Lavender Forest

The Dryad's Past

Long before the realm of Tiurna came to prosper as it did in modern times, there existed an ancient race of people who held the ability to manipulate and communicate with nature. These people wielded magical powers that were only amplified by these abilities, protecting the world they inhabited from threats that no others could ever hope to face. Eventually they became known as the Dryads, a people who consisted entirely of females and had a lifespan that would last forever in order to maintain the natural balance of the world.

The Dryad's home was the forest, the place where nature was at its most plentiful. That wasn't to say they disliked other places in the world. The snowy tundras and the sweltering deserts all had a unique charm to them and offered benefits that the other did not. Worlds as beautiful as this were worth protecting at any cost, the other people who lived upon it even more so.

Whilst known to defend the world, the Dryads only took up roughly twenty percent of the population. This was due to them being a species composed entirely of females, meaning they would be required to find human partners. Unfortunately, the chances of a Dryad being born was exceptionally slim as very specific conditions needed to be met. As a result, the remaining percentage of the population was almost entirely human.

Humanity could defend itself from most threats they faced. Night brought terrors of its own, ranging from zombies to volatile sentient slimes, all of which the average human was more than capable of handling. What they relied on the Dryads for was those few enemies that resided on a much higher level. In the past, they had warded off an alien invasion that was hellbent on colonising the planet. They had even managed to defeat a demon from the depths of hell, driving him back to the flaming underworld from whence he came.

Alura had seen all of these battles unfold, but she was never allowed to participate.

Alura was currently the youngest Dryad to exist, living for only 112 years which was exponentially young for a Dryad. Despite her age seeming quite high from a human's perspective, she had the appearance of a young woman in her late teens or early twenties. Her eyes sparkled a vibrant green, as did her emerald hair shine in the sunlight as it fell in a ponytail, held up by the pink flower bud of a carnation. Almost always she could be seen wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a bra, both of which were made entirely of leaves held together by magic. Green vines coiled around her legs and midriff, snaking across her body before coming to an end across her shoulders.

Anyone who had laid eyes upon the daughter of the forest would agree that she was undeniably attractive. Everything from the way she talked, to her perfect curves. Not to mention her bare, exposed feet. Her smooth soles had a perfect arc to them, ending in her toes which had all been carefully painted green. Eyes would be locked on her as she sat on the branch of a tree, legs crossed as her feet hung freely, vines wrapping around her ankles.

Despite being almost perfect in the looks department, she had never had much experience using her magic in combat. Combined with being the youngest and therefore the most important Dryad currently alive, she was only permitted to spectate her people's battles.

Initially, Alura despised this special treatment. Being a Dryad, there was a natural compulsion to defend nature from threats. She hated how the others seemed to be protecting her when they should have been prioritising the other inhabitants of the planet. It made her feel useless seeing her comrades put their lives on the line while she sat and did nothing all because she was the youngest; the 'future of the Dryads' rested upon her, as the others had told her.

It made her feel weak watching the powerful spells that the others could cast, ranging from twisting vortexes of leaves to summoning a magical circle that empowered those within it. Meanwhile, all she was capable off was slightly manipulating the growth of flora.