Velufira

Velufira stood at the center of the training ground, surveying the scorched and shattered wooden dummies around her. The sun bore down, adding to her irritation. This was the third time this week she'd left the place in ruins, and the family elders were bound to start their nagging again. She traced her fingers through the air, weaving threads of magic that shimmered like wild gusts of wind, twisting and flickering. It was the mark of her talent, the legacy her family took pride in. "You're here again." A calm voice broke the silence. Her brother, Andreas, emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree, his brows furrowed, amber eyes filled with reproach. Velufira didn't turn around. She kept playing with her magic threads, her wrist still bearing burns from yesterday's experiments—not that she cared. She knew what was coming next: another lecture about tradition, responsibility, and the suffocating rules that bound her like chains. "Defensive magic exists to protect Dragon Isle," Andreas sighed. "Our family has dedicated generations to building its barriers, shielding it from the outside world. It's not meant to be used like..." "You treat defense like a tortoise shell," she cut him off, her voice full of scorn, betraying a hint of frustration. "Do you really think hiding behind these barriers can stop our enemies? Look at the world beyond! Can't you see it's changing and advancing? Meanwhile, we cower inside this enormous barrier, counting the rules our ancestors left behind like cowards." It all started with that accident. On that day, while experimenting with a new defensive weave, Velufira accidentally reversed the casting sequence. The gentle defensive magic she was supposed to create inverted itself, binding and crushing a training dummy in an instant. The mistake took root in her mind, growing into an idea that upended everything she thought she knew about magic. "I'm just exploring a different form of defensive magic," she said, lifting a hand. The soft threads coiled around her fingertips tensed, hardening into razor-sharp light. A boulder nearby split apart, sending shards flying and several landed on Andreas, dusting his cloak with debris. This, she thought, is what power should be. Not just something to contain, but something to unleash. Days turned into weeks, and the elders of the family grew more exasperated every time they saw her, as if she was some sort of heretic. They called her arrogant and said she was squandering her unique gift for defensive magic. Some even warned that if she continued down this path, she would bring disaster upon the Draconis faction. But Velufira couldn't forget that moment of revelation and the raw force she had unleashed. Her room was cluttered with old tomes and stacks of notes, her fingers numb from constantly experimenting, her research as relentless as their outdated dogma.

In her family, mastery of defensive magic was the highest measure of a mage's ability. Every few decades, a grand trial took place, offering the younger generation a chance to demonstrate their abilities and secure their standing. It was more than just a competition; it was a path to power and recognition. Velufira was determined to prove her theories. She believed her innovations could elevate their defensive magic to new levels. But during the trial, the magic she hadn't fully mastered spiraled out of control. The threads, designed to strengthen defense, lashed out like untamed stallions, binding her opponent with such force that the unleashed energy even sliced through his dragon scales. Instead of admiration, her demonstration sparked outrage. The elders' disapproval turned into condemnation, with some even calling for her exile. In the end, it was Andreas who stood against them all, stopping her from being banished. But the price was steep—Velufira was placed in harsh confinement, locked away for an indefinite period. "Velufira," Andreas said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You know what you must do." In the pitch-black confines of her prison, she had no choice but to reflect. Reckless ambition had led to a great catastrophe. Inspiration was only valuable when wielded with precision, not desperation. A faint glow flickered at her fingertips. She began weaving again, refining her technique. This time, instead of rushing, she listened to the pulse of each arcane thread. She would train, practice, and perfect her craft until her fingers bled, and until the magic responded to her will with absolute obedience. "What are you doing?" Andreas asked on one of his patrols. "Improving it," she replied curtly. "Making it stronger. And controllable."

Not long after, war broke out against the Hypogeans. The Draconis returned to the continent of Hathor, joining the battle. And when Velufira finally stepped out of her confinement, she did so with magic unlike anything her kin had ever seen. This time, the voices that once sought to cast her out fell silent. The arcane threads once used by her family to create rigid defensive barriers had transformed. Now, they were flowing blades, a deadly dance. This new magic, which upended the very idea of defense, opened up countless possibilities on the battlefield and showed her people a different kind of defensive magic. Her innovation was no longer considered heresy, but a beacon lighting the way forward. "You've never been content to follow the rules, always trying to do something different," Andreas said after the battle, sitting beside her, watching the blood-red sunset. "It reminds me of my younger days, when I felt like the whole world was holding me back." Velufira smiled. "But in the end, you chose to protect tradition." "And you chose to change it," Andreas replied. "That's destiny... someone has to walk a different path." Without a word, Velufira gazed into the distance, letting the wind gently graze the scales on her exposed skin. The distant horizon seemed like a boundary, waiting to be broken. This world is like that; either you follow the tide, or you fight against it. She chose the latter, and never looked back. For she knew that true inheritance wasn't about clinging to the past, but transcending it, growing through challenges. Her rebellion and perseverance would eventually become the Draconis' newfound power.

"This? It's the product of a failed experiment... Take it if you like, since I've got no need for it. In fact, take as many as you want."

Has visit scenes with Awakened Gwyneth.