Anesdora

One

I slipped my wounded feet into the river. The rhyme of the cold flow seemed to soothe my raged senses.

Moving back I held up my feet, hovering it above. The flowing water grew a few inches high and skimmed the soles of my feet. The water filled in the spaces between the cuts and bleeds, washing and partially healing them.

The water burned as it settled soothingly in my being, signifying it becoming a part of me. The treading water then strode higher, entwining itself around my legs in the process. It covered the large formed wound on my calf, filling in flesh, in places it wasn't.

I knew they wouldn't completely heal, I wasn't Poseidon. I had no idea what I was. I found no one of my kind anywhere around. It was the forestlands I protected and the animals I spoke to. I was born and brought up like any other but had to run from civilization when I realized the potentials of my power.

All I knew was, I surely wasn't human, not when the water willingly healed me or more like not when I killed a few creatures of my own kind.

I slowly got to my feet, careful enough to not let the cuts touch the dusty floor. Limping forward I caught hold of a tree and leaned myself onto it.

The part of the woods I was in was once miles away from seeing the road. A thorough, dense cluster of birch and pine covered the area. Soft white snow floored the land and stopped right before the road, creating a stark contrast between coal black roads and white snow.

Demeter's land was surely once beautiful.

I tipped my head to look upwards.

The bare branches of a dried conifer spiked into the sky overhead. The leaves on its every end appeared desolated with none other around. The light breeze then blew shaking off the old leaves from the branch as they fell onto my open palm. They were dead dry and smelt nothing of the fresh morning dew. The spruce grew on the slopes and continued into the valley till the balsam met them. Pine cones would slip into the moist snow and wait uncomplainingly until a mother owl came by and whisked it away for her owlets.

The tang of blood rising in the air hit my nostrils. It was definitely from the bodies piled up on the other side.

Somehow I didn't feel the regret overcome me this time. I knew they deserved it. Those humans definitely deserved it. I warned them of the consequences, nevertheless they didn't listen. They DON'T listen.

This is my land and I will protect it. If you try to taint it, I will use every way possible to stop you and that includes taking your life.

I sensed a sudden wave of tiredness wash over me. My limbs ached awfully and my knees were giving out. The pain from the wound intensified going straight to my head. I felt needed some rest. With slow holding steps, I reached my most favored tree.

The Tree of Life or simply Gaea.

Yes, in this very forest resided the most precious tree of all, the tree that supported all life on earth and made everything possible. If not for Gaea, all systems would have collapsed, the earth would have been in chaos because of the failing balance and.. oh, I wish its creatures understood that. If this tree was ever to fall, everything would fall with it and I was here, well, to not let that happen.

The heavy roots of the tree came to the surface, breaking through the snowed layers and knitted each other through and across. The leaves were soft as ever and kept constantly growing, symbolizing the continuity of life.

Falling into the little space of moist snow among the roots, my vision grew hazy. The branches closest to the ground suddenly drew out in length. The leaves rustled about filling the air with a shrill. It grew over till I was completely enclosed within.

Gaea did this every time I came to her. Her covers were warm and she made me feel less lonely.

I peeked through the leaves in nearly slit sleepy eyes as black smoke appeared out of nowhere far ahead.

My mind signaled something going wrong but unable to leave the warm embrace and soft feels, I slipped into a deep trance.