The Last Luminary
Once upon a time, in the land of Illythia, where magic was as natural as the sunrise, lived a boy named Eryndor. He was an ordinary lad, who lived an ordinary life, in an ordinary house with his ordinary mother. The only extraordinary thing about Eryndor was his thirst for adventure and his insatiable thirst for knowledge. He was well aware of the presence of magic, but was unable to wield it, a trait that made him feel different.
The centre of Illythia was believed to hold the Ageless relic - The Luminaire, a beacon of wisdom and knowledge - a gem that could impart intense magical abilities to a mere mortal. Many ventured to find it, but none had succeeded.
Eryndor, oblivious to the world's limitations, decided to embark on this quest. His mother, initially reluctant, knew that she couldn't chain her son's spirit. Gifting him his father's old worn-out map and a locket that she believed was magical, she kissed him goodbye.
Eryndor travelled for days, scaling mountains, sailing seas, and surviving the harshest weather. His adventures led him to an array of fascinating beings - dwarves, centaurs, elves, and he even encountered a dragon once. Each one of this encounters added more lines to his map and more wisdom to his spirit.
His journey led him to the centre of Illythia, a cavern guarded by an ancient dragon named Orthax. Orthax was as old as time itself, its golden eyes filled with wisdom and pain. Eryndor stood his ground, showing no fear in front of the beast. Surprised at the boy's audacity, Orthax agreed to lead him to the Luminaire, but only after Eryndor answered a riddle.
The question was daunting, 'What is rooted to the ground, yet moves with the wind, brings darkness during day, and illuminates the night?' After several moments of contemplation, Eryndor answered, 'A tree with a lantern.' Pleased at the boy’s wisdom, Orthax led him to the Luminaire.
The Luminaire was breathtaking. A radiant gemstone of profound beauty, its glow filled the cavern. As Eryndor approached, the cavern began to illuminate with hieroglyphs only visible in the Luminaire's light. Reading the ancient language was difficult, but Eryndor used the wisdom he’d gathered during his journey to decipher them.
The Luminaire wasn't a source of power but a beacon of knowledge. Generations of luminaries, unable to comprehend its purpose, sought to harness its power, but failed and in their failure, they ceased to exist. Here Eryndor stood different, he understood this, he didn’t seek power but wisdom, and thus, was deemed worthy.
Gently picking it up, Eryndor felt his mind expand, the wisdom of the ancients flooding his senses. It was a painful process, a test of his resilience, but Eryndor withstood the influx. The Luminaire recognized his potential, shaping him into the true Luminary, something that hadn't been seen in Illythia for countless generations.
Coming out of the cavern, Eryndor was a changed person. Every ancient tongue was familiar to him, every magical creature was an open book. His eyes glowed with the Luminaire’s wisdom, the beacon not of power, but of knowledge. And above all, he had something no one else had - the wisdom to use power justly.
Eryndor returned to his village as a Luminary, offering his wisdom to all. His knowledge led Illythia into a new age of prosperity, a testament to the power of wisdom over brute strength. Eryndor became a luminary in the truest sense, a beacon of wisdom, a testament that magic was not about power but wisdom and understanding.