Journey to the Tree of Life

This is T'lee-nava, Skye and Amethystiel completing their rites of passage together. They chose to embark on a journey to the Mariss Tanglewood to taste the fruit of the Tree of Life. They had heard all sorts of stories about Drakiri setting out to find the ancestral springs, but the stories Tree of Life and its delectable, magical fruit truly set their hearts ablaze.

They spent weeks studying the forest, taking brief forays into its shaded passages, trying to gauge the difficulty of the task ahead. T’lee-nava devised a training plan for them, honing their strength, stamina and stealth. They knew they were no match for the vicious sabercats that roamed the forest, so they trained by hiding from each other as long as possible and identifying the cats' hunting trails and dens. T'lee-nava had particular difficulty with hiding, due to their fiery mane, but with lots of experimentation the team was able to find dense bushes that could conceal them.

Skye often struggled with his fear of the forest, jumping and squealing at every sound. Fortunately, with the encouragement and help of his two friends, Skye slowly built up his courage and confidence in the forest. He discovered that he had strengths of his own, his small size actually allowing to move more quickly than his larger friends as he weaved and ducked easily through the dense vegetation. It turned out he was an excellent scout, able to scout ahead of the team and note any dangers.

Amethystiel was always kindly thought of as the small group’s protector. He was always eager to tag along on the hunts and physical excursions of older, more experienced drakiri, and never stepped down from a friendly spar. This mission, however, was not well suited to feats of strength. Amethystiel had to shelve the bravado he was used to flaunting and focus on supporting his friends and helping their strengths grow and flourish.

The day had finally come, and the group set out early into the forest. They followed the firefly path as far as it would take them, the soft glow of the fireflies both beautiful and hopeful as it ushered them into the forest’s depths. It wasn’t long before they were further in then their training had ever taken them, but they had learned a lot about the forest and the sabercats and were confident in their abilities. They worked well together, T’lee-nava and Amethystiel carefully scanning for scratched trees, paw prints, and smells that would indicate a sabercat’s territory. Skye was continually scrambling ahead and back again, making note of dense cover in case they needed to hide, and guiding his friends through the easiest to travel routes.

It wasn’t far now - the group had stopped to rest. They couldn’t see the tree of life yet, but they knew they were close. The young drakiri had not used magic themselves before, but the feeling of it in the air was unmistakable as they got closer to the mystical tree fed by the ancient spring. Suddenly, T’lee-nava lowered their head, their ears perked up, rotating in all directions. The other two instantly quieted, also listening carefully.

It was subtle, the cracking of a small twig, the gentle rustle of decaying leaves under a heavy paw. A sabercat was prowling, somewhere close. Luckily, they had taken precautions, resting in a dense bush with fragrant flowers to mask their scent. T’lee-nava and Amethystiel remained alert but quiet, Skye had curled into a little ball, covering his face with his hooves, shivering, but noiseless. Amethystiel curled his tail around him comfortingly. They waited there in the bushes, bound together in their steadfast silence, as they waited for the footsteps to recede.

Amethystiel was the first to speak, leaning down to whisper to Skye, “You did so well, Skye, it’s safe now.”

Skye lifted a hoof, peeking out at him, then T’lee-nava. 

T’lee-nava nodded, smiling at Skye, and said quietly, “We need you to lead the way, Skye. But we can wait if you need more time.”

Skye nodded, getting up slowly and carefully. His brow crinkled and he took a deep breath, then disappeared soundlessly into the underbrush. T’lee-nava and Amethystiel strained to follow his movements by sound, but he was utterly quiet.

“He is remarkably quiet.” T’lee-nava whispered, leaning towards Amethystiel.

Amethystiel nodded, then flinched, surprised as Skye suddenly popped out from a different place than he left. Skye whispered some instructions to his friends, and they set off on the last leg of their journey.

It was early evening when they reached the tree of life. It emitted a gentle, magical glow, bathing the area in a welcoming radiance. The group said nothing as they walked beneath it, stepping carefully over the twisting roots, in awe of the ancient tree’s size and beauty. Amethystiel reached up, handing one colourful fruit to each of them. They savored every bite, feeling the magic awaken within them as they ate. 

Strangely, each drakiri thought the fruit was the best thing they ever ate, but also described the taste in extremely different ways. Skye found the fruit delightfully cloying and sweet, like a vanilla buttercream cake with freshly picked strawberries. T’lee-nava swore the fruit tasted like tender, rare meat, seared perfectly, and could even describe the texture of the crackled fat and sinew. Amethystiel’s description was perhaps the strangest of all; to him, each bite was a new and different flavor - herb roasted potatoes, rarely encountered fruits, medleys of his favorite vegetables and even boiled eggs.

They decided to spend the night there, sleeping under the tree. Early the next morning, they woke up and made their way out of the forest and back to their dens. It was an uneventful journey. They couldn’t wait to share their story with young drakiri, just as they had once heard the tales of their elders. Surprisingly, they were still full, from only eating one piece of fruit each, and did not feel hungry again until a few days later