Gardener

Chapter 22

Freedom

"How is this possible?" Rosen and I stood on the edge of a pool confined to the inside of a massive tree truck towering hundreds of feet in the air, above it at an angle was the top of the tree also hallowed out though it's canopy still existed at the very top, branches lined with leaves formed in the shape of small grooves were fed water from a water fall high above and if you looked hard enough through the rushing water pouring down through the hallow trunk and into this pool, you could almost see it. "How is this tree still growing, when it's clearly been destroyed?" She walked along the edge of the artificial lake trying to get closer to the upper half of the trunk. "There are plants growing in there despite the rushing water..." She glanced down. "There are fish swimming in this pool, there are plants growing inside of this tree beneath water that's clearer than any water I've ever seen." She crouched down tracing her fingers lightly through the water, brows raised in surprise. "The water is warm and it doesn't over flow...Head Gardener." Rosen stood and looked at me. "How..."
   
                    
               "Is this possible?" I finished for her, she nodded slowly waiting for an answer. I sat on the edge of the lake, a large band of smoothed wood, the inner rings of the tree clearly visible. I traced my fingers along its surface listening to its peaceful song, this ancient had found new purpose and a lovely purpose it was. "This pool...this lake was here long before me, before Dara and perhaps even before the Head Gardener before her. Every generation of Gardeners adds something of their own. I would have never thought of something like this, perhaps this mage had two gifts one of the green and one of the water. As for how it's possible...magic exists Rosen and that is the only explanation I can give. Magic and the determination to make this possible."
  
                    
               "This place...is amazing." Rosen moved back to the bridge from which we'd come smaller than the one we'd first cross but no less intricate, an ancient split in half paved smooth somehow, with plants shooting up on either side, green and beautiful. I knew that when darkness fell the adorable buds at the top of those plants would bloom and glow. As they would do every night forever without pause or interference, these plants would never die. They were called eternal fireflies. I watched her stroke one gently causing it to bob slightly back and forth. "Has anyone ever fallen?" She glanced down passed the bridge to see another beneath us, there were thousands connecting the upper workings of the trees and the building hard to discern in their canopies if you did not know where to look.

  
               "Of that I am not sure, but when we were young and reckless my fellow Gardeners and I tested the failsafe and jumped. Goddess, Dara punished us right good for our stupidity but we know it works." I pushed to my feet and came to stand beside her. "You can't see it, but there are plants weaved together, to form a nest and I've never seen anything like it before and nor has Dara as welled traveled as she is. Some plants only exist here. If you fall those seemingly loose growing plants grow taunt catching you in their embrace and tossing you back up and into this pool. Some cause you to slide down onto strategically placed platforms, but this we thought would be the most fun..." I hesitated for a moment smiling softly. "Do you trust me?"

  
               Rosen snorted, "I let you ride me, in a nonthreatening situation." I tipped my head in acknowledgement before wrapping her in a hug and tipping forward. She screamed almost as loudly as she did when I jumped out of a tree, almost but not quite. I laughed as we fell closing my eyes as I felt leaves brush against my face, relaxing completely when they embraced us slowing our descent. And then suddenly we were being flung into the air the green giggling gaily as we landed in the warm pool of water.

  
               I pulled Rosen to the surface before she could panic laughing softly as I burst through the water. The Marr shoved me back under with a growl of frustration. "I told you to warn me if you ever did something like that again!" She cried swimming for the water's edge.