Fall of Gondria

[Azunara]

((The spirit beasts have always been amazing creatures, yet very little lore surrounds them. I figured that this was a bit silly, to have so much potential for awesomeness and yet pull nothing out of it. So I decided to make up some of my own lore, and I wrote this short story on how Gondria became her spirity form. So yeah. Enjoy?))

They had smelled it in the wind.

The air smelled of doom, and pain, and suffering. It held an unusual cold bite, not like the common drift of snow. It smelled of plague, and tears, and fear. They all could smell it, sense it, hear the anguished cries of the others. There was pain, and already the other Loa had fallen. Mam’toth, Sseratus, Quetz’lun, and Rhunok had fallen to the trolls, their essence stolen from them. Only their mother and Akali survived.

And she was weakening.

The children of Har’koa gathered around her and her mate, Loque’nahak. Both great beasts had expression of worry; they knew that fate was coming for them, and that soon disaster would strike them. The great snow leopard looked over all her children, her face falling. Already their numbers dropped as the Drakkari took her children and twisted them into monsters.

“My children,” She said, addressing all of them. “A grave time has become of us, and fate will soon reap our lives. Soon, fate shall take all of us until the stars of the sky. And for some, that time comes soon. You may have sensed it as I have the pain of the other Loas. The Drakkari trolls have come to us and kill us, steal our essence and use it for their own twisted agendas.”

“And there will be sacrifice, my children. Already some of us have fallen, your brothers and sisters now your foes. So I must do what I can to protect my children and my mate,” She said, pausing to nuzzle the leopard by her side. “Loque’nahak, and a few chosen will flee to Sholazar Basin. There, you will be safe from the trolls. And there, I may rest knowing that some of my offspring will be saved.”

“I wish I could send all of you to safety, but they have weakened me greatly, my young ones. So I must do what I can, and hope you forgive me.” Har’koa said, and there was a murmur among her young. A beautiful she-leopard, with fur the color of pristine snow and spots an almost lavender colour.

“Mother,” She said, “I for one will stand by your side and protect you against this menace. I swear that I will protect you to my last breath, for this is a threat that cannot pass. I am no coward, and I refuse to roll over and die.” A few other snow leopards spoke in agreement, and Har’koa softened. “Gondria…” She said, “I understand it is your desire to protect me, and I appreciate it. So I will send the youngest among us to ensure their safety, for I know the eldest of you can survive.”

Gondria flicked her tail slowly, nodding. “Yes, Mother.” She replied, and the great Loa paused, looking sadly at her children once more. She gathered her energy and sent her mate and a handful of children to the Basin, and they fell from the skies like comets, or like the tears that rolled down the muzzle of the Loa.

---
Days passed, and the weather grew bitter. Akali had been chained, and the attacks on the temple grew harsher. Yet Har’koa and her children, led by her favored daughter Gondria, held them off. But tragedy came one day, in the form of despair.

Gondria prowled the snow banks, with a few of her kin, when a large group of trolls appeared. They hurled spears and fired bolts of dark energy. Burns scored the felines’ hides, and spears protruded from their bodies. Soon, only Gondria still stood. She was in grave pain, and she growled as the last of the trolls surrounded her.

“Bleed,” They said, in rough, harsh tones, “Bleed so your mother will come and save you,” They grinned toothily, and Gondria moaned in pain, kneeling onto the ground. Her once beautiful fur was ripped and torn, and blood poured from multiple wounds. There was a scream of fury, and the great Loa herself appeared. With a blast of flames, she held the trolls at bay and stood by her daughter. “Gondria, my favored one…What have they done to you?” She said softly, and Gondria looked at her mother. “I…did my best to protect you.” She said, wincing in pain.

Har’koa nodded, breathing on her daughter. “When you die, your spirit will remain, to protect these noble snows. You will never leave, and you will live with me forever. Death will no longer taint your hide,” Har’koa said. The trolls moved in however, and they threw chains around the feline. They bound her, energy ripped through her and she screamed in pain. Gondria recoiled, trying to fight, but her spirit was already dimming within her body. As she fell into the final slumber, she heard the rage of her mother, and felt her warm tears on her fur.

---

To this day, there lingers a spirit, they say. They say there is a beautiful leopard with stripes of lavender that prowls the snows, drifting forever, searching. They say that she forever lingers, looking to save the great Loa, Har’koa. They say you can her, on lonely nights, and you can see her when the moon hits just right upon the snows. You see her by the lonely temple of Har’koa, where the great beast lies chained, forlorn. They say that the great Loa awaits a hero to save her, to be her salvation.

And they say that this beast, Gondria, a spirit, wanders, searching for that hero. She hunts for the one to save her mother, after a sworn promise to protect her from the Drakkari threat.

She who is of the spirits, she who is of the ice and claws. She who is Gondria. This is her destiny.

[Senna-Umbreon]

How no one has commented on this I have no idea....

Anywho... Eee, I love it! It actually made me tear up a bit. I am SUCH a sap.. XD;

[Azunara]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I honestly thought of the basic plot line in the shower (All my ideas come when showering. Seriously.) and it just came into being.

[Akycha]

*sniff* That is beautiful.

I know back when I first did those questlines I had Loque'nahak with me as hr hero to come and rescue her. I like this story as well.

Edit: I also like how you used the traditional device of having the events of her death change her spots to stripes due to all the bleeding she did.

[TygerDarkstorm]

I love it Azu!

She's still not my favorite spirit beast, but I love the story you gave to her. <3

[Azunara]

I'm thinking of doing the others soon as well. Already have a basic plot idea for Skoll.

[TygerDarkstorm]

=O I'd love to see one for Skoll. I thought I was going to hate him since I strongly dislike the Northrend worg models, and it took a long time for Loque and I to agree on me taming Skoll. Turns out, I really freakin love him.

[Azunara]

I'll start working on it. Eventually. I promise. xD

[TygerDarkstorm]

Woot. XD