Guardians of Il'ray

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Within the curves of the hills, forest and rivers, the Ygg people lived quietly, safeguarded from the chaos erupting outside of the high cliff walls. Who would have thought that something so simple as a rock, or so I had thought, would bring such chaos into the place I had called home my whole life – my whole world turned topsy turvy.

Often, the Ygg were out hunting, gathering, farming communal pieces of land that were speckled along the length of the Dras river, overall existing in harmony within the Il'ray Valley. Beasts were plentiful along the banks of the waters, hidden amongst the wide canopies of old trees belonging to the Ro'aan Wood. Branches wound together, keeping much direct sunlight out of the woods, though through various gaps in the canopy sunlight shone brightly upon the ground in great contrast to the shadows surrounding it. Here, there were a variety of plants that were enjoyed among the beasts and Ygg alike. Where the darkness was more prevalent, many plants and fungi grew, still. This included distinctive mushrooms, herbs, and moss grasses that were all collected for medicine and study. The plants were always harvested with the intention of leaving enough to sustain the plant for new growth, as the Ygg considered themselves the shepherds here and responsible for harmony in the Valley.

Most Ygg, young or grown, had no trouble with beasts. It was a known fact we hunted for food and so did beasts. Crops in various areas of the Valley were left mostly undisturbed, giving the beasts more reason to leave the people alone than to fight. Warriors exist among us still, for even in the quiet absence of outland chaos there were moments where the peace has been threatened. Something about the mystery of Il'ray called to treasure seekers, individuals of malcontent. Oral tradition, because of this, has become increasingly important. Keeping to ourselves and not venturing beyond the Valley has always been said to be the safest for us – that nothing good will come from concerning oneself with the matters of the lahnt, those who live outside the Ygg community.

Even yet, there are those who are versed in the skills of magic. Some who show promise as adept initiates are welcomed to practice magic with the intent of becoming a volseidr, a wise person.

Ygg men and women were tall and muscular, leaning more often towards a slender build though that wasn't to say some weren't more stout or anywhere between. This made training in archery and skilled hand combat prevalent in the training of Ygg warriors.

I had heard once that no one traveled outside the Valley, but I never understood how this came to be. Often I dreamt about climbing high over a cliff side, peering out across a land that was unknown to my feet.

Sensation of exploration sent my heart racing as I continued to daydream, walking among vines and roots in search of a specific flower for Auntie. Our family specialized in study of the medicinal properties of the plants and life within the Valley. Auntie has spent much of her life studying the effects of all things around her, using herself and patients as examinees. Some of her findings came to many as unexplainable, as they could not explain the innate abilities my aunt would insist existed within all things living, and dead ones. This part of her practice, not accepted by all of our kin, was known as seid'avr to many, and no longer widely practiced.

The flower in question grew on a vine. Many considered it to be harmful to many plants and it was kept cut back from the crops, though deeper into the Ro'aan woods the vines wrapped themselves around the girthy bases of the eldest trees. Dark velvety petals draped around white stamin, blooming across burnt-red vines that spidered and spread across rough bark along with dark green-almost-black leaves. Though there were no thorns visible to the naked eye, it was said to be painful to the touch, and must be handled with care and covered skin. Donning the thick, dark brown hide gloves Auntie had given me I gently plucked about a dozen of the flowers and placed them in the gathering basket I had, pulling the lid down over to keep a brisk wind from lifting my work from their new resting place.

Standing to remove the gloves, intending to place them back in their pouch and into my satchel, I noticed a rather large but brightly colored rock. Reflecting small traces of light, the rock which at first glance appeared to be a dark bluish-green color, glinted with shades of purple and burgundy as well. Ceasing the removal of the gloves, I walked to and crouched over the rock, trying to recall what the name of it could possibly be from the many lessons and the amount of time spent researching myself. Though none came to me at this moment.

Setting my satchel to the side, I pulled a tied bundle from my bag. This was a wrapped lunch that my mother had prepared for me, containing some seeded flatbreads, and a small lidded woven bowl that contained cheese and various vegetables. Removing these from the cloth, taking a moment to rip off a piece of bread and slip it into my mouth, I turned and used the cloth to wrap the brightly colored stone. I carefully folded over any edges, tying the corners together to completely surround the new item, and I placed the parcel into my satchel to carry on my back to show Auntie. Before slipping the bag back to my shoulders, I sat and ate. The vegetables were some of my favorites, sweet carrots and peppery radish. The cheese was softened just a bit from travel today, though it was a harder cheese and had its own piece of cloth.

I was definitely happy to be used to carrying so much weight, as this rock seemed to have the weight of a stubborn child who wants to be both carried and set down– how odd, as it didn't move. How could it? There was a vibration from it, however, magical or physical I wasn’t sure. I knew I needed to get it to Auntie, and find out what it was. She is the most knowledgeable person I knew, that I could trust with something that could potentially be harmful. That was the tricky part with the world we worked in, as everything had a use for good and a use for evil, we were meant to keep the balance as best as we could though the Ygg aimed to always keep the evil locked away from outsiders.

Despite the multitude of times I've traveled between my home and the Ro'aan Wood the walk back seemed to take much longer than normal. No matter, I had a new focus drawing my attention. Fingers almost itching with desire I pulled my bag to my lap and peaked at the handkerchief that currently enrobed the mystery inside. Up close, in my hands the rock seemed much larger than before. I noticed mottling in the color, swirls and spots unnoticed before. Tingling sensations traveled through my fingers, causing my hands to shake a bit. The colors shone brightly, baring a gentle glint when the sunlight hit it. It was so curiously natural and beautiful, beyond any rock I'd seen before.

My mind swam with images of clouds below me, the sun large and round above me. Feelings like sparks traveling through my body as though I was absorbing seid'avr at such a rate I would become made of the sunlight itself. Strength and power roared through my chest, rushing sounds passed my ears… And then I was back. It was darker than the fantasy, and the trees surrounding me and this parcel brought me back to the earth. Curiosity pulled me to touch it, but my intuition pulled at the back of my neck in a shark cold sensation. Cover it back up, show it to Auntie.