Prologue

Coming soon...

Her eyes snapped open, something wasn't right. As she sat up and crawled out of her burrow, the air seemed too cloudy for typical early morning fog, even this close to the sea. Once out into the open, it was obvious...something was burning. She tried to remember the last time she had seen fire. Long ago, in a different life, but not since she had embraced the forest. The smoke seemed to be coming from the west, so she crept along the forest floor toward this intrusion to her home.

Neira clutched the pendant hanging from her neck. Ever since she found the stone she had felt a connection with the forest and its creatures, as if the trees were listening and awaiting her commands. As her fingers touched the cool crystalline surface, she felt panic, fear, and worst of all, pain. She cried out and released the stone, and broke into a run in the direction of whatever was destroying her world.

As she ran she was passed by wildlife, running from whatever nightmares lay beyond to the west. A small hill nearby looked to offer a better vantage point, so she angled towards the top to see what was going on. The sight of what lay on the other side was more than Neira could bear however. As far as she could see to the north and the south was in flames, cutting her off from the rest of the island. Not that she ever ventured inland, toward the towns and cities beyond, but the wildfire was moving quickly through the brush, devouring everything in its path. For a moment she just stood there, watching the delicate curl of the flames eat away at everything in sight.

Then it was over. Neira shrieked, the panic she felt from the forest quickly overcoming any coherent thoughts of what she should do. She took off through the forest, running, screaming at the trees to get away, scolding any animal life that hadn't already fled. A low rumble erupted soon after, but she was more worried about being burned alive than anything else that could be going on at the moment. She didn't think of where she was going, only that she had to escape. As she moved further through the forest the trees began to thin out and give way to open meadows. At first the only thought she had was that the fire was taking her favorites early, but then she recognized where she was going. To the east of her burrow were the massive cliffs, and the sea below, and she was heading directly for them.

Then Neira emerged from the forest. She slowed to a stop just before reaching the edge, wondering where she could go. As she watched a panicky deer burst from the undergrowth and, without slowing down, ran across the meadow and over the cliff...oblivious of anything but the burning menace behind. She cowered over the edge of the cliffs for a moment to collect her thoughts, then turned back to the problem at hand. As she turned, a sapling brushed by her and flew over the edge. It seemed very odd for it to be blown around that way, she thought, even though it seemed perfectly healthy and should have been in the ground. Above the treetops she saw the angry cast of the sky, warning of the danger headed her way. Looking in both directions, she could tell there was no escape around the conflagration. It almost seemed as if her little corner of the world was the only thing left alive.

The rumbling was getting louder. Neira tried to see what might be crashing through the forest, for that's what the noise resembled. Some large wild beast crashing through tree trunks to escape, or rather a herd, since the noise seemed to come from all directions. Then, she noticed a strange popping sound as well, sounding like a kind of mock rhythm to the rumble beneath her feet. The forest before her seemed to be a blur, she couldn't make out anything beneath the canopy. She thought the smoke was playing tricks on her eyes. Every time she thought she could make out a trunk or branch as a point of reference, it moved out of the way, out of sight. Then, she realized the edge of the forest was getting closer. Determined to stop letting her imagination run away with the situation, she studied even harder to assess the danger coming from the forest. Then suddenly the nearest tree stood out in contrast, and she could see the truth. The elm was no longer attached to the earth, but rather making its way awkwardly across the meadow and towards the cliff. The rumbling she felt was the tremor of the great giants as their great limbs thrashed along the forest floor, The popping noise was the sound of limbs and roots creaking and breaking under the weight they were not meant to support. As she watched, she noticed they seemed very awkward. The trees were all leaning precariously to one side or the other, using their upper branches to help propel them toward the ledge. That's a very peculiar way to walk, she thought, but then again, trees don't walk.

A loud splash distracted her, coming from behind her and below. Neira turned to see tree after tree falling off of the cliff, splashing into the sea below. She was crushed to see her home, her friends, falling to their deaths below, but at the same time glad to see them escape the searing blaze coming toward her. Soon she was surrounded by the stumbling herd that used to be her home. Every single one of the them 'walked', for lack of a better way to describe it, right up to the edge of the cliff, and then leaned out just to tumble toward the sea. She clutched at the pendant once more, saddened by the loss of her friends. She expected to feel pain and suffering, and was surprised by the sudden elation she felt. A nearby branch brushed her, and she had a sense of excitement, seeming to emanate from the great oak itself. As it leaned over the edge the excitement gave way to pure exhilaration, then to freedom. She felt like she was soaring above the clouds, without a care in the world. She became totally absorbed in what this 'tree' was showing her, amazed that such a connection was possible, amazed even more that it could possible enjoy fleeing all it had ever known. Then there was the splash, this time feeling as well as seeing the salty spray below. The excitement faded, leaving a sense of self-satisfaction, of a job well done.

Neira let go of the stone and attempted to grasp the situation, and what she needed to do. Most of the forest had by this time hurtled over the edge, leaving nothing but a bare patch of rock and long-dead branches behind. The flames were still coming closer, even though nothing was left to keep them burning. She remembered this was not the nature of fire, and wondered what could be causing it to behave so. The heat was nearly more than she could stand, and smoke thickened to the point she could barely breathe. Fire was coming at her from all directions, other than the cliff and sea behind her. There was nowhere else to turn. Suddenly, the flames transformed, resembling a reverse waterfall of sorts, seeming to entrap her in some kind of semicircular dome. Oddly, one of the flames drifted apart from the others and toward her. As it came closer the fiery wisp began to take shape. First it had legs and was walking toward her. Then arms of flame were at it's side. A head began to form, and the bright glow of the figure faded away. As the fire slowly extinguished itself, it left behind a young boy, looking to be maybe 12 or so.

She was in complete shock by this point. Surrounded by a wall of fire, having just watched trees run across the ground and over the cliff, then a child seeming to materialize from a brushfire, it was just a little more than she was prepared for. Looking more closely at the boy, he was well dressed, almost like he was out for recess at a private school or something. The bright red hair and pale complexion could have belonged to any number of kids she grew up with, but the sneer on his lips as he stared at her seemed more menacing than anything she had ever know a child capable of. In his eyes she could see the fire burning still, gleaming hatred and contempt for anyone in his path.

“So, d'you like what I've done with the place?” the boy asked. “ The name's Tandi. What's yours?”

She was shocked at how casual he was about the destruction of her home. “Neira,” she said. “You did this?”

“Yeah. All that scraggly underbrush gets in the way of progress, you know.” He licked his lips before continuing, “I hope to make the whole world a better place, without all of this random shrubbery in the way.”

Neira was too appalled to respond. He wanted this misery, this barren, lifeless landscape? How could anybody want this. She missed the leaves nuzzling her cheek, the cool feel of the moss beneath her feet. “So what did the forests ever do to you?” She asked. The smug attitude with which he regarded her home awoke an anger she had not felt since coming to the forest. There was nothing a tree could do to anger anyone, but now even that might not be true, she realized.

“Oh it didn't have to do anything,” he replied. “but it doesn't really do anything for me either. You see, there is so much of the world, the places we have managed to carve out of it are just too crowded. People need room to grow, to live. Now they will have it.” Tandi strolled across to the cliff's edge and glanced over. “But anyway, it wasn't really the forest i was after...” His eyes shone even more brightly as he turned back toward Neira. “You see, I'm trying to make life better for people all over the world. Overcrowding is only part of the problem, but an even bigger problem is being able to feed them.” He reached into his pocked and brought out a bright orange stone, very much like the green one she was wearing around her neck. Meanwhile he lifted the other hand toward the stone wall. A small stream of fire shot away from the wall and licked gently at his fingertips as he continued, “You see, the orange crysagen can only do so much. As powerful as it is, it cannot create, but only destroy. But green, from the looks of this forest, can do wonders for growing food, I presume. So the way i see it, since you really weren't doing anything useful with it you should just give it to me.” He lowered his arm and the stream drifted away, absorbed back into her prison wall.

Neira was dumbfounded. This silly stone she carried because it looked pretty. What did she care, it was the forest, the wildlife that she loved, not some little piece of rock. But, as her mind drifted into the past, she realized it wasn't long after she started to wear the stone that she left her home, her family, and came here to live among the trees. And after seeing the unbelievable, trees moving across the ground, Tandi controlling fire like it was another part of himself, could the stone hold some kind of power that until now she was unaware?

“You could have just taken it after you burned me alive. Why didn't you” she asked. Her hand reached to the stone and caressed it once more, but she realized the trees were too far away now to feel her. It was such an unusual feeling, but she tried to keep her panic down, to think of a way out of this lunatic's trap.

“Oh, i could do that. But it seems wrong not to ask first. I think when you see what it is I am trying to accomplish, you will want to help me. But then again you have been so selfish all this time. Maybe you're right, I think will just take it” Tandi's eyes gleamed even brighter, as he lifted his arm again and summoned a small spark away from the wall of fire. He turned to watch as the flames curled and grew around his fingertips. Neira, meanwhile had taken another step toward the edge and looked down. She saw the trees of the forest below, clumped together and starting to drift out with the tide. When he looked away, she decided to take her chances.

Neira didn't say a word. She turned, grabbed the stone hanging around her neck, and jumped out toward the sea. She heard him scream as she dropped below the edge, but it was too late. She hoped she was far enough out to land in the water and not the rocky shore below, but really either option was preferable to being burned alive. Then, she felt it. The forest below, floating along the shoreline, seemed even more alive than before. As she plummetted towards the sea, she reached for the trees, pulling their joys into her own. She also began to feel their accomplishment, as her eyes closed and she let go. No more fear. No more struggling to survive. If this was to be the end, then so be it, but this was to be on her own terms, not those of some half-crazed little boy. The further she fell the more the forest became a part of her, until she could almost see herself falling from their point of view. A tiny speck, almost like a raindrop, followed by a blazing sun.

Neira opened her eyes and looked behind her, and saw a ball of fire hurtling behind her. She heard a shout of triumph from the cliffs above, but couldn't see anything beyond the meteor coming towards her. She raised her arms up in a futile attempt to protect herself, and gave in to the inevitable. Then a strange stiffness overcame her. She felt the heat of the flames engulf her, but it was nowhere near as painful as she remembered fire to be. There was only a slight tingling sensation where the fire touched her. Then there was a loud splash as she landed in the ocean, followed almost instantly by a sharp jolt as is collided with the sea floor. At first amazed that she survived, she then almost immediately began to panic, trying to reach the surface. It was extremely difficult to move at first, her arms and legs would not move. Gradually she regained control of her muscles, and regained the open air, the sweet breath of the life above.

As she cleared the surface she saw a nearby branch lying in the water, and paddled towards it. She saw it was part of the tangle of the other trees that had fallen into the water, and climbed up to rest on it. There Neira looked herself over, surprised to see singed hairs, but nothing seriously amiss at all. Then she heard a loud hiss behind her, and turned to see another meteor land in the water just a few feet from where she was. Looking back toward the cliff, she could see the tantrum of the little boy, and several more balls of fire aimed at her. She scrambled further into the tangle of tree trunks and out of sight, hoping that she didn't survive the fall to be burned alive anyway. After an eternity of stumbling along the misplaced forest floor, she came to the far edge. Exhausted, she collapsed across two tree trunks lying close together and looked out across the ocean. Neira wasn't sure but she hadn't heard any more fireballs recently, and fervently hoped that she had gotten away. It was peaceful here. The branches rocked back and forth with the current, and the cool wood around her calmed her fears. Soon, Neira was fast asleep, drifting across the ocean in her floating forest.

Reviews

[a]

I love your style! the sentences fit perfectly together. beautiful language!

[A. Garcia Sagarra]

Loved it, loved the description and you write beautifully.