It’s Just In Our Nature - The Druids: Part 2

It’s Just In Our Nature
The Druids: Part 2

   With every step they took the topsiders could feel the force of life flowing through the mystical forest of the Druids surrounding them. Auris was leading them somewhere, but they all were too busy admiring the flora and fauna around them as they walked. While Orvi and Helda were simply enchanted by everything, Eislynn felt like she had arrived at her true home after a very long trip. The unity of this dreamy place touched her, making her feel like she always belonged here and this sensation made something tingle in her chest.

   As they approached the center of the Druids territory, more of the other shy Haedians could be seen here and there, curiously glancing at the strange creatures following Auris. They had already seen quite a few of them pass by before, but that didn’t mean they’d already grown used to suddenly having so many outsiders visiting their sacred paradise. Helda and Orvi exchanged polite bows as greetings with the sneaky Druids while warmly smiling at them to express their kind intentions and desire to communicate. This prompted some of them to follow the group and Auris from a bit further behind. Eislynn was the only one who didn’t see the Haedians around her as she was completely focused on the strong force of energy radiating from somewhere ahead of them. Was this the unknown surprise Auris had for them?

   Progressing further, Helda and Orvi started to also sense something calling for them and pulling them further into the depths of the woodlands. For Eislynn, this was already a near screaming sensation in her head and in the rest of her fluffy little body while she hoped it wouldn’t get any worse. A little further on and there was strange bright light peeking through the dense forest wall, which shined through more and more as they followed the neatly decorated pathway. Auris took a quick glance at his followers and seeing their mildly uneasy faces made the Druid smile before he turned to look ahead of him again. He could tell the topsiders felt it, which was only a good sign.

“Wwwoooaaaahhhhh…”

   Heldanau’s jaw dropped almost to the ground when the well-lit clearing opened up in front of them while it was proudly presenting the biggest tree anyone couldn’t even dream of right in the middle of it. Orvillos and Eislynn had the same reactions as Helda, so the topsiders were stunned to the spot, eyes wide like satellite disks as they attempted to fathom the sight before them. Auris stopped and with a mildly amused smile, allowed the Vayrons to grasp this new reality they had arrived at.

   The tree wasn’t simply a behemoth, it was a breathtaking behemoth. Its rough embossed bark was covered in various magical sigils that glowed in pleasant green light, while the tree’s towering branches gently swung in the breeze, softly rustling the leaves and countless white blossoms it was carrying. Some of the petals were playfully dancing around the tree in the air, giving the whole thing beyond magical appearance.

“This is the Oracle, our ancient companion who holds the wisdom and knowledge of our domain. Please don’t be intimidated by the energy it gives off, it’s merely curious towards you.”

   The trio nearly jumped in unison when Auris spoke up again. He then swished his tail before he headed on towards the Oracle, aiming to walk up one of its colossal resurfaced roots. The Vayrons carefully followed him, still in awe and shock from the Oracle’s sheer size and the fact something like this could even exist.Auris led them closer to the trunk, where he sat down, eyes on the three arriving to him.

“The idea is simple - please allow the Oracle to connect with you, so you may nurture it with your presence and perhaps with a bit of magic of yours. Just be calm and gentle.”

   Auris gestured at the tree as an indication for the others to move forward. Eislynn was the first to venture past Auris towards the first group of symbols on the roots as she felt the Oracle attempting to guide her there. Helda and Orvi followed her, walking in a respectful gentle pace as they felt mildly intimidated by such a powerful entity’s presence. They stopped near Eislynn to observe what she was doing before they’d attempt something on their own.

   The sigils before Eislynn pulsed excitedly. She could sense the Oracle calling for her too intensively, which made her hesitate a little. Glancing back at Auris and receiving a reassuring nod from him, she reluctantly placed her paw on one of the runes. A jolt of energy ran through her, which soon concentrated around her mind. She felt it was the Oracle scanning her thoughts and essence, which made her calm down and trust the process as she could fully see the tree’s intentions now. Having made contact with this mystical being, Eislynn conjured some of her magic to flow towards Oracle. The tree’s presence curiously twirled around the incoming mana, and recognizing it as sustenance it happily accepted it.

   As Eislynn was sitting still, eyes closed, Orvi and Helda observed her potential reactions. Eislynn remained calm, instead the Oracle’s sigils flared up and pulsed with a quiet humming tone before Eislynn disconnected and returned to physical reality. Auris was delighted by the sight as he knew this meant the Oracle had accepted the Runner as one of its own. Eislynn managed to blink a few times before Helda started bombarding her with questions while Orvi simply enjoyed the beautiful light show.

“So, how was it? What was it? What happened? Are you alright?”

   The welcoming sensation was still flowing in Eislynn’s veins, so she simply smiled at the other two.

“I’m fine, perfectly fine. You’ll have to try it yourself as I can’t describe it for you.”

   Having exchanged hesitant looks with each other, Orvi and Helda sat down around the pulsing runes and tried to calm themselves. Eislynn lied down, hugging the enormous root below her as she now enjoyed the Oracle’s comforting presence. Auris patiently observed how the two Pullers prepared themselves for the upcoming experience.

“Should we do it together?”

   Orvi decided to ask Helda just in case she had something else in mind. She seemed hesitant but agreed to try this together. They put their paws ready, counting down from three before they simultaneously connected their paw pads with the symbols in front of them.

   Nothing happened. Orvi peeked out and saw Helda peeking back at him. Then they looked at the glowing runes underneath their paws, then back up at each other. The tension left their bodies, but before mild panic could start settling in because something was obviously wrong, it happened.

   They felt another entity bolting into their bodies and minds, and they could also sense each other in this magical link. This bizarre feeling was both frightening and something perfectly natural. The Oracle’s presence studied the Pullers, sensing their state of mind, strength of their spirits and goodness in their hearts. It made known to the two that it couldn’t join them right away because the tension acted as an efficient barrier. Helda conjured the sensation of an apology, while Orvi gently but playfully nudged the Oracle’s essence in return. It took only seconds when Oracle and the topsiders got to know each other, and the tree showed the two some images of the past while Orvi and Helda shared mental images of their home in Warrenfall. Then the tree made a polite inquiry if it could get a taste of their magic, as it wished to see if it was the same as Eislynn’s. Having formed this bond of trust, Helda released some of her magic towards the Oracle first. It accepted it with joy, after which Orvillos also gave it a nice amount of arcane energy.

   Now it was Eislynn’s turn to see how the symbols adorning the Oracle lit up brighter and pulsed cheerfully when Orvi and Helda had fed it their magic. Auris was very proud of the visitors getting along with the Oracle so well, and when Orvi and Helda disconnected from the unison they were met with an applause from Auris and the other Druids who had gathered around to see how they’ll handle this test. The three Vayrons were slightly awkward as they weren’t expecting a reaction like that from the timid Druids, but this shortly got replaced with the blissful feeling of being accepted down here.