Anya's Backstory
Written by Alyssa Vaivao
Deep in the Caves of Grot, lies an endless labyrinth of tunnels connecting all of Thra from within. Underneath it all, far to the east, resided the mysterious village of Domrak; home of the Grottan. Of this clan was young Anya who inhabited the caves with her father Aur’n, a renowned gatherer. When he was not topside gathering food and materials, he was managing the apothecary he opened with Anya’s mother. Outside their home was a stream that led to an underground lake where Anya and her father tended to a herd of aquatic nurlocs. Anya would help harvest the antlers they shed and grind them down to make medicines.
Anya is very soft spoken, as the caves she lived in often required them to talk with others in whispers. She learns to speak up once she is above ground, but is greatly annoyed that nobody can ever hear her. Although she may be soft spoken, this does not mean that she is shy. She is witty and sarcastic with a taste for adventure.
When she was younger, Anya frequently got sick which caused a rift between friendships she had since she did not leave the house due to her frequent colds. Through this though, she has gained knowledge on different remedies for many different ailments. Since her clan's numbers were rather small, there were not a lot of kids around her age that she could really talk to. She has vivid memories of sitting inside by her window and listening to the other kids playing. Since she was always sick and frail, she felt as though she was a burden to her father who had to constantly care for her. This transcends into adulthood when she feels like a burden because she is not a fighter.
In Domrak, Anya attended lessons with the other Grottan childlings where she learned basic alchemy and agricultural skills to better support her father with the apothecary. As mentioned previously, since she was regularly ill, she had to discontinue the classes and instead was taught alchemy by her father so she could still get some lessons without her illnesses impeding on her education. Anya got along well with the other younglings thanks to her cordial and overall good natured persona, however, because of her appearance, she was seen as strange and even a little intimidating to her peers.
Combining both alchemy and agricultural skills helped Anya spark an interest in cooking as she grew older. Her favorite meal to cook was sour spore soup since her father regularly cooked that to help her feel better.
Being a Grottan with Albinism, it was tougher to traverse the cave systems. Not only does her condition affect her hair and skin, but also her eyesight. Due to the lack of pigmentation within her irises, her eyes are much more sensitive to light. Anya also has trouble seeing things from far away, so she will often rely on the glow moss littered throughout the caves as well as the various torches set up around Domrak to guide her way around. Although the light emanating from these sources was a satisfactory solution, Aur’n knew that her vision may cause her to get hurt, so to help her, he asked the clan Maudra, Argot to help her get accustomed to living in near darkness. Maudra Argot was able to help her cope with her eyesight at an early age by teaching her to not just rely on sight, but sound and smell. So Anya was taught how to get through areas by using echolocation, similar to hollerbats. So when she was able to explore the caves on her own, she would click her tongue or snap her fingers to help her see in areas she may have trouble with. Because of this, her father and many others in her clan granted her the nickname, “Hollerbat”.
After her lessons, she would traverse the caves running errands, such as gathering herbs and spices for food or remedies. At an early age, Anya strived to become a gatherer just like her father, so she always took her tasks seriously no matter how small the job was. She much preferred this than staying inside and managing the counter at the apothecary. Her body was very fragile and she often got scrapes and bruises on her body which caused her father to constantly worry about her and deterred her from foraging, instead trying to help spark a love for something that would not get her into trouble such as tending to plants or fishing, but she thought those were too uninteresting. Being in the house for so long, repeatedly, caused her to rebel against her father more as she grew older. Aur’n eventually gave in and let her run errands at about age 13.
After one of her errand runs, she noticed a vast array of dream etchings preserved on the rocky walls. She had seen similar etchings before on the Grottan hearth in Domrak, but she would have never thought that she would see them so far from the hearth, much less this many.
Thousands of runes stretched across the cavern, hidden under the viney flora. When she was not busy, she would sit by the mossy wall and listen to the stories etched into them. This quickly became one of her favorite pastimes. Each dream etching transported her into a brand new world through the eyes of a mysterious gelfling. Anya was desperate to figure out the identity of the adventurer and as days passed, Anya grew more obsessed with the etchings; each rune pulling her back into the lively world of Thra topside. Every day she studied the symbols. Running her hands against the grooves of every etching she could discover to see what story it would tell next.
With her father home most of the time, Anya never strayed from asking questions, whether it would be what a certain symbol meant or who may have left it there, but unfortunately there was only so much that Aur’n knew.
Since Anya's father was a gatherer, she would ask him to tell her stories of his adventures above ground. He eagerly divulged in the wonderful journeys he had and the creatures he saw while topside. Although the world sounded like a wonderland, Aur’n always warned her to stay away from the other clans, for the other clans, including their sister clan, the Vapra, have seemingly forgotten them. The ones that do know of the Grottans' existence, mock them. This knowledge crushed Anya as she could not fully comprehend why the other clans shunned the Grottan. Nevertheless, Anya still fondly dreamt of daylighting and begged her father to take her one day. He hastily declined, citing that the topside was not meant for the Grottan.
As an alternative, Aur’n would dreamfast with Anya. Anya enjoyed dream fasting as it is the only time she is able to view her surroundings the clearest. Once the dreamfast began, the area became bright and vivid. Her usual dark world sprung to life before her eyes. Several colors danced across every corner of Thra as the harmonious chirps of all the nearby creatures rang through her long ears. The world of Thra was much larger than she could have ever imagined. She could not; and this revelation made her feel even more dejected. For such a wondrous world was locked away and there she was beneath it all. Or was it truly her that was locked away, for her cavernous home felt more like a barrier, holding her hostage within her stone tomb. It was clear to Anya that one day she would have to explore that world on her own and the confinement of the catacombs were not going to hold her so easily. This promise she kept to herself.
On several occasions, Anya attempted to venture topside, but she would always get lost in the endless tunnels. However she was able to locate her home quickly through finger-talking. Through this form of Grottan dialect, Anya and her father could communicate over great distances. Anya’s long and slim ears were quickly able to pick up the tapping as it grew closer, beckoning her home.
These were not the only sounds her ears were able to pick up. Being of Grottan descent, not only could she hear sounds from far away, but her long ears were able to sense the very vibrations of the earth and rocks around her. If she listened hard enough, the melody of the rocks, the ground beneath her feet, sang in her ears. Around this time, the other girls around her age were now sprouting their wings. Anya’s much to her dismay, has yet to sprout. To hide the fact that her back was barren, she opted to wear a long cloak.
One day, however, her insecurities got the best of her and she ran off sobbing in one of the tunnels. While she was hiding, she heard slow, heavy footsteps drawing closer. As she looked down the path, she thought that it could be another Grottan. Soon enough a large shadow came into view and she instinctively buried her face into her knees and kept silent. As she felt a presence looming over her, she knew in that moment that the creature was not gelfling. The entity's voice spoke in a deep yet gentle voice, one that was quite alien to Anya. Her heart beat fast as she slowly lifted her head up. The mystical being stood tall, hunching its head over her. Her jaw dropped in awe as she stared at all the intricate spirals that adorned his elongated snout. Along his snout, lay two prisms where the mystic gazed through. Trailing sluggishly behind him was a long tail decorated with cloth tied together with a myriad of hoops and beaded jewelry. Glow moss strung gracefully along the strands of ruffled hair and on his robes. Who knew that such a wondrous creature walked amongst the Grottan, hidden within the caves.
The creature soon gave her a gentle smile and asked if they were lost. Still in shock, Anya stumbled over her words as hundreds of thoughts raced through her mind. How badly she wished to find the right words. The strange being chuckled and slowly started to walk off, remarking on how strange it was for a Grottan to get lost so close to home. Anya quickly hopped to her feet and muttered the only thing she could. “Who are you?”. The creature stopped in its tracks and looked over his shoulder, “A Storyteller.” he whispered. His voice barely echoed down the tunnel with how softly he spoke. Anya asked where they were headed to, but he soon turned his head and resumed his path, trudging through the muddy caves, unbothered by the narrow tunnels. Anya stood frozen in place, wondering if she should go home or follow. She watched as the Storyteller carried onwards, the glow moss surrounding him, outlining his large build with a soft blue glow. The light from him grew dimmer and dimmer, until it soon disappeared becoming nothing more than shadow. Anya sighed and slinked back home to the faint glow of Domrak.
When she arrived home, her father was there to greet her, but Anya was too lost in thought to respond. As she crawled into her hammock, her father followed after her and sat on a stool beside her and asked what was troubling her. She confided in her father and confessed to him how badly she wished she had wings. There was a pause, but then Aur’n let out a chuckle and joked that once that day arrives, she will truly become a hollerbat. Anya frowned, “Hollerbat. That is all everyone calls me.” Aur’n’s smile disappeared as she continued, “If I was a hollerbat, I would fly out of these caves and never look back.” Anya sniffled as she felt her eyes well up. Aur’n held her close. There was a long silence until his words broke through. “Well, without hollerbats, the Caves of Grot would be a much darker, quieter place.” He reached his hand out and rested it on Anya’s shoulder. “That is why you are a hollerbat. Without you, life in Domrak would not be as lively.” She looked up at her father and asked if he ever wanted to stay topside. Aur’n responded that he is comfortable wherever he is as long as he could protect the ones he loves. “We all have a place in the world. In Domrak, I am needed, which means that I am right where I need to be. And perhaps you too will be able to understand that Anya.”
As she was talking with him, she thought about the four-armed being she encountered in the caves earlier. She hesitated to tell her father, which puzzled her. Anything peculiar Anya saw during her travels, her father is the first person she tells since he usually had the answers since he is knowledgeable about the caves and what may live in it. However, for some reason, Anya held her tongue. Her father kissed her forehead as he left the room.
She began to think about the Storyteller once again. Perhaps she should have told her father; maybe she was afraid that he would not believe what she saw. One thing was for certain, she had to find that creature again, somehow.
She thought back on what her father said and gazed outside the window, listening intently to the sounds of the caves. The other Grottans went about their lives. Through her eyes, they were just hazy clouds. She could not make out their faces, but she could easily recognize their tasks. Some were flying overhead, tending to Nurloc herds, while others were harvesting crops from their farms. Although their faces were obscured, she wondered if underneath the blur, they were smiling. The Grottan have lived here and were content, but have any of them ever wondered if there was anything more? Have they ever wanted anything more? These words stung Anya. She felt selfish for saying such things. Why couldn’t she be content with Domrak? Then a soft, white light touched her eyes. She peered under her window where she discovered white crystal veins embedded in the stone walls. When she was younger, she would often send prayers to the Crystal of Truth. Little things like hoping she would recover quickly from her illnesses or to simply have a good day. The veins seemed to have grown a lot more to reach this close to her bedside. Anya rested her hand upon the shining vein and whispered, “O crystal, if you can hear me, please guide me down my path.”
The following day, as Anya went out gathering, she could not focus. Thoughts of the Storyteller she encountered in the caves were still fresh in her mind and after her spelunking, those memories still stuck with her. Instead of heading home, she decided to rush back into the tunnels once more to seek out the Storyteller.
Using her large ears, she meditated and listened out for the heavy footsteps. Once the sound caught her ears, she followed the sound until she eventually saw a giant shadow slowly scuttling through the murky tunnels. He was easily recognizable as the glow moss on his robes made him stand out like a moving beacon. She sprinted towards the being and greeted them, but got no response. Every question that Anya had was met with silence, which annoyed her a bit. Her persistent questions were relentlessly thrown at the Mystic. She asked the Storyteller if they knew anything about the dream etchings. Anya noticed the Storyteller's eye glance over to her once she mentioned the etchings, but still remained unbothered by their presence and continued down their path. Suddenly, the creature's tail turned, tripping Anya and knocking her to the ground. Out of her satchel spilled out her collection of herbs all over the floor. As she went to pick them up, she noticed the creature was standing over her. He reached out one of his long arms and picked up a handful of spices and sniffed it. His eyes lit up and with the other arms plucked Anya from where she was and propped her atop his back. “Since you bother urLii with many questions, little one, urLii shall take you to the answer.” he stated.
Anya quickly got comfortable as the long hair provided a soft spot for her to rest her head. She clung tightly to his cloak to stop her from slipping off. Anya asked the being if urLii was his name. The mystic answered, “Yes. As for what urLii is, urLii is…” “A Storyteller?” Anya interrupted. “You can say that,” he replied. Likewise, Anya gave him her name. Soon enough, Anya's eyes started feeling heavy. She laid her head to rest as she let the mystic cradle her to sleep.
Anya had awoken to the sound of rumbling. She opened her eyes to see urLii using two of his arms to push aside a heavy stone door. As soon as they entered, the air became damp and musty. Anya slid down to urLii’s side as they entered the first room. Hanging above them was a diagram of some kind Anya had never seen before. Mosaics of meadows and crops that were unlike anything back in Domrak. “Welcome to the Greater Sun room.” urLii stated. The greater sun; one of the three brothers. Anya stood beside urLii and where exactly they were. urLii revealed to her that they had arrived at the Tomb of Relics. He told her about the many relics that lie dormant within the catacombs. The Storyteller continues to tell her that every artifact throughout gelfling history is entrusted to him to be protected and preserved. Anya wandered down a corridor and looked upon the dusty decrepit shelves. The books themselves were yellowing with age and the spines looked as if they were barely holding the pages together. These books looked older than Maudra Argot herself! Who knows how many people have read through the pages.
A wonderful scent wafted through the tomb. She looked behind her to see urLii walking towards her, arms clasped around several books. Before he could utter a word, he was quickly bombarded with questions about the Tomb of Relics. He raised a hand and gestured to follow him. ur Lii set the books down and trudged to another hallway in the tomb. At the end of the hall was a small circular room. Glow moss littered the shelves and broken pillars. Atop the shelves were various trinkets, jewelry boxes, and artifacts whose origin was unknown to Anya. Set on the table was a cup of Ta and algae cakes. Underneath the cupboards, a cozy fire gently stung Anya's eyes, but she did not mind it too much if it meant she would be able to admire such ornate decor. urLii offered her a seat, but she was too astonished to notice the mystics offer. Each time Anya was about to speak, a new item would catch her eye, stopping each of her sentences right in their tracks.
When she finally sat atop one of the giant stools and sipped some Ta, she noticed that it was brewed using some of her herbal ingredients. urLii explained that if she ever wanted to learn more about the history of Thra, to find him within the Tomb of Relics. If she brought him ingredients for his meals and Ta, he would retell her stories of any artifact of her choosing. This was beneficial to urLii because he does not want to be spotted by any other gelflings for his own privacy. Because of this, he is unable to gather any herbs or materials near Domrak where those ingredients would be more abundant. Before Anya left, she promised to keep him a secret.
The following day, Anya visits urLii again, preparing a mental list of questions to ask the gentle giant. urLii greeted her once she got to the Tomb of Relics and put some soup over the flame as Anya settled into one of the stone chairs. Once urLii poured her some soup, she inquired about the dream etchings on the cave walls. urLii shot her a quick glance as he poured. He nodded his head and told Anya that they were created hundreds of trine ago by the Sifan songteller Gyr. He wielded a legendary firca made from the bone of the bell birds that as powerful enough to create dream etchings detailing his many adventures. Anya hoped to herself that she may one day sing the tale of her adventures across Thra.
urLii scratched at his chin as if he was puzzling something in his mind. urLii requested that Anya seek out an aquatic Nurloc and harvest a discarded antler. Anya told urLii about the grotto near her home that was teeming with Nurlocs. Back in Domrak, she would help collect the antlers and use the grinded antlers as ingredients for their remedies. urLii added that although they can be used to make medicine, they are also used to create instruments, like the firca. Anyas eyes lit up at the idea of crafting her own firca. The urRu expressed to her that if she could retrieve an antler, they would craft it together.
When Anya returned home, she hopped into her family canoe and swam downstream. Aside from the lantern hanging over the bow of the canoe, the surrounding area was pitch black. The sound of chittering hollerbats and crashing water filled her ears as a soft blue light came into view. As she sat in her canoe, she looked above her at the hordes of hollerbats huddled together. Glow moss draped from the cave ceilings, crowning a beautiful waterfall at the other end of the grotto.
Anya cleared her throat and began to sing, filling the grotto with a harmonious melody. Soon enough, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large shadowy figure circling her canoe just below the waves. All of a sudden, a giant glowing Nurloc breached the surface. Anya dug through her satchel and pulled out clumps of glow moss as the creature lowered its head to her. Once she knew the Nurlocs trusted her enough, she dove into the lake and spotted a fallen antler. As she grabbed it, a faint purple light emanated from under the lakebed. Looking closer, Anya's heart dropped. A…purple crystal vein? She quickly swam back to the surface, coughing up water as she climbed back into the canoe. She peered from her boat into the lake; the purple vein was too faint for her to see it, so Anya did not think too much about it. When she met up with urLii later that day, the both of them worked together to whittle down the antler into a firca. Once Anya played her first note, she was overcome with joy. Wherever Anya went, the firca dangled around her neck and whenever she played it, she hoped that everywhere in the caves was filled with song.
One day Aur’n told Anya that the aquatic Nurlocs have died. Aur’n continued to say that he was going to go to the lake to harvest what he can and return them to Thra properly. Anya wondered what could have happened to them for them to die so quickly. She saw them so recently, alive and well. A wave of sadness washed over her, the pain in her chest feeling as if she was drowning. She later decided to go visit urLii once again to tell him about the incident and perhaps ask him about the purple crystal vein.
Anya would usually vent her frustrations or anything she thought about to him to which he gave odd responses and passive suggestions. Although he was strange and even she was puzzled by some of his weird sayings and teachings, his presence was where she generally seeked solace in.
As she was moving through the caves, a new noise rang through her ears. A soothing song was muffled by the outer cave walls, but she could still faintly hear it. She followed the melody until she felt a warm breeze. She stood firmly in place for a fleeting moment. Her heart beat faster as the throaty chanting grew louder. In the distance, an opening to the topside lay before her. At that very moment, she realized that she had strayed very far from home. She took a deep breath, she took her first few steps outside. Listening intently to the chanting she sat down on the damp grass and calmed her mind. Above ground, it was much easier to take in the many sounds of Thra.
As she meditated, she waited in silence until the chanting continued once more. She hummed its tune, wondering who or what made that noise. Her ears perked up slowly as she stood up, her eyes stayed shut as she pulled out her firca and began mimicking the distant chanting. Her heart beat fast as she heard the song growing louder and louder. Eventually the bellows were so close she thought the mysterious singer stood right beside her. When she stopped, a huge gust of wind blew westward and her eyes followed. In her heart, she knew something or someone was calling out to her. The thought was soon interrupted by her father who had followed her topside. He scolded her, telling her that it is unsafe to be up here and pulled her back inside the tunnels, leaving the light of the sister moons behind.
On their way back, her father told her that she is no longer allowed outside Domrak and is to stay in the apothecary. Anya pleaded with Aur’n to overturn his decision, but he stood firm. Anya asked him what was so bad about daylighting that she had to stay away from the surface. Aur’n stood silent for a bit. Anya thought that she would not get her answer, until she heard him exhale. He told her that the world is changing. It was safe in Domrak as long as the Grottan stuck together. He then reiterated that the above world was not made for Grottans. For once, Anya felt that that may be true.
Aur’n turned to her and then told her about what he saw at the grotto. He told her that when he found the corpses, he noticed that they were attacked by…her father stopped when they both heard a low chattering sound. Anya’s ears perked up as she slowly peered above. Aur’n’s eyes followed and they were met with several pairs of eyes staring back at them. Aur’n pulled her close and whispered to back away slowly.
As they stepped back, Anya could see them. A flock of Z’nid birds; and a big one too. Anya started breathing heavily. She had heard of Z’nid birds and how they could kill full grown Nurlocs. They were silent killers, attacking herds and swiftly killing them in the night.
In that moment, the missing Nurloc herds made complete sense to Anya, but now she and her father were next. Without warning, a Z’nid bird swooped towards her, until it suddenly let out a screech. In a flash, her father threw his dagger, plunging the blade into the beast's wing. The bird turned its attention towards Aur’n and jumped at him, pinning him against the rocky walls. More Z’nid birds swooped down as Anya picked up the dagger. She sliced at the winged creatures, but was completely outnumbered and was pinned down by a large Z’nid. The dagger flung out of her hand and landed near Aur’n who was able to slay the bird.
The birds snapped at Anya, who could only protect herself with her left arm,as her other arm was held down by another Z’nid bird. As she guarded her face, her left arm was getting bitten, scraped, and mangled by the creatures. At that moment, Anya thought that her life was over, until her father slashed at the beasts and pulled her over his shoulder. He slid through a crevice in the rocks that was too small for the birds to fly through, but now Anya and her father were falling above Domrak.Anya could barely keep her eyes open. She felt the blood oozing out of her body, her body growing weaker every second. She saw the lights of Domrak reflected in the water below them; she only had so much power within her until right then, her wings finally sprouted, unfolding from her back. She held onto her father, but her vision was fading as she was rapidly losing blood. She could hear her father speaking to her, although it only came across as a faint whisper. She felt her wings lower and her grip loosen as they broke the surface of the lake.
Anya woke up to the sound of faint chatters. The other Grottans were crowded together, whispering amongst each other. She grew faint once again and woke up once more, but this time she was in her hammock at home. As she turned over, she rested her hand on her chest and noticed that her left arm was missing. She quickly panicked and looked over to her right.
Maudra Argot was hovering over her. She explained to Anya that she was able to patch up the scratches on her body, but her arm was so horribly mangled that it had to be removed.
Still in a daze, she rushed out of her bed, nearly knocking over Maudra Argot. She had to go find her father. Once she entered his room, urLii was humming to himself as he tended to Aur’n’s wounds. Anya was taken aback, she could not be happier to see him, but she thought that he would want to remain undiscovered. She shuffled over to her fathers bedside and watched as he rested peacefully. urLii mentioned to Anya that if her wings had not broken the fall, he would not have made it. Aur’n suffered a fracture in his leg and a couple broken ribs, but he would be okay. With urLii’s help, he will be fully healed in no time. Anya let out a relieved sigh.
Her ears twitched as the sound of tapping grew closer. She turned to see that it was coming from the Maudra's walking stick. She remarked on how much energy Anya had retained despite plunging into the lake from such a high altitude. The Maudra then asked if she had acquainted herself with urLii yet. Anya hesitated for a moment and nodded. Maudra Argot chuckled and told her that she had no need to hide her friendship with urLii from her. Anya was a little confused until urLii mentioned that Maudra Argot and him have been friends even before Aur’n was born, of course urLii would tell the Maudra of their friendship. Anya rubbedher shoulder and chuckled nervously.
Anya apologized to the old Maudra. She scoffed and told her that she should be apologizing for daylighting without her permission. Anya gulped, knowing that what she did was forbidden. Maudra Argot questioned Anya’s motives for going topside in the first place. Anya told Argot about the strange chanting she had heard before. Argot's face slowly turned from disappointment to intrigue. Her wrinkled scowl softened as she asked Anya what she had heard. Anya retold the story of the deep resounding tune. How she felt like it called out to her somehow. She would have never found her way out of the Caves of Grot if it was not for themelody pulling her closer to the surface.
Anya put her hand on her chest and realized that her firca was missing. She stared at the ground sadly, lamenting that she could not recreate the melody without her firca. urLii interrupted her as he reached into his cloak and pulled out her missing instrument. “Before urLii forget.” he said with a smile as he put the necklace over Anya’s head. Anya held her firca in her hand and gasped as she noticed the left handle had broken in half. It must have broken during her ordeal with the Z’nid birds. Anya was full of sorrow and told urLii that it was useless now. Maudra Argot tapped her walking stick on the ground as if to turn the attention to her. “It's not useless my dear, it just works a little differently. It may be broken, but it still works. Now play,” Anya sniffled and nodded her head. Maudra Argot was right and Anya realized that she should not be so quick to give up on her firca. As she held her firca in her hand, she raised it to her lips. She fumbled trying to get a proper grasp on the instrument with only one hand.
As she attempted to recreate the melody, the chanting steadily resumed once again. The sound reverberated through Anya’s ears, growing closer as she kept playing. The voice drew nearer to Anya, just as she heard when she was daylighting, but she still held her firca tightly and played. She then noticed urLii’s head tilt upwards, “It couldn’t be.” he mumbled just under his breath. Anya lowered her firca as she took notice of the others' reactions.
As she ceased playing, so did the chanting. urLii looked towards Anya and told her that that was no ordinary chant. That was the song of the urRu. “It is a calling,” he explained. “To what, urLii knows not.” he continued. Then Maudra Argot spoke softly, “If it’s from an urRu, then it must be important. It seems you are needed elsewhere my dear Anya.” Argot then told Anya that she must leave the Caves of Grot and head south the Valley of the Mystics, hidden on the outskirts of the spriton plains and the marshlands of the Swamp of Sog.
A voice broke through the conversation. They all turned to see Aur’n sitting up in bed, wincing from the pain in his chest. He protested against her voyage, but Maudra Argot told him that she had to go and reminded him that he was in no shape to stop her either. She shall leave once her arm has finished healing. Maudra Argot and urLii promptly left, leaving the two Grottans to themselves.
After calming down, Aur’n reminds Anya of the day she told him that as soon as she grew wings, she would fly away from Domrak. He thought that was just a jest, but it is surprising to him how true it turned out to be. Anya hugged him softly and reassured him that she will return to Domrak once again.
After being attacked and losing her arm to the Z’nid birds, Anya knew that she must learn to adapt to her world or perish. Being near blind, albino, and now with only an arm, the world is practically made to see her dead, but Anya knows in her heart that this quest will prove to herself and to others that she is strong in her own way; through resourcefulness and ingenuity.
Once Anya’s arm was fully recovered, she started to prepare for her departure, Aur’n approached his daughter with a parting gift. In his hand, was his blindfold that he had used when he first went topside. Since he has been topside gathering on many occasions, his eyes have already adjusted enough to the sun's rays, so he no longer has any use for it. Anya gave him a final hug and walked out the door, shooting a lasting glance back at her father before closing the door. “May Thra keep you safe, Hollerbat.”