A story with no Name
Written by: A forbidden Shadow.
The sun rose slowly, lighting the valley that sat hidden within the mountain's peak. Nestled within the valley was a single wooden cottage, sitting between two trees. A small plume of grey smoke twisted upwards and out from the chimney. The wind that pulled up from above was strong; dissipating the smoke before it would be seen escaping the valley itself. A casual glance would find this valley mostly untouched by time, save perhaps for the cabin itself.
The trees that littered the valley spoke of time, their trunks several times larger than that of the average tree. Each tree had leaves that were as green as polished emeralds, and not a single leaf had yet fallen to the ground. The trees stood tall and strong, with the help of the naturally occurring lake that sat at the valley's dead center. The lake was being fed by two rivers that flowed from the Western and Eastern portion of the valley.
The water looked crystal clear and inviting, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Upon a closer inspection, one would find a whirlpool pulling viciously at the water, draining into some underground river, leading to who knows where. The gentle sounds of the forest were suddenly broken, as a single stone was sent tumbling down the side of the Western slope. A lone robed figure was now traveling down the slope, a gnarled staff held firmly within her grasp.
The door of the cabin was only creaking open when the robed figure waved her staff suddenly, a wave of energy, invisible unless you have been trained to see it, forcing the door shut. A light cackle erupted from within the confines of the robe. "Oh, no, Lord Matthew! Do not struggle to rise! This will be over soon!" The cackle was interrupted by one of the trees extending a wood branch noisily toward the robed figure.
She dipped under the branch quickly, extending her staff forward, concentrating her will into its aged surface. She breathed a single word, almost silently, to the staff, as if speaking to a lover "Rupture!" The ground before her shook and began to tear apart, a fissure rushing toward the cabin, her intent clear.
Just as quickly as it had begun the shaking stopped the fissure ceased its course; a set of words rang throughout the valley, bold and powerful. "Mend! Awaken!" The effect was instantaneous, the ground closing back up with a snapping sound and all around the robed figure the trees and ground came alive. Roots shooting up to try to tangle the robbed figure, vines and tree limbs stretching and swinging to knock her off balance.
They would have succeeded if not for the word the woman whispered next. "Die!" She whispered with urgency, a small corona of energy that surrounded her person, causing the vines and limbs to wither and retreat. The roots crumbled even as they found perches upon her legs. "You won't defeat me, Matthew! You're washed up! I have unlocked the darkest of magics!"
The forest fell silent for a moment, as if regarding what the woman had shouted. Then all at once a full jolly laugh filled the forest. "You think the dark magics have sway here?! This is the birthplace of wild magic, Gren! You cannot hope to defeat me here!" The voice called back, the forest once more attacking the woman with renewed vigor, though still to no avail, as the small cloud of death still ate away the weapons of the nature. The robed figure continued to walk forward, undaunted by the dying foliage around her.
"You're an old fool, Matthew! Your wild Magic is nothing in the face of true dark power! I shall kill you, take your staff, and drink your magic dry!" She began cackling again as she made it to the where one of the two rivers met the lake. The water sat sparkling, impervious to the spell that was intended to steal life.
"Gren, you misunderstand! Wild magic comes from the water! Not the trees!" Matthew laughed out once more as strings of water ruptured forward, wrapping around the woman's torso along with her wrists and ankles. The robed figure tried to move her staff, only to have it ripped from her grasp; another whip of water pulled it away. "You can no more kill the water then I can kill the sky, Gren! Enjoy your swim!" The voice began to die away as the whips pulled the woman, kicking and screaming toward the center of the lake and the whirlpool that formed there.
"You old fool! I shall find a way to defeat you! Your time is up!" Gren screamed out as the whips of water began to drip and fade away. "More will come! I have told other-" Her words were lost as the whips finally vanished, dropping her into the water; which carried her away in the blink of an eye. After a few moments the sounds of the valley returned to their norm as the door of the cabin opened once more. A young man stepped out from within, an aura of age about him. Though his appearance looked like that of a twenty two year old boy, he was in fact much older. His true form, which was a silver haired old man, could be seen within the waters of the lake. It was clear that some magic had given him his youth back.
His jet black hair done up in a single ponytail extended halfway down his back. His joy filled eyes were as green as the leaves above. He was covered in an old looking robe of deep purple and blue while holding a staff that looked older still. He found himself staring at the center of the lake and considering the Witch's words. "There are others, huh? That's a shame! It looks like my vacation is over! It's time to return to the world of magic!"
Matthew inhaled deeply the scent of the wood, sparing a moment to look at the path the Witch had walked on her way toward his home. What had been brown and dying only moments before was now green and growing. He smiled a relived smile and picked up the discarded staff, placing its tip upon the surface of his own. A brilliant flash of green light lit up the surrounding area. When the light cleared the Witch's staff was gone, and Matthew's looked older still.
Matthew sighed now, a brief moment of sadness overtaking his face. "Thank you... for everything!" He called out to the valley itself. Matthew walked back to his cabin, entering the building to retrieve a small satchel. With the satchel retrieved, Matthew left the Cabin; taking a simple rock path up the South lip of the valley. As he reached the lip, he looked out upon a world he had left so many years ago. "Lord Matthew of the First Order returns… Rejoice!" He called out with a laugh in his voice as he made his way slowly down the mountain, the wind seeming to ignore him as he made his way through it.