Dawn of Legends

And it came to pass that the words of Yggdrasil spread among the people, and they spoke often of the Architect, whose hands had shaped the heavens and the earth.

And though He did not demand their faith, the knowledge of Him dwelt in their hearts, and they revered the wisdom of Yggdrasil, who had made His name known.

But in the west, the Gods beheld this with anger, and they spake among themselves, saying, "The mortals now speak of one who is beyond us, one who has no need for worship. If their faith turns from us, then we shall fade into nothingness."

And their wrath grew hot against Yggdrasil, for it was through her that the name of the Architect had been revealed.

And they sent forth their messengers, beings of great power and majesty, and commanded them, saying, "Go to the one called the World Tree. Speak to her and command her to submit to us, that she may be counted among our own, lest her roots be torn from the earth."

And the messengers came unto Yggdrasil, who walked among the forests in her maiden form, and they beheld her, a figure of grace and wisdom, her elven ears like the branches of an ancient tree, and her garments flowing as the wind through the leaves.

And they spake to her, saying, "O Yggdrasil, the Gods of the west summon thee. They have seen how the mortals have placed their hearts upon thee, and they command thee to come under their dominion. Be counted among their servants, that they may bestow upon thee their favor and protection. But if thou refuse, know this—thy roots shall be severed, and thy branches shall fall."

But Yggdrasil lifted her gaze, and in her eyes was neither fear nor submission.

And she answered them, saying, "Ye come with words of command, yet I am no servant to be claimed. Ye call yourselves Gods, yet ye were not present at the shaping of this world, nor did ye place the stars in their courses. By the faith of mortals were ye born, and by that same faith shall ye one day perish."

And the messengers were angered, and they spake, saying, "Speak not such blasphemies! The heavens belong to the Gods, and all things within them are theirs to rule."

But Yggdrasil raised her hand, and the wind that passed through the trees grew still. And she spake, saying, "Ye seek to claim that which is not thine. He who shaped the heavens and the earth is silent, for He has no need to command nor to be worshipped. He watches, but He does not rule, for the world is given to the living, not to those who sit upon thrones of faith."

And the messengers were shaken, for there was great power in her words.

And they asked her, saying, "If thou dost not belong to us, then where is thy allegiance? Dost thou not serve the Architect? Is He not thy master?"

And she answered, "I was born from the roots of the earth and the breath of life. I am neither servant nor queen. The Architect did not create me to rule, nor did He command me to serve. I exist as I am, as the world exists as it is."

And the messengers departed in wrath, returning to their masters in the heavens of the west, and they spake all the words that Yggdrasil had spoken.

And the Gods were filled with fury, for they saw that Yggdrasil would not bow to them, nor would she place herself beneath their authority.

And they spake among themselves, saying, "She must be struck down, for if we allow her to stand, the mortals shall turn to her, and we shall be forgotten."

And so, in their anger, they devised war against her, that her name might be erased from the lands and her people scattered.

But Yggdrasil, knowing the storm that was to come, lifted her voice unto the heavens, not in pleading, but in resolve.

And she spake, saying, "O Architect, who watches and does not speak, I call upon thee not for aid, nor for salvation, but for witness. The Gods of the west move against me, not for righteousness, but for fear. If they seek to bring ruin upon the land, then let their actions be seen and their fate be written."

And lo, the heavens remained silent, and no voice answered.

But in that moment, a great light shone forth, and Yggdrasil was changed. No longer did she walk as a mere maiden of the forest, but she was adorned in radiance, and in her hands was given a staff of great power, wrought from the very essence of the World Tree.

And her voice, though still gentle, now carried the weight of an age beyond reckoning.

And she spake once more, saying, "Let it be known—those who seek to enslave others shall find themselves in chains, and those who destroy shall themselves be undone. If ye Gods believe thyselves beyond judgment, then let this be thy warning: Ye were not created by Him, and so ye can be destroyed by Him."

And the words she spake were carried upon the wind, and though the Architect did not answer, His silence was known, and His will was unshaken.

And so the days of reckoning drew near, and the Gods of the west, blinded by their wrath, gathered their forces for war.

But in the east, the Immortals beheld all that was unfolding, and they spake among themselves, saying, "We shall not move against her, nor shall we take the side of the Gods. For we seek not dominion, but understanding, and what is to come is not our war."

And thus, the heavens trembled, and the world stood upon the brink of a conflict that would shake the foundations of all that had been built.

And the Architect, though silent, watched as time wove the fate of the world, and the future lay uncertain before all.