Flowers and Ferns (Initiate Druidism, Private, Minerva Please)

[Brine]

12th Brightening, The Month of Imperos, in the Season of Autumn, Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum

Brine made his way through the Forest of Light, ever so slowly as Treants walked, his roots digging into the ground, and then uprooting as he would take step after step. Stopping for a moment, he leaned down, and released two or three seeds upon the ground, poking a hole, depositing the seed, and then covering it up with the fertile soil. He would continue to do this with the forest, and more towards the outskirts of the forest where the canopy was thinner, and there were less trees.

Many thoughts were on the young Treant's mind, his parents last words, Sorn, his friend, and Elder Trach speaking about their training in druidism. He often wondered when they would start, and what he would learn about. Time seemed to pass so quickly as some points, and slower at others, but his life for the moment revolved around the seeds that he would plant in the ground. The more he planted, the more trees would grow, and with more growth, the Forest of Light would thrive more. And so, for that brightening, the tall Treant would continue to seed the ground with the seeds he had collected the brightening before from the trees he was empowered to protect...

[Minerva]

Brine had worked rebirthing the Forest of Light for some time now, although that time was nothing where treants had so much to spend. Fertile soils were seeded, shoots nurtured and cared for until they grew strong enough to stand firm on their own, the cycle established and continued down the ages through time. The treants were the forest's guardians, creations of the goddess Carmelya, and they would protect it until the very end. Such was their purpose in life, and for that they were grateful, for what was more beautiful, more glorious than this?

The young treants thoughts and musings were disturbed by the entrance of another to this scene. The telltale creaking of bark, the rustling of leaves and the footsteps which seemed to fall softly as they conjoined with the forest's floor itself...All were telltale marks of another treant, though this one was more established, more respected than most.

Elder Trach had come to see the younger treant's progress, and perhaps, in time, even more.

"Brine. How goes the seeding of the forest?" The elder's voice came in a low, comforting murmur, characteristic of treants, perhaps, especially those of an older age. Allowing his old roots to sink down into the rich earth, Elder Trach waited for Brine to answer his query, patiently, as they had an age to speak.

[Brine]

Hearing the creaking of the bark, as well as other signs, Brine continued to work, keeping pace, and not getting to distracted until Elder Trach had made his presense known through his voice. Speaking into the mind of the elder that mentored him at times, he said, It is going well, just the usual seeding, nothing special... Trying to take care of some of the forest that lacks diversity, I figure that it would be nice to see all kinds of flora and trees, instead of the same ones in various spots... It would be good to see them living amongst each other, instead of segregating themselves...

He then turned from his work for a moment, the bark creaking as he did, his tall body swinging around a bit to face Elder Trach. What brings you to the edges of these woods, come to plant a few seeds yourself? Help this area prosper more than it normally does? Since it doesn't seem to grow as good as the other areas of the forest? he asked, and then awaited an answer from Elder Trach, curious to see if he would reveal his purpose of coming to meet him at the edges of the Forest of Light.

[Minerva]

Elder Trach let out a chuckle in response to the youngling's words. It was a strange sound, akin to the rumbling of the earth, and the rustling of leaves in a shallow breeze. Elder Trach was old, perhaps one of the oldest of their kind left in the Forest of Light, but his humour was nonetheless good-willed, and he looked down upon Brine with a certain warmth in his moss-coloured eyes.

"Perhaps, in a way..." He smiled, before raising one bark-skinned hand towards an area which Brine had already put his attentions to. There was something...something warm, and something bright, and then something miraculous, too. For where the younger treant had only recently planted a seed, now there was a shoot, and then the beginnings of a tree. Branches reached out, stretching their hands at what was most assuredly an unnatural pace, and there was even the green of new leaves, new buds, new life.

Elder Trach was using arcana to nurture what had once been a mere seed, helping it to grow, infusing it with the essence of Nature and all of the life and sustenance it could bring. The elder treant smiled, kindly, turning his gaze toward his younger once more. Elder Trach was old, and wise beyond belief, but that did not necessarily mean he could not enjoy himself now and then.

"I think it is time we started your lessons, young one. What do you say?" He queried, the tone both warm and comforting, as the elder always happened to be.

[Brine]

After Elder Trach spoke to him, and said in a way, the young Treant saw something, he had only seen once before, when he was much younger, 300 patterns to be exact. Elder Trach held out his hand, and the air seemed to get a bit warmer, in emotional terms. The treant watched as the seed began to form a shoot, and then the start of a tree. His eyes looked down upon the small creation, and a precious new life had been added to the forest. It was miraculous, seeing as how he had just planted that seed.

Turning his attention back towards Elder Trach, and began to answer his question. If you feel that now is the right time, as wel have all of the time in Telath, I will not deny it, but welcome it with open branches, flowers, and ferns... he said, and then awaited a response from the older, and wiser of the two of them. Elder Trach would certainly never rush things, and as eager as Brine may have been, he had learned as well that there is no need to rush anything, for the life of a human was like the life of an ant compared to the life of a Treant...

[Minerva]

Treants were not known for rushing into things, but it seemed that the elder of the pair felt certain that the time, indeed, was right. His smile came at the expense of creaking bark, and his eyes remained as benevolent in their wisdom as ever they had before. Elder Trach believed this young one to be ready, and it was only on an incredibly rare occasion that the treant ever happened to be wrong.

“Yes, Brine. It is time. Time for your awakening unto the world, again.” It was a cryptic thing to say, perhaps, but then elders of every race seemed to enjoy such pursuits, confusing the young with their obscure talk and puzzling way of seeing things.

“Relax, young one. Put your mind as ease. Relax your bark and let the silence of tranquility wash over you. You have potential within you, Brine, and I am about to unlock it. The process, however, can be interesting.”

‘Interesting’ being an understatement, perhaps, but then the elder chose to say nothing more on the matter, for now. Elder Trach simply waited, watching the young one and studying him closely, for any signs of success.

[Brine]

As Elder Trach spoke to him, Brine looked at him, and gave him almost a brief questioning stare as to what he meant by his "Awakening unto the world, again". But nonetheless, perhaps it had something to do with him bein allowed to use the power of Arcana, the sphere of Druidism. He would not ask any questions regarding the cryptic talk that the elder had just portrayed to him, but would instead listen to his next instructions, the instructions to relax, and to put himself at ease.

Slowly, and softly allowing his roots to dig into the semi-wet soil around him, he would fully root himself as he began to relax. Calming himself, and allowing himself to listen to the forest noises around him, he would let them relax his wooden body. The sounds of the woods, the birds chirpy, the gentle leafs rustling amongst the breeze, all were apart of him relaxing. He would let his mind slip into a state of tranquility, allowing it to corrospond with the tranquility of the forest around him...

[Minerva]

It took time, but time the treants had. Guardians of Carmelya’s sacred woods, they had ordinations upon ordinations to care and tend for her forests, her children. A simple matter like calming the mind and entering a state of tranquility was exactly that; simple, and Brine had little trouble in mustering the patience to do so, for himself. Indeed, as he wandered through this blissful state of mind, this peaceful emptiness deep within, so too did Elder Trach do something to him. It was impossible to point a twig at what it was, exactly, but it was something important, something big.

It was as though he were suddenly awash with colours he had never known before, enrapt in sounds he had never before heard. There was a rush, and a warmth, and then what felt like a broadening of his mind, at an incredibly accelerated pace.

The young treant’s potential was being unlocked, and he could feel the power surging through his bark as steadily as sap. Brine had been Unbound, and from here, only greater things did lie.

Elder Trach merely remained rooted where he was, awaiting the youngling’s metaphysical return.

OOC: Feel free to go wild with any Unbinding dreams, etc!

[Brine]

OOC: This is the second time i've had to write this, i accidentally closed it out the first time.

As Brine became calm, and silent, he slowly but surely entered the tranquil state needed for Elder Trach to work his work upon the young Treant's mind. Taking his time at opening his mind up, Brine began to feel it expanding, becoming stronger, and more able to deal with the forces he'd be starting to deal with. It was an amazing feeling, and Brine would have held on to it for much longer. But then something else happened that he was not ready for at all.

He opened his eyes, and he was suddenly not within the Forest of Light anymore. It was a completely different forest, or so he thought at the time. This forest was much darker, the sky above it was entirely cloudy, with flashes of light across the sky, and thunderous booms all around. He thought for a moment, that it was just thunder, but then one of the flashes of light slammed down near his position. Its fires floated there for a moment, unmoving, and unchanging, but then suddenly expanded, whipping through a few trees, and fully destroying them.

Brine became very fearful of this forest suddenly. It's demise was becoming more and more evident as the flashes of light continued to slam down all around him. He could then hear chanting, strange hymns, and words he could not understand at all. Elementalism, Sorcery and Necromancy was all around this place. He turned his barklike body towards where he could hear the chanting coming from, and then he saw it. Wave after wave of knights adorn in black armor, with a Cyraxian Crest. The did not look human at all. Behind them as they struck down all living creatures in their way, came waves of Mages, of all different types. They were adorn in a red robe that carried the Cyraxian Crest.

As Brine watched them, he began to move towards them. His main duty was to protect the forest at all costs, granted this wasn't his own forest, or so he thought, he still had to protect it. Run! Everyone in the Forest of Light that can hear me still, run, go to the Dolwoods! We shall gather ourselves, and the remainder of our forces there! There is no time left for us here. We must gather in the one place they have not struck yet! If you can hear me, go immediately to the Dolwoods! The voice called directly into Brine's head, as well as the heads off all of the living creatures with an ounce of goodness in them in the forest. Brine could immediately recognize the voice as Elder Trach's albeit it was him at a much, much, much, younger age.

He immediately turned around, and began to head towards the edge of the destroyed forest, where he would start to head towards the Dolwoods. Then he could feel a warm light appearing above him. Looking up towards the sky, he could see a beautiful woman's face and upper body. She extended an eloquent hand forwards, and the clouds began to part above the forest. The Sun was bright, and it casted an ethereal glow down to the ruined forest, and breaking the mages from their meditation. Turning from the woman towards the Forest of Light, Brine watched as what happened next was nothing less than miraculous. Lights began to pour down from the sky in a sympony of raw power and energy. They did not hit anything, or give any more destruction to the forest. Instead they flew their course straight into the Mages, evaporating them all in a blissful event of energy. Turning back to the Woman in the sky, he whispered, Carmelya. Then she gave a slight smile, and as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished.

Next, in the sky, Brine could see thousands of winged men in armor armed with swords and cross bows heading towards them. It was the Ancient Aelyrians. He was so surprised that he nearly unrooted and fell over. They landed, and began to cast their spells upon the dark knights, and the rest of the stunned mages. Looking towards them, Brine felt a great happyness inside him, which urged him to help. He began to move back towards the Forest of Light. But as he did, the world became foggy, and he suddenly blacked out, the last thing he could see was the face of that woman that had appeared before them.

Awakening, he looked towards Elder Trach, almost surprised to see him, the look crossing his face. Where had he just been? Was it really the Forest of Light a long time ago? And who was that Woman? Carmelya? Was it just an illusion to look like her? The young Treant did not know, but would soon be sure to question Elder Trach about the experience. He also wondered if everyone that got unbound had similar experiences upon them. He would turn to Elder Trach, and then remain silent for a while, contemplating on what had just happened to him...

[Minerva]

Elder Trach remained outside of the youngling’s thoughts as he experienced the feel of being Unbound. It was not his place to pry, especially when the visions had a tendency to be personal, and even if they did not always mean something true, or profound. Brine’s dream could have been a portent of things to come, the culmination of worries and anxieties biting away deep within the core of his bark. Then again, they could simply have been nought more than that; dreams, with any speculation into their meaning being without a due reward.

In the silence that followed, the elder treant merely studied Brine, moss-coloured eyes filled with consternation as he mused upon what was to happen next. Of the Unbinding he said nothing, though Brine was of course free to ask any questions, should he wish.

“Can you feel the magic around you now, Brine? The energies coming from within you, within me? Such is the power of your Unbinding.”

It was true; Brine could feel something different about the world around him now, the sensations he duly received. There was certain power within his bark, and something much stronger, much more tangible and coherent, in Elder Trach

“Ara and vis, young one. Ara is the energy you see in your surroundings, within the forest, the trees, and in me. Vis is your own, and together, when combined, they form a reaction, the beginnings of a spell.”

“To see these energies more clearly, and to manipulate them, you must enter a state known as clara. Deep concentration and inner peace…focus on the magic, the power of nature, and find tranquility, in the same way you did before your Unbinding. Do this, and you shall see…”

At that, the elder was silent, waiting for the youngling to either act, or to voice any questions he did have.

[Brine]

Brine could indeed feel the new energies around him. It was almost a warm sensation within his bark, and it was a feeling he would love to hold onto, compared to what he saw during his Unbinding. After Elder Trach had finished talking to him, and explaining what to do next, Brine would let his eyes fall upon the elder, and then begin to tell him his experience during his Unbinding. After he finished telling him everything, he then asked, Was I seeing something that happened in the past? It had occured to him, that it might be the past since Elder Trach's voice sounded much younger, but it must might have also been a dream.

After Elder Trach answered him, whatever the answer, the young Treant would start to do as Elder Trach had instructed. It would take time, but he would concentrate on the energies around him. Once he could feel the essense of nature, he would hold onto that, concentrate on it, and attempt once again to enter that state of Tranquility, his Clara, that he had reached before...

[Minerva]

Brine’s query drew forth a frown from Elder Trach, huge eyebrows of bark drooping downwards amid ribbons of vibrant green moss. His consternation was evident, as was his anxiety, though this was more skilfully veiled. It was a sad thing, perhaps, but the elder had no real answer for his ward, no words to put his heart and mind at ease. There was only a safe path, a safe response to give, and the older treant used it, with care.

“It could have been, young one. No one truly knows the nature of our Unbinding visions. It could have been simply a dream.” Elder Trach’s words were intoned sombrely, almost apologetically, clearly disheartened that he could not provide the youngling with the answers he sought. There was, however, little more here that he could truly give.

The assuming of clara did take some time, but then treants were long-lived, and patient; such waiting mattered little to them. “You see the ara around you, feel the vis within? To reach the next step you must entwine these, young Brine; coax the ara towards you using your vis, and mix them well. This in itself will cause a reaction known as arcalysis, and from there something wonderful will occur.

“Try it, and you shall see.”

[Brine]

As Elder Trach answered his query, the young treant slowly began to put aside his anxiety, so as to better be able to continue with his training. The only thing an anxious treant such as himself would be able to do, is not entirely focus upon the training he was about to receive. Calming himself, and entering his Clara, after the time it normally took, he would begin to look upon the weaves of energy around him. As he did this, he would recognize his own, being his Vis and the energies around him being Ara.

Once he finished recognizing them, he would begin to attempt to move the strands of Ara in a rhythamic fashion. As he would work on pulling them towards him, he would then attempt to mesh in the Vis around him, with the Ara, to work on creating the reaction known to all arcana users as Arcalysis. Once he completed this, if it did indeed work, he would then await any further instructions Elder Trach had for the young Treant...

[Minerva]

An arcalysis was perhaps as difficult to achieve as clara had been, if with a focus shifted over onto something else, instead. Ara was proving to be a creature of whimsy, if creature at all it could be called, and coaxing it turned out to be a trying thing indeed. Brine was being challenged here, with arcalysis something tantalisingly within reach, and yet always just a finger’s width away.

When the young treat did attain it, however, something wonderful occurred, an ascension of his mind to a higher place. There was an overwhelming flood of energy he did not know, and then calm, silence once again. Through this all Elder Trach’s voice came, soothing as ever it had been before, and ever calming besides.

“Where you are now is the crossroads between planes, young one. Planes which contain the essences of arcana, one for each sphere. A plane for sorcery, for mysticism…Here is where you will attune your mind to our plane, the plane of Nature. Concentrate on this Brine, and from there channel forth the Essence of this plane. Intermingle this with the ara-vis mix you have already made, and another reaction will occur, leaving you with a substance known as mana, from which all spells are made.”

So were Elder Trach’s instructions, and so would they be done.

[Brine]

Taking long, but being patient, the young Treant worked the magics around him. Steadying his mind, he would mix the two together. Suddenly as the reaction began to take place, his entire mind felt as though it had lifted to a higher plane of existance. He had reached the crossroads of planes with the creation of the arcalysis reaction. Elder Trach's voice then came to his mind, extremely calm, and almost protective of keeping him within his concentratin called Clara.

After Elder Trach had finished explaining the next step to the young Treant, Brine began to work at it. It would take much patience, which Treant's almost had bred into them, to complete the next task. Sorting out the planes within his mind, he finally found one that seemed correct to him. It was the plane of Nature, that carried the essence they would work with as Druids, and Keepers of the Forest. As he found the Plane of Nature, he would begin to concentrate on it. As he focused his mind upon concentrating on that plane, he would then attempt to channel the essense out of it, and into the ara-vis mixture he had made. Hopefully his concentration would not be broken by anything else, as he would work on channeling the essense of Nature into the Arcalysis reaction he had already created...