legend

Once, long ago, the Onara tribe fled to what is now Treegap from yet another enemy that drove them out of their land. They were a peaceful people who didn’t believe in violence and were kind to all. They were used to being pushed around by other villages with weapons and a blood-thirsty nature, but this time was worse than others. They had settled on a fertile river bank, built strong, permanent homes and were very happy. One day however, the Dari tribe came to their spot, hungry for more land. They ransacked the village, stealing what they could and killing people randomly or even for something as small as a pair of moccasins. The Onarans did not fight back, instead, they watched their beloved village be destroyed. Tired and sad of who and what they left behind they prayed for a time of joy and prosperity to come back to their village. After weeks of continuous prayer, finally Pohara their goddess of life answered them. Pohara told the chief through a dream, “I grant the Onara a girl to lead your village--a savior from what is coming.” With that she left the dream.

The next day, a baby on a small raft floated towards the Onara’s new village. At once, the chief knew what the baby was and why it was there. He studied the child. She had dark hair and eyes a dashing purple color. The villagers gathered around her. The chief announced, “She has come to save us.” He lifted her to the sky and suddenly, a ray of sunlight spiraled toward her and covered her body with light. She smiled, and at once they all knew that there was something special about this girl, who could in fact be their savior.

Raised by the chief, Aiyana, meaning forever blooming, was a happy eleven-year-old. She earned her name (before they called her Pohara, after the...

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...uld to make them feel the pain she felt now because of them. The last man left she began to weep. She wept about what she lost. She wept about who she lost. She wept because she failed to fulfill her reason for existence. Mad at herself and the world, she wept. She dug a hole at what was once the village’s center, just big enough to fit herself. Still crying, she dropped herself effortlessly into the hole. She brushed the soft soil on top of her. With no will to live, she covered herself completely with the dirt. She wept, and wept, and wept, in the darkness of her new home. Her tears were so many that they spurted up from the ground. An ash tree grew next to where she lay, symbolizing the ashes of the Onaran tribe. Her tears created a freshwater spring, granting whoever should drink it eternal life. The girl who could not die wept, and probably will weep forever.