Wings of Destruction and Duty

06 || Aurnia

The mountain seemed to groan as strange winds swept through its hollows and cracks, they dug their invisible fingers into hidden cracks and cackled when dust and pebbles fell towards the ground.

Aurnia stood with her hands on the walls and listened. Deep within the heart of the world Aurnia was able to survey the land and all the creatures that roamed free within it, the song that had once threaded itself between the worlds was slowly growing quieter and endless hatred seemed to simmer from within. Once light and sweet, the world's song was filled with deep grumbling and clashing. A jumble of notes clashed deep within the heart filling the world with disorder and hate.

Aurnia grumbled and closed her eyes, odd shapes and sounds floated across her mind, each one trying desperately to break out from restrictions that held them back. Gently she reached out with her mind and felt for the threads of peace that wrapped around the world. Each thread screamed and flashed when she approached them, carefully she reached out and grabbed one, immediately her mind was filled with shouting and a throbbing pain. When she had first started her mother had warned her about the importance of certainty, one moment of hesitation could unleash terror upon the world.

It trembled in her hands and sent bitter feelings tumbling in her stomach, one word was all it took to relieve it of its sorrow and Aurnia clenched her teeth as the troubles flowed into her. Behind her, the world's heart seemed to sigh as its leaves rustled. The sound of glass tinkling cascaded across the room as a single shining branch broke off as tumbled towards the group. Dark oozing rot seeped out of the gaping hole and dripped on the ground. Each place it touched because dark and soft as it ate into the silent stone.

Dismay jumped through Aurnia as she opened her eyes to take in the damage, no matter how hard she tried she was just too late. Weariness climbed through her body and Aurnia sighed before pushing it away once again. Gone were the days when she could just collapse back in bed after a long day of training and ignore her mother's teachings.

The wall felt cold as she removed her hands and made her way towards the centre of the room. Glyphs lit up as she passed by giving off small rushes of electricity, they fizzed and rang. And high above in the air the stars continued to move, oblivious and never-changing as they were. The tree hummed as she approached it and Aurnia eyed the cracks racing up its spine. The bark was cool underneath her hand and she grimaced as a weak pulse rose to meet her fingers.

She closed her eyes and pushed gently on the bark, it groaned and her breath hung in the air as she muttered a spell. The wood squeaked as she guided the pieces back together. Each crack shimmered with a green light before sealing up again and Aurnia felt something tug at her heart; she fought to keep her mind focused as it drifted back towards her mother.

The Great Mother gifted the world with a tree for a heart, yet she failed to explain why it was slowly changing. Aurnia' eyes flew open and her finger traced the thin slivers of glass that ran throughout the tree, if she still her heart she could just make out the sound of singing along with a flash of colour. Her nostrils flared as the smell of oranges filled her head, she jerked her hand away and it faded into nothing. Disappointment clung to her heart and weighed her mind down.

Her amber eyes scanned the chamber once again. Scores of shimmering glyphs spiralled up the wall where they met where they met in the center of the cavernous domed ceiling. Once there had been a spectacular mural depicting the ancient wars but one of Agrona's famous tempers had sent the precious stones flying through the air. No amount of effort would fix it.

A map. She knew she needed to begin planning for the journey ahead. The mountain had secrets and twists large enough to swallow things up but Aurnia was smarter. Over the years she'd picked up on small things here and there, and one place she was certain she could find one was in her mother's study. A strange endless map that grew with time and new discoveries.