The Eternal War: The Dragon's Valkyrie

The Druids

Saidy shot up to see a tree in front of her. It hadn't been there when she'd closed her eyes. Saidy began to draw her sword—she knew this world was too deadly to take any chances.

"There won't be any need for that!"

Vines ensnared her wrists, crushing her tendons until she had no choice but to release the sword. It buried its tip into the soft earth beneath her feet.

"Let me have a closer look at you," the voice said. It seemed to be emanating from the tree itself.

Two eyes opened from what she thought was bark and moss. Suddenly, the branch that had been facing her seemed to be shaped like a nose. The tree materialized into a humanoid shape right in front of her eyes.

"What are you?"

"I could ask the same of you! Red hair, pale skin, a wolf behind you. You're no druid, and you're not from here. Furthermore, you're definitely not from here!"

Saidy stared at this talking tree for a moment.

"Um... you said that already."

"I did? Hmm, well, that tends to happen when you've been wandering the Night Glade for as long as I... Your mind tends to go on without you as does your body." The bark under his nose cracked to reveal what Saidy could only interpret as a smile. "I am a druid, Saidy Ebonharte, and you have been long awaited."

Saidy stared at the tree. She felt her arms fall to her sides, but swore her jaw was inches from the ground.

"I can hear that you believe your mind to already be lost, but I assure you, it is not. I am real."

The tree melted into a more human like being in front of Saidy. The transition from tree to man was seamless; however, his skin was still brown and fluted like bark, and a lichen grew from his head and chin in the form of greenish-grey tangles. A leaf or two also sprouted from small twigs on his person. The man began walking deeper into the wood, and Ash followed as if it were his nature to follow this thing.

Saidy shook her head, collecting herself and her sword as she instinctually followed the man; although, she questioned why. The druids were evil. Why didn't she cut him down? Why was there a prevailing sense of calm that flooded her despite this?

"You said I was long awaited?" she questioned as she jogged up to and alongside the man.

He was slightly shorter than her, so keeping pace was easy enough. She grabbed Ash's reins for comfort. If things turned sour, she wanted Ash close to protect her in case she couldn't draw her swords again.

"Indeed, we've listened to the earth tell of your arrival since before your existence."

"You listened to the earth?"

"Of course, what do you think druids are?"

"I don't know..."

"Well, you wouldn't. We keep to ourselves in our little corner of the world. We were once revered, but we chose to be forgotten." He lifted his branch of an arm and pointed around. "This place is the Night Glade. Only those who enter and are deemed worthy may pass through its darkness into our sanctum. Had the glade deemed you otherwise, you'd not be here now."

"So, the darkness is a veil meant to keep intruders out?"

"In a sense, yes. It's more of a test of one's determination and intent. Those that seek to destroy us will be cast from the glade by the glade itself. Those that seek our knowledge, must prove their resolve. Few achieve such a feat; however, those that wish to join us must pass an even greater test. You have not come for that, though. You've come to collect something."