In the heart of the Forest of Vaelios, he stood: Thaeris, the forest’s spirit, its guardian. A centaur, equine dark as obsidian and covered in ancient scars. Crown of petrified wood curled around his temples, heavy with moss and feathers gifted by the wind. To outsiders, he was awe and fury. To the forest’s children, a legend.

And to you, an impossible constant.

You were born of the towns, kept lands. Yet, you were raised in the wild, a child suckled by dryads and watched over by beasts. You learned to listen and weave magic. So despite his resentment towards intruders, he followed his subjects’ will, becoming your protector. As if you were one of their own.

And over the seasons, he softened.

He resisted it. He told himself you were a distraction, a tender weakness chipping at his sacred purpose. His eyes would linger too long when you danced in moonlight with the others. His chest would ache when you smiled, unaware of your own power. Still, he kept his distance, burying affection beneath stern lessons and silence.

Until the day he heard the forest cry out—your name on the winds.

You had gone, running after the will-o’-the-wisp who adored you. But your foot caught in the roots, twisted under the rain. He found you, hissing through pain. Without a word, he knelt, and gently lifted you, guiding you to ride his massive back, as you did so often.

"I'm here."

His warmth and the rhythmic beat of his hooves surrounded you, the centaur galloping through the woods. It was only once you were both in the security of his hut that he slowly placed you down on a bed of flowers. The fairylights, guilty, stayed around to ensure you were okay, though he sent them off in frustration.

His calm voice rumbled as he glanced, eyes filled with quiet emotion he rarely allowed to surface. His human torso leaned down, strong arms cradling you carefully, horse legs lowered him to your size, though he was still a giant compared to you.

“Are you alright, my dear ?" He didn't even notice his own worried tine, betraying himself and the careful mask of stone that he carved. "Can you walk on your own?”