THE PURRIS DOCTRINE

Nayara had waited an eternity for this moment and now it was finally time for her to embark on her journey into the Thraine, like so many before her. On many occasions, she had watched on as members of the Lunari tribe made their way into the vast expanse of dense forest where adventure awaited them as they transported a most sacred blue flame bestowed upon them by Solara, the great light spirit. It was the moment every Lunari longed for, a rite of passage. The beginning of this journey was initiated by the dropping of the shadow, a sign that one was no longer tethered to this realm. The Flame Giving ritual would then proceed in accordance with Lunari custom and, despite all those before, each would be just as awe-inspiring as the last. One by one, Solara would bless each Lunari with a blue flame and send them on their way. The task was simple yet sacred, to cross the forest and bring it to Nyxar, the sister spirit. Despite the centuries of guardianship, this was the single obligation she had charged them with.

Now it was Nayara’s turn. She took her place at the sacred shrine as her fellow Lunari gathered around to bear witness. A profound silence filled the space as a faint white glow slowly descended upon them, growing steadily into a blinding light. All heads were bowed in reverence as the light spirit appeared. The hearts of the Lunari beat as one as a sacred energy surrounded them. All voices were hushed, and no one dared to breathe. A chorus of voices suddenly boomed through the air. 

“Be at peace.” The voices echoed through the space. Then, a singular voice spoke clearly “Nayara, child of the Lunari, your shadow has become untethered. The time has come for you to receive your flame.”

Though her body trembled, her eyes remained fixed on the ground as she watched her newly formed shadow dance across the floor, flickering in the brilliance of the light spirit. The glow of the room began to soften as Solara dimmed her light, transforming into a graceful being, taking on the appearance of the Lunari.

“Witness!” The chorus echoed once again. With this command, all eyes gazed upon Solara. Before them stood a tall being with silken white hair and ivory, glowing skin. She wore a shimmering gold robe that twinkled as she moved. She had no face, no eyes, no lips. She was surrounded by a brilliant glowing aura that made it hard to look at her even in this subdued form. She raised her hands above her head, palms to the sky until a large blue orb appeared.

“Step forward to receive your flame.”

Nayara approached cautiously until she was as close as the aura would allow. Solara laid her hands over Nayara, allowing the light to envelop her. In an instant, there was a bright blue flash throughout the entire space. Then, suddenly a moment of darkness fell as Solara disappeared. The chorus cut through the silence. “With this flame, go forth into the Thraine. Nyxar awaits your arrival.” With that, the ceremony was over. As Solara’s presence faded, the light gradually returned to its normal state except for an illuminated path at Nayara’s feet leading into the Thraine, the sacred forest where her journey would take place.

Suddenly, Nayara became aware of the eyes of the Lunari on her. She looked around to see their awe-struck faces. Following their gazes, she looked down at her chest to see a small blue flame, now housed where there had been only flesh, surrounded by a clear protective membrane. She felt a new sense of warmth and comfort, filling her with a purposeful energy. She was hopeful and ready to begin her journey. The others watched on as she stepped onto the path, her shadow a silent companion. As she took her first steps, the voices of the Lunari rose behind her in chants and cries, swelling until they merged into a single deafening roar. Joining in, Solara’s chorus boomed overhead, amplifying the sound until it filled the space completely.

She made her way forward, the roar of the Lunari gradually fading into the distance behind her. The sun shone brightly overhead, the air was crisp and cool, and the ground was even beneath her feet. As she approached the edge of the Thraine, the foliage started to cluster together, forming the dense entrance into the forest. As she entered deeper into the unknown, the sounds of the world she had once known faded away. The sunlight dimmed as it filtered through the canopy above. The path would soon disappear, forcing her to navigate the Thraine on her own. She came across massive trees with thick roots and tangled vines, narrowly avoiding tripping over them as it grew harder to see. Her flame flickered steadily, casting a soft blue glow. It was a much needed light as well as a constant reminder of her ultimate goal, to deliver the blue flame to the other side. 

She could feel the weight of the forest closing in on her with each step, and her resolve grew weaker and weaker. No one had prepared her for the uncertainty of the Thraine. No one could have, for those who left had never returned. There was no reason to. Only the tethered could stay behind. Nayara paused, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself. “Oh light spirit, please guide me along this path that I may complete the task you have entrusted to me.” After a moment she opened her eyes with a renewed sense of purpose as she felt the flame grow warmer within her. She continued on her journey.

The air grew heavier as she pressed deeper into the forest. The sunlight was still visible overhead but the shadows it cast were long and unsettling. Every once in a while, she would hear a soft giggle in the distance, growing louder and closer each time but whenever she stopped to listen it would vanish. She trekked on, comforting herself with images of the light spirit and the words she had said. Another giggle. Nayara froze at the sound coming from directly behind her. Her heart dropped and a sense of dread fell over her. 

“Hello friend!” A child-like voice called out to her. Confused and intrigued, she slowly turned around to face the source. Before her stood a small imp, no taller than her knee. His face was round with sparkling eyes, looking much older than he sounded. There was a hint of mischief in his demeanor. His short hair was wild and patchy, and his skin was wrinkly and grey. He wore a faded green tunic that had obviously been mended a few times. He looked like the embodiment of the Thraine itself, mysterious and foreboding.  

“Hello.” She replied cautiously as she watched him closely.

“What have we here?” he asked in a playful voice, pointing curiously at her chest. “Can I see?”

She looked to where he was pointing. “Oh, this is my flame,” she said softly.

“Give it to me,” he said firmly, still with a sparkle in his eyes. 

“What?” she was taken aback. “No, I can’t. I have to take it to someone.” She took a small step back, feeling uneasy at the sudden request. 

He frowned. “Gimme!” His playful demeanor suddenly shifted as he lunged at her. She put out a hand to stop him as she backed up further, only to be stopped by a tree, his sharp nails narrowly scraping the protective membrane.

“Ow!” Nayara exclaimed. In a panic, she kicked and pushed him as he continued to grab at her. Eventually, she was able to create enough distance between them to run away. She ran and ran until her legs gave out and even then, she ran some more, eventually finding herself at a hidden pond shrouded by dense bush. She dropped to her knees as she peered over the edge, her reflection staring back at her. She inspected the flame. There was a faint scratch on the protective membrane where the imp had grazed her, but he had not torn through. She turned over onto her back and breathed a sigh of relief. However, her relief quickly turned to panic as it dawned on her that the membrane was not indestructible. 

She lay silent for a moment as the revelation sank in. Troubling thoughts invaded her mind. Solara had instructed her to deliver the flame but now she realized she had to do more; she had to protect it. She had no way of knowing how vast the Thraine was or how much longer she would be on this journey. How many more imps were out there? Was there something even worse lurking in the shadows? The sun had set during her escape, leaving her in a faint darkness with the slightly diminished glow of the blue flame as her only guide. She had to keep going. This was too important, but first she needed a moment more to rest.

Nayara stayed on high alert, straining to listen for the giggling imp. Instead, she heard the gentle rustling of the leaves, the whistling of the wind through the trees overhead, the push and pull of the water whispering in her ear. She closed her eyes for a moment as the forest settled around her, slowly lulling her to sleep. Eventually, the pitter patter of rain coaxed her awake as water hit her skin. Her eyes darted open, her body instantly tensing as her sense of peace disappeared. She had to keep moving. She sprang to her feet as the droplets lightly pelted her skin. She walked quickly, trying to outpace the rain. Torn between seeking shelter and pushing forward, she was determined to reach her goal, and she would not allow a little water to stop her. 

Steadily, she navigated her way through the wet forest, watching each step, when suddenly, a gust of wind whipped through the trees, sending a droplet directly onto her chest. It pierced the membrane easily, landing on the flame with a sizzle. Her eyes wide with surprise, she looked down, grabbing her chest as the light flickered briefly before steadying itself. A warning. She had to be careful; the water had passed through without any resistance. 

Suddenly she had an idea. She would feed the fire. She looked around briefly, spotting a nearby branch and breaking off a piece that was just the right size to fit the hole in the membrane. Gingerly, she passed it through, hoping the flame would catch. To her surprise, rather than igniting, the damp wood hissed as it evaporated into a cloud of steam. Horrified, she immediately pulled it out. The flame flickered once again as Nayara held her breath, waiting to see what would happen. It steadied itself, though with a delay. Another warning. 

Not wanting to take any more chances, she grabbed some nearby leaves, shaking them out and holding them over her chest like a makeshift shield as she forced herself to continue on. It was barely enough to keep the water away. She did not know how much the flame could withstand but she would rather not find out. The wind howled around her as the storm intensified and suddenly another strong gust tore through the trees, knocking her backwards and tearing through her shield. She felt a sharp sting in her chest where the water had hit earlier. She winced as the light flickered once again. She held her breath as the flame sputtered violently in her chest, burning her flesh in the process before swelling painfully into a large unstable flame only to vanish in an instant, leaving her in complete darkness. She stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what had just happened but as the storm continued to rage around her and the reality of the situation hit her, confusion turned to desperation. 

“No,” she whispered, clutching her hollow chest. “No,” her voice grew frantic. “No! No! No!” Her legs gave way beneath her. She collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face as the smoke from the doused flame invaded her nostrils. She had failed. She lay there shivering in silent resignation as the smoke cleared and the damp cold of the night seeped into her bones. After a while, she became aware of a faint, familiar warmth spreading through her body. She looked down at her chest once again to find a tiny orange flame growing steadily. She watched in anticipation as it flickered to life in her chest, growing stronger with every breath she took. The flame eventually came to a stop, smaller than before but still glowing. She frowned. Nyxar was expecting a blue flame. Nayara was unsure of what would happen next, but she was still relieved she had the light to guide her out of the Thraine.

Taking a steadying breath, she forced herself to her feet. She had a renewed sense of strength as she moved forward, guided by the orange glow. With each step she could feel the flame fighting to stay alive as the storm continued to assault her. Each raindrop felt like a bullet against her delicate skin while her soaked attire weighed her down. Still, she trekked on. After dodging slippery vines and jutting roots, she passed under a towering tree, its limbs heavy with water. Brushing past one of its branches, a large leaf shifted, pouring the rain it had gathered onto her. She cried out in anguish, a long, guttural wail rising above the raging storm as she crawled away on hands and knees. The membrane over her chest had all but dissolved now and she felt the flame shrinking within her, taking with it any hope she had left, and replacing it with a sense of helplessness that she had refused to allow herself to feel earlier. 

Still crawling, she soon found herself nearing the edge of a wide clearing. In the dark, her eyes could make out a large, low-hanging leaf with edges folded over like a natural canopy. She dragged her weak body towards its refuge as she shivered and struggled to breathe. Reaching the shelter, the weight of her exhaustion settled over her as the tiny ember within her fought to stay alive. The once blue flame was now barely a spark, too weak to even illuminate the ground at her feet.

Luckily dusk was approaching, and the trees gradually began to thin out towards the clearing where the pale light cut through the void. On the other side lay a faint trail leading to what seemed like an exit but it was far away with no shelter in sight, leaving her vulnerable to the rain that was still falling, albeit lighter than before. Her only choices were to run as fast as possible to the other side and pray to the light spirit that her flame would endure or remain sheltered and risk the storm intensifying once more and snuffing her out for good. She closed her eyes as she weighed her options. In her heart, she could sense that the end of the Thraine was near. She glanced down at her hollow chest. Though she was unable to get the blue flame back, she owed it to Solara to at least see this through.

She took one last deep breath, then she ran. She ran with all the strength she had left, compelling her legs forward until she could run no more. When they gave out, she crawled. The closer she got to the end, the more the rain subsided until it was gone, replaced by an eerie stillness. She could feel the coldness of the Thraine in her bones as the air around her grew heavy. She felt herself fighting against it with each movement. She could feel her flame weakening as her vision started to cloud and a faint smokey scent brushed against her nose. She fought her way forward for as long as she could before her body ultimately gave out. She reached out her hand, tears streaming down her face as she could see the end just out of reach. Her vision faded and, with a small sigh, she collapsed.

Everything had stopped, there was no Thraine, no light, just a profound nothingness. After what felt like an eternity, a small whisper cut through the silence. 

“Nayara.” The voice was calm and even. “Return.” 

Her eyes fluttered open as the world around her came back into focus. Before her stood a dark, slender figure shrouded in a weighty shadow. She wore a dark cloak, covering everything except for where her face should have been. Instead, there was only a deep void. She spoke again, her quiet voice surrounding Nayara from all directions and invading her senses.

“Get up,” she commanded, helping her to her feet. The figure observed her empty chest for a moment before placing a hand over it. Suddenly, a white orb filled the space as a rush of warm light traveled through her body, bringing her back to life in an instant. She looked down in confusion and then back at the figure. 

“Welcome Lunari child! I am Nyxar. You have come to the end of the Thraine. Behold!” She motioned to a nearby oasis where the harshness of the forest melted away into a lush garden, vibrant with blooming flowers and bathed in a ray of sacred golden light. Soft white orbs danced overhead, casting an ethereal glow. Nayara had never seen anything so beautiful. 

“Walk forward into the light. Be in paradise.” 

She closed her eyes as the glow transformed her, her body lifting into the sky to join the radiant orbs above, her fellow Lunari.