Elementals
Ren is an old, old mare, who has watched the changing of the times and the victors’ rewriting of history. At least in her corner of the world, public opinion on Elementals has changed drastically from what it used to be. Once, they were regarded as respected allies, friends and companions, balance keepers and protectors, a blessing to have around. Ren would raze the fields in autumn to prepare for the next harvest, and weave spells into hearthstone for the winter. Would enjoy their efforts to curry away her winter coat come the spring, the shed hairs used in assorted potions or sold on to the cities for the same. Would patiently watch the younger children in the summer, a protective, maternal presence. This is the life she knew before, the world she grew up in, and remembers fondly.
Now, however, Elementals are hunted, and their numbers greatly diminished from what they used to be. They are feared for their powers and the capricious nature of some of their kin, and regarded as little more than the beasts they resemble. Attempts are being made to domesticate them, to tame them as men believe they have tamed the land. They are being hunted, worth their weight in gold for potion ingredients alone. Fire arguably having the worst of it, typically the most passionate in their defiance, and being of an element some would say is uniquely suited to destruction. Comparing them to the similarly persecuted dragons, while forgetting the cleansing fire of the phoenix.
Something that has recently landed Ren in a bit of a pickle; her magic is more aligned towards healing and life, and the world craves balance. While burning a patch of forest infested with pine beetles and thick with detritus, her flames and a momentary lapse in control, reminiscing about the old days, sparked another little ember into being. So now the jaded hermit of a mare has Japser to mind, who is far too curious for his own good, and too young to truly control his powers. Eager to explore and investigate, the colt ignored Ren’s warnings about the town and humans. Painting a target on both their backs as the villagers’ fear spiked, and had the townsfolk sending off to the nearest city in hopes the hunters would take care of the ‘problem’ before it could grow any worse.
Realizing this, and all too aware of the younger elemental’s vulnerability, Ren pushed for them to move. Leaving her home for the first time in centuries, dragging along a yearling who seems dead set on befriending everything that wants to kill him- much to the older mare’s exasperation. In their flight from the hunters and her efforts to keep Jasper alive, the mare finds herself the unlikely linchpin to a growing herd- friends picked up along the way, stragglers seeking safety in numbers, youths eager for a taste of adventure, and so on. Becoming a larger, more dangerous, and easier to track target in the process.
Conflict is inevitable as two factions tell two entirely different stories, and the Balance of the realm teeters precariously in the middle.