The Adventure of Orinis

Orinis grinned as he ran through the field behind his house. He was chasing after his longtime friend, Myraka, as they laughed and played a game of adventuring. His grin widened as he almost caught her, but his mother, Luara, called for him.

“Orinis, come inside, please! The seeress wants to speak with you!” she called. Just by mentioning his great-aunt, Sliora, he said goodbye to Myraka and raced into the house, skidding to a stop when he reached the front room. “Wait here, I’ll let her know you’re here,” His mother said quietly as she walked toward one of the back rooms. He could faintly hear a hushed conversation, and his mother returned.”Sliora will see you now,” She said softly. He walked slowly into the back room and stood across from his great-aunt, her top half a withered old woman and the bottom half had gray fur. She motioned for Orinis to be seated and he comfortably folded his legs beneath him.

“Bow your head and close your eyes,” she commanded. He did as he was bid. “Orinis of the centaurs, I have seen your future. You will no longer be confined to this village. I see you doing battle alongside an elf, humans and a dragon. I see darkness that will close in around us all should you fail. I see bright light shining on you if you succeed. I see you transforming into a grand warrior, a defender of life and peace,” she said in her soft voice. “Open your eyes and lift your head,” she instructed. He did so, and he stared into her eyes. “You will leave at dawn tomorrow morning,” she said softly. “Go and prepare for your journey. Take a warm cloak for your human half, and make sure that you take food and other provisions. No weapons, I have seen you getting one later on your quest.” She shooed him out of her room and left him to prepare for his journey. His excitement was visible in his steps. He raced to his room and gathered all of his belongings, and then went downstairs to enjoy one last meal with his family.

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Orinis hadn’t slept much the night before because of his growing anticipation, but he was ready for the day that he was to leave. He was up well before dawn, his belongings packed, and he paced restlessly outside of the house as he waited for the sign that it was time for him to leave. The sky was pink and gray, and the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon when suddenly Sliora was at his side.

“Are you prepared, young Orinis?” she asked.

“I am, Sliora,” he responded. She smiled and pointed.

“Look toward the south. There are your companions.” They were walking up a path from the south end of the city. They were an odd group indeed: An older human male, a tall male elf, a being of indeterminable gender wearing long, flowing robes and a teenaged human girl. They saw Sliora and hurried toward her. The human male bowed respectfully in front of her.

“Great Seeress, it is wonderful to see you again,” he said, taking her hand. She pulled it away with a playful smile.

“Ah, Lewirand, you haven’t grown a bit,” she said, pulling the male into a hug. He smiled widely and pulled away. He turned to look at Orinis.

“Sliora, is this the young centaur you spoke of? Your great-nephew?” he asked. Sliora nodded.

“He is. This is my great-nephew, Orinis. Orinis, this is Lewirand. He’s an old friend of mine. His companions are Iro,” the elf bowed, “Mirikus,” the robed man threw his hood back, revealing a pale complexion, dark brown hair and piercing green eyes, “and Sapphire.” The teenage girl waved with a smile. “Don’t let their appearances fool you, young one. They are stronger than they look. Mirikus is a powerful mage, Lewirand was a knight when he was younger, Iro is an expert marksman and Sapphire is a dragon.” Orinis absorbed all this information and a confused look passed over his face.

“Sliora, if they all can fight, what contribution will I make to this group? I’m no fighter; I’ve never even left the village!”

“Calm, young one. We will discover your talent on the way,” Lewirand said, laying a hand on the centaur’s shoulder. A smile formed on Orinis’s face as he eyed the group.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” he said.

“Wait a moment, Orinis,” Sliora said suddenly. He turned toward her. “Say goodbye to your friends. It will be a long time before you get to see them again,” she said. He nodded and gave her a hug.

“Thank you for everything,” he said to her. He went and said goodbye to all of his friends. He stopped before his mother, who had tears in her eyes.

“Be safe, my son,” she whispered, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“I will. I love you, mother,” he said, kissing her cheek.

“I love you, too, son. I’ll see you when you come back.” She smiled through her tears as she watched her son and his new companions start off into the woods on the north end of the village.