The story of how the Black Oak Forest came to be.
As recorded and retold by the saudad of Azuria.
Below, you’ll find an excerpt of “Legend of the Black Oak Forest” from Story Magic, available now!
Legend of the Black Oak Forest
In the days before the parting of the seas, a great green oak grew.
She stretched high, her canopy rising above all the other trees, and from there, the great green oak watched and waited.
A young woman came to her, desperate for love. “There is a man where I’m from who longs to marry me. I know I’m meant to be with someone else, but I don’t know whom.”
The great green oak thought this over. It wasn’t customary for her to be sought in matters of the heart, though she was keen to try her hand at a subject readily practiced by sages across the land. “Very well, I shall do my best to help you.”
The woman smiled and wrapped her arms around the tree. “Thank you,” she whispered. “How shall I pay you for your aid to me.”
Laughter rippled the trees’ slender leaves. “You need not pay me, dear child,” the tree finally said. “But here, take this.” The tree dropped an acorn into the girl’s hands. “This piece of me will travel with you. Plant it where the roots of your heart find their resting place, and I will continue to guide you.”
The young woman was overjoyed at this prospect. She tucked the acorn into her pocket, planted a kiss on the bark, and skipped off into the forest.
The story continues in Story Magic, the newest novella in Age of Azuria.
Further Reading
This story has crossover references with Hadvarian Heist, book two in Age of Azuria.
The series begins with Aurora, the prequel novella, and Buried Heroes, book one.
You can find out more about both of these books here!
Join my reading community, the Story Enclave, for a free copy of Aurora!