The world of Iluziija. A vast domain rich with life, culture, and magic. It is home to creatures, tall and short, bright and dark, good and evil, all existing under one sun. There are forests with towering trees and wilds beasts bigger than mountains, and frozen wastelands with organisms thriving just beneath the snow. Such places are ruled by their respective leaders, or whoever is most powerful. Some species are said to be inherently magical, powered by a Hearthstone which grants them access to the key of sorcery. However, even non-magic creatures may harness this power. They are called diviners. By a stroke of luck or destiny, the magic is conjured from within them. They will master different types of magic as they grow older, but are not restricted to certain elements, as many natural holders are. Both types of magic may be lost to the user, either through disconnection with the Hearthstone, or disconnection with themselves. In this fantastical world, there is kingdom near the South East of the large landmass holding all these different realms. It is well protected space, surrounded by towering walls the contain the safety of citizens while also hiding a dark past. Though currently watched over by a fair and wise council, the Kingdom of Anthyria used to be controlled by a powerful emperor, who took everything in his path, slaughtering hundreds of innocent villages to gain land, resources, and prosperity. His name was Ekrai Algranoth, but he was known as the Red King. His legacy lasted longer than people had hoped, but even then his death was premature and untimely. The cause is said to be unknown, but it is generally stated to be murder or suicide. However, this story doesn't end there. His beloved son, Zerras, took the place as king at a young age, but his impact was hardly small. His tendencies showed to be similar to father's. He grew into his role and was a renowned warlord, skilled in combat and tactical strategy, wielding his weapon, Oblivion, which had been passed down to him as a will from his father. Historians are unsure which Algranoth was worse, but after many years the people had enough, inciting a revolution to overthrow the king. It was short and successful, as even the kingdoms guards were against the ruling, however the cause of demise of the king was unknown to most, as no body was ever found. Since that day, a counsel had became the leaders, and led Anthyria into a peaceful and prosperous time. That was 200 years ago. The civilization had kept up the fortunate, and their little world was calm. The castle of the Elders rested directly in the center, surrounded by lush gardens and houses of nobles. Just beyond that was the bustling city life, where artists and scholars did their work. As we get closer to the walls, we find the villages more dispersed, mostly filled with fishers and farmers. Today was a lush Spring day, soaking the vibrant flora with sunlight and leaving the clear waters sparkling. The Pavaris family was one of these rural villagers. The eldest daughter, Juniper, was a very special elf. She had been blessed with Clairvoyance, an element of magic many diviners are granted. However, she had never been able to control her visions, and they seemed to come at random. They were usually rather simple, foreseeing a good harvest, the weather, or even a conversation she would have. It was rarely an inconvenience, and the idea of becoming a fully fledged Diviner seemed distant. Her life was peaceful and warm, their residence in the kingdom treating her family well. However, on this morning Juniper Pavaris had a terrible nightmare; one of sudden violence, bloodshed, and a glimpse of sharp, violet eyes. (@Eluuna)
With a start, Juniper awoke, sitting up and gasping for breath, her pupils dilating as the morning light streamed in through her window. In the bed across the room from her, her sister dozed peacefully, having grown used to Juniper’s sudden and early awakenings. This one was different though; shockingly so. Her visions were rarely so violent and brutal. She looked out the window nervously before getting out of the bed, her brows knit together in their trademark nervous frown. She crossed the room to the basin, splashing her face with the cool water within and pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes, considering the vision. What was that?
Everything else seemed normal, the sunlight filtering. The images remained in her mind like an echo, slowly fading away. The eyes she had seen looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place a finger on it. She was happily approached by a small dog, that looked more like a fox than anything. He was named Tanzy, and was an Earth elemental. With the coming of spring, green moss grew along his back over his earthy brown fur, and occasionally small white flowers bloomed. He circled her feet for a moment before bounding back into the main room.
She softened a little as Tanzy entered, reaching down to rub his ears before he left. With a small, tight sigh, she pulled her hair back in its short ponytail, chewing on her bottom lip as she walked over to the small chest at the end of her bed and opening it with a small creak. She pulled out her trousers, the linen worn from the overzealous washings she had put it through over the years. Folded neatly under the trousers was a deep grey shirt. This combination was typical for June, especially for the early mornings when she went to do the chores. She quickly pulled on the clothes, slipping into her work boots and brushing her sister’s blonde hair gently before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.
Tanzy happily followed her outside to do her chores, as he usually did. He was a rather smart creature, and would even help holding baskets or buckets. Today was a busy day for Juniper. The annual city Flower Festival was approaching quickly. Her family, as well as a few other farmers, had been hired to help transport a wagon of flowers to the inner city so the event planners could make the streets colorful and bright. The flowers had already been gathered, all that was left to do was to load them in the carts and start the journey to the city, which would only take about two hours.
Due to her abrupt awakening, Juniper was able to finish tending to the animals before the rooster crowed, already ahead of schedule. She crossed the farm to the carts, the hem of her trousers wet with dew as she took an armful of the flowers, burying her face in the blossoms for a moment and inhaling before piling them into the cart. It was still early, and for that, she was grateful. If it had been in the sun in the middle of the day, the entire process would have been extremely unpleasant. As it was, the sweet scent of the flowers in combination with the cool morning air made the task almost therapeutic, and she set her mind to the vision, trying to quantify it in her mind. She had seen those eyes somewhere, she knew she had.
It felt on the tip of her tongue, but she wouldn't be able to place it. Tanzy tried to help with the flowers, picking up bunches in his mouth and jumping onto the cart to place them. This task seemed to move quickly, and soon enough most of the flowers were placed. Soon enough, a young man from a neighboring farm approached, a box in his arms. His name was Firo, and he was a human who was around 18. He was kind, but a bit of an airhead, and set the box on the cart where their feet would go. He was travelling with her to the city, bring some refreshments from the farming district. His voice was warm, but he paused a lot to think. "Hey, June! Ready to, uh, deliver these flowers?"
She glanced over the final pile of flowers, her mouth curving up in a small smile as she saw him. “Oh, good morning, Firo… yes, I just have this last one, here…” She pulled herself up onto the cart and set down the flowers, sneezing as the pollen floated up. “Excuse me. How about you? You have everything?”
"Almost," he said, waving his hand easily as he turned back. "I just gotta grab the last box. Won't take more than five minutes, I think. You should get settled and I'll be right back."
She nodded, shutting the back of the cart before climbing up to the front seat and patting the spot next to her. “Tanzy, c’mere,” she cooed gently.
He hopped up, sitting obediently beside her. It didn't take long for Firo to return, setting his box on top of the other and getting in his seat. He picked up the reigns and flicked them as the horse began to move, starting their short journey to the city.
She rubbed the space behind Tanzy’s ears, her free hand settled neatly in her lap. She began to run through the visions again, her brow returning to its normal furrowed spot. She was beginning to get a headache from trying to remember or to locate the eyes, and she looked down at Tanzy, saying nothing.
Firo glanced over at her curiously as they went, passing the farmhouses and entering the first small village. "What's got you all confused?"
She looked up in surprise before looking in front of them, rubbing her knee uncertainly. “I had a vision last night,” she said slowly, her brow furrowed in thought. “Something really bad is going to happen, I think. But I just don’t know what. Or when.”
It was his turn to look surprised, a frown settling on his face as he looked over at her for a quick moment. "What? What happened in it?"
She squinted, trying to remember. “Violence. Bloodshed,” she said gravely. “Eyes. My visions are almost never like this, Firo, and I’ve already forgotten a lot, but... I don’t know. Maybe it was just a bad dream. I hope it was a bad dream.”
She hesitated, noticing the worry on his face and instantly changing her words to soften the implication. “They certainly have been,” she said gently. “Especially in things like conversations where something as dynamic as people are involved. Try not to worry, Firo. As far as I know, this could happen centuries in the future, or it might not happen at all.”
"Hey, hey," he began, with mock annoyance, "don't gotta sugarcoat it for me. Now I'll be ready for the apocalypse."
She laughed a little, her shoulders relaxing as she looked back down at Tanzy, scratching under his chin. “I suppose you’re right.”
