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Description
“Who goes there?” The paladin took a step backwards, his eyes never leaving the lumbering shadowed figure before him. His heart thumped against the cage in his chest; sweat dripped down his brow as he swallowed down the unexplainable fear that rose in him.

This is idiotic. He mentally berated himself. He was a follower of a Sun God, a veteran of many wars and he had seen much from his battles. Nothing could have fazed him. But in the recent days that they had been fleeing from their pursuers, fatigue and the damp air did not serve to calm them. Shakily, he lifted his arm and pushed the young girl behind him, while lifting the sword in his other hand in preparation for defense, wary of the stranger before them.

A great dragon with obsidian scales and golden horns moved on its hind legs; as if mimicking the walking stance of a human, treaded onto a patch of undergrowth that was lit by the glow of the moon. Illatar noted that, if they had met this creature under different circumstances, especially in brighter and cheerier setting, he would be able appreciate how the horns shone somewhat like gold ingots. Oddly, in the supposed “hands” of the creature, was a thick golden chain, which upon it hung a golden talisman with a red jewel set in it.

But what unnerved him the most was the gaze of the dragon. It was as if the two green, faintly glowing orbs were scanning him, searching for a hint that he, a human would be of any threat to it. A chill ran down Illatar’s spine, and he took in a deep breath. Trying his hardest not to falter in his speech, he tilted his head slightly to the girl behind him. “My Lady, try to run as far as you can, away from us.”

But the girl remained still. Illatar growled in frustration, and turned sharply to look at her and bark out a command, but words died in his throat when he saw the expression on her face. It was if she was mesmerized, no…relieved.

The words that next came from her stilled him even further. “Väinämöinnen…”

“What?” The paladin frowned at her.

As if it understood what the girl meant, the dragon perked up. Its eyes scanned her once, and then it made a slight movement which seemed like nodding to Illatar.

When the dragon spoke, much to the surprise of the paladin, it was as if the voice of the creature did not belong to it, but echoed in their minds and their surroundings. It seemed that Illatar could feel the gentle vibrations in the air, and the initial menacing air around the creature slowly dispersed.

“Indeed, Esren, daughter of Aem. I am Vänäimöinen, the Keeper of Lore.” Vänäimöinen bowed its head at the girl. It turned to Illatar and nodded, “Your brethren from the West calls me the Sage of the East, or the Historian, paladin. You have come far. I have what you seek…”

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A/N: Väinämöinnen was the main character to a Finnish folklore named Kalevala. Originally he was described as a Finnish god; then a wise old man/sage with wisdoms of the ages since his birth.

I’d thought that I’d wanted to actually name this dragon, rather than just use the old name in the wip piece “Sage” after all the blood, sweat and tears. (A BIG thank you to *DarthFar for all the crit and help. I seriously need more practice.) Added to that, is the above story, a minor introduction to this character.

Vänäimöinen is a historian, a knower of all. In my fictional world, he is the one who keeps the history of the ages with it, and the jewel that hangs around his neck the vessel for all that knowledge. His existence is debated over by the citizens of the land. Was he an evil dragon? Was he really a sage? How can a dragon be intelligent when it’s a beast? The girl in the story is an heir to an empire, but condemned to a life of a fugitive after she supposedly murdered her own cousin. The paladin is, well, a paladin. Lol.

Other than that, the design for the dragon is meant to look less vicious or large due to its nature as an intelligent creature. I was thinking of a mixture between a Chinese dragon (skinny arms/legs and all) and a Western dragon. This is the result. My most detailed painting to date.

Time used: You don’t want to know.
Medium: Photoshop. FYI, The bg brush is not mine. It’s from a brush set by ~prudentia
Grass brushes from =PrimalAce

©Audrey.A/Firera, image not to be used without permission.

Description
“Who goes there?” The paladin took a step backwards, his eyes never leaving the lumbering shadowed figure before him. His heart thumped against the cage in his chest; sweat dripped down his brow as he swallowed down the unexplainable fear that rose in him.

This is idiotic. He mentally berated himself. He was a follower of a Sun God, a veteran of many wars and he had seen much from his battles. Nothing could have fazed him. But in the recent days that they had been fleeing from their pursuers, fatigue and the damp air did not serve to calm them. Shakily, he lifted his arm and pushed the young girl behind him, while lifting the sword in his other hand in preparation for defense, wary of the stranger before them.

A great dragon with obsidian scales and golden horns moved on its hind legs; as if mimicking the walking stance of a human, treaded onto a patch of undergrowth that was lit by the glow of the moon. Illatar noted that, if they had met this creature under different circumstances, especially in brighter and cheerier setting, he would be able appreciate how the horns shone somewhat like gold ingots. Oddly, in the supposed “hands” of the creature, was a thick golden chain, which upon it hung a golden talisman with a red jewel set in it.

But what unnerved him the most was the gaze of the dragon. It was as if the two green, faintly glowing orbs were scanning him, searching for a hint that he, a human would be of any threat to it. A chill ran down Illatar’s spine, and he took in a deep breath. Trying his hardest not to falter in his speech, he tilted his head slightly to the girl behind him. “My Lady, try to run as far as you can, away from us.”

But the girl remained still. Illatar growled in frustration, and turned sharply to look at her and bark out a command, but words died in his throat when he saw the expression on her face. It was if she was mesmerized, no…relieved.

The words that next came from her stilled him even further. “Väinämöinnen…”

“What?” The paladin frowned at her.

As if it understood what the girl meant, the dragon perked up. Its eyes scanned her once, and then it made a slight movement which seemed like nodding to Illatar.

When the dragon spoke, much to the surprise of the paladin, it was as if the voice of the creature did not belong to it, but echoed in their minds and their surroundings. It seemed that Illatar could feel the gentle vibrations in the air, and the initial menacing air around the creature slowly dispersed.

“Indeed, Esren, daughter of Aem. I am Vänäimöinen, the Keeper of Lore.” Vänäimöinen bowed its head at the girl. It turned to Illatar and nodded, “Your brethren from the West calls me the Sage of the East, or the Historian, paladin. You have come far. I have what you seek…”

------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Väinämöinnen was the main character to a Finnish folklore named Kalevala. Originally he was described as a Finnish god; then a wise old man/sage with wisdoms of the ages since his birth.

I’d thought that I’d wanted to actually name this dragon, rather than just use the old name in the wip piece “Sage” after all the blood, sweat and tears. (A BIG thank you to *DarthFar for all the crit and help. I seriously need more practice.) Added to that, is the above story, a minor introduction to this character.

Vänäimöinen is a historian, a knower of all. In my fictional world, he is the one who keeps the history of the ages with it, and the jewel that hangs around his neck the vessel for all that knowledge. His existence is debated over by the citizens of the land. Was he an evil dragon? Was he really a sage? How can a dragon be intelligent when it’s a beast? The girl in the story is an heir to an empire, but condemned to a life of a fugitive after she supposedly murdered her own cousin. The paladin is, well, a paladin. Lol.

Other than that, the design for the dragon is meant to look less vicious or large due to its nature as an intelligent creature. I was thinking of a mixture between a Chinese dragon (skinny arms/legs and all) and a Western dragon. This is the result. My most detailed painting to date.

Time used: You don’t want to know.
Medium: Photoshop. FYI, The bg brush is not mine. It’s from a brush set by ~prudentia
Grass brushes from =PrimalAce

©Audrey.A/Firera, image not to be used without permission.