is a Japanese novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi and published by Kodansha between 2006 and 2009. It focuses on a girl who can control the greatest of beasts as she gets involved in a war between two territories of one kingdom.
The original novel has been adapted as a manga serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius since October 25, 2008, and as an anime television series, called produced by Production I.G and Trans Arts that aired in Japan on NHK from January 10 to December 26, 2009.
Plot The original novel 10-year-old Elin lives with her mother Sohyon in the kingdom of Lyoza. They live in territory governed by the Aluhan, the Grand Duke. Their village raises Toda, dragon-like creatures ridden by the Aluhan's army. Sohyon, who is from a secretive nomadic tribe called the Ahlyo, is the head Toda Steward. One night, the Toda under her care mysteriously die. Sohyon is blamed for their death and sentenced to be eaten alive by wild Toda. On the day of the execution, Elin attempts to save her mother, but Toda surround them before they can escape. Sohyon warns Elin that what she is about to do is a mortal sin: She whistles to the Toda, and for a moment they become calm. She places Elin on the back of a Toda, and it carries Elin away while the remaining Toda devour Sohyon.
Elin washes ashore in land governed directly by the Yojeh, the divine ruler of Lyoza. An elderly beekeeper named Joeun adopts her. He teaches her how to play the harp. One summer, Joeun and Elin take their bees deep into the mountains. They see wild Royal Beasts, dangerous and majestic creatures that are symbols of the Yojeh. When Toda attack a Royal Beast cub, the cub's mother whistles, causing the Toda to tamely submit while the mother slaughters them.
Elin turns 14. She enrolls at Kazalumu Beast Sanctuary to become a beast doctor. She meets Leelan, an injured young Royal Beast. Leelan has refused to eat since her injury and is near death. Elin begs the headmistress Esalu to be allowed to care for Leelan. Esalu agrees. When Elin uses her harp to imitate the sounds of wild Beasts, Leelan eats. Elin begins raising Leelan like a wild Beast. She refuses to use the Silent Whistle, which protects beast doctors by paralyzing the Beasts, or to give Leelan tokujisui, a potion required by the Royal Beast Canon. Leelan becomes unusually attached to Elin, allowing Elin to approach and even touch her.
When Elin is 18, Leelan learns to fly, a skill unheard of in captive Beasts. An Ahlyo approaches Elin. He tells her that communicating with Beasts is a mortal sin, and he warns her that allowing Leelan to fly will cause unspeakable disaster. That winter, an injured wild Royal Beast named Eku is brought to Kazalumu for treatment. Eku mates with Leelan, who becomes the first captive beast ever pregnant.
Elin graduates at the top of her class. So that she may continue to care for Leelan, she becomes a teacher at Kazalumu. Leelan bears a cub, Alu. The elderly Yojeh Halumiya visits Kazalumu to see Alu. When the Yojeh and her adult nephew Damiya approach, Eku moves to protect his cub. Everyone sees Elin calm Eku with her harp. Damiya tries to convince Elin to move herself and Leelan to Lazalu Beast Sanctuary, near the capital, but Elin refuses.
As the Yojeh returns home, Toda riders ambush her. Elin rides Leelan into battle. Leelan slaughters the attackers, but the Yojeh suffers a concussion. When the Yojeh recovers, she asks Elin to protect her with Leelan. Elin refuses. Alone with the Yojeh and the Yojeh's bodyguard Ialu, Elin explains that the Yojeh's ancestor designed the Royal Beast Canon so that beasts would never fly, bear young, or become friendly with humans. She retells the story the Ahlyo told her. The Yojeh decides that she does not need Leelan's protection, but she dies suddenly upon reaching home. Her granddaughter Seimiya becomes the new Yojeh.
The Aluhan is the only person who commands Toda troops, so he is widely suspected of having ordered Yojeh Halumiya's assassination. When Yojeh Seimiya rejects his peace offerings, he sends his eldest son Shunan. Shunan, who has been in love with Seimiya for years, delivers an ultimatum: In four months, Seimiya must marry him or meet him in battle on the plain of Tahai Azeh.
Damiya demands that Elin train an army of Beasts and threatens to kill Esalu if she does not. Elin says she is the only one who can talk to the beasts. As proof, she attempts to teach Ohooli, the head of Lazalu Beast Sanctuary, to calm beasts with her harp. He fails.
Damiya attempts to assassinate Ialu, who hides with Elin in Leelan's stable. When Damiya comes searching for Ialu, Elin hides him under Leelan's wings. That night, Ialu explains that he has been investigating Damiya and that Damiya was behind Yojeh Harumiya's assassination.
Elin secretly visits Seimiya. She recounts the story the Ahylo told her: The king of Ofahlon, threatened by his neighbors, asked the Toga mi Lyo tribe to raise an army of Toda. The victorious king built an empire, but the remorseful Toga mi Lyo rebelled. The king fled. He formed an alliance with a young priestess from a Beast-riding tribe. When her army invaded Ofahlon, the Toda and Beasts did not stop fighting until Ofahlon had been annihilated. The Toga mi Lyo swore to never again reveal how to control Toda and Beasts, and they became known as the Ahlyo. The repentant priestess became the first Yojeh and wrote the Royal Beast Canon. Elin concludes by accusing Damiya of assassinating Seimiya's grandmother. Seimiya promises that Elin will not need to fly into battle.
The Aluhan's forces assemble on Tahai Azeh. The Yojeh asks her servant for a flag of surrender, but Damiya wrenches it away. Ialu shoots Damiya's hand with an arrow, and Seimiya raises the flag. The Aluhan and Shunan halt their troops, but the Aluhan's younger son Nugan slays his father. Seimiya pleads with Elin to save Shunan. Elin rides Leelan to Shunan. Since Leelan can carry only one, Elin gets off Leelan's back so that Shunan can mount. She is struck by an arrow and crumples to the ground. Leelan, having delivered Shunan, returns. She delicately lifts Elin in her mouth and, purring, flies away from Tahai Azeh.
Characters
Main characters
The female protagonist of the series.with green eyes She is described as kind, collected, earnest, and very observant. She is 10 at the beginning, then she becomes 14 in the first time-skip and 18 in the second. Due to the influences of her mother Sohyon and foster father, Joeun, Elin carries a unique perspective on caring for beasts. Many people think that she is too curious, which simply gets her in trouble. Elin is truly caring towards people and animals, even to the point of worrying more about others than herself. She is strongly against using the Toda and Royal Beasts for war and even refuses to give Leelan special water (tokujisui), which strengthens her, and use the Silent Whistle on her, which paralyzes a Royal Beast. She dreams that one day humans and beasts may understand each other and that beasts (mainly Toda and Royal Beast) would not be bound by human codes. Because Elin's mother was of the Ahlyo, she inherited her green hair and eyes. Some people first believed that she was able to be close to Leelan and Eku because she learned magic tricks of the Ahlyo from her mother, but they later see her as someone who just wants to truly understand animals. Her classmates know her as the Royal Beast fanatic. Elin's name translates to "wild apple". Both Joeun and Kirik comment that they are free-thinking and unique; similar to Elin's personality. As the series progresses, she becomes a Master at Kazalumu to stay by Leelan. At the end of the anime series, it is hinted that Elin ends up with Ialu, and has a son named Jesh.
A female Royal Beast that Elin takes care of in Kazalumu. She is "raised" by Elin, and later sees her as her mother and the only human Leelan is accustomed to. Later in the story, she regains the ability to fly and mates with a wild Royal Beast named Eku. They have a baby named Aru. Her name literally translates to "light."
A male Royal Beast in Elin's care in Kazalumu. Eku was originally a wild Royal Beast but was injured from a Silent Whistle. Eku, being from the wild, had no trust towards humans, however, after spending a night at his shed, Elin becomes the only human he trusts. He lives in Kazalumu to stay by Leelan's side. Esalu reveals that his name derives from an ancient language.
Yojeh territory
The Yojeh of Lyoza. She is a gentle woman who cares for her country and her people very much. Her childlike demeanor suggests that she is not familiar with society outside the walls of her home. She detests war and her nephew Damiya since she knows that Damiya has an agenda of his own. Her fear came true as Damiya commanded a Toda squadron (Sai Gamulu (firstly mistaken as the Aluhan's army because of the similarity)) to assassinate her, which caused her death.
The granddaughter of Halumiya, a beautiful young woman who is next in line to become the Yojeh. She is a kind and gentle person who, like her grandmother, detests war but likes her first cousin once removed, Damiya. Seimiya has deep feelings for Shunan, the Aluhan's eldest son. However, such feelings were weakened due to the manipulation of Damiya, who attempted to weaken their bonds so that he could take the throne easily. Fortunately, the plan failed after she and Shunan understood each other and strengthened their feelings to each other. In the end, she married Shunan to unite the two territories together.
The nephew of Halumiya. He is very secretive and cunning. Damiya tends to make passes on women who he is interested in but manages to be swayed by Elin. However, he is not just a mere playboy, but also a very cunning manipulator who has his own army (the Sai Gamulu) at his disposal. He weakens the bond between the Aluhan and the Yojeh by framing the Aluhan for trying to rebel against the Yojeh so that he can take the rule of the country easily. However, the plan is noticed by Halumiya, which caused Damiya to eliminate her with his own Sai Gamulu while pushing the blame to Shunan, which further weakens the bond between Shunan and Seimiya. However, his plan was thwarted when Elin appeared and saved Shunan and Seimiya while Damiya attempted to kill them all for the final phase of his plan. With the two reunited, he attempted to kill them with a knife but is killed by Ialu instead.
One of the Yojeh's personal bodyguards, the Se Zan. He is known throughout the nation as "Godspeed Ialu" for his ability to run at an inhuman pace. He is one of the few Se Zan the Royal Family trusts personally. Ialu acts cold and unsociable around others, even to his comrades and his mentor. He takes his job, protecting the Yojeh and the Princess, very seriously. However, he has a soft spot for Elin, who is the only person he smiles much at and the only person who knows of his past. For her safety, he tries to keep his distance from her. He later becomes one of the few people who know Elin's dark past and promises that he'll keep quiet about it until the time is ready. There are hints showing that he may be in love with Elin. At the end of the series, it is hinted that he is married to Elin and has a son named Jeshi.
Aluhan territory