Dawning of a Seer

Stories of Olde

They reached the bottom of the cavern and walked around the pillar-like crystallised rocks that now towered above them like giants made of stone. Although the rocks still emitted a soft reddish glow it was much darker and it was difficult to see ahead clearly. The floor was wet with moisture and it collected into brown coloured pools on the uneven ground beneath their feet.

The light and atmosphere surrounding them seemed to change. Elizabeth and Blossom followed Rue towards an outcrop of rock that seemed to pulsate with energy. It was deep red in colour but white veins that ran through it shone brightly and Elizabeth could feel a warmth radiating from it as they approached.

"This is the bloodstone," announced Rue with reverence. "This is what both of you must protect, with your lives if need be."

"It looks like it's alive," Blossom looked at it with awe.

"That's because it is," replied Rue. "Those whose possess even a small piece of the bloodstone can tap into unimaginable power. Legend has it that it can even overcome Marwolaeth, but there's no-one alive or anything that survives in our written history to prove it."

"What do you mean by Marwolaeth?" Elizabeth asked.

"She means death, to survive death and live forever," Blossom answered.

Elizabeth and Blossom watched the pillar of rock pulsate with energy as they contemplated its power. 'Surely this means the woodland kingdom is safe,' Elizabeth thought to herself. 'How could anyone cause them harm if they possessed something so special and powerful as the bloodstone?' But then she realised Rue had already answered that question. If any living nymph had been gifted a bloodstone when they became bound to a tree spirit then there would be a living soul to testify to its power.

"Not even Winter possesses a bloodstone does she?" Elizabeth asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"No, she doesn't," Rue confirmed.

"Why not?" asked Blossom, "she's our queen."

"The gift of amber you are given when you are bound is determined by the tree spirit you are bound to, you know this yourself, Blossom. As your wings unfurled for the first time and your mind was truly awakened with the knowledge of magic you would have also found yourself to be wearing a piece of amber jewellery upon your body, gifted by your tree spirit to enhance your life force and magical ability."

Blossom touched the silver band upon her hand reverently and turned it to show a small, highly polished reddish brown stone flecked with dark inclusions. "Why can't we just mine the bloodstone and use it if it's that powerful? We could use it to protect the woodland, our kingdom."

"Fate has always determined our future, the spirit we are bound to and the powers we are given. Its always been this way. It should not be up to us to decide the gifts we're given or the level of power we can wield. Mankind has always strived against his fate for more power, more wealth, never caring about his fellow man or the nature that surrounds him. That's why Mother Nature created us so that we at least would live in harmony with one another, protecting what she holds dear," replied Rue.

"What if I took some? I'm not yet a nymph," Elizabeth asked. "Could I use it to protect the woodland?"

"You've taken your vow Luna, a tree spirit will gift you a piece of amber when you are bound to them. I just need you and Blossom to protect this cavern's secret, not risk destroying the heart of the tree of life. I've spent my life as it's guardian searching our history and still have found little about the bloodstone. The crystals that surround us have never been mined, only gifted by the spirits. There's a reason for that, I just don't know what it is." Rue placed her hands on their shoulders and looked at them with an expression denoting sincere empathy. "Now that you know of the cavern and bloodstone I need you both to swear the solemn oath of its guardianship and only to pass on your duty to it when the time is right to someone you would entrust its secrets and your life to."