Gaea's Children

As the last of Gaea's children, the race of Humankind, has died, she is beside herself with grief. Is all hope lost for her dead children?

She stands on the barren soil, no words but cheeks filmed with tears. Looking around, she cannot understand; how did this happen?

The land is blackened and barren, no life to be seen; the air is stale and contains naught but the smell of brimstone; the skies hold not a single cloud yet no pristine blue is to be seen but a dark orange complex. She cannot understand; how did this happen?

Her children, once numerous and thriving, now all lay dead beneath the corruption. She thought them well on their way and returned to sleep at her physical core, the core of the Earth for she is Gaea, Mother Earth. What madness had they wrought in her absence? Even now she can feel them, slowly rotting away beneath her many layers, returning to the Earth as we all must at some time. The rivers were dry and there was no moisture to be seen; the Earth was corrupt and no life to be found.

Closing her eyes in painful acceptance, sweet Mother Earth slowly returns to her core, existence suddenly pointless and without meaning.

A movement.

Between layers the Mother halts herself - what was happening?

The same motion she feels again, deep within her flesh.

Rushing down, passing through her own flesh of dirt as fast as she can, Gaea finds herself in a large chamber within her own flesh. The floor is entirely covered in molten rock, save a single small spire atop which a newborn child rested, still breathing; still alive. A sense of vertigo gripped the Mother as she hovered up to the child - how had she not noticed this place earlier? 

The child seemed to breathe easily despite the hot, humid air in the chamber. Its eye's were shut peacefully in restful sleep, little chest rising and falling with each small breath. As she raised a hand out the child, it squalled in it's sleep, then returned to peace.

At once, a motherly surge of protectiveness came over Gaea and she drew in the Earth from around her, encasing the child in it and sustaining his life with her magic. Until the day came that the Earth was cleansed of corruption Gaea would keep this boy, her last child, safe within her embrace.