Frog

There was a legend among the tanuki of the Wordledge Wetlands.

Deep, deep in the Worldedge Wetlands, hidden in the shade of the mighty Behemoth, there stands a tree. A very wonderful tree, everyone agrees, beautiful and lush and surely as old as the Behemoth itself. The fruit this tree bears is said to be the sweetest and biggest fruits of any plant in the Wetlands, eating it would grant you the most wonderful experience, unable to be replicated by any other dish.

However, despite the wonderful fruit and beauty of the tree, it is better not to approach too closely. For as long as it has existed, it has been guarded by a large, awful monster, scaring away even the toughest of tanuki warriors. Horrible, bloody wars had been fought with the monster in the past.

... or so Mama and Papa had told the young tanuki, anyway.

Not that she cared in the slightest! After all, she was sure, it was just a legend meant to keep the pups away from climbing such a large, imposing tree, and she didn't believe a word of it! A giant monster? As if! The scariest things around were the dragon clans living in the area, and for all they looked scary, they weren't all that bad once you got to know them.

So, a dumb story Mama and Papa told her wasn't gonna stop her from exploring the beautiful tree.

"There's no way a legend like that is gonna scare me!" she giggled. "I'll bring back the fruit and impress everyone!"

So, here she was. At the tree.

What her family said about the tree was true, though. From this nearby, the fruits looked large, engorged, and more tasty than anything she'd ever seen before. Round and red, a feast for the eye.

Oh, she couldn't wait to get her paws on them!

With nimble feet, she ran towards the tree, scrambling over a large rock in her way. The tree was beautiful and large, just like the fruits it carried. Oh, all she wanted was a bite-

"Who goes there?" rumbled a deep voice, which froze the tanuki in place.

---

That was how Frog met Moss, the guardian. While she was initially scared, it quickly became apparent that Moss was just an old, lonely dragon, who'd gone blind with age.

She introduced herself as "Frog" to him, not the name given to her by her parents, but the name that she, in that moment, chose for herself. After the guardian confessed that he'd forgotten his own name, she gleefully named him "Moss", on which the guardian commented, "Well, it's as good a name as any."

Frog and Moss became quick friends, Frog's happy-go-lucky personality an uplifting contrast to Moss' more subdued one. As the tree was his charge, Moss had been living and protecting it since it was a sapling, which likely created the myth that a horrible monster was protecting it.

Frog kept visiting Moss over the years, eventually growing up into an adult tanuki while Moss stayed with his tree. She was always happy to bring special pastries and tea for Moss to enjoy, since he'd only been eating the tree's fruit for as long as he could remember, and in return, Moss let Frog make use of the coveted fruit of the tree to make more for her tanuki friends.

Unfortunately, the tree, old as it was, evenually started withering away, with no way for Moss to fix it. This saddened the guardian greatly, and it saddened Frog to see her friend like this. Determined to help Moss feel better, Frog insisted they'd go on a journey together. While Moss was reluctant at first, being very old and very much blind, Frog eventually convinced him.

Now, Frog spends her time travelling with Moss, enjoying the many mysteries the world has to offer, and learning more about the dragons inhabiting Sornieth, so she may understand her guardian friend better.