When I was a little girl I would play in the forest often with my Brother. He had recently gotten a cough, so my parents hid him from peeping eyes to not alert our neighbors. We all know how some deal with even the slightest sickness... I was alone that day and traveled further out than I had normally. I still knew where I was, but also knew I would get in trouble if my Brother was with me. Since I was alone I went knowing no one would care for now. I eventually came around the side of the Mountain we named 'Big Grumpy' it was only about a Kilometer from our house, yet I never been to it. I was naive in my younger years and didn't know the true dangers of wandering off alone. Luckily for me that was the day I found out and avoided a hard lesson in the future.

As I approached the side of the Mountain a small group of Wolves(Maybe four or five) were feasting on a large animal. The instant I spotted them they turned their heads to me. Their faces covered in blood from their most recent meal. Teeth began showing and then they began growling, all I could do was freeze in fear. It wasn't until they all howled in unison I began to run. My small underdeveloped legs wouldn't carry me far until they caught up, even with the head start. I knew this, but something told me to enter a nearby cave. Giving up my advantage of the head start to hide. I wonder if it was his doing.

As I came in sprinting in the cave, I hit a hard wall. Sending me to on my back and viewing the entrance of the cave upside down, with the pack of wolves approaching. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the blood soaked Wolves come any closer. All I heard was a screech fly past my body and then the wolves yelp in pain. I open my eyes to see them missing. Vanished. I was in shock, but also very relieved that they were gone. I picked myself up and rubbed my head as I looked at the cold snow under my feet. Blood began trickling from my head and painting the Grey snow Red. I rubbed the stream off my brow and looked up to the wall I hit. That's when I first saw him.

A white statue laid in front of me. The sunlight that was allowed entrance to the cave shinned at his feet. It revealed crystals beneath the white sculpted feet. A mix of colors shined and flared. His feet were like those that Wolves had. I mumbled a single sentence to the sight. “It’s beautiful.” Shockingly enough I was given a response. “Why thank you, little one.”. The sound made me jump, but I wasn’t truly frightened. I looked behind the statue. Only a few meters back the actual end of the cave existed and there was nothing around that could have hid a man. I looked back at the statue to find two piercing golden light staring back at me. His eyes.

Now some of you would probably think a little girl, even if it was me, would just go running away screaming. I wasn’t scared though. I don’t know why. Maybe his majestic beauty still had me stunned, or maybe I was still shook from the Wolves, or maybe I was just a naive young girl. Probably a mix of all three. After a few moments of staring him in his eyes he lowered his hand to me. It was the size of my whole body. I didn’t know exactly what he wanted, but I guessed right as I stood on his hand and he lifted me just slightly off the ground and walked to the exit of the cave. He eventually lowered me to a rock just outside his cavern to sit on and he squatted down in an attempt to make himself smaller. Although he was still triple my height. He touched my head with a gentle poke and my head stopped hurting and the blood that came from it, vanished. He took his hand away from me and began to speak again. “Would you like the hear a story, child? A story about me?"

I didn’t respond at first, due to his beauty. Now in full sunlight his whole body sprakeled. It is still one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I could also see how his full body formed, it was smooth, unlike anything I have seen before. The biggest thing that is engraved in my memory is his smile. His mouth was stuck as a wide smile from cheek to cheek, showing his sharp teeth. Back then it didn’t really worry me much, but now that I remember it it was horrific and at the same time still beautiful. “Yes, Mr. Statue” I kindly responded. He chuckled at the childish name I gave him and responded in his low deep voice. “Please young one, call me Vaettir.”. I shook my head and replied “Then you can call me Diana”. Vaettir nodded his head and began his story. I don’t know if he was using some magic on me, but I will never forget his story. To this day, remembering it word for word even when I didn’t understand parts of it then.

“I was here before you, your parents, or even their parents before their parents. I have seen the rise and fall of so many of your Jarls... I was born in what your people now call, Brionac Forest.” I rudely interrupted by asking a question, although he didn’t mind. “Who were your parents?”

“I do not know, Diana. I think the Gods, but when you pray to them, do they ever reply?” I took a few seconds to think before shaking my head side to side. Wisping my then long Orange hair across my face. He shook his head and continued. “I was around long before I met the first Humans. Although their ears are pointer than Humans. I guarded the Forest and kept it… Balanced. I first met Man chopping down my trees. I watched for a while assuming it was just a new animal the Gods had placed on the world. Another thing for me to balance. Although when I approached them, they ran in fear. Unlike any other animal. I was beautiful back then. Shaped like nothing before, Green in color and wood surrounding my skin… Later they came in force to attack me. It wasn’t until they Gazed upon my presence they lost all their rage and confusion. Replaced by bliss. They then left me alone, fearing my presence. It wasn’t long before they began to hunt each other. I think it was because some of them didn’t have the pointy Ears that the others did. In my eyes all creatures were the same and it made no sense. This hunting was called: War."

I interrupted him again with another question. “I know what war is! It is when two villages fight. My dad said he went to war, did you see him?” Vaettir chuckled faintly before answering “You are correct young one, but no this happened a long, long time ago.” He paused for a few more seconds, giving me time to ask another question before he continued. “The pointy ear Humans that are called Elves now, had a very strong leader. He was cruel with his power’s given to him. Now I didn’t care about the War until it entered the forest. The elves began to cut down my trees in mass. So many of the trees screamed in pain asking me to stop them and so I did. I came to talk to them peacefully, but instead they put me in a cage and took me to the leader. He was what you call a, Ódauðlegur...The Elf began to ask me questions about my powers that I didn’t know the answer too. He began to tort- do bad thing to me. Eventually he pushed me too hard and I pushed him back. I pushed more than I thought and ended up killing the man. My first sin the Earth.”

He stopped and looked up for a few moments. As if trying to remember. I wanted to ask more questions, but was more interested in the story and waited for him to start again. “After that the Elf and Humans stopped the war. I had gained some kind of power and it turned me into this statue that I am today. I was punished by my parents, for reasons that I don’t understand, but I had lost my power over the forest and was given new ugly ones as replacement for my sins. Now I walk around to tell my story, hopefully spreading it to the world.” He stopped and just stared at me.

“That's it?” I replied annoyed. “Why did you turn like this? Why did you stop guarding the forest? Why were you in the cave now?”

Vaettir looked at me. No emotion other than his smile displayed. He got up and began to slowly walk away, leaving me with one last sentence. “When you pray to the gods, do they ever reply?”

That was the first and last time that I had seen him. Im am 44 years old and every year come to the cave to see him again. Although he never showed. I tell this story to anyone who would like to hear, but most don’t care. My Kids and my Grandkids are the only who truly believe me. Hopefully you will too. Despite what you hear about the walking statue, he is not an evil beast. Just a forsaken, sad, deity.

Nihil holds great respect for Vaettir, after his past was revealed to him. Many of the Dusk Elves know of Vaettir. Although in their legend the mighty Landvaettir slays their cruel overlord, Elecan The Wrath, by sacrificing himself in order to save the Elves from their Tyrant. How they tell it, the Landvaettir became a mighty tree. Sealing away the immortal Elecan. The tree eventually withered away during the blight. A sign of bad Omens to come.

While none of that was true, Vaettir came to like their version better and only has revealed the true past to Nihil, not allowing the other Dusk Elves to know. Vaetir appreciates Nihil taking care of his past land and is one of the few safe places that Vaettir can visit. Nihil welcomes him to his Domain due to the security and possible propaganda enemy scouts would return back to their masters. The talk of a massive rock beast roaming the forest keeps peering eyes from returning or keeping a attacking force at bay.

Vaettir had first met this pair when they were searching for a group of Humans. Funny enough the group of Humans were also engaging Vaettir in combat. It ended how it normally does... Astrid and her partner Marik are the only other two who have had any kind of interaction with Vaettir that wasn't and attempt on his life or him telling his story to some unfrightened individual. Although they aren't on friendly terms. Vaettir can feel something wrong with their presence. He doesn't know why, but usually avoids them when he has spotted them. Although that doesn't stop Astrid from greeting the wandering Beast. He keeps their meetings polite, but brief. Vaettir has only gotten the same disgusting aura from one other individual. The last Immortal he had slain. They had met each other walking the same path several times, which give Vaettir the suspicion their destiny may also travel the same path in the near future. A revelation he hopes is just mere coincidence.