the berllion beast

The woman was busy tidying up her home when she heard a distinct sound—three consecutive knocks. Curious, she walked over and opened the door.

There, lying right at her threshold, was a beautiful baby. She picked the child up carefully and brought her inside. She knew instantly that this was no accident; the baby had been deliberately left there for her to find and protect.

As she looked down at the infant, she realized this was no ordinary child. The girl’s beauty was ethereal, and her skin was as smooth and white as fresh milk. The woman decided then and there to take her in and raise her as her own, at least until someone came looking for her. She named her Vendia.

Five years passed.

On Vendia’s fifth birthday, her mother returned home carrying a very special gift. It was a creature known as a Berllion. It resembled a lion with a coat as brilliant as gold, but it possessed beautiful, gleaming white wings tipped with gold.

The woman had found the young Berllion lying weakly on the ground within the Hidden Forest. This was a secret place known only to those with power, accessible only by creating a portal. Casting the spell to enter was incredibly difficult and required rigorous training, for this was no ordinary woodland. It was also called the Magical Forest, home to various mythical creatures that were rarely seen elsewhere—creatures that were endangered or on the verge of extinction.

The woman was puzzled by its color; Berllions were naturally known to have only brown or gray fur, yet this one was different. Moved by pity, she had taken it in. It was surprisingly small, no bigger than a tiny kitten, making it easy for her to carry all the way home. She thought it would be the perfect companion for her daughter.

As soon as her mother handed the creature to her, Vendia immediately took it to her room. She gently placed it on her bed and looked at the weak beast lying before her. Suddenly, she gasped in shock as the creature began to glow with a blinding light. When the radiance finally faded, she saw a symbol engraved upon her left palm—it was the mark of a Berllion.

This was known as a "Bond." When a beast accepts someone as its guardian, a symbol appears on the person's hand. This was no mere mark; it allowed Vendia to communicate with the creature through her thoughts and linked their very souls. Through this connection, the guardian could even harness the powers of the beast. However, such a bond was incredibly rare. Not everyone could care for a beast, as they were notoriously elusive and rarely seen by human eyes.

Following the ritual, the creature suddenly surged with life, the sadness vanishing from its eyes. Vendia decided to name him Berlon, a name derived from his kind. She reached out and stroked his soft, golden fur, vowing to take care of him and help him recover his full strength. Being so young, she did not question why the beast had been weak; she simply wanted him to get better.

Vendia lived a peaceful life alongside the woman she called mother, with the Berllion always faithfully by her side. Unbeknownst to her, the woman was not her biological parent.

As Vendia turned six, she began to observe the world with more maturity. She couldn’t help but notice that she and her mother shared not a single physical feature. Yet, she chose to push the thought aside, for her heart was full of the happiness and love they shared within their home.

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