"In the vibrant tapestry of our world," the elder's voice resonated with a hint of reverence, "an array of incredible creatures holds its place, each closely connected to the building blocks of existence." He paused, as if allowing the weight of those words to settle in.
"These diverse beings include fire-breathing salamanders, swift and fierce gale wolves, and countless captivating entities." The elder sighed softly, his tone almost nostalgic.
"What unites them is their strong link to the core elements that shape our world."
"These remarkable beings are called elementals." he continued, a touch of awe in his voice.
"A term that captures their deep connection to the basic elements that make up our reality." His voice lowered as if revealing a hidden secret.
"Fire-loving salamanders embody the fierce power of flames, gale wolves mirror the wild energy of the wind, while others reflect the fluidity of water, the solidity of earth, and the ethereal magic of the cosmos."
"Elementals forge partnerships with summoners," the elder's voice grew contemplative, "humans who share their essence. This connection unlocks incredible magic and abilities that transcend realms." He paused, as if to let the significance of this sink in.
"From blazing fires to gentle winds, from calm waters to solid ground, elementals' presence shapes your world."
A deeper sigh followed, as if laden with years of experience. "It intertwines humans and magical companions, weaving a story filled with power, friendship, and the endless wonders of nature."
"Beasts, on the other hand..." the elder's voice took on a more matter-of-fact tone, "They don't have a special connection to elements. They can't feel or control them like elementals can."
A moment of pause, as if pondering the contrast. "But there are some super tough beasts out there that are so strong they can even beat elementals."
A slight chuckle, tinged with respect, emerged. "These fierce beasts use their strong bodies to rule the wild and stay alive in tough conditions."
"Old man, I don't understand," a young boy piped up, his voice laced with curiosity.
"The examples you gave show that the elementals have control or at least some inherent traits of their respective elements. But that caterpillar right there doesn't have anything. Shouldn't it be called a beast?"
A thoughtful smile played on the old man's lips as he regarded the boy with kind eyes. "There's always more to it than what meets the eye, my son."
He gestured towards the caterpillar. "One of the areas where an elemental is greatly different from a beast is their intelligence. Elementals are smart, or at least smarter than those beasts. Some legends even say that there are elementals who learned human speech. But as for the validity of that," he shook his head, "I have yet to witness such a thing."
Leaning in a little closer, he continued, "Now look at this creature. Despite being unrestrained and free to do whatever it wants, it remains still in my hands."
His gaze shifted to the caterpillar, a hint of fondness in his eyes. "To a certain degree, it recognizes that it was me who offered it comfort. And it acknowledges that I can easily harm it if it ever tried to harm you."
With that, he dismissed the children, who scattered to continue their play. Observing the youngsters, a fond smile graced his lips.
Carrying the small caterpillar gently, he walked towards a house nestled at the edge of the village, where the boundary between the settlement and the forest was most prominent.
Stepping inside, he carefully placed the caterpillar on a table. Standing in the center of the room, he murmured soft incantations under his breath.
A warm, yellowish-white light began to emanate from his body, casting a gentle glow that bathed the room in its radiance. Beside him, a small tear in the fabric of space materialized, emitting a bright light that spilled into the room, creating an aura of otherworldly illumination.
Emerging from the rift was a diminutive figure, causing the caterpillar to stir in curiosity. The newcomer took the form of a delicate plant, adorned with numerous slender, petal-like structures that coalesced into a spherical shape.
The petals exhibited a translucent quality, their colors shifting between soft gold and delicate pastels. When touched by sunlight, the petals emitted a subtle, enchanting glow, filling the room with an ethereal luminescence that heightened the plant's inherent beauty.
Amused by the caterpillar's reaction, the old man chuckled softly. "Luminous Dandelion," he mused, "the head of the dandelion encapsulates its essence as a symbol of purity, renewal, and spiritual illumination."
As the rift in space sealed itself, the glow around the old man gradually faded. Extending his hand, he approached the caterpillar and the luminous dandelion, fostering a gentle meeting between two creatures from distinct worlds.
. . .
The caterpillar, measuring just the size of a human hand, could easily find a comfortable spot in the palm of one's hand.
Meanwhile, the luminous dandelion stood before it, its delicate form exuding an air of enchantment. In a side-by-side comparison, the caterpillar appeared larger than the dandelion, reaching about half a foot in length.
Yet, due to the height and upright nature of the dandelion, it seemed to tower over the caterpillar, a visual paradox of proportions that spoke to their distinct natures.
"You two can get acquainted while I prepare our meal," the old man said before making his way to the back door of his house, disappearing into the kitchen to start cooking.
Despite its delicate appearance, the luminous dandelion emanated an air of self-assuredness. It stood tall and singular, its demeanor suggesting a certain distance from what it perceived as "lesser beings."
Unaware of its own origins as an anomaly, it held itself with a certain pride.
Ironically, the dandelion's birth was the result of a fortuitous encounter in a hill bathed in radiant light. Recognized by the old man, a contract was forged, leading the dandelion to a realm known as the "Planes" – a world resonating with the essence it embodied.
The old man's recognition and intervention allowed the dandelion to thrive and grow into its current state, a far cry from its humble beginnings as a nondescript dandelion atop the hill.
Oblivious to the dandelion's thoughts, the caterpillar, being true to its nature, inched closer with curiosity. Its instinct-driven mind was captivated by the sight of the alluring luminous dandelion.
Without hesitation, it extended its body and took a tentative bite, a small taste of the intriguing plant's essence.
CHOMP!!!
Due to its limited size, the caterpillar's bite only managed to snag a small portion of the luminous dandelion's seed.
The dandelion, caught off guard by this unexpected intrusion, bristled with irritation. Despite its anger, it was bound by the understanding that its duty was to look after the caterpillar under the old man's arrangement.
It contemplated how to handle this peculiar situation and devise a fitting punishment for the audacious insect.
The dandelion carefully distanced itself from the caterpillar using its small root-like appendages, preventing any further biting attempts. When it looked around, it noticed a basket full of purple berries, which its master used to make antidotes.
The dandelion dashed toward the basket, using its leaf-like extensions as makeshift hands to transport the container.
Returning to the table with the basket now grasped firmly in its leafy appendages, the dandelion exhibited unexpected strength, at least relative to its small stature. This power, however, paled in comparison to the might of the beasts and elementals that roamed the world.
Meanwhile, the caterpillar, finding the taste of the luminous dandelion's seed less than palatable, expelled the contents from its mouth with a look of disdain. It regarded the plant with a mixture of skepticism and mild annoyance.
Observing the dandelion's hurried actions to retrieve the basket of berries, the ravagechomper interpreted this as an offering or an attempt at appeasement. Its instincts kicked in, and it promptly lunged into the basket, indulging in the berries to its heart's content.
However, the ravagechomper's feast took an unexpected turn. Gradually, its body started turning a shade of purple due to the effects of the poisonous berries.
In the natural world, some plants or substances could be both deadly and medicinal, depending on how they were utilized. Unfortunately, the ravagechomper seemed oblivious to this concept and continued to consume the berries, resulting in a rather bloated appearance.
As the ravagechomper continued to eat, it grew progressively weaker. Unaware of its own deteriorating condition, it attributed its fatigue to the typical aftermath of a hearty meal. Seemingly accustomed to this pattern, it anticipated that slumber would soon follow as its body worked to digest the food.
Meanwhile, the luminous dandelion watched the ravagechomper's antics with a mixture of incredulity and exasperation.
Fearing that its plan to teach the creature a lesson had backfired and worried about the ravagechomper's well-being, it extended its leafy appendage toward the creature's head.
With a soft yellow glow enveloping its appendage, the dandelion invoked a purifying effect.
The purifying light flowed into the ravagechomper's body, gradually neutralizing the poison and causing its purple hue to recede. In addition, the purifying energy appeared to accelerate the creature's metabolism, potentially aiding in the healing process if it bore any injuries.
As the soothing radiance of [Purify] spread through the ravagechomper's body, the effects of the poisonous berries began to recede.
Gradually, the creature's bloated appearance started to diminish, and its form began to stabilize. However, a subtle hint of violet stubbornly clung to the creature's butthorn, defying the purifying efforts of the luminous dandelion.
No matter how diligently the dandelion's purifying light danced across the ravagechomper's body, that small tinge of violet remained.
It was as though the stain had become a part of the creature's identity, an indelible mark that defied the dandelion's magic.
The luminous dandelion regarded this with a mix of frustration and resignation. Its attempts to undo the effects of the poisonous berries were largely successful, yet that last trace of color seemed intent on staying.
Despite its potent purifying abilities, even the dandelion had limits to what it could achieve.
Nonetheless, seeing the ravagechomper's condition significantly improved, the dandelion let out a small sigh of relief.
It had managed to save the creature from its own misguided gluttony, teaching it a lesson in the process.
As the purifying light gradually faded, the dandelion withdrew its appendage and observed the creature's reaction, curious to see how the ravagechomper would respond after its unexpected ordeal.