Nine centuries ago, the Mana tree burned to ashes. The power of Mana lived
on inside Mana stones, enchanted instruments, and artifacts. Mages fought
with each other for control of these last remnants of Mana.
Then after hundreds of years of war, as the power of Mana began to wane, those who sought it grew scarce, and the world returned to peace. After that, mankind grew afraid to desire. Their hearts filled with empty emotions, and grew estranged from my hands. They turned their eyes away from my infinite power, and were troubled by their petty disputes.
Remember me!
Need me!
I can provide you with everything!
I am love.
Find me, and walk beside me.
...
...
Lethia woke with a start; the voice and the image of a strange, floating tree left her slowly. She stared blankly at the wall before her, unable to make any sense of what the dream meant. For a moment she forced herself to remember the voice, to try and hang on to what the voice said but it was slipping away. The woman's voice was gone from Lethia's mind in seconds and all she could do was wonder what had happened in her dream.
Slowly Lethia climbed from her bed changing from her sleeping garments to the day's clothes. Tediously she pulled her hair from her face, putting it up into her usual fashion. Finally she paused and looked at her reflection. Lethia smiled wearily at herself and was contempt with her hair. It was time to go about her day and her usual routine of chores and making sure her home with in good condition after the night's storm.
With a cheerful good morning to her lone companion, a potted cactus she deemed Lil' Cactus, Lethia hurried down the stairs and in to the main room of the small house. A fire was already alive within the hearth, remnants of a late night, and the table a mess from a late meal. Heaving a sigh Lethia cleared away the plate and cup from the table, pausing to look at a green chest seemingly hidden in the corner of the room.
"Odd." Lethia whispered. It hadn't been there before, than again her brother had visited recently and he had a tendency to leave things behind. Placing the dirty dishes in the sink Lethia approached the chest and examined it; it was unlocked. Shrugging she opened the chest and slowly peered inside.
Much to Lethia's surprise and joy she found a piece of paper and about one hundred lucre. She smiled happily and seized the paper to examine it. It was just as she guessed; a note from Hawk Eye. "Lethia, I thought you may need this sometime. You know I can't stand to see you in a bind." Lethia paused and smiled to herself. "It was nice to see you and I hope to come home soon. Keep the house in good condition; mom and dad always hated it when we were messy. See you soon, Hawk Eye."
Lethia smiled again and placed the note in her pocket. She dipped into the chest and retrieved the lucre. Counting it Lethia noted how much she had and placed it in a leather pouch at her waist. Feeling that there was nothing left to do, a bit anxious to go and buy a few things, Lethia walked towards the front door. Before exiting the house she grabbed a wooden spear, a present from her parents before they passed away.
The morning sun greeted the flaxen haired sprite as she closed the door behind her. Lethia began to wonder if she should do her chores before heading in to town, but those thoughts were quickly tossed aside. A Sproutling stood halfway down the path of to the street, its eyes vague of most emotions as it looked around, slowly wandering back and forth on the sloping path. It seemed not to notice Lethia watching it.
Lethia approached the Sproutling and knelt before it. "What are you doing?"
The Sproutling jump and let out a small squeal of surprise. It turned slowly and looked at Lethia, letting out a soft sigh of relief. Clearing its throat the Sproutling smiled happily. "Hello! I'm a Sproutling!" The small creature beamed happily. Lethia smiled slightly and the Sproutling cleared its throat once more. "Do you believe that one's imagination can shape the world?"
"Eh?" Lethia said, a little surprised that such a creature asked a question that could be considered deep. Most of the Sproutlings she had met in her life seemed absent minded or a little more than ditsy. She smiled nervously, still a little amazed by the creature's happy go lucky sense of being. "Well, I suppose it could, in some way but someone's imagination could only go so far. Why?"
"Pokiehl told us that our imagination can shape the world." the Sproutling explained. It inched closer to Lethia. "We, the Sproutlings, help the Mana Tree heal when we die! Our imagination is the biggest of all."
'If you want to put it that way,' Lethia thought. She smiled, trying hard not to laugh to herself. "I've heard of the Mana Tree! I didn't think it existed."
The Sproutling looked at Lethia cautiously. Those vacant eyes seemed to study the young sprite intently. Something flashed in the Sproutling's eyes and it moved back a step or two. A bright smile suddenly spread across the creature's face and it suddenly produced a seat of colored blocks. "Here ya go!" it squealed, thrusting the toys into Lethia's hands.
Lethia looked at the blocks. "What are these?"
"That is the town of Domina." the Sproutling whispered secretively. It looked around cautiously. "Place it on the ground and Domina will form. Pokiehl says that it takes only your imagination to do it."
Slowly Lethia stood. She looked down at the Sproutling, questioning the creature's sanity, and put the blocks in her pouch. "Um, thank you." The Sproutling gave Lethia a quick wink before looking back up into the sky.
Walking down the path, Lethia glanced back at the Sproutling. 'I never did understand those things,' she thought. 'That one, though, seemed a bit stranger than the others. Saying those blocks make up Domina! Ha! I've been to Domina before. . . . I think.' Lethia stopped mid-step, a bit startled by her own thoughts. "I know I've been to Domina. It's always been there; I've seen it before."
Breaking into a run Lethia bounded down the dirt road towards Domina. Her mind was blurred by questions caused by the Sproutling's side of the conversation. She never needed the blocks before because Domina already existed. Lethia had been to the town only a week earlier, to prepare for her brother's short return. Why, though, was she questioning herself?
Domina suddenly appeared before Lethia and she came to a stop. Breathing hard she smiled to herself, feeling a little more at ease. "Stupid Sproutling." Lethia muttered. She looked at the town and sighed happily. "Making me question myself like that. As if I needed these blocks to find Domina."
Lethia reached into the leather pouch and froze. The colored blocks the Sproutling gave here were no longer there.
...
Author's Notes: 1) Most of the talk between Lethia and the other characters won't be word for word but will be close. The only dialogue that will dead on most of the time is the dialogue with the Jumi. I get the dialogue from the same web site that I found the dialogue in my short story 'An Unseen Jewel.' Go to etansel. net because it has everything you need to know about the Jumi!!
2) I will have the main male character in this story as well, but he won't be there much. He is Lethia's older brother and I have named him Hawk Eye (don't know why, but when I played as him that was the name I liked best out of the ones it gave you). If you really, REALLY want to see him do a quest, tell me. I have no intentions to but will do it if pestered enough. ^_^
3) There will be a Lethia/Elazul relationship. Don't know if I'll go in- depth or not. Depends on my mood. lol!
4) Here's the usual crap: I don't own any of the characters or stuff like that. Wish I did, but I don't. Damn my luck!
Then after hundreds of years of war, as the power of Mana began to wane, those who sought it grew scarce, and the world returned to peace. After that, mankind grew afraid to desire. Their hearts filled with empty emotions, and grew estranged from my hands. They turned their eyes away from my infinite power, and were troubled by their petty disputes.
Remember me!
Need me!
I can provide you with everything!
I am love.
Find me, and walk beside me.
...
...
Lethia woke with a start; the voice and the image of a strange, floating tree left her slowly. She stared blankly at the wall before her, unable to make any sense of what the dream meant. For a moment she forced herself to remember the voice, to try and hang on to what the voice said but it was slipping away. The woman's voice was gone from Lethia's mind in seconds and all she could do was wonder what had happened in her dream.
Slowly Lethia climbed from her bed changing from her sleeping garments to the day's clothes. Tediously she pulled her hair from her face, putting it up into her usual fashion. Finally she paused and looked at her reflection. Lethia smiled wearily at herself and was contempt with her hair. It was time to go about her day and her usual routine of chores and making sure her home with in good condition after the night's storm.
With a cheerful good morning to her lone companion, a potted cactus she deemed Lil' Cactus, Lethia hurried down the stairs and in to the main room of the small house. A fire was already alive within the hearth, remnants of a late night, and the table a mess from a late meal. Heaving a sigh Lethia cleared away the plate and cup from the table, pausing to look at a green chest seemingly hidden in the corner of the room.
"Odd." Lethia whispered. It hadn't been there before, than again her brother had visited recently and he had a tendency to leave things behind. Placing the dirty dishes in the sink Lethia approached the chest and examined it; it was unlocked. Shrugging she opened the chest and slowly peered inside.
Much to Lethia's surprise and joy she found a piece of paper and about one hundred lucre. She smiled happily and seized the paper to examine it. It was just as she guessed; a note from Hawk Eye. "Lethia, I thought you may need this sometime. You know I can't stand to see you in a bind." Lethia paused and smiled to herself. "It was nice to see you and I hope to come home soon. Keep the house in good condition; mom and dad always hated it when we were messy. See you soon, Hawk Eye."
Lethia smiled again and placed the note in her pocket. She dipped into the chest and retrieved the lucre. Counting it Lethia noted how much she had and placed it in a leather pouch at her waist. Feeling that there was nothing left to do, a bit anxious to go and buy a few things, Lethia walked towards the front door. Before exiting the house she grabbed a wooden spear, a present from her parents before they passed away.
The morning sun greeted the flaxen haired sprite as she closed the door behind her. Lethia began to wonder if she should do her chores before heading in to town, but those thoughts were quickly tossed aside. A Sproutling stood halfway down the path of to the street, its eyes vague of most emotions as it looked around, slowly wandering back and forth on the sloping path. It seemed not to notice Lethia watching it.
Lethia approached the Sproutling and knelt before it. "What are you doing?"
The Sproutling jump and let out a small squeal of surprise. It turned slowly and looked at Lethia, letting out a soft sigh of relief. Clearing its throat the Sproutling smiled happily. "Hello! I'm a Sproutling!" The small creature beamed happily. Lethia smiled slightly and the Sproutling cleared its throat once more. "Do you believe that one's imagination can shape the world?"
"Eh?" Lethia said, a little surprised that such a creature asked a question that could be considered deep. Most of the Sproutlings she had met in her life seemed absent minded or a little more than ditsy. She smiled nervously, still a little amazed by the creature's happy go lucky sense of being. "Well, I suppose it could, in some way but someone's imagination could only go so far. Why?"
"Pokiehl told us that our imagination can shape the world." the Sproutling explained. It inched closer to Lethia. "We, the Sproutlings, help the Mana Tree heal when we die! Our imagination is the biggest of all."
'If you want to put it that way,' Lethia thought. She smiled, trying hard not to laugh to herself. "I've heard of the Mana Tree! I didn't think it existed."
The Sproutling looked at Lethia cautiously. Those vacant eyes seemed to study the young sprite intently. Something flashed in the Sproutling's eyes and it moved back a step or two. A bright smile suddenly spread across the creature's face and it suddenly produced a seat of colored blocks. "Here ya go!" it squealed, thrusting the toys into Lethia's hands.
Lethia looked at the blocks. "What are these?"
"That is the town of Domina." the Sproutling whispered secretively. It looked around cautiously. "Place it on the ground and Domina will form. Pokiehl says that it takes only your imagination to do it."
Slowly Lethia stood. She looked down at the Sproutling, questioning the creature's sanity, and put the blocks in her pouch. "Um, thank you." The Sproutling gave Lethia a quick wink before looking back up into the sky.
Walking down the path, Lethia glanced back at the Sproutling. 'I never did understand those things,' she thought. 'That one, though, seemed a bit stranger than the others. Saying those blocks make up Domina! Ha! I've been to Domina before. . . . I think.' Lethia stopped mid-step, a bit startled by her own thoughts. "I know I've been to Domina. It's always been there; I've seen it before."
Breaking into a run Lethia bounded down the dirt road towards Domina. Her mind was blurred by questions caused by the Sproutling's side of the conversation. She never needed the blocks before because Domina already existed. Lethia had been to the town only a week earlier, to prepare for her brother's short return. Why, though, was she questioning herself?
Domina suddenly appeared before Lethia and she came to a stop. Breathing hard she smiled to herself, feeling a little more at ease. "Stupid Sproutling." Lethia muttered. She looked at the town and sighed happily. "Making me question myself like that. As if I needed these blocks to find Domina."
Lethia reached into the leather pouch and froze. The colored blocks the Sproutling gave here were no longer there.
...
Author's Notes: 1) Most of the talk between Lethia and the other characters won't be word for word but will be close. The only dialogue that will dead on most of the time is the dialogue with the Jumi. I get the dialogue from the same web site that I found the dialogue in my short story 'An Unseen Jewel.' Go to etansel. net because it has everything you need to know about the Jumi!!
2) I will have the main male character in this story as well, but he won't be there much. He is Lethia's older brother and I have named him Hawk Eye (don't know why, but when I played as him that was the name I liked best out of the ones it gave you). If you really, REALLY want to see him do a quest, tell me. I have no intentions to but will do it if pestered enough. ^_^
3) There will be a Lethia/Elazul relationship. Don't know if I'll go in- depth or not. Depends on my mood. lol!
4) Here's the usual crap: I don't own any of the characters or stuff like that. Wish I did, but I don't. Damn my luck!