Petrichor

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, the Kingdom of Vylaria had a strong, noble, and valiant army; sworn to protect the kingdom and all who inhabit it from the dangers of the Elderwood Forest. The walls surrounding the entire kingdom were tall, sturdy, and painstakingly built over many years, with countless hours of hard labor from anyone who was able and willing. Just outside of these walls beyond a lush, diverse, gorgeous landscape full of so many different types of flora lies the Elderwood Forest. As far as anyone in the kingdom has ever known, the expanse of this forest was endless. There was very little travel from any other kingdoms, and when there was it was namely supply wagons, and the occasional warriors and rogues who collapse at the edge of their defenses. You see this Forest was not any ordinary Forest. It is full of creatures large and small; dragons, wraith, nymph, Fae, and many others of the like. Many of these creatures could communicate in ways that the inhabitants of nearby areas could understand -at least to some degree- so that there was no unnecessary fighting between those who build their artificial homes, and those who dwell within the confines of the forest itself. However, that is not always the case for some of these travelers, or even sometimes the creatures themselves. One way or another, a traveler will run into a hostile creature. Whether or not this creature is intentionally trying to provoke them, entirely depends on who or what they are. Outside of hunting for necessity, some of the humans go after creatures for money as well. There are others within this forest such as owls, deer, and bear. When it comes to those in particular, they are a little less compliant with leaving travelers alone. Some of them come across dens, nests, burrows, and hide-aways and so it causes them to wind up in a very hostile situation. On the other hand, just as there are 'rogue' humans, there are also 'rogue' creatures within this forest. As they can communicate just as efficiently as humans, though in different ways and customs, there are also those of them who have taken on a more... hostile nature. They get extremely territorial, and some even do it for the fun of it. Very similar to what humans would call owning private property, and hunting for trophy or sport. However there are mountain ranges, old ruins, abandoned houses, and much more within the forest. Vast cave systems, huge rivers and lakes, scattered through the mountains and valleys of this forest spanning hundreds of miles in many directions. On this particular day, the Heir of the kingdom of Vylaria was out in the fields beyond the walls and safety of their home. From time to time they wandered out, sometimes even into the forest, to enjoy the breeze and the sun as it shone past the branches and leaves. The sunsets from the forest were the most beautiful thing, and the heir often wished the walls could come down one day so that they could see the sunsets whenever they wanted. They yearned at times to know what lies beyond it, and all of its mysteries. They wanted to know what it was like to adventure through the forest, to visit the vast lakes and thundering waterfalls, to see the creatures that they've only heard about in stories from the travelers and tradesmen who wander to their town. However, they were not permitted to be even just beyond the walls that kept their home and people safe. The times that they did wander outside of the walls, they did secretly. It was considered 'unbecoming' of them to disobey orders and wander on a whim to do as they pleased. They had so many duties and responsibilities in their everyday life, they used the fields surrounding the kingdom as a means of solace and quiet. Sometimes they would sit there for hours and watch the flowers and bees dance in the winds. The rabbits and deer that strolled through the fields were their favorite, as they seem so relaxed and at peace with their lives, as to not have a single care in the world. No advisors to tell them what should be done and when, no one to tell them where to be and what to wear. Oh how they longed to live a life where they could follow their dreams and their heart, and let the winds of life just carry them wherever they may go. As they laid in the field, staring up as they watched the birds seemingly float on the winds high in the sky, they faintly noticed someone calling their name from inside the walls. "Avan! Avan, where are you!?" It took a moment to register in their mind that someone noticed their absence, but soon they quickly scrambled to their feet and darted toward the outer wall, from where they came. 'Shit. Shit shit shit, I don't know how long I was gone!'  The thought played in their mind, mixing with the growing panic of the trouble they'd get into if it was discovered that they were outside of the walls again. Last time they were caught, they had to clean all of the stables and pens within the city... and not just for the horses. Royalty or not, they were still expected to listen to even the simplest of rules. As they ran up to the wall, they tried to be as silent as possible. It was hard for anyone to hear them through the wall, of course, but they did have guards stationed upon the top as lookouts just in case there was any sign of danger or an invasion. They followed the wall as it curved around west, looking for a spot that had thick vines climbing up the side of the cobblestone. Once Avan got to the spot where the vines were the thickest, they pushed some of them aside roughly to reveal a trap door, of sorts. The walls had quite a few of them, as they were intended to be used in emergencies just in case something did make it through to their homes. Carefully opening it so as not to make too much noise, Avan slipped through and closed it behind them before turning to face the darkened hallway. The only sense of light was a dim glow coming through the cracks of the door on the other end. Avan sighed heavily and started forward, trying to move quickly but quietly just in case someone was waiting on the other side. This hallways was damp, cold, yet somehow oddly comforting despite it being labeled as creepy or strange by the children who played in the streets nearby. No one really dared to go near the wall, let alone the trap doors to the outside, except for the children who are either too curious to consider their own safety, or the terrified children who do it upon a dare to try and prove that they aren't scared. Given the fact that the only sense of direction that Avan really had to go on every time they came through here was the faint glow of the sun at the other end of the hallway, one couldn't really see anything in the tunnels under the wall. Thankfully nothing was ever placed in these hallways, though the stray rat or lizards do tend to get through fairly easily. You can usually hear them scamper away as they hear you approach, of course unless you're breathing too hard. Avan approached the door at the end of the hallway and peered through a crack between the slats of wood that made up the door. Looking around as best they could, they didn't see anyone nearby but they could still faintly hear their name being called from down one of the streets not too far away. "Maybe if I slip out now, they won't see me and I can find my way back" Avan mumbled quietly to themself, as if accidentally thinking out loud. Taking a deep breath they moved the door open and stepped halfway out. Avan winced as the sudden burst of light stung their eyes, but had no choice other than to let them adjust. After a moment they quickly glanced around and shut the door behind them before sprinting in the opposite direction of the fading voices calling their name. Deciding it would be best to try and lose themselves into a crowd of people, they ducked down a few different roads before coming into an opening where a few different shops had people gathered around. A couple kids ran up to Avan and grinned "Avan! Avan! Come look at what Mallorie found!" One of the kids said excitedly, tugging them in the direction of a group of kids before Avan really even had time to respond. "Alright, I'm coming, but slow down a little! Im a bit out of breath!" They said as they laughed, while being dragged through the street. All of the kids in the group ranged widely in age. Some were as young as maybe 5 or 6 and some as old as 14, many of them being siblings or direct neighbors to each other, but they knew each other well. As they approached a smaller group of children, the one named Mallorie looked up with a toothy grin and held up her hands to reveal a rather large Dragon Toad. Avan was a bit surprised, as despite their namesake these toads didn't have wings or breathe fire. The surprising part of it was the fact that they've never been able to breach the wall before. Usually the kids find lizards or small frogs, but unlike those creatures; the toads couldn't climb the walls into the city. There wasn't exactly enough room through the gaps in the gates or even the doors to the emergency tunnels throughout the border wall. "Oh look at you! You found a dragon toad! Did you know that this particular species actually got its name because of its coloration, and the fact that they are most commonly seen around caverns that hold specific species of Dragons?" Avan explained, kneeling down to get closer to examine the road, all the while the kids attentively listened in awe and fascination, just staring as Avan explained further. "This particular one has a deep blue, almost purple undertone to the skin around it. If I remember correctly, that means that the conditions in the cave were cooler and damp. Maybe a bit of standing water, which could indicate a water serpent, or a river dragon!" Avan said, adding a bit of a dramatic flair to how they spoke as some of the kids giggled and a couple squealed in both excitement and mild fear at the information they were given. "I've never seen one! Where'd this one come from? How'd it get in? Does this mean there's a dragon here?" Mallorie asked, continuing the string of questions as Avan just laughed a bit before taking the toad from her. "I'm actually not sure how it got in. Perhaps it was on the wares of one of the travelers when they arrived... But no, I don't think we have any dragons to worry about anytime soon." They said and patted Mallorie's head with their free hand. "Dragons tend to stay near their home and habitat. They have their own territory to protect, and would rather stay there than follow a couple of toads around." Avan reassured them and stood upright again. "I'm actually going to bring this to my father now. He's sent for me a few times and I feel like I should be getting back. I feel like he will be so excited about this little one!" They explained, and the kids all 'awww'ed at the same time, not wanting them to leave. "I know, and I'm sorry! Maybe tomorrow I can play with you when I'm done with my duties. I will definitely be looking forward to that." Avan said and grinned, ruffling the hair on the head of one of the children that had tugged them along to the toad. A couple of the younger kids hugged their legs before letting them be off again, and Avan quickly headed up towards their home. They were being so careful not to frighten the toad that they now carried in their hands, as they didn't want to lose it and either have to chase it down or go home without some sort of excuse as to why they were late. "I hope this works. Father will be so upset if I don't have a decent enough reason for not responding to the guards any sooner... though this toad does make me worry. What if there is a dragon nearby?" Avan was mumbling to themself, allowing the thoughts to just run along and not bothering to keep from speaking aloud. They sighed as they got to the gates around the castle ground and used their free hand to open it. The loud squeaking hinges definitely would've alerted some guards to their presence, and Avan entirely expected to be escorted to their father as soon as a guard, or perhaps even Avans personal assistant, appeared. Avan flinched as the gates hinges squealed as it closed once again sighing, they turned back toward the open grounds and started on their way again, hoping for the best but not really knowing what to expect.