Chapter 2 - Sprouting Anew

The forest was devastated by the battle, even the aftershocks were enough to destroy most of the trees and underbrush within a mile of the battle site. Despite the damage, this battle would allow the forest to grow, akin to the benefits of a cleansing fire. A gentle rain swept through the area calming the trees and animals beneath, freshening the air rich with mana. Already the creatures of the forest were feasting and exploring the new environment.

However, all was not so bright. The remnant mana that was left behind, began to twist some of the forest animals, along with the Dragon's flesh and blood. An imbalance in the food chain was created that would have to be settled with battle and death.

Undisturbed in one corner of the forest, a tree stood - tall, wide, and covered with luminescent bark. If you looked closely you could see the trunk slightly widening, and the branches growing denser. If you had happened to glance up you would also see that the tree was growing taller at a visible rate.

The leaves stretched out towards the sunlight, and roots burrowed deep underground to seek out mana, nutrients, and dragon's blood, the three most important materials for a newly born tree. Though at this point it could hardly be called a mere tree. The unusual circumstances of its creation only a day and a half before proved that.

-----------

Several days after the battle, a caravan of flying ships appeared on the horizon. The slowly approached the valley, whether that was out of caution or due to extensive battle damage was unclear. the ship in front let out a wave of mana that passed through all the trees and creatures within 5 miles before returning to the ship. This happened many times over the next few hours. The caravan had paused outside the entrance to the valley, while the first ship went to scout, and map the valley.

The scouting ship was the least damaged of the caravan, much smaller and lighter than the others. It appeared to have a regular hull of a sea ship, but no sail or rudder was visible. Instead, protrusions visible on either side of the ship burnt mana to create winds that moved the ship, and an array carved into the bottom of the ship supported it.

The deck of the ship was empty, though the presence of a thin mana shield suggested it was possible to stand there during flight. Hallways ran throughout the entire ship, with hardwood floors lit by orb's of light, and blank walls. A figure dashed down a corridor, headed towards the center of the ship, he carried a small blue orb with him.

Two guards stood dressed in full plate armor, reflecting light off of their armor's shined surface. They stood in front of a nearly invisible door seamlessly integrated into the wall. As the messenger approached, the guard stepped forward and called out.

"Halt, the Magus is not to be disturbed!"

"I-I have an urgent message from the King's ship, it must be seen by the Magus"

Gasping for air the young messenger held out the blue orb, a face was barely visible in it, warped by the orbs curvature. The face in the orb was replaced for a brief moment by a ring covered in runes with the image of a boar being speared through.

"Show me to the Magus immediately"

The Magistrate's voice lashed imperiously at the two guardsmen. Upon seeing his insignia, the two guardsmen nodded and carefully took the orb, placing it against the door. The solid wood melted and engulfed the orb like a living organism, and the guards took up their positions once more, content in knowing that any further decisions were out of their control.

The young man, his breathing back to normal now, stared with fascination at the wall which had gone back to being solid wood. Shooed away by the guards, the apprentice cook turned messenger began his walk back towards his position in the front of the ship. After all, even when in a war zone, men still had to eat and errands still had to be run.

-----------

The chamber was silent, empty aside from the woman sitting in the center of the room. Her hair fell down to the floor neatly, despite its grey color it seemed to shine. The Magus opened her eyes, dark brown shot through with streaks of blue, causing the ship to shudder to a halt. Ignoring this, she reached out into the wood floor and drew out the blue orb.

The face of the Magistrate instantly became more respectful as he caught sight of her.

"Magus, we just received this message from Narid, it came from the Capitol. It was sent using the Amulet of Beginnings" - he slightly paused at this - "It must have been damaged and blown off course instead of meeting us as we were traveling, it traveled back to the capitol's beacon. There was a recording of Narid's battle, and a message."

"Read me the message, I want the recording sent to me immediately"

"Yes, Magus, I will begin now,

'This is my final battle, My mana is almost gone, and if what the Dragon says is true, you will not arrive in time to save me this time Mistress. Retreat before it is too late, a Weyr of Dragons are waiting to ambush you. If you make it back to the Capitol, protect my brother's family, they have already suffered too much because of my weakness. I know what you had intended for me Mistress, I would have had it done on my terms, you are family to me. Alas, I fear that this is the end for both of us, huh Vexxa, Farewell.'

That is it, Magus, return to the group so you may see the recording."

The Magistrate cut the connection, tone subdued after reading the pain and sorrow in the Wizard's words. The orb went blank and crumbled, leaving dust behind.

"Dammit! NO! What the hell - aaaaahhhh!"

Vexxa raged around her chamber, letting out a scream. Not a Grandmaster Wizard at the moment, just an old woman full of regret. The air around her became charged with anger and pain as she unconsciously released her mana. The guards outside her door became agitated, unsure why their emotions were going out of control they wisely backed away from the door, moving out of the Magus's range.

Several minutes passed, the aura surrounding the control chamber slowly disappeared and the guards moved back to their post like nothing happened. After all their job was just to stand here, not ask questions.

Inside, the wood that was scarred and bent in places was quickly recovering to its former warm and pristine condition. The Magus sat amongst the flowing wood, coughing, her life force was weak, and the recent fit hadn't helped anything.

Calm now, the Magus, adjusted her robe before standing and reaching into the wall. She withdrew a shimmering black gown and several pieces of jewelry, changing and fixing her appearance with a small spell. Sitting down again, this time into an elegant high backed chair, she controlled the scout ship back towards the others.

-----------

A black shadow flashed across the landscape, several beasts looked up to see a wooden hull engraved with thousands of runes flash by, before going back to searching for food. The ship's path took it across the valley, a large forest cut through by a small river fed by snowmelt and springs from the mountains that surrounded the valley on 3 sides.

The green forest was in the middle of sprouting anew as the harsh winter had ended several weeks prior, leaving new plants sprouting, icy water rushing through the river, and animals awakening to make and feed their young.

In one area of the forest was a large burnt circle, and in several areas around it were swathes of destroyed trees. Next to the circle, to close for the forest creatures to approach, was a ginormous tree, easily over 100 feet high, towering over other nearby trees by several dozen feet. Its trunk was as wide around as several dozen strong men holding hands.

The valleys in the tree's bark were lined with a tinge of purple, and its leaves were run through by blue veins. The aura given off by the tree was immense, suppressing the nearby flora into giving way. Unlike the Magus's aura, which was concentrated and tinged with her emotions, the tree's aura seemed to exist just barely on the edge of detection. Only perceptible as a faint sense of impatience for the future, and new life.