Khalil was born and raised in a small desert community of fennecs. He was just one of many foxes, and never considered himself to be remarkable in any way. His skills as a hunter were poor, his agility compared to his peers was average at best, and his farming talents never yielded anything more impressive than his brothers. As he grew into his teens, he relegated to the fact he was simply... common.
This impression would change as a violent tornado came upon the community.
Khalil was far out in the fields when it hit, but as the cyclone came closer to his home, he noticed that the funnel cloud had almost frozen in place, then spiraled back into the sky and dissipated. When the rest of his family came out, they discovered he was still standing there, staring into the thundering clouds. Winds swirled around him, but the rest of the area was completely calm. It wasn't until he fainted from apparent exhaustion that everyone realized he had been controlling it. He had saved his village.
Word quickly spread and a pair of Auran Sages came to investigate. The community's strongest, quickest individuals came out, hoping that they might be chosen by these legendary heroes, but lo and behold, young Khalil was their interest that day. The incident with the tornado was evidence that he was awakening a supernatural Aura, and the Sages themselves easily confirmed it with but a simple glance into the fennec's eyes. Khalil had been given the chance to be extraordinary. They offered him the opportunity to train with other emerging Aurans with the hope of becoming a Sage; a hero of the land charged with the task of protecting the innocent from supernatural threats. The road would be tough, and training would be brutal, but Khalil took the chance. He'd found his calling.
Before leaving with the Sages, his home gave him a parting gift: a khopesh sickle sword made from Verrocite. Verrocite was a miraculous synthetic crystal used by Sages in their duties; the fact that the village possessed such an artifact meant that an Auran Sage had once lived among them in the past. Now this ancient weapon would once again be used to combat the mystical forces of the dread world.
Khalil left the village with both hope and nervousness, unsure of what he'd face, but prepared to do whatever it took to fulfill this new destiny.
Years later, he would return a hero and legend himself.



This character was inspired by the same question that inspired Tenefer: what would my fursona be like as a Sage? Next thing I know, an entirely new side-story in the ancient Auran setting came about.
This also gave me the opportunity to add more details to the various styles of Auran Sage that existed back then. For instance, feathers are often worn by mammalian Sages as a reminder to friendships made in the past. The presence of the eye feather and the two raven feathers are evidence of the young fennec's skill in diplomacy (plus, Khalil had always admired the plumage of peacocks).
Here, he seems to be getting the jump on another warrior, but when given that he possesses the power of anemokinesis, his target is in for a big surprise
(anemokinesis; harnessing and controlling wind)

Khalil and the ancient Auran Sages © Aelius (me)