SUNKEN SORROW
Between several great ranges of mountains lay an ancient forest, undisturbed by humans and the common world. The trees and plant life grew bountiful and brilliant, housing beneath their reaches all manner of wildlife and creatures, demihumans and beast races included. At the center of the great forest region was a lake that was fed from a mighty waterfall from a high top water source that few ever traveled to witness. Very few were aware of this area beyond the denizens within for it was hard to reach and not an easy place to survive. Yet, there was a more foul and dangerous place that few dared tread, where the very air was poison and the ground bubbled with disease. At the edge of that lake was a swamp known as “Sunken Sorrow,” a place where the dead get carried and many go to die.
Though the swamp thrived on death and decay, there was one such being that lived amongst its treacherous trees. It wore the skull of a human as a mask and was cloaked in dark robes with rags covering any of its physical features. To the locals, it was a “she” and most commonly called a “witch” though few ever spoke those words directly towards her for fear of being cursed. She was always followed by a familiar as well that was in the form of a skeletal cat. However, if she felt threatened, the feline would mold itself into a hulking creature capable of knocking down trees and tackling the mightiest of beasts. She was avoided by most of the creatures save for a few she traded with or had dealings.
As she toiled away within the twisted remains of a giant tree she called home, there came a noise that halted her work, the sound of thunder. Her familiar was sitting at one of the windows, usually being lazy or useless, but instead of the typical perch he was sitting up with his attention focused on the forest. She moved to window and the pair of them watched from the high perch within the dead tree, scanning the land for what was causing such a noise. “There are no signs of a storm,” She said, eyeing the blue sky for any signs of a storm. “No,” The skeletal cat replied dryly, his gaze squarely fixed on the direction of the noise. “But you will wish it was a storm soon enough, dear.” The witch watched as she now saw the reason for such a noise and why the cats words were terribly true.
There, in the sky to the west, the witch saw a shape that she thought she would never see in her lifetime: a dragon. It was shimmering black and wreathed in lightning, the sound of thunder echoing from its body as a storm trailed behind in its wake. As it reached the edge of the forest, struggling to fly any longer, its body gave out. They watched as this legendary creature fell from the sky and exploded down on the forest with lightning and force, causing an explosion that ignited trees and scorched earth. “Quickly,” The cat said, his tone almost out of character from his laxed self. “We have to contain its energy before any more damage is done.” The witch nodded in agreement, quickly grabbing up a large tome, satchel, and her staff. She flung open the door and put the wooden staff between her legs, the familiar barely leaping on as she took flight, racing out of the swamp and across the lake with great speed.
“Fly through the trees,” The cat voiced telepathically from within the safety of her big satchel. “The lightning can strike you easier if you are above the trees.” She heeded his warning and descended into the forest, weaving in between the mighty timbers. As they drew closer, smoke and embers filled the air, with an occasional flash of energy arcing passed them. Nearer and the trees began to splinter and exploded from the frequency of wild strikes, the fires raging even stronger now. Below, wildlife and other creatures ran for safety as this sudden calamity shook their world, tearing apart the land and their homes. As the danger and debris grew fiercer, the witch was forced to use one hand to raise a bubble around themselves so they would not be fractured or fried by the immense energy consuming the area. Finally, she could see the source of the destruction, the mighty black dragon flailing on the ground as its wounds took its toll, spilling uncontrolled power from its body.
“I will contain the power,” The cat said, leaping from her satchel and free falling down towards the dragon. The witch halted her riding staff with the free hand then prompted it to stay in place, still using her other hand to hold up the shield. She pulled open her tome one-handed and fumbled for the page she needed, tearing it from the book and hurling it towards the airborne familiar, enacting the spell. It fired like a bolt from her hand, faster than he was moving, imbuing his bones with metal, attracting the wild lightning towards him as his weighted body slammed down on top of the dragon, pulling all of the energy towards the two of them and away from the land around. The metal cat began absorbing the energy, ciphering of its powers, slowing its tantrum as it tired and slowed.
While her magical cat wore down the dragon, the witch flew about, dropping spells to extinguish the flames, shielding fleeing creatures, and searching for any wounded or trapped. She dropped magic seeds to sprout and area of new trees around the dragon, trying to corral and contain it, at least on land, as well as to shield others from its power. After all of this hard work, she would have to demand tribute from those she saved, she didn’t want the other creatures thinking she was anything but malevolent. Finally, after the two rallied together for damage control, the devastation was contained, the dragon having fallen unconscious. The familiar was troubled by the wounds inflicted on the mighty creature, slowly wandering down its black body, weighed down by the spell the witch had placed. Landing, the sinister looking woman rejoined her altered pet, removing the spell with another page from her tome. The two stood within ground zero, staring at the sleeping dragon, trying to make sense of the whole ordeal.
“I recognize the wounds inflicted,” The familiar said, his fiery eyes fixated on the damage more than the dragon itself. “May did this.” The witch looked down at the cat and back at the dragon, annoyed by his words. “We can’t leave it here,” She said, opening her tome and flipping through the pages, searching for a specific spell. “When will you learn, child,” The cat said, looking up at the witch, his eyes dimmed. “You can’t save everyone.” She tore a page from her book and shut it hard, holding up the sheet of paper before casting it. “I saved you, didn’t I?” She replied, not expecting an answer. She walked forward and placed the page on the snout of the dragon, letting it go and watching as a shimmering light washed across the creature, blinding the area for a long moment before fading away, leaving no trace of the dragon. In its stead, lay a naked, black haired woman with elven ears and porcelain skin. The witch removed her robes and fit them around the unconscious form of the dragon, turning to her familiar and pointing a finger at him and speaking. “Carry her home.”
Between several great ranges of mountains lay an ancient forest, undisturbed by humans and the common world. The trees and plant life grew bountiful and brilliant, housing beneath their reaches all manner of wildlife and creatures, demihumans and beast races included. At the center of the great forest region was a lake that was fed from a mighty waterfall from a high top water source that few ever traveled to witness. Very few were aware of this area beyond the denizens within for it was hard to reach and not an easy place to survive. Yet, there was a more foul and dangerous place that few dared tread, where the very air was poison and the ground bubbled with disease. At the edge of that lake was a swamp known as “Sunken Sorrow,” a place where the dead get carried and many go to die.
Though the swamp thrived on death and decay, there was one such being that lived amongst its treacherous trees. It wore the skull of a human as a mask and was cloaked in dark robes with rags covering any of its physical features. To the locals, it was a “she” and most commonly called a “witch” though few ever spoke those words directly towards her for fear of being cursed. She was always followed by a familiar as well that was in the form of a skeletal cat. However, if she felt threatened, the feline would mold itself into a hulking creature capable of knocking down trees and tackling the mightiest of beasts. She was avoided by most of the creatures save for a few she traded with or had dealings.
As she toiled away within the twisted remains of a giant tree she called home, there came a noise that halted her work, the sound of thunder. Her familiar was sitting at one of the windows, usually being lazy or useless, but instead of the typical perch he was sitting up with his attention focused on the forest. She moved to window and the pair of them watched from the high perch within the dead tree, scanning the land for what was causing such a noise. “There are no signs of a storm,” She said, eyeing the blue sky for any signs of a storm. “No,” The skeletal cat replied dryly, his gaze squarely fixed on the direction of the noise. “But you will wish it was a storm soon enough, dear.” The witch watched as she now saw the reason for such a noise and why the cats words were terribly true.
There, in the sky to the west, the witch saw a shape that she thought she would never see in her lifetime: a dragon. It was shimmering black and wreathed in lightning, the sound of thunder echoing from its body as a storm trailed behind in its wake. As it reached the edge of the forest, struggling to fly any longer, its body gave out. They watched as this legendary creature fell from the sky and exploded down on the forest with lightning and force, causing an explosion that ignited trees and scorched earth. “Quickly,” The cat said, his tone almost out of character from his laxed self. “We have to contain its energy before any more damage is done.” The witch nodded in agreement, quickly grabbing up a large tome, satchel, and her staff. She flung open the door and put the wooden staff between her legs, the familiar barely leaping on as she took flight, racing out of the swamp and across the lake with great speed.
“Fly through the trees,” The cat voiced telepathically from within the safety of her big satchel. “The lightning can strike you easier if you are above the trees.” She heeded his warning and descended into the forest, weaving in between the mighty timbers. As they drew closer, smoke and embers filled the air, with an occasional flash of energy arcing passed them. Nearer and the trees began to splinter and exploded from the frequency of wild strikes, the fires raging even stronger now. Below, wildlife and other creatures ran for safety as this sudden calamity shook their world, tearing apart the land and their homes. As the danger and debris grew fiercer, the witch was forced to use one hand to raise a bubble around themselves so they would not be fractured or fried by the immense energy consuming the area. Finally, she could see the source of the destruction, the mighty black dragon flailing on the ground as its wounds took its toll, spilling uncontrolled power from its body.
“I will contain the power,” The cat said, leaping from her satchel and free falling down towards the dragon. The witch halted her riding staff with the free hand then prompted it to stay in place, still using her other hand to hold up the shield. She pulled open her tome one-handed and fumbled for the page she needed, tearing it from the book and hurling it towards the airborne familiar, enacting the spell. It fired like a bolt from her hand, faster than he was moving, imbuing his bones with metal, attracting the wild lightning towards him as his weighted body slammed down on top of the dragon, pulling all of the energy towards the two of them and away from the land around. The metal cat began absorbing the energy, ciphering of its powers, slowing its tantrum as it tired and slowed.
While her magical cat wore down the dragon, the witch flew about, dropping spells to extinguish the flames, shielding fleeing creatures, and searching for any wounded or trapped. She dropped magic seeds to sprout and area of new trees around the dragon, trying to corral and contain it, at least on land, as well as to shield others from its power. After all of this hard work, she would have to demand tribute from those she saved, she didn’t want the other creatures thinking she was anything but malevolent. Finally, after the two rallied together for damage control, the devastation was contained, the dragon having fallen unconscious. The familiar was troubled by the wounds inflicted on the mighty creature, slowly wandering down its black body, weighed down by the spell the witch had placed. Landing, the sinister looking woman rejoined her altered pet, removing the spell with another page from her tome. The two stood within ground zero, staring at the sleeping dragon, trying to make sense of the whole ordeal.
“I recognize the wounds inflicted,” The familiar said, his fiery eyes fixated on the damage more than the dragon itself. “May did this.” The witch looked down at the cat and back at the dragon, annoyed by his words. “We can’t leave it here,” She said, opening her tome and flipping through the pages, searching for a specific spell. “When will you learn, child,” The cat said, looking up at the witch, his eyes dimmed. “You can’t save everyone.” She tore a page from her book and shut it hard, holding up the sheet of paper before casting it. “I saved you, didn’t I?” She replied, not expecting an answer. She walked forward and placed the page on the snout of the dragon, letting it go and watching as a shimmering light washed across the creature, blinding the area for a long moment before fading away, leaving no trace of the dragon. In its stead, lay a naked, black haired woman with elven ears and porcelain skin. The witch removed her robes and fit them around the unconscious form of the dragon, turning to her familiar and pointing a finger at him and speaking. “Carry her home.”