The Custodians Of Arboria

This is one of a number of short stories I'm working on and I think this would made a great prologue. Enjoy! 

 

The forest was in the heavens, leagues and leagues above the clouds and the sky. An island of ancient trees; tall and majestic, hovering amidst a sea of stars! A magnificent thicket of Birches, Beeches, Cedars, Maples, Oaks and Pines all surrounded by a lush carpet of green grass, tipped with florets. It was an ever green place of course; where winter was non-existent, where fruits hung heavy off the branches of their trees, and where flowers of every color known, and unknown to man, dotted the forest floor as far as the eye can see. A labyrinth of perpetual spring! Where the branches of the trees with their many leaves, as green as ever, lay over the forest floor creating a green canopy over the ground. A place where every seed, flower, shrub, and tree grows and grows, undisturbed, oblivious to harsh winter winds or the bitter bite of the frost! A forest where all manner of game and birds and insects and reptiles roam freely among the brush. A Playground for the beasts of the Earth who are no longer a part of the living World below! A woodland where abundance is a norm.

Its inhabitants call it: “Arboria” the realm of the trees! And its wardens, who number four, were chosen by “The Creator”, who had first walked upon the Island when it once was a barren expanse of dust and sand… He had carried with him four seeds in his satchel, and planted them in an open plain, and they gradually grew over many centuries into the trees we speak of today… They were the first seeds to be planted on the Island, when the Universe was still young and when the Sun was but a fledgling star! They were the soil upon which Arboria grew, and they are now tasked with the governance and the well-being of the realm. First there was Adan, the largest of the trees in the realm and the eldest among the four, and he chose to grow into a Baobab. He was followed by Quercus, the strong and silent Oak. The third was Betula; the tall Birch , lithe and sturdy in his demeanor. And lastly, the youngest and the most beautiful of the four, Ulma the Elm, with her slender trunk and long branches. The four Trees soon became known as “The Custodians” for they had grown tall in an open grove, and all the other plants and creatures grew around them, as the forest expanded and stretched out across the island

The custodians stood facing each other, bark to bark, looming large over the opening in the field, brooding in still silence for thousands of years… And then it came; a soft breeze from the West that blew across the Island awakening its inhabitants. Each creature either pricked its ears up, opened up its petals or turned its head toward the East in anticipation, as if summoned by some great call. The beats and birds of Arboria then made their way, following the lead of the current… The breeze made its way slowly through the wood, swirling through the branches and leaves of the innumerable trees. It skimmed over the many lakes and streams that shimmered brilliantly in the light, and it swam through the tall grass, all the while leaving a sweet song of wood and rock and stone and stream in its wake. It was destined for the grove of course, where the gathering would be held. Once there; the breeze picked up and started to swirl within the grove, blowing the branches of the four trees from left to right making, a loud rustling sound as it harassed the leaves… And so woke the Custodians from their long slumber.

The first to heed the call was the aged Baobab, Adan! And as the breeze blew over his branches and leaves, a whisper was faintly heard upon the wind… “A thousand years our slumber has lasted my brothers and sisters of the Wood, and we now receive notice from the Great One that the time has come for us to hold council!” The voice of Adan was heard on the wind throughout the grove, it boomed deeply and echoed off the trees encircling the opening. “Ours is a watchful silence” he continued “a cautious vigil in which we perceive the activity of man and beast in this realm and the realm below...  Our watch these past thousand years has been a rather disturbing one! And it pains me to declare to you all here in attendance, that the slaughter and harassment of brother and sister, the wars great and small, and the plunder of our children below, has reached a point which I cannot bear any longer!” At this, the wind howled, as it bent the stiff Baobab branches. It blew across the grove and gave voice to the large Oak facing Adan; “Your concern is warranted dear brother, however, I am of the opinion that these ‘humans’ are, and were of no use to the realm below, and should be removed forthwith!” The voice of Quercus beamed upon the wind, as he stood proud…. A whisper was then heard from the east where Ulma stood outstretched, her branches hanging low as her green leaves brushed the forest floor; swaying this way and that in the breeze; “Have you no hope Quercus? These ‘humans’ have shown on countless occasion that a good heart can bring forth a light, which even the darkest night cannot dim!”. The wind then turned to the left, and Betula the bold Birch spoke up; “You have a soft heart dear sister, but we cannot keep order with sentiment! And in this matter, I will strongly lend my voice to our brother and call for the immediate removal of this race and replace it with one which is competent in the protection and governance of both the fauna and flora of the world, as well as to their own affairs…” The gust then turned back toward the Elm and it rustled in Ulma’s leaves, as it cut off Betula; “Your faith in our plans, and the plans of the Great One, speaks volumes Betula! And I for one remember how you strongly opposed the birth of this race from the beginning!” Ulma argued.

The wind changed direction once more to give Quercus another say in the matter; “I say we give these creatures a century to get their affairs in order, if they fail us, then of course we will have no choice but to remove them…” Adan stood in silence watching his younger siblings going back and forth, all the while giving silent thought to his own internal affairs, weighing up the options and forming a thousand solutions to this great conundrum. He bent all his thought to history, to all the ways in which man below had turned great turmoil into triumph, and to how the human race had found within them, a great spirit to endure and emerge victorious in the face of adversity. For hours on end he pondered deeply how over the years countless men and women have gone on to achieve great feats.He looked to the great leaders of the past, to the great authors, poets and scribes of history. He delved into the remarkable musicians of time; trying to find a common thread … and then it dawned on him and the great stars above seemed to shine the brighter for it.

The gust then moved swiftly toward the looming Baobab and Adan’s great voice was heard; “Your rash suggestion, Betula, would surely turn the realm below asunder! And you Quercus, your council is laced with a queer dislike to these humans, and as for you; sweet Ulma, no matter how destructive these humans may or may not become, you would turn a blind eye to their folly, for you love them blindly!… I have, or at least hope I have, found a suitable compromise to our current woes, dear siblings”. At that the beasts gathered in the grove seemed to sit still in intense concentration, as they too had an interest in the words of the great Baobab, for the children whom they had left behind below, would be affected by this suggestion. “I would have us return to the realm below dear siblings, and each select one person, who we deem fit to guide this race out of ensuing doom….” Adan bellowed. “I will do no such thing!” Protested Quercus as the wind passed over his Oak leaves. “You will and you must, for the fate of our world is intertwined with that of Earth, lest you have forgotten Quercus!” Replied Adan. He continued with his solution; “ As I was I saying. I would have us all return to Earth under a guise, in the hopes of locating four beings whom we can bestow the teachings of the Ancient Art of Song. We will guide them and cast light upon the path which we would like them to tread, each of us here will be a tutor to our chosen human, and we will be responsible for ensuring that their paths collide. For only a cacophony, played in synchronicity, can spark a flame within the souls of Men."

"And how do you suppose we’re to achieve this, Adan?” replied Quercus condescendingly. “A single branch dear Quercus.” said Adan. “A single branch??” replied Betula, confused. “Yes!” said Adan “I would have us sacrifice a single branch from our bodies. This branch will be inscribed with the runes of the First Virtuoso; Orpheus himself, it will be molded into an apparatus of your choosing, and bestowed upon your chosen human. It will be their life, their armament, and the instrument with which they will shake the foundations of the Earth!"
At that, the wind swirled around the grove and gave voice to Betula once more. “How exactly will a single branch achieve all of this, might I ask?” Ulma then spoke up as the wind turned toward her and rippled through her jade leaves. “Adan would have us sculpt a weapon of our choosing for our novice, weapon that does no harm, but inspires. A weapon that moves mountains without any real strength. A dirk that pierces the hearts of men without drawing any blood! And only one such weapon exists on Earth, dear brother” A chuckle was heard on the wind, and it came from the withered leaves of Adan. “Bright you are younger sister, for that is my exact plan! We will descend on the fifth Moon of the Earth and begin our errand.”

The wind then gave one last charge through the grove and leapt into the starry sky, the doubtful voices of Betula and Quercus were left unheard, as they chose to keep their opinions to themselves out of either scorn or perhaps a glimmer of hope. The gust then checked it pace and slowed down into a warm summery breeze, it waned in the leaves of the trees, and finally died down silently in the grove where the creatures of Arboria made common knowledge of the great errand of their Custodians, and all was well.