him, a ball of slight shooting his way, he narrowly avoided death, rolling sideways into a cloud of red smog. Opening his eyes and sitting up, Stefon slowly pulled his sword from his side, and stood on his feet.

“Who are you? What is this? An ambush? I’m not here to hurt anyone. I’m just following orders!” He slowly turned, watching the red smog circle him like a tornado.

A booming voice seemed to talk to him through his mind.

“Fool. Do you want me to end you where you stand?”

Something pushed him to the ground from behind, flattening him with what felt like gravity. Paralyzed, his eyes searched around him for a clue.

“If you wish to kill me I will not fight back. I will defend myself till I fall, but I refuse to hurt anyone anymore.” He shut his eyes, thinking of his wife and unborn child. “Please just, let me see my love one last time.”

The voice seemed to laugh, the smog around him shooting lightning within itself at each chuckle. “I am not like you dragons. Ruthless, uncarring, and out for blood. I came to warn you of yourself” A dark red figure slowly crept out from the smog, appearing to be made from it.

Stefon scrunched his brow. How should he be warned of his own self? What should that mean?

“What should I be concerned of?” He asked, not yet seeing the figure approaching him.

“The child you and your wife created, possesses a threat to us all. Her will, strength, and power will be too much to contain in one person. It could be enough to destroy a nation.” The voice tells. The figure hoovers itself over to Stefon's side, watching his eyes go wide.

“Our child….?” He thinks.

“What are you suggesting I do?” He stares at the figure. It had no eyes, no mouth, barely any limbs.

“Kill it.” The figure says firmly.

Stefon felt as if the air was pulled from his body. Kill his own child? He may be a beast, but he is not a monster. He began to concentrate, willing the force holding him down to loosen. Standing up, he faced the shadow.

“I won’t do it.” Stefon growls looking to the figure, in the spot its eyes should’ve been.

“You fool. Your kind will die at the hands of your own child, the world will lose its color. Everything uou know and love will come to an end. Are you willing to risk all of this for one child?” The shadow asks, still speaking directly into Stefon’s mind.

He pauses.

“Is one life worth everything?”

After what felt like hours, he finally responds. “I can’t promise anything. But I will think on it.” Shamefully, he hangs his head, wings drooping at his sides.

“Your cowardice and indecisiveness will be your purgatory. If you choose to spare the child, you must live with the guilt of knowing that the destruction of countless nations and societies will fall at your hands. You will look apon your child with fear and guilt, knowing that for letting her live, thousands must suffer.” The figure backs up into the smoke. Then slowly creeps out behind Stefon. Hearing the voice from behind him, he swings around to face it. “However, if you choose to kill the child you will face outcast from the one you love. She will turn her back on you, and you will live out your life alone. You will have to live with the pain and guilt of killing your only offspring. But you will be free of destruction. Make your choice. This is your only warning.”

Stefon blinks again. The smoke dissipates and figure is gone. He stands up, brushing off his clothes. His comrades stare at him, faces contorted with confusion and fear. Not being able to face his kind, and still rattled by what the figure had told him, he turns and exits the barren battlefield, not saying a word.

Late in the night, Stefon sneaks away to visit Astrid. He arrives at her cottage, a smell of baked goods filling the air, and a warm light emitting from the inside. Astrid’s figure appears in the door, leaning against the frame. She runs to him overjoyed and opens her arms to hug him. He stops her before she could embrace him and sighs.

“What is it love?” She says worried, rubbing his arm.

“I— I considered something awful..” He lowers his head a bit, looking to the ground.

“I consider awful things all the time, but I never go though with them. Don’t let silly thoughts ruin your day.” Astrid cups his face with her hands, forcing them to make eye contact.

“Someone, or something, a shadow of sorts, came to me during the battle. It told me.. that the child you are going to conceive is a danger to us all” His voice breaks.

“So? People talk nonsense all the time my love never—”

“I was told to kill the child.”

“What?” Her hands tremble as she slowly removes them from Stefon’s face.

“If I don’t everyone—”

“So you considered killing our child?” Her voice trembled.

“Astrid I would never do it, but you have to listen to me first!—”

“No, No! First, you kill my people. Then! You take our land! And now! you want to kill our child?! You dragons really have no sense of remorse do you? You never loved me, you had every intent to harm me.” Tears threatened her eyes as she stepped back.

Stefon attempts to step closer to Astrid, but for every step forward he takes, she takes two steps back. His eyes widen as tears drop from Astrid’s eyes.

“You can’t be serious. Astrid I’d never do such a thing. Why don’t you trust me?” His wings drop, dragging on the ground.

“How could you consider something like that? That’s your child Stefon! How shallow and simple-minded can you be?” Her voice cracks as she continues to cry.

“What?? Astrid listen to me!” He grabs her by the shoulders holding her in place.

She rips herself out of his grasp, pushing him backwards.

“No! Leave Stefon! We’re done. It’s over.” She wipes her eyes, then sends a powerful electric wave at Stefon, sending him flying into a tree across the way.

They never saw each othereach other again.

#oc lore #lore #lore dump

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