Chapter Text
A leaf swaying in the wind; a shining vessel carrying a Spirit child. It was falling, gliding through the midnight air alongside the many other leaves descending into the luminescent forest below. There gathered the visage of an audience. Many Spirits awaited the arrival of these newborns, their bodies lighting up the forest as they gathered. Yet, it was the leaf of this newly born Light-Bearer that made the fronds of each Spirit tingle, young and old.
As it landed, its appearance outshined the luminescent world they’d known, and their curious eyes watched and waited in anticipation as the leaf began to glow; a gentle and easy flash of radiance filled the forest. The brilliance took form, and what was once a pale leaf was now a Spirit, quiet and slumbering in its place, his body akin to a white flame. His weary eyes creaked open for the first time in his life. Amidst his blurry vision was the prying eyes of the crowd around him watching intently. Dazed and confused, the little one stumbled to his feet before tripping over a small rock and landing back on his rear.
The Spirit’s eyes guided down his legs and widened at the strange sight of his limbs. At the end of his legs, there were hooves—his hooves. Fascinated and compelled to learn more, he observed his other limbs, kicking his legs and grasping at his three-fingered hands. Then, he was suddenly plunged into darkness as these strange appendages atop his head flopped over his face. He squeaked, jumped to his feet, and shook his head, flopping away these strange limbs. But as giggles and whispers carried, his ears twitched at the hushed voices that were both excited and playful.
And as his nervousness grew, the whiskers sprouting from his cheeks flicked in anticipation, and he stepped back, preparing to run from this crowd of unknown danger. Suddenly, the crowd began to part, for another Spirit approached. Donned in flowing black robes with details both intricate and lovely, a new face emerged from the crowd. Upon her approach, the newborn fell back, at first curling his tail around his body in a protective ball. But there emanated from her an aura of serenity that compelled his body and mind to loosen.
The fear began to dwindle as her soft smile pierced past the fog of his uncertainty—a telltale sign of her benevolence. She bent down before the young Spirit and held out a hand. The newborn clung to his tail for comfort, but reluctantly released it and accepted this stranger’s hand. With a slow and steady pace, she helped lift him up to his wobbling feet. Her face beamed with joy, and an intense love radiated from her presence. And placing her warm palm against his cheek, she spoke in a voice, comforting and tender.
“You are Yulan, ‘Together Still,’ for you are the one chosen who will lead and keep our people together.”
Her eager joyful smile returned and her eyes shifted up above, past the young Spirit. Curious, he too turned to follow her gaze, and was soon met with the magnificence of The Spirit Tree—a mighty and giant form basking in the starry skies. The effulgent golden Light affixed within its branches shone brighter than the forest, like a second moon radiant and gleaming. The luminance pulsed and expanded in celebration, as if the forest itself praised the birth of this new Spirit.
And from this ancient being, its last words were spoken; a mountainous and deep voice erupted through both the skies and ground before it fell silent into a long slumber:
‘Yulan…’
Of course, that’s how Isava described it.
With how she told this story, she truly undermined how nervous I was. But hey, you try being born, waddling around for the first time in your life while being gawked at by hundreds of others, and say you wouldn’t be embarrassed. And after having been born, with no idea of what was going on, she was eager to bring me to The Spirit Hall where I was introduced to seven other Guardian Spirits—’The Spirit Council,’ they called themselves, a group of Spirits dedicated to protecting The Light and all The Forest with it.
I believe her enthusiasm shielded her from the fact that I was a mere moments old and had no clue what any of this meant. But as I grew in age, they were apparently the ones to train me to be their noble leader—how fun. What could go wrong with that?
It was all in vain, of course. I remembered how naive I was. Being a leader just wasn’t for me. A heavy responsibility; a hefty doubt that encompassed me. I must’ve been the least qualified Spirit to carry such a burden, yet there I stood as the chosen head to protect our world. How did I overcome this fear, this doubt? How did I face my own self?
Well, allow me to regale you with a story—a long one. One of discovery and destiny. One of heartbreak and sacrifice. Where light is born in darkness. Where hope is birthed in dread. The time where disaster struck our land, the moment our world was shattered in but a day.
And like any day, it begins with waking up…
