Chapter 1: Lost in The Woods

Today was a beautiful day. The sun shone down, bright enough that even under the canopy of the trees we could feel its warmth. I could smell the sweet scents of the newly ripe berries on each bush we picked as I was handed one, placed it in my mouth and could feel the sweetness to my core.

It was not often that Gaius and I were able to go on these long walks in the Great Woods anymore. It was soon to be his duty to care for all the livestock on and around The Great Oak. That was something I had never quite understood, though admired. Fitting all those animals up on those great branches so high. Jumping back in surprise as Gaius had startled me, I quickly swallowed the rest of the berries I had been so delicately placing into my mouth.

"Woah! Careful, Lu!" Gaius cried, reaching out a hand to pull me back up, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was the reason I found myself crashing to the floor in the first place. Though with slight ache in my back after crashing down, the soft grass was as welcoming as always. Seeing the dopey look on the face staring down at me was too much. I broke into a fit of laughter. This was just like him. He would only be trying to help with his big heart and end up making it worse. Fortune never seemed to smile upon him, but you could not ever diminish his spirit. Gaius was just one of those people born with that intrinsic charm and carefree spirit. You could tell him he had to pack his bags and move to Ventus next week and he would ask what he needed to pack. That's why it was no surprise when he fell down next to me and we snuggled up together. Running a hand through his soft golden hair was like brushing against a daydream.

"Gaius?"

"Yes, Lutum?"

"Can we stay like this forever?"

"No, Lu. We cannot. You know we can't."

Despite my protests, I knew he was right. He had already turned eighteen, and I would turn of age in the coming week too. Long gone were the days that we would spend days, sometimes even a week out here, camping away from the business of The Great Oak. That was not to say we did not love our home-we absolutely did. Though some in the other kingdoms would refer to it as nothing more than a treehouse, we knew that was the wrong way to view it. We were simply utilising the forest and the nature of our homeland. Certainly, we were the only kingdom who could fit an entire city worth of people all onto one great big tree. Eden had truly blessed us.

"Gaius…" I could not help feeling the way I did. It really was not fair. Those shining blue saucers, the great mane of blonde hair and the way it would ever so slightly tickle my neck when we embraced. A strong, toned body but not someone who would ever use it to do harm. The pet names he would give me, everything. What wasn't there to love about him? Even if we were not able to be here, specifically forever, I would like it if we were able to share our lives. We were both determined to make sure it was not something that was simply fleeting.

As always, we lay together and chatted away until nightfall. Gaius loved the night sky. He had even begun charting stars and looking for constellations. Each time he would make a corny joke or tell me the star was nearly as beautiful as me I could not help but giggle, feeling my cheeks turn pink as if I were still a little girl. That man knew exactly just what made me tick. It turned out it went both ways, though. Seeing him turn just as pink after a small surprise attack peck on his cheek had never failed to make me laugh.

It was not often that we'd see things like the woodland spirits this close to The Great Oak, but we would always make sure we did our best to be friendly to them. They kept our forest safe, after all. Their bright and colourful lights danced around us, inviting us to dance with them. Their colours created a beautiful sight, just as good as seeing a rainbow if you asked me.

"I wonder what the special occasion is?" I pondered, the spirits usually only came out to celebrate like this during or before big events after all.

"Perhaps there's good news?"

"Well yes, but what do you think it is? Perhaps a visit from one of our neighbours? I heard the palace is due a visit from Lady Marina soon."

"From Aqua? What business would they have with us?"

"You know Gaius, I'm not privy to information like that just because my father has worked with her majesty before. It was simply a rumour that Lami claimed she heard."

Our back-and-forth continued for some time, but the question never was answered in what the spirits were dancing with us for. Not that it mattered, we would find out soon enough. I was sure we would learn what was going on when we made our way back home. For now, I was perfectly content to pretend nothing was going on and simply take comfort in his embrace.

Falling asleep in the woods was not something that was hard for the two of us usually. Sometimes we would come just the two of us and other times we would bring friends along, but something was off tonight. I just could not make myself comfortable as I normally would be able to. Gently prying my love's arm off me, I stood and stretched.

I made sure the blanket was properly tucked over him before strolling deeper into the woods, searching for the spirits to ease my unrest. As luck would so have it, I found them rather quickly, though they were not in the celebratory mood after tiring themselves out. So, I sat with them in a peaceful silence and I finally felt as if I might be able to calm myself down.

That feeling did not last long as my luck would have it. Before long, a messenger animal had arrived. Though some would find it hard to take seriously, the words that came from the magic imbued into the bird felt as if they weighed as heavy as the Behemoth.

"The 4th Earthen Mother, Queen Dahlia has decided to step down, leaving her post! A new Earthen Mother or Father will be chosen within the week!"

Undoubtedly, everyone in the kingdom would be getting that news right now. Or waiting to receive it in the morning at the very least. With the potential of a new ruler, things suddenly looked very uncertain for myself and my family. Dahlia had always welcomed my family into the Earthen Palace, being lucky enough that my mother and father were both excellent cooks. Who knows what the next ruler would be like?

It must also be said that our kingdom must be the strangest in the way we pick our royalty. There is no bloodline or proof of ability from peers. We allow our rulers to be chosen by the gods. Eden laid the seeds and grew The Great Oak, which possessed a sentience of its own. Eden gave the tree a certain set of qualities she thought a ruler must possess, though the story goes that The Great Oak also decides based on what it believes Anguli di Terra needs most at the time.

If you were to believe all the stories of the gods, the idea would not be so bad. That said…it was possible for even the gods to make mistakes. What if the candidate chosen was not ready? Was not prepared for those burdens?

It is just something that is simply hard to take in. So many lives could be changed. Gaius too. His family also depended on the necessity of the livestock on The Great Oak. That said, it was a fool's errand to try and guess who the next candidate would be. There was always such a fanfare created around it, with people attempting to make a name for themselves as fortune tellers or psychics despite there really not being any kind of pattern to who was chosen by The Great Oak next. The only way of telling were the strange markings that appeared upon one's face after it had made its choice.

Pushing all these thoughts to the back of my head as I made my way back to Gaius, I came to an awful realisation. I was lost. That was wrong. I would never get lost here before. I knew this forest like the back of my hand. Something must have been wrong. This was not right. Or natural. The colours of the woodland spirits had long faded and I found that the only light I was walking with was the light that permeated from the centre of the world as it always does, often acting like a second moon. The stars were barely visible as I navigated my way through what now felt like a maze.

Just as suddenly as I had felt lost, I had found my way back to Gaius, still snoring softly under the blanket I had left him. I carefully slipped underneath the blanket and ever so slightly shifted Gaius so that one of his arms held me close. It was a scary prospect, a new king or queen. But I knew we would be able to deal with it together.

That night, I had the strangest of dreams. It felt as if someone had contacted me using divine magic. Though, I suppose that is what would be logical to think when a figure within the dream resembles depictions of Eden herself. It was not something I made much of at the time, but the messages that were shared to me are principles I have stuck by ever since.

I was back in the woods, but I was not lost anymore. I stood at the very top of The Great Oak, looking down on the forest below. "Lutum Sylvari." A figure had materialised from nowhere. This figure had a feminine shape, and an outline resembling a humanoid with long hair held back in a bun but her facial features were not present at all aside from the basic outline of a face. What was most striking was that rather than bearing any identifiable features you would find on most humanoids, she seemed to have skin as green as the grass we walked upon.

Holding myself back from screaming in my surprise, I simply gazed upon this wondrous figure in absolute awe. The figure repeated itself.

"Lutum Sylvari."

"Yes? That is…that is me."

"There are three principles you must adhere to."

"I…I understand."

I did not understand. It was one of the biggest lies I had ever told. Everything felt so real in that moment. I could feel the sweat running down my brow and I was desperately fighting the urge to turn tail and run away as fast I could in fear of upsetting this figure.

"You must be sturdy and strong. The earth we walk upon is soft and malleable, it can adapt to what it needs and can grow entirely new things. To do that, it must have a solid foundation that will not waver or crumble under pressure to keep things from collapsing."

"Of course. If we didn't have the old earth beneath us then the new earth wouldn't allow such growth."

I felt as if I had was simply repeating phrases I had heard from my mother or from the wise old folk up on the 30th Branch.

"The second principle is to embrace change. Just as seasons come and go, so does everything. From people, situations and nature. The old ways of life should eventually become new ways of life. Everything comes and goes. There is nothing in this world that is permanent, and everything is temporary, no matter how long it lasts. You must embrace that."

"That is…I suppose you are not wrong. Then the last principle is…"

It felt as if time had frozen as the figure stared right at me. I felt as if she could see deep into my soul. Analysing everything I had ever said or done. Making the judgement on whether I was worthy of an afterlife. I had not expected her to speak.

"Go on. Finish your thought."

"To have empathy with all things?"

The figure looked satisfied with my answer, though I could still hear the beat of my own heart like a war drum urging me to get myself away from this situation. I could feel the colour draining from my face as she spoke again.

"Empathy with all is important, of course. You must have the kindness and compassion to extend a hand to those in need, but you must strike a balance. A balance of empathy with assertiveness. You must not only fill your heart with kindness, but determination and passion. The confidence to be heard in the voices of doubt and uncertainty."

I was not sure why, but I could not help but feel as if the figure happened to be spouting nonsense at the time. Confidence on its own was not anything special. Besides, if the one who was being heard was incompetent would the message not be vastly different? Not that I dared squeak any of this out to her, of course. I did not fancy discovering if she had made the judgement on an afterlife at all. I could not help but simply nod along, offering an entirely forced smile in the hopes I would soon be left to my own devices.

That was all I remembered until I was greeted with the sight of Gaius leaning over me, staring down. Obviously, there was something that had piqued his interest. He was not one to so nonchalantly stare at me as if I was some kind of alien being to him.

"Is something the matter?"

I had to blink a few times. That figure must have been a dream, brought on by the stress of getting lost the night before. Bringing a hand to my face in attempt to rub some of the tiredness out of my eye, I could see Gaius watching my every move with a hyper focused gaze. He was not listening.

"Hello?"

I tried again. Still, there was no response. This was not like him; something must be wrong. It was not until I cupped my hand against his cheek that he would finally talk to me. He blinked, and began to stutter.

"L-L-lu!"

"Yes, my love?"

"Your face! There's something weird on it!"

That was just mean of him. It seemed there was no straight-forward way of explaining this for Gaius.

It took some time, but eventually Gaius managed to calm himself down and explain what he meant to me.

"Your face. It's got these weird…markings, I think? That weren't there before."

I had not given much thought to this, given the time in the morning. The sun had only just come up and here I was trying to get answers from a man who just told me my face was weird after we had spent the night together.

"Yes? It is likely just a marking from the spirits. You know how they are with their festivities. I am sure they did it to many people, you know. It must wash off after a day or so."

"Are you sure, Lu?"

"I'm certain."

Without asking, we locked hands as I stood up and walked with Gaius.

"Do you think they've heard the news yet, Lutum?"

"I think we may very well have been the last to receive the news. At the very least, we cannot keep them waiting."

"You're right."

As we walked back home that morning, neither of us had any idea what lay ahead of us. That may have well and truly been the last peaceful day we would spend together. A new ruler lie in wait for us.