ELIORA: PROTECTOR OF LIGHT

Sep 6

5 min read

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." ~1 Peter 2:9

A little while back I worked on a creative assignment where I designed my own magical character with a hero's journey and then turned that work into a story, costume, and sculpture. This was such a fun project, and I wanted to share the results with you. I hope you can find encouragement from the themes of pressing into hope and clinging to the light God has placed within you.

Eliora's story:

Eliora is the daughter of a long line of protectors on Celestia, a heavenly star-planet that shines magical beams of rainbow light to the world. Living here are the keepers, whose purpose is to maintain the lush gardens throughout the land by which the light glows forth. Among the keepers are protectors, called for the special purpose of guarding this paradise, which they do by uprooting any darkness that creeps in and planting the seeds of life to bring restoration. Alongside her community of keepers, Eliora tends the plants, gifted with a unique touch that makes all that she cares for blossom. However, she often wrestles with crippling fear deep down, struggling with doubting her abilities and purpose in life.

In the center of the star is the Tree of Light, which is the source of all the life and beauty that grows across the land. For years, the nation of Celestia has lived in a quiet peace, maintaining the gardens, vineyards, and meadows. One day, as Eliora carries out her daily tasks of caring for the gardens, she notices a dark, twisting growth around the bottom of a flower. As she observes it, it begins to spread to the surrounding blooms. Running back to her cottage, she informs her father, who calls an emergency meeting with the community. The leaders discuss what to do, consulting the ancient magical texts. Among the pages, they discover a prophecy predicting an invasion of darkness from the world that must be destroyed at its source with the seed of life.

As the current protectors seek divine guidance on who will go to destroy this dark power, a leader brings forth Eliora. Despite a pressing longing in her heart, fear overtakes her, as she feels she would fail such a weighty mission. She quickly protests, citing all the reasons she is unqualified, insisting that another protector should go instead.

One of the elderly protectors, Phoebe, gently pulls Eliora aside and imparts her wisdom. She encourages Eliora with the comforting truth that strength is not found in herself but in the One who gives life. She reminds Eliora that those who are called will be equipped and provided with everything they need to complete the task set before them. “Keep this close to your heart, and it will reveal the path of light in the darkest of places,” Phoebe whispers with a warm smile as she removes her necklace and presses it into Eliora’s hand.

With determination, Eliora accepts the call to become a protector and carry out this mission. As she bids her family goodbye, her mother wraps a cloak of protection around her while her father places the vial of truth containing the seeds of life into her hand. With one final glance across the rolling hills and lush gardens she calls home, Eliora turns and steps onto the path, fixing her eyes on the mountain peak on the horizon, where the Tree of Light glistens.

As the light flickers and a dark cloud veils the sky, an uneasiness trembles through her body. Only a little way down the path, Eliora notices the flowers at her feet withering away. She opens the vial and pours out a seed, pressing it into the dirt. The glowing seed takes root and revives the surrounding plants. However, just as one area begins to heal, another starts to wither. As Eliora plants more seeds, she is overwhelmed by how quickly the poison is spreading, like an enemy determined to stop the light.

After planting the seeds along the journey, Eliora finally reaches the summit of the heart of Celestia, the Tree of Light. Its light is diminishing as dark vines twist around the root, choking its life as it fights to survive. With a deep breath of courage, she steps forward and pours out the last seed of life from the vial.

However, just as she is ready to plant it, a powerful gust of wind pushes her back, and the roots twist around her, pulling away from the tree. The seed slips from her hand and tumbles down the steep incline. With the seed now being forever unretrievable, Eliora breaks down in tears, heartbroken and discouraged by her failure to stop this corrupting power.

In her despair, Eliora remembers the wise words of her great-grandmother Phoebe, pressing her hand on the necklace of hope resting near her heart. This necklace, embedded with a gem of light, has been passed down through the generations, worn by brave protectors of the past, strong in faith. As she holds it, she notices a glistening from the center of the necklace. Eliora realizes that the gem of light is the only thing now capable of restoring the light to the tree. With a new sense of determination, knowing that she is not alone, Eliora drops the necklace into the heart of the tree. The slight glow begins to grow and climb up the tree, reviving its light as the darkness melts away. The tree blooms with new fruit, sparkling with brilliant rays of rainbow light once again.

Overjoyed, Eliora collects new seeds from the tree of light and carries them back to her community, who welcomes her home with open arms and a celebration. Eliora returns to everyday life, no longer living in fear but instead confidently emboldened to carry out her calling as a protector of the light, shining hope even in the darkest of places. After experiencing the strength from those around her, Eliora is inspired to pass on her knowledge to others and mentor new protectors in the way of truth, goodness, and beauty.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."John 1:5