Once long ago, this land was ruled by the mightiest of dragons. Many challenged him, but none succeeded in claiming victory against him. Until one day, a demon fell from the sky and challenged that old dragon to a fight.
The dragon, full of pride, accepted his challenge and a battle was raged. When they clashed, the ground rose, creating hills. And when they fell, they made huge dents in the land, creating craters and valleys. The battle between them lasted for several days and several nights, until finally, the dragon swallowed the demon whole.
The dragon gloated and laughed at the sky, claiming himself to be the mightiest being in the land. Time slowly passed, and the Dragon fell ill. Soon he could no longer take to the skies. His wings became weak and fragile.
His beautiful scales dulled, falling away and his heart ached with every beat. He wept in sorrow, his tears filling the rivers and lake beds he had created during his final battle. As his time came to an end, he curled around the land he loved. The valley he called home and fell into an everlasting sleep.
His corpse became the mountain range, and his home became the Dragon Valley. A place he loved and longed to protect. His children were born from his blood and fight to carry on his will. To protect the land the great dragon loved. But protecting this land wasn't enough, dragons wanted something of their own, to guard and protect. There is nothing worthier of their protection than life itself...
Raven sighed as she closed the book annoyed. She shuffled through the scarce library sulking as she glanced around the shelves. She had read everything in its inventory and pouted at the lack of information. There weren't very many books to begin with, only a hundred or so. Probably less. Still, most of them explained very little about any one thing and those that did, were simply fairy tales.
Raven glanced at the smooth bark cover of the last book she had read in her hands. It had been another take on the birth of the kingdom making Raven wonder how much of it was true. She glanced out the window, gazing out over the kingdom towards the Mother tree. It was the largest tree in the forest, the bulk of its trunk wider than any other. Its lush green foliage standing out against the rocky mountain range that surrounded most of the forest.
The Kingdom of Trayson. Also known as city of the trees, was built by the last of the druids to create a haven for their people. Druids were beings who were one with nature, bending it to their will. Most of the druids had faded out, leaving only the royal family behind as the last. Their green eyes a symbol of their druid power.
One legend declared that the first druid king circled the great tree, taking a week to complete such a task. He was so amazed by her size that he decided to build his castle within her branches. Slowly over time the kingdom sprouted around her, taking root in the treetops of the forest surrounding her. Connected by wooden platforms and bridges, the citizens never had to set foot on the forest floor again. Unless of course they wanted to.
Another legend stated that the druid king was weak from war, trying to find a place for his people to hide. The mother tree took pity on him and offered herself up to be the first bond. A bond between druid and plant allowed for them to share each other's strength and pain. The druid's life force varied from plant to plant and rumors wondered if the last King of Trayson was in fact the founder of Trayson itself. Living for almost a thousand years before death finally claimed him a decade ago.
Either way, Raven knew the kingdom had evolved since then, though she worried about present times. The kingdom seemed unstable as King Trayson's foreign bride ruled as queen while the true druid princess, Ivy, came of age. Her classmates often discussed how the queen shouldn't even be on the throne because she was a foreigner to the land. Though their teacher seemed to agree, she also pointed out that Queen Meredith was a fair leader, and only ruled in her husband's place until Ivy could take the throne.
Raven pushed the book onto the shelf with a sigh as she glanced around the small space. She was trying to kill time after school, waiting for her adopted mother, Clair to pick her up after her routine deliveries. Kids her age only had morning lessons, getting out before noon to allow them to explore viable work options they would later take on as adults. With so much time on her hands since no one was interested in hiring the oddity, she often found herself in the library trying to avoid the bullies from school. Mainly Rosila who seemed to despise her.
Raven was seventeen, just about to turn eighteen in a few days' time. She was considered an outcast in her village on the outskirts of the kingdom even though she had lived there her whole life. Mostly because of her looks. She had long raven black hair that stood out in stark contrast to her pale complexion. Her deep violet eyes were almond shaped with long lashes to shade them. She had never met another like herself and from the reaction of others, neither had anyone else.
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