Ballad of Spring Viridian

==Information from the translator. ==
The Ballad of Spring is an ancient myth passed verbally for centuries around the territories of Viridian, Heraklea and Maecania. The original author is unknown, it is however suspected that multiple creators took part in writing the original poem. For now, only half of the text has been collected and translated. Works to codify its ending are however progressing quickly!***
Several creatures have been as well described in this poem. It is important that the reader does not confuse them with wild fauna of Viridian as ancient portrayals of those animals have key differences compared to the actual organisms and utilizing knowledge from the text may cause harm.
==Text==
**Ballad of Spring**
O Weeping world! O shattered earth!
The endless frost which covers you and takes
all that once bore fruit and brought bounty.
Mighty suzerains of the sky, why do you anger
upon the people desiring only your guidance?
Your punishment for the insubordination of your own kin,
has brought suffering upon the very life you created.
And yet in the suffering world of your creation,
despite thy greatest efforts and thy harshest winters,
The pioneers of love and heart persist. 
The children of Serze roam the world far and wide
and it is them who will pick up their sword of defiance.
The persistent lover Oddny, a champion against fate,
has taken up the torch to melt the endless winter.
Her defiance is not brought by calling, oracle nor blood,
but by dedication to the people with whom she lived.
As only the strongest heart may burn away pain.
In times long ago, times of dusk, food was scarce. 
Tradition held, that in times of hunger, the ill and elderly
were to be left to suffer a long and tiresome death.
Yet, how can one look upon their own ancestors and not weep
when they fight with all of their fainting might to survive?
Upon the people one holds dearest, upon their guardians?
In such times, death awaited the champion's grandfather Anu
- a mighty warrior, who times several proved his worth.
Though he was not infirm, as the eldest, he was fated to perish.
And so, in order to save her beloved kin, 
Oddny stood up against the clan’s leaders. She led:
,,Why ought we blindly follow what was said long ago,
before any of us ever came to this world?
The toil of existence is heavy, so why must we fight each other?
We cannot change the fact that our food is lacking,
hence let us find new plentiful sources.
Let half the starving and half the strong leave to greener fields!”
To the elders the ignorance and foolishness of the young,
was both amusing and dangerous. Warrior Snorri spoke:
,,An assault on our people such as this cannot be tolerated.
You state your love and loyalty to your grandfather, 
yet you desire our ancient family to shatter?
Which half of us do you desire to send into exile?
Our one and only comfort is each other,
if one needs to depart each year, then they shall.
No one more must be unnecessarily lost.”
,,Then let us all go” - replied spirited Oddny 
,,Stories tell of great lands free from the cold,
ones of food plenty, where men need not to wear skins and furs!
The sooner we depart, the less will we lose”
,,If we were to depart, all would be lost, my dear Oddny.
The longest journey won't be simple to undertake.
A great number of lives would be lost in vain”
Gently Herlief, Oddny’s birth mother.
,,You seek to shatter our peaceful life,
go against the only thing that keeps order”
A booming voice slowly proclaimed.
,,As the high priest, it is my duty to rightfully punish you.
For I am merciful, you shall be given the fate
that you wanted to cast upon our loyal friends!
Instead of Anu, you shall be sentenced to exile.
Go forth and find the greener fields, for nothing else can save you.
A freezing wind blew through the hall. All went silent.
The highest conviction cannot be challenged. 
None would dare to challenge it.
The very same day, Oddny bid her unexpected goodbyes.
With only a small bag and her loyal dog Hamundr,
she disappeared into the foggy fields.
Broken and devastated, the champion walked forth.
She roamed to snowy forest and cracked fields searching
for an animal to slay and slowly consume.
Yet she knew, all efforts to survive were in vain. 
For none ever came back from lands of Viridian alive.
The march was long and arduous, long days went by
before the lover finally succumbed to hunger.
Laid upon the ghastly white snow, her hound by her side
final thoughts filled her head as strength dissipated.
Questions of fate, sacrifice and doubt tore apart at her will.
But before the soul was torn out and sent to the land of ancestors,
an uncanny warmth surrounded her freezing body.  
Stood before Oddny was a golden stag, with a deep gaze 
judging the champions' valors and sins. 
As soon as their eyes met, the golden protector spoke:
,,You are one who seeks to defy fate. Proved to sacrifice thyself
for love and freedom from the heavenly rules.
Do you desire to defy the holy order and return warmth to the world,
or parish in your current frozen grave, buried and forgotten?
You will be ordained as task, to shatter the system with which
the Gods control events of any time and any place. 
To hide from their vision, one needs to burn the tree of time.
However, igniting Chronos Arbor is not a task one may accomplish alone.
You shall  head out, brave warrior, to the mountain king,
whose domain lays in the west across the Terminus. 
With his primordial flame, you shall burn the tree of past and future.
Following, you shall depart to the underworld.
Thy goal is to retrieve an arm of the one who has sentenced
all of humanity to a life of pain and suffering.
It shall be set on the ancient tower of Heliosgrad.
What do you say warrior? Shall you change the fate?
You shall be given a guide, a silver stork. It will lead you to the king.
As for you - you cannot forget the power for which you were chosen.
Now go dear champion and bring the spring to Viridian!”
And so Oddny wandered with her newfound strength and purpose,
led by the silver bird, a beacon of hope and change, 
whose pure red beak tore through the air like an arrow
which was shot by a desperate archer
who hears hostile footsteps rushing up their tower. 
They know this arrow will be the last, and yet they still fight.
They fight now hoping for mercy, glory or survival, but for a death in comfort. 
A death surrounded by a false sense of purpose and fulfillment.
A will to prove to the lords above that your existence was not wasted.
For their loyal guidance, Oddny was sure to reward the beasts.
Sharing hunted animals, collected berries, and fire’s warmth.
Not a day went by without gentle backrubs and headpats.
Soon past the marches and rivers a glorious city was revealed.
High bridges, stone domes and a thousand tiny lights,
made up the only permanent settlement in all of the wastes.
Its walls stood mighty, heavy stones stacked by a giant.
Its great wooden gate has been closed for decades,
forcing hundreds to roam lands trying to survive. 
Ahead of it stood a single unhuman figure - a Jik.
Upon its slender legs, climbing was a layer of snow.
Its four tusks bloodied and bent in the directions of the world.
As horns grew mighty, its long beard laid upon the earth.
It grinned. All of its fifteen eyes observed the champion.
,,Brave human! None have entered the city of elves in decades!
What is the reason you believe yourself worthy?”
,,We’ve been tasked with a sacred mission by the golden stag.
We seek not to stay in the city and cause trouble,
but only a short audience with the king.”
,,Oh, so you have trusted an old forest god with your life?
What lies have you been told? Who hurt you enough to believe it?
Have you not seen the corpse leading you?
Not been bothered by your still, frozen fingers?”
,,O mighty Jik, how is it that you are standing before me?
Guarding a gate, doing the bidding of an elf? 
It must be a pleasure to endure years of loneliness.
Since your arrival, tales have spread, 
and year upon year, fewer and fewer people arrive.
It is only natural that you shall use tricks to deceive all who do.
No one can be blamed for seeking amusement in solitude.”
,,You see through my tricks, little human. 
However, you are not correct. Do not dare to think yourself wise.
I do not serve any power due to imprisonment.
Arnsteinn is a mighty and benevolent king,
his deeds and fellowship is what earned my servitude. 
I shall grant you audience with the king, 
a friend of the stag is a friend of mine.
Beware though, his champion, of thinking yourself superior,
pride is what causes each downfall.”
Taken upon the Jik’s back, Oddny entered the mountain city.
Cheerful merchants, playing children and busy workers,
filled the street in an ecstatic symphony.
Each of them diverted their gaze to the Jik. 
Though he was not a rare sight in the city,
foreigners achieving privilege to mount it were.
Through endless stairs and tunnels they traveled,
until the ancient heart of the mountain was reached.
Upon their arrival, esteemed guards opened the gate,
revealing the king up on his malachite throne.
Above him was the primal flame suspended.
It was the reason for the city's survival despite all its woes.
Dismounting the stag, three champions bowed before the elf.
,,You may sit down unexpected visitors and dear guests,
you must’ve come a long way to this peaceful place.
I see you’ve earned the respect of my dear friend.
Tell me then, why did you seek an audience?”
,,King Arnsteinn, we’ve been tasked with a holy mission.
The golden stag has shown us the way to end the frost!
Soon your domain shall expand past the city walls,
all across the reformed shattered fields and icy forests!
What we ask you for - is a portion of your flame,
for it is what even the gods fear, and their order can’t withstand.
Grant us your treasure and your richness shall multiply tenfold!”
,,One thing still bites at the back of my mind.
What for do you need the flame? You don’t seek to kill the gods?”
,,We seek to make Serze’s sacrifice not in vain. 
Once we light their body, the embers will burn until the end of time.
As for the god, they shall be freed - their soul will spread around us all.” 
,,You may take the flame, but I shall grant no further assistance.
Go, light a torch and never let the flame go out warrior.”
,,Thank you, o wise king.” - said Oddny as she lit an ornate torch.
Soon the travelers departed the city of elves,
and headed to blind the watchful eye of the gods - Chronos Arbor.
Each heading towards the weavers sanctuary,
knows the risk such expedition will alway entail.
Interested only in embracing the events past,
the elven spiders have locked themselves deep in their den.
To reach them, one must travel through caverns and caves 
- the last place of refuge for Medis’s beasts.
Wanderers may disappear for months and years,
or never return to the outside world ever at all.
For the champion, was the hollow initially a marvel.
Her ears heard no sound, but the dripping water.
Oddny’s eyes marveled at the tiny dots of light,
which were spread all around the cavern’s ceiling.
Not long after a bright morning glow came from the opposite side of the room.
Yet as she approached, the light began squirming and growing.
Soon the torches' flame revealed the shine’s source - a massive Sharlei.
The glowing skull mounted atop its longest horn,
loomed menacingly as the warped mouth of the beast opened.
Not even the holiest warrior can crack the creature's shell and kill it.
Thus, the torchbearer ran into the endless darkness.
No light was able to grant safety or comfort, but the torch.
Everything else was but a lure set up by the demons.
For several days, she roamed the underground,
however her hitherto patience bore fruit.
Abandoning her sight, Oddny utilized her touch.
Feeling the gusts of wind blowing seldom through the corridors,
a desired exit was finally reached.
Before them stretched the holy valley,
in the middle of which, the great Chronos Arbor stood tall.
All over roamed the weavers, living their long lives.
Leaves fell continuously on the snowless ground.
Oddny left her companions at cavern’s opening
and descended down the steep hill towards the tree.
Her body suddenly twitched. 
The tree shook and turned towards her.
The moon rose - now accompanying the sun.
The sky turned blood red.
Time was running out.
Divine judgment was approaching.
What is a mortal compared to a divine will?
They can do nothing, they can change nothing.
They cannot even attempt to create something on the sacred scale.
So let them bite at it. Let them tear it apart.
Make a new order for themselves - for it is only them who know their needs.
For it is only them who know their feelings.
For it is only them who know their dreams.
Raise the torch and become the torch.
Point your sword against the holiest creation - the human.
Burn it with hatred, burn it with love, sadness, hope, despair.
But burn in on your own terms.
Ignite and turn to ash - break free from their cycle.
Shatter their will, prove their weakness - end their realm built on hate,
a place where they slay each other, just to torture us.
But they are nothing without us. There is no god without a servant.
Let the sacrifice of Sertze be not in vain. Let their dreams become a reality.
And create a world where we are not their slaves, but companions.
Force them to renounce their will, sever the threads of fate which bind us.
And once we’re separate, we will be free to make a new world.
A world tailored to us. The Universe with one more god - the human.
Category:Book
Category:Literature
Category:Mythology