7 Start of it all, Dryad Tale, Father’s Woes

[3rd Person POV]

Lilith continued her journey after that encounter with little to no concern. The group wasn't much of a threat and just proved that she was heading in the right direction anyway besides, she'd be lying if she didn't enjoy that show of power regardless of the slight inconvenience of it all.

Little did she know that she would forever change the entire five tribes forever with her next encounter.

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[Derik Rinko POV, Rabbit Tribe]

Things aren't looking good.

Prayer, medicine, rest, and soft foods aren't improving her condition whatsoever.

Phila, my daughter, is dying.

I've already lost my first and second wives, my third is also ill and now my only child. The gods must hate us so, where did it go wrong? Was it trying to put my own family before my people? Limiting crops used for food, instead using them to barter with the other four tribes? What have I done for the gods to forsake my blood?

Barely at wits end I've even started praying to the Primordials, whom both Lion and Snake tribes' worship, nothing. No answers, no help, no notice, nothing. Am I really that small and unimportant? I feel like I would give everything.

My health hasn't waned myself despite my unkempt appearance due to the sheer stress of having all my loved ones around me die again and again. Even resorting to begging both the other tribes and my own tribesman has left me a destitute man. Losing everything to their half-truths and hoodwinked by their offers of salvation.

Falling down from my post is the least I would expect from such an event, my successor Gerald Michel should do better than I have ever done since I was given this curse for my servitude. Resorting to staying at a small hut near the edge of both the Rabbit and Lion territories was one of the last straws, at least here I have no-one to both my and my family's descent into the brinks of death. Already having pledged to end my own life to join both my wife and daughter in the afterlife if there even is one.

It was turning Ceronfall, and the frost-tears didn't help their conditions at all.

(AN: Months follow the Primordials names in order of eldest to youngest barring Lilith and Solia because of one not existing in the human's knowledge and the other is literally the name of the sun, TL:DR Ceronfall = November and frost-tears are snow)

Worrying for their safety I got up from a rock by the frozen river rushing a minutes' walk from our new residence and started to head back, dragging my feet through the snow as I went on. Once I passed the halfway point, I noticed a short woman, no girl, watching me from a few meters away. She look similar to Phila if she wasn't bedridden, they have the same eyes from my memory too only Phila's were much warmer, hers seemed to pierce through you unrelentingly. Phila also didn't have outlandishly green hair, laughing lightly to my thoughts I see her, covered in many layers of thick fur and wool, ask.

"Why are you crying?" I didn't even realize it at the time that I was, the cold tears seemed to cut into my face, but I didn't care… nobody cared for me and my family, why would she be any different. Trying to move on I found my legs unresponsive, must be the cold. Yet she approached me, almost without sound, and right in front of me asked once again. "Why are you crying?" This time the genuine worry in her voice shocked me further still, why does she care? Why didn't those bastards from before care? What's the difference between them and her?

Hitting me right in the face was the plain truth. She doesn't want anything from me. The others, regardless of how hard they tried to hide it, always desired something of mine in return. Lacing their sweet promises with their own selfish motives and desires. Nothing I do will affect her, if she can't do anything she'd just leave like the rest. But if she can? I ask myself again and again, debating the crisis I've faced for so long. Yet her words, her eyes, they remind me so much of what I want to protect and as such I couldn't help myself as I managed out a few words between sobs. "Phila… She's sick. I can't-"

As I try to go on, she suddenly hugs me, patting me lightly on my back and then says the best words I'd heard in my entire life. "It'll be fine, I'm here now." Though I didn't understand what she meant then I intuitively understood what she'd do and not only that, but she would succeed doing it.

Before I knew it, I was back in my hut, with both my wife and daughter lying on the floor. Even though this traveler was thinner and frailer than either of them I could tell that they were worse, much worse than anything I had ever seen before.

"Shit, poison and a small trace of Primordial… Midowe, must be the Snake tribe." Mumbling in words I don't understand she then pulls out a small flask and drips it into my wife's mouth with practiced ease. Almost like magic her complexion immediately brightens a little like a mist has been cleared allowing for her skin to grow from a pale sickly look to a soft pink once again. During the miracle I could feel my tears start to fall on my already damp face, yet her next words to me lessened my happiness greatly. "Your daughter's much worse." Turning to face the woman sadness once again grips me like the jaws of despair just wouldn't let me go at all. Though her next words confused me a little. "Do you wish to place a fate upon her shoulders that could change the entire world's balance?"

Stuttering I barely creep out a. "What?" Before the seriousness of this hits me, would I put some grand fate upon her shoulders? Do I want to thrust some divine will upon Phila? Not even questioning the nature of the statement coming from my family's savior I consider it greatly before I tentatively ask. "Would it kill her?"

"Mayhaps, but otherwise her death is a certainty." Seeing my still hesitant gaze she adds. "Though her fate may put her on a challenging path it will give her the means to traverse it. She would be beyond all others and possess powers incomprehensible to most. I will ask one last time; do you wish to put such a fate on her?"

The pressure of the sheer importance, the seriousness of this situation leads me to hesitate though with struggled movements my wife leans up and then tells me. "I know what you've had… to sacrifice for us. I don't wish… for such a fate on our child… but we can always prepare her for it this way… always guide her to be ready."

Nailing our fate in stone my wife's lines spurred me to answer. "Yes, if it will save her. Besides, we can always just ready her ourselves for such a fate." Smiling softly at that last line the being, as I'm certain they are not human at this point, nods before a small red drop of blood separates from their hand and falls into my daughter's chest. Within mere moments her body seems to restore itself, barely a few seconds later she was even healthier than she was as a new-born babe just over two cycles (AN: Years) ago.

Standing up our savior then says. "I'm sorry for forcing such a decision on you all." Bowing modestly to us which we vehemently try to refuse but she goes on anyway. "I'll aid her how I can myself," Standing up once again she gazes into the ceiling for a moment before sighing and out from her hand five small lights fly into my daughter's body forming a small rose shaped mark to form atop her left eyelid. "She has received our blessings. Possessing the Wisdom and Talent of those found only once in a million years. Alongside some other abilities to boot." With this our savior turns to leave but first we, me and my wife, ask.

"Wait, what is your name?" Turning towards the three of us she lets out a large grin revealing a row of pure white teeth.

"I'm the fourteenth Primordial, the one who presides over Nature and Reincarnation. Lilith. That is my name." Shocked both me and my wife remain motionless as she disappears into the blizzard raging outside. Later we both solemnly swear upon her name to never do a disservice to her blessings, holding up honesty and generosity forevermore and to not misuse the gifts given to us that fateful day.

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[Phila Rinko POV, Seven Years Later]

Rushing through the woods with fervent breath, my blood coursing through every bit of my body like a rushing river. Panting heavily, I stumble over a large root and barely manage to steady myself before my pursuers reach me.

A group of three, all wearing large wooden masks and thick reddish-brown armor over their torsos. The three were lean figures all heavily muscular for their builds, their agility is also surprising as even papa wasn't able to catch up to me at full speed. Papa…

Shaking out of my thoughts I focus on the trio standing just feet before me. One of them, presumably their leader, steps forward and 'gently' offers. "Look here nobody needs to get hurt, just come with us for a little and you'll be fine."

Examining the small patch of land around us I notice a few large dark oak tree's rooted right beside his allies. All I need is to get their attention away from me for a moment, that's all I need to do.

"Really?" My nervous tone squeaks out into my voice seemingly unintentionally. My hand slowly moving to the tree behind me, a much larger one with roots spreading throughout most of the nearby area or so I feel is the case.

"Yeah, now all you need to do is come towards us slowly, just one step at a time and you'll be fine…" Speaking carefully barely getting out a word or two a second, emphasizing each one as he does so. He really thinks I'm that naïve? Just a little further.

Suddenly he seems to notice that I'm up to something and begins to draw his weapon, a large axe with a head the size of my own. My sweat coursing down my face like a torrent of rain I decide to take a risk and try to get behind the tree. Swiftly sliding around the tree I narrowly avoid his axe thrown right to my face, though not without it cutting into my cheek a little first.

I win. Thinking to myself I begin to draw from the small spring of warm energy inside of me. Drawing the energy forward gently I begin running it into the tree before me, infusing the energy with my desire to get away from those masked men.

"Just quit running ya damn brat and give up already." Now furious the axe wielding man begins to fiercely bark at me. Forgetting all pretense of negotiation in favor of his true thoughts. Shame he's lost already. Almost like magic the surrounding woods become deathly silent, without even a whisper of rustling coming from the leaves.

"B-boss. I think we should just go; the girl will likely die out here all on her own. Just take the land, no one will know. This place is starting to give me the creeps…" Awkwardly one of his shivering companions, obviously uneased by the sudden change in the woods.

"Just shut it!" Yelling to his comrade the leader goes on. "We get more for bringing her head than not, and I'm not about to leave because of your damn 'feelings'." Practically spitting out those last words with disgust his face begins to warp. "Actually, I'd get a lot more without you idiots to split the pot with."

"B-b-boss, no, please!"

A sickening crunch echoes into the silent woods and without a word a second follows. Trying to look away I only caught the first one's head being split open by his 'boss's' axe, spraying sickening red blood and gore from his exposed skull.

Nauseous my stomach turns and knots at the sight, I barely hold back the bile and tears welling up from within me. Why is he killing everyone? Why is this happening to me?

Flashing through my mind comes the last image of my parents, both holding hands with the rest of their body, barring a bit of their torso and head, scattered across the carpeted floor. Why does everyone have to die?

Slipping into my own mind I barely notice the trees begin to move, gradually wrapping their roots around the man's body. Screaming he wildly swings his axe against them, right before he is crushed by the ever-growing number of roots dragging him into the earth.

Sitting with my back to the tree my emotions continue to swell wildly, my mind a cluttered mess of thoughts and emotions. Barely conscious, barely breathing, a soft trail of dark reddish energy flows out of my body and wraps around me in a light hug. Like a sliver of light in the endless darkness of my thoughts this energy draws me back to myself, it helps keep me stable, keeps me from destroying myself from sheer panic and stress.

Worried about the men I pull the energy back into myself and turn around to witness an unusual sight, and this is coming from me. A tall lanky man wearing a shroud of leaves and branches stands amidst the patch of grass in which me and the masked ones 'fought'. His skin extremely pale, similar to mine, and with sharp pointed ears jutting out from his well-crafted face. Almost as soon as I notice him, he turns to me. His blue eyes shining in the gloomy shadows cast by the surrounding trees, and then he asks in a tongue I don't know but can somehow understand. "Are you ok, little one? The forest spurred and I felt some disturbances from here, did you see anything?"

With my exhaustion pared with the long stress of the past few hours it's understandable that in that moment, just as the blood coursing through me slowed to normal rates, that I immediately fell into darkness and blacked out.

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-Sameal:

-> Primordial of Space, Time and Knowledge.

-> A tall bronze skinned male wearing a long robe depicting the universe's appearance

edges are lined with metallic runes that are the names of the other Primordials

depicted in order of age, these runes also show the state of the named Primordial

via their color. Has short cropped grey hair and pitch white eyes which he mostly

keeps closed.

-> Stands at six foot five inches tall, rather thin yet muscular.

-> Tool is a single dragon skin tome lined with silver.

-> Is calm, collected and arrogant to those that know less than him.