Challenge Submission Gaiaramus

[Thatch]

It had been some time since he had first beheld the city, Andromeda, as it's citizens called it. He had met with their ruler, Lady Cypress, an ancient dryad, so old even the seemingly neverending youth that all nature spirits had appeared to be losing it's spark, her hair had grayed, and wrinkles had creased the sides of her eyes. She welcomed the sleepy nature spirit with open arms, and put him into a small house, built flush against the bark of one of the massive trees that held the city aloft. He had spent the last few months getting to know the city and it's citizens, a melting pot of creatures too vast to put into one category, and, surprisingly enough, humans. Though their number was low, they reproduced, and lived happily among the creatures as if they were one in the same. This was something Adriel had the hardest time with, how could a great city of nature allow humans? The same creatures who had carved away their once colossal mountains, farmed the great plains until nothing but dust remained, burned and ate and fucked until their numbers tripled, quadrupled even. Within his first week, after seeing a human child knock a potted plant off of a windowsill and send it toppling to it's demise on the ground far below, he ran into the Lady's courtroom in a tantrum, throwing his arms about and demanding answers.

"How can you let them here? Of all places? They're destructive, awful creatures! You've seen what they've done to us, to Gaia! To me!"

All he was met with was a kind, wrinkled hand on his shoulder, and the Lady's words, calm and clear. "They belong, just like you and me. If Gaia hadn't wanted them here, she would have let them die. Have faith."


Adriel trusted the Lady, but this answer did not quell the anger he had within him. More weeks passed, the wind became cold and sharp, the sun staying in the sky fewer hours in the day, the potted plants, once hanging off of balconies and sharing their blooms with the world, were brought into houses to avoid frosty mornings. The humans bundled up in handmade clothing and continued on with their lives, as Adriel was left festering, staring angrily out the window of his borrowed home, while they bartered, laughed, and shared hot drinks with the creatures of the city.

One frosty morning, a tiny hand thumped on his door and, when he opened it, he found a tiny human child holding up a fresh red Poinsettia. He did his best not to scowl as he crouched and accepted the flower with trembling hands. "Yes?.." He hummed, trying not to scare the child, who looked no more than four, off as he examined the crudely ripped stem of the flower. Humans could be so careless.

"Um..Uh.." The child struggled, kicking her feet against the wood planks that made up the walkways. "Lady told me to tell you.. About Ga..Gai..." She huffed as she struggled to pronounce the word and, after several seconds of frowning, she looked up. "You should go see her, she knows." And with that the child nodded and stomped off down the walkway towards the 'square', scaring several birds who had been resting on the railing of the balcony.

Adriel shook his head, closing his door and looking down at the flower. So beautiful, but it wouldn't last long like this. He busied himself making a vase of water for it before he left, heading to the office of the Lady. Once there, he stepped inside and was greeted by Lady Cypress, who sported a beautiful floor length gown made of shimmering red fabric. "Wow.." He nodded, giving her a little mock clap. "You look wonderful, what's the occasion?" The Lady smiled and greeted him with a wave of her hand. "I sent little Lena there to tell you, I can see she didn't relay the message, did you upset her, Adriel?" She hummed with a dangerous tone, arching her eyebrow at the spirit, who shook his head profusely.

"No, of course not. She's still a child. She did give me a flower.." He trailed off, deciding not to complain about the 'gift' he had been given. "But she couldn't pronounce it.. I assume? So she sent me here to you."

The Lady chuckled, clapping her hands and stepping close. "Today, my friend, is Gaiaramus, a celebration for our mother, I created it myself, a very, very long time ago." She winked, placing a gentle hand on the sleepy nature spirit's shoulder. "And you are our guest of honor, won't you celebrate with us? I think it will change your way of thinking."

Adriel doubted that very much, but he wasn't about to argue with a figure so high in stature. "I will celebrate, and for your sake, my Lady, I will behave." He bowed his head, receiving two supportive pats on his shoulder.

"Everyone is meeting on the ground just before sunset. Don't be late." And with that she sent him off.

He spent the rest of the afternoon preparing, he borrowed a red shirt from a friendly wind nymph who lived next door, brushed his fawn brown hair until it looked presentable, and wrote in his journal until his fingers hurt. Once the sun was low in the sky, a gentle rapping came to his door, the same as before. He opened the door and was met with the same little girl, now dressed in a fluffy red dress, a big grin on his face. "Raaa-muuus! Raa-muussss!" She chanted, the excitement gleaming in her eyes. "Yes yes, one second Lena, I'm almost ready for.. Ramus." Adriel hummed doing his best not to chastise on her pronunciation. He returned to the vase he had made earlier that day, plucking the flower from the jar, he tucked it into his hair, figuring it would be better to be shown off, than die in a couple of days with no root system to keep it healthy. he returned to the doorway, closing it behind him and following the little girl as she rushed down the icy walkways towards the sound of singing and celebration below.

Adriel jogged behind her, panting quietly as he tried to keep up. "Lena! Slow down it's not saf-" Just as she turned a corner, she slipped, cotton shoes gliding against the ice that covered the wooden planks and, like a puzzle piece, her tiny body slid through an opening in the bannisters, sending her toppling over the edge, towards the ground far below. "NO!" Adriel screamed and, without a second thought, he launched himself over the guardrail, arms open in a desperate attempt to catch the child as she flailed, falling through the open sky. Citizens screamed below, pointing up in horror as they both fell, some scattered, some ran forward, as if they were prepared to break the fall. He caught her just in time, pulled her close to his chest and cradled her as they continued to fall, his face now to the sky, a beautiful sunset, too beautiful. Was this how he would die? Cradling a child that was not his own, a human at that. Something, deep within him, was okay with this, he was willing to sacrifice his great, long life, for the sake of a tiny being, who he could outlive a thousand times over.

As soon as he had accepted his fate, great branches stretched from the surrounding trees, forming a cup and breaking their great fall before they could hit the ground. The branches delicately dropped them onto the ground and despite a few cuts, the were safe. The child cried heavily, burying her snotty, tear-stained face in Adriel's chest and he could do nothing but pat her back and rock her. "We're safe.. we're safe.." Applause erupted within the group of citizen's and they surged, picking Adriel, and the child, who he still cradled against his chest, up and putting them aloft on their shoulders. There was cheering, there was sobbing of pure happiness.

Once the cheering settled down, Adriel was released from the embarrassing display. He was set on his feet and he released the child, who ran to her parents with open arms and was greeted with tight hugs and a face covered in kisses by her human mother. The Lady approached, clapping her hands and gesturing to a tree behind her, the biggest of the four that held up the city.

"This is what Gaiaramus is about! At the very end of every year, we celebrate being together, as a city, as friends. We have always been a city of togetherness, and what proves it more than this? Adriel I know you have your reservations about this city, how you feel it should be run.. who should be let in, but let me say, I have never known courage such as yours, your willingness to protect someone who's life is so much more fragile than your own, even if it were to cost you your own. It truly proves that Gaia brings us all together on her birth giving soil, for a reason. Please, join me." She offered a hand to the weary spirit, who took it and stepped forward, following her to a gigantic, handsewn ribbon that had been wrapped and tied into an intricate bow around the trunk of the enormous tree. "Today, my friend Adriel cuts the ribbon and re-opens the city for a new year, hopefully to be filled with new friends and memories. Adriel, if you will.." She offered him a short knife by the handle, which he accepted with a nod, leaning down and cutting through the ribbon. Once the last thread had been cut, the crowd erupted in applause and tiny, technicolor glowing orbs sprinkled down from the tree branches, covering the crowd in a magical, shimmering glitter. The Lady smiled wide and nodded at Adriel, who was too starstruck by the lights to notice, slackjawed and blinking as the glitter sprinkled over him, renewing his energy and leaving him with something he hadn't felt in quite some time, love.