"In the beginning, we were commonplace, even to mortals.
Now, there's so few of us left that we've been forgotten."The Nalas unicorns were once a strong and very widespread species; they roamed every continent, inhabited every mountain, and graced every valley with their majestic presence. They were a coveted creature, admired by many different civilizations for their wisdom, cunning, and mysterious nature. The Nalas were the mount of choice of their Elven allies: elegant, strong, and very even-tempered, they made the perfect transportation, companion, or hunting mount. They were as common as the horse we know today, except for they were never tamed.
They chose their companions, and could leave as quickly as they appeared.
And most humans respected that.
As a whole, the Nalas had very few natural enemies. They were able to speak many different languages, including that of their human and Elven companions. Since they often spoke to the other animals, they were rarely attacked, and even when they were it was not fatal. The Nalas lived in peace with everything around them.
Over time, some humans became jealous of this ability, and sought to gain the Nalas power. Such individuals were few and far between, but when they did arise they were often taken into custody by the Elves, sometimes by the nearest settlement. From then their fate was chosen: either imprisonment or death. Those who had slain a Nalas were doomed to die.
For centuries, everything was right with the world. The humans developed under the care and guidance of the Nalas, and the world continued to prosper. But as a particularly cold winter forced another creature from their tundra home, and this move threw the world into chaos. With their typical diet dying out due to the extreme cold, the creatures moved south, the demonic being completely unknown to the world they began to take over.
The Dire Wolves.
These massive creatures were much stronger than their modern counterparts; they stood about half the size of the Nalas, sometimes slightly bigger, but their scruffy appearance, sharp claws and long, near-saber fangs made them a fearsome opponent, and each pack that came down was massive. They ranged anywhere from twenty-five to thirty wolves, and Dire Wolves acted much like a lion pride: The females hunted and raised pups while the males defended the territory and his harem. They also had a hunting strategy similar to what we see in a lion pride: one herded a Nalas towards a heavily forested area, and the Dires that laid in wait attacked. Very few Nalas survived an attack from a Dire Wolf.
As more and more of their family was killed by the onslaught of the Dires, the Nalas began to pull back into their homeland of Eytherae. The surrounding forests there protected them, though with so many Nalas it became crowded, and the food became scarce despite the Elves (and humans) best efforts to help. Some Nalas even went so far as to allow the humans to remove their horn, just so they'd be safe. But in turn, this took away their ability to speak and use magic. Some say this was how the horse actually came to be.
Back in Eytherae, though, the many stallions in the massive, cramped herd were growing restless and angry. One stallion, an abnormally tall, pitch black male covered in scars, was among them. His name was Kornis, and he was one of the few to have survived a Dire attack. He had even managed to kill his assailant. Kornis was tired of hiding, and wanted to take back their right to care for the world. He had watched as the Nalas began to disappear, and the effects it had on the world: storms raged outside of the valley, humans began fighting one another, and the chaotic Dires were taking over more and more, spreading their darkness across the land. He'd had enough.
Leaving the herd to approach the leader of the Elves, Kornis requested armor for the stallions, and riders if they wished to join in war. His gruff voice pleaded for help, and after a moment, the Elven leader, Ilael, accepted. Over the coming months more and more Nalas came home, and every stallion was given armor and trained to fight. It was a time of purpose, a chance to retake what was once theirs; but time wasn't on their side. The Dire Wolves were fast, and were closing in on Eytherae. The forests could only provide so much protection. Four months passed and the snow began to melt. It was spring; tiger lilies bloomed by the waterside, and everywhere there were foals being born. Many mares went into hiding in the mountains or stayed within the Elven city's stables.
As the Dire Wolves finally broke the forest and entered the Valley, the mares and their young had all been hidden, and the stallions stood ready. Outside, the humans had begun a campaign of hunting the wolves, but they knew the Dires by a different name: the werewolf. Now, the sides were evenly matched: it was unknown to the Nalas that the Dire Wolves' claws and teeth could chew through metal, but the metal slowed them down enough to where the Nalas had a chance to counter. War ensued the Dires' arrival, and it wasn't long before the Nalas managed to take down just enough to chase them back out of Eytherae. But, feeling cocky at their victory, the stallions continued to pursue the wolves, chasing them out into the flatlands that surrounded the forest. It was there that they made their mistake. Dires were familiar with hunting in heavily forested areas, and there, many Unicorns fell to Dire attacks. Once in the flatlands, though, it was all over. After a grueling sixteen-hour battle, the last living Dire Wolf fell dead, the ground covered in the blood of both species. A small group of only eight stallions of the original two-hundred returned to Eytherae, including the stallion that had taken charge. He was celebrated as a hero, and was given the title of General. He was then dubbed -name here-, meaning -translation here-, and returned to his mate. As the valley began to shift and cleanse itself of the evils that had been done, the Elves took a head count of the remaining Nalas. There were eight adult stallions, one hundred and twenty-five mares, and only eighty-seven surviving foals, most of which, thankfully, were colts.
From then, new traditions began. All stallions were trained to fight as a rite of passage into adulthood. After their training was complete, they became either a warrior or a scout. Some mares were allowed to become warriors, but after they had their first foal, their armor was taken away and they became caretakers of the gardens.
After the war, the Nalas disappeared from the world around them. The only hint of them left were in writings and art, their majestic presence captured in inks and tapestries. They were lost to the world, lost to our imagination. but it was there that they survived, untouched, untainted. Unknown.
Until now, that is.
Notes wrote:Kornis: Name meaning "black" (Kor-) "dawn" (-nis). He was the only known Nalas to be pure black. He has many descendants, but very few carry his rare traits.
Ilael: Name meaning "mist" (Il-) "whisper" (-ael). The Elvish leader was named for his white hair and his soft-spoken but very effective leadership.
