
par Bill Tiepelman
Aurora of the Elven Soul
The forest always hummed at twilight, but tonight it was downright chatty. Aurora Mossglow, the self-proclaimed "semi-retired Keeper of Mystical Stuff," perched on an ancient tree stump, poking at the glow on her arms. "Well, that's new," she muttered, watching the tattoos she didn’t remember getting pulse with light. "I swear if this is because I ate that glowing mushroom last week, I’m suing nature." She leaned back, her pointed ears twitching as the forest whispered in the language of rustling leaves and creaking branches. Something was coming, and it was big. Aurora wasn’t one for dramatics (she’d tell you this five minutes before dramatically storming out of an argument), but the combination of glowing skin, a halo she hadn’t ordered, and a forest full of nervous energy was enough to make her rethink her plans for a quiet retirement. "All right, forest," she said, standing up and dusting off her vibrant orange robes, embroidered with intricate designs that seemed to shimmer when she moved. "What’s the deal? Is this about that squirrel I yelled at last week? Because he started it." The Visitor Before the trees could answer (and they absolutely could answer if they felt like it), a shadow loomed in the distance. It was tall, lumbering, and had the distinct aura of someone who had just woken up and wasn’t happy about it. Aurora squinted. "Oh great, it’s you." The shadow resolved itself into a hulking troll with moss for hair and an expression that could curdle milk. His name was Grumbor, and he had been Aurora’s neighbor-slash-nemesis for years. "I see you’re glowing," he grunted. "What’d you do this time?" "First of all, rude," Aurora said, pointing a glowing finger at him. "Second, I don’t know! It’s not like I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Hey, you know what would make me look even cooler? Random bioluminescence.’" Grumbor scratched his mossy scalp. "Maybe you’re chosen or something." "Chosen for what?" Aurora demanded. "A light-up dance troupe? The annual Forest Glow Parade? If there’s a prophecy involved, I’m going to lose it." The Revelation Grumbor shrugged, which for him involved a lot of moss shaking loose. "Could be the prophecy. You know, the one about the 'Radiant Soul of the Forest' or whatever." Aurora groaned. "I thought we agreed to stop listening to prophecies after the last one turned out to be about a particularly shiny toad." "This one’s different," Grumbor said, pulling a scroll out of somewhere she didn’t want to think about. He unrolled it with a flourish. "See? ‘When the tattoos glow and the forest hums, the Chosen One shall arise to…’ Uh, wait, it’s smudged here. Something about saving the world. Or maybe baking bread. Hard to tell." "Fantastic," Aurora said, rolling her eyes. "So now I’m the Chosen One because the forest decided to turn me into a glow stick." The Journey Before she could complain further, the ground shook, and a deep voice boomed, "Aurora Mossglow, Keeper of Mystical Stuff, step forward." "Oh, come on," Aurora muttered. But she stepped forward anyway, because ignoring a disembodied voice in the forest usually didn’t end well. The voice continued, "You have been chosen to undertake a great quest. The fate of the realms depends on you." "Of course it does," Aurora said. "Because the realms always depend on someone who’s just trying to mind their own business." "Do you accept?" the voice asked. "Do I have a choice?" Aurora shot back. "No," the voice admitted. Grumbor patted her on the shoulder, leaving a smudge of moss. "Good luck. You’ll need it." "Thanks for the vote of confidence," Aurora said, adjusting her robe. "Well, if I’m going on a quest, I might as well look fabulous doing it." The Conclusion And so, Aurora set off into the glowing twilight, her tattoos lighting the way and her sarcasm sharper than ever. She didn’t know what the quest would entail, but she was pretty sure it would involve danger, absurdity, and at least one moment where she’d have to dramatically shout, "I told you so!" The forest sighed as she disappeared into the trees, already preparing itself for whatever chaos she was about to unleash. One thing was certain: the realms had no idea what they were in for. Bring the Magic Home Inspired by Aurora’s glowing adventure? Now you can bring a piece of her radiant charm into your world. Whether you're a fan of her bold style or the mystical atmosphere of her forest, we've got something special for you. Check out these exclusive products: Tapestry – Transform any space into an enchanted realm with this stunning, wide-format wall tapestry featuring Aurora’s ethereal glow. 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