Guardian of The Rose

A Guardian is Born

(This chapter is an introduction to another main character, Bundar Issac Leigh Gaines.)

Three centuries ago, a wagon train consisting of 100 covered wagons and around five hundred settlers traveled thousands of miles to new and undiscovered land. The wagon train had planned on making settlement on the eastern coast line but, many of those wagons stopped their travels early on. Out of those 100 wagons, 30 of them decided to stop their travels on the western side of a large snowy mountain range now known as Shandra. Specifically, around 126 pilgrims settled down on a large river that went on to be named the Chorus River. The Chorus River was ice cold and brought a fog across the land during the night. The settlers decided this would be a good place to settle as the fog could help keep them hidden from those who wished to harm them. So, on the Chorus River, tucked against the Shandra Mountain Range, 126 pilgrims settled down. This is the origins of the Velyra Kingdom.

Over the course of 300 years, the pilgrims grew from a wagon train, to a village, to a town, into a small kingdom, and then to a bountiful kingdom. A family from the original settlers became royalty from their long line of selfless acts for their fellow settlers. The Gaines family was voted to be the leaders of the Kingdom and from then went on to produce wonderful rulers and brave warriors. The kingdom was named after the first king to ever sit on the throne, Velyra Leigh Hans Gaines. The Velyra Kingdom grew quickly. Their markets were filled with fresh fish, bountiful harvests, foraged medicines, and fresh game. No one starved in the Velyra Kingdom and it became the paradise of the untamed land.

The Velyra Kingdom, known for its radiance and purity, avoided war easily by making peace with surrounding kingdoms and trade with far off lands. But, the greed of their neighbors brought upon an end to peace. The Velyra Kingdom was pulled into war and showed great strength through their military and loyalty. They fought alongside those they were partnered with and helped slay their friend's enemies.

One day, the high priest of the Bahiri Father and Mother came to the seventh Velyra King, Issac Leigh Drough Gaines II, and brought him a warning. The priest begged the King to withdraw from the war now before the Bahiri Father and Mother took action. At the time, the high priests had great standing in the political aspects of the kingdom and so, King Issac II withdrew Velyra armies from war zones and closed its borders from the battles. King Issac II was right to do so as the world entered the Gray Era. While the fields use to be bountiful, trees were vibrant, animals were kind, and life was easy, the beautiful radiance dropped away. Those green fields dulled, harvests from the Chorus River grew smaller, and desperation grew more. The high priests and worshippers cried in pain as the Bahiri Mother and Father withdrew their blessings from the world.

Citizens of the Velyra Kingdom started to grow hungry and antsy. They started to travel farther from their kingdom's borders in search of food and trade. They searched for three years until one citizen came back with a wagon full of wild herbs and fish from the river. The citizen had came home with a bountiful harvest while others came home with nothing. This citizen was brought before King Issac II and the high priest where he shared his story of the fair maiden on the mountain.

He spoke of her freckled Snow White skin, hair of burning flames, eyes of earth and sky, and voice of sweet enchantment. He spoke about how she sat within blossomed red Rose bushes. The citizen praised the maiden on the top of Shandra. When the high priest and King Issac II asked of the maidens origins, the citizen replied in beautiful words.

"She is the blessing of the Bahiri Father and Mother, the savior of our world, child of star dust and Bahiri ground, guardian to forgiveness and remorse, she is Willow Cascade, child of the Bahiri Father and Mother, our beacon of salvation, your majesty..."