Sorceress of the Verdant Jungle
A Original story by Kuda Kitsune
A green-clad foot stepped gently through the underbrush, her presence going unnoticed by the animals around her.
It was time for her weekly ritual, traveling to the centre of the jungle and performing her Thanks to the Earth. She glided as if made of shadow, the leaves barely fluttering as she passed. Her vibrant emerald dress blended perfectly with the lush greenery around her, the fabric seeming to be made of leaves itself. In her hand was a long staff that was made of a strong, slim branch, adorned with leaves and vines that wound tightly around itself.
Just behind her scrambled a silver baby Star dragon, trying his best to keep up with her fast pace. It was his first time attending the ritual, having hatched from his Meterorite mere weeks ago. He realized he was steadily being left behind, and let out a panicked trill to his Mother.
The girl smiled and stopped, bending down to gently scoop up her little Familiar. He sang happily as he nuzzled into her hand, his voice ringing like little bells.
As the two of them finally reached the clearing, the very wind seemed to stop in respect for them. The girl flipped back her snow-white hair, gazing around over her glasses. She set her Star dragon on the ground gently, taking her staff firmly in her hand. Suddenly, she raised it over her head and swung it down, firmly planting the end in the soft earth. As it stood upright, she opened a hatch on the top, taking out a tiny sparkling seed.
Her familar quickly slithered up her staff, remembering what he had been drilled through over and over before the ritual. He clung to the staff tight, his Mother's voice echoing through his tiny head. "Whatever you do - do NOT touch the ground. If you do, you will be sucked into the earth itself. It's very dangerous and you're not old enough yet to handle the magic."
He watched in awe as the girl took a few steps forward, into the very centre of the clearing. She began to sing, a soft lilting tune floating throughout the clearing. As if being drawn out from the earth itself, a green-tinted breeze began to swirl around her, picking up various seeds, leaves and flowers with it. As the breeze began to pick up, the girl held out her hand. In her hand was the little seed, sparkling and shining furiously. She tilted her hand and the seed fell.
As soon as it hit the ground, a huge crack was heard. Where the seed had fallen, a huge crack had appeared in the earth. The breeze turned into a gale, whipping the girls hair about and buffeting the poor baby Star dragon atop its perch. But he clung on all the tighter, his eyes glued to hos Mother and the magyk she was performing.
Suddenly, from the crack a root appeared, winding its way up out of the chasm. Soon more roots followed it, twisting and winding their way up the large root and across the ground. A few wrapped around the girl, but she held her position and sang louder. As the roots grew higher, they suddenly split, branching out like a web across the sky. Green buds sprouted from the new branches, growing rapidly. Flowers blossomed in a rainbow of colours and scents, dying and being reborn in a shower of petals. The new tree's canopy fluttered and sparkled, the sunlight dancing through the leaves and across the ground.
As suddenly as it had begun, the tree stopped growing, its trunk braided tightly together. The Sorceress' singling quieted, matching with the now-soft breeze that played among the leaves. She raised her hands up, open palms as if begging for the Tree's blessing. As if in answer, a single branch bent down, and a fruit blossomed. It's skin went from a blinding yellow, to a vibrant green before settling to a deep blue that rivaled the sky's own.
Gently, the girl reached up and took the fruit, twisting the stem as to not damage the flesh. As soon as she took the fruit, emerald green stripes blazed down her arms and across her body, adorning her skin brightly.
Slowly she took a few deep breaths, calming her heart. The ritual always made her nervous, no matter how many centuries she had performed it. She cradled the fruit in her arm, returning to her staff. Her Familiar was perched wide-eyes atop it, his body trembling in awe and amazement. This is what his Mother lived for. Giving the gift of the Tree of Heart to the Earth and in turn receiving the Fruit of the Soul in return.
The Sorceress smiled gently and stroked the little Dragon's scales reassuringly, grabbing her staff and wrenching it out of the ground. He sat happily atop her staff, his little chest puffing with importance. He had done it! He had seen the Ritual!
The girl laughed, watching the little Dragon's eyes shine with pride. He was going to be a lifelong friend for the millenniums to come.
As quietly as they had come, they disappeared into the underbrush as life around them re- assumed it's cycle. The greenery swallowed them up, the girl's dress and new markings blending with the vegetation perfectly.
The last seen of them was the girl's snow-white hair and the Star dragon's silver hide sparkling in the sunlight that filtered through the canopy.
A/N: Well.
It's been a long time hasn't it?
Well, I wrote this for a description for one of my Gaia Online avatars. I was gonna submit it into the Avatar Arena – but what I wrote (this) turned out to be too long. I figured it was good enough to submit here.
Really rough, but if enough people like it I'll refine it. Plus – I haven't typed up anything in a looooong time. Been too busy drawing.
Seriously – this was REALLY random. But I like it.
Comments make me happy! They really do!!
