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thenon-floweringfairies · 22 days

Text

Boom and Bust

The sun was wobbling fat and red just above the horizon. Sen had a soft landing in a tangle of Cullodena's herbaceous trimerophytes, hopping down from their springy stems and picking his way through the undergrowth. Whereas once the fort had dominated this whole space, now plants scrambled in such profusion that it couldn't even be seen from the ground.

There was someone, no, two someones, standing by the base of the trees that held up the communal space.

Sen slowed down. Short tresses, pointed crown, huge boots… Phonso was back.

"Good evening, Schuppenbaumer, looking for Nathair again?" queried Sen as he drew closer. He didn't know the man standing just behind Phonso. Of indeterminate age, with wings reminiscent of Simon's and tresses in a box braided style, he regarded the two of them wryly.

"If you must know, I just came over to meet with an old friend? Have you met? No? Very well, this is Gongsun, this is Wesley."

"A pleasure." Wesley gave a quick bob in response to Sen's bow.

"Hang on, you're…" the mechanisms of Sen's mind were whirring. "You're not Wesley Candock?"

"The very same." His smile grew at the recognition.

"Oh wow, I… I've dreamed of meeting you since forever! It really is a privilege!" Sen was vaguely aware he might come across as cloying, but any cautionary thoughts were drowned in his excitement.

"What a stroke of luck that you're here!" he continued. "I'm just back from a visit to Simon, he mentioned you'd made the crossing but I didn't expect we'd cross paths!"

"My limp-leaf brother, huh?" Wesley's smile stiffened and one eyebrow rose. "Don't waste your time with him, mate. Suffers from a critical lack of ambition, he does. At this rate he'll be stuck in that swamp forever, but me? I've got a vision to chase."

Sen's trail of speech faltered. Simon had seemed to bear his brother no animosity, but then again, he was always the forgiving type. Had something transpired between them?

Thinking he should change the topic, Sen asked, "So. Ahem. How long have you known Mr Schuppenbaumer?"

Phonso stepped in to answer. "We've been friends since the early Triassic!"

Ugh, thought Sen, exaggeration, but Wesley's smile brightened again as he clapped the lycopod fairy on the back.

"Yeah, Phonsy and I must have combed every inch of Epiphyllia, and with any luck, there'll be plenty of secrets to uncover here!"

"And I've been honing my skills, day in, day out." Phonso gave a demonstration, light magic springing to life in his hands like a pair of miniature suns. Wesley whooped in admiration.

A weird feeling was blossoming in Sen's chest. A bad and unfamiliar feeling, like the mycelia of a fungal parasite infiltrating his nervous system, except it wasn't growing into him, but out of him. It took him a minute to put a name to it. Envy.

Sen tried to think of some excuse to back out of this conversation, to go anywhere else. Before he could, Wesley addressed him.

"So how about it, Gongsun? Wanna join us sometime?"

Sen's focus snapped back to the conversation, his tongue feeling heavy as he tried to decide on an answer. He could see Phonso glaring daggers at him from behind Wesley, daring him to crash the party.

He was spared when something else caught the horsetail fairy's attention.

"Is it my imagination or… is someone there?"

Sen and Phonso swivelled around.

"Now that you mention it…" began Phonso, "I sometimes get the feeling I'm being watched when I come here." His usual bravado had diminished a tad.

Wesley took a curious step towards the darkest corner of the undergrowth. There was a twitch of movement and for a split second, they all saw the same thing; a pair of large eyes in the shadows, discreet yet intent. They were gone in a flash and a rustle of leaves.

"Who was that?!" yelled Wesley, not waiting for an answer as he bolted after the runaway. Sen and Phonso exchanged a glance and followed.

Making a sharp corner at a hollow log, they nearly tripped over Si-woo, who was flat on his back with another fairy on top of him. A perplexed Askarya observed from a few paces back.

The fairy atop Si-woo sat up slowly, wide eyes looking from one face to the next. Between an ornate mask and long robes, not much else could be seen of them. All were silent for a moment.

"Guys, you scared them," tutted Askarya, breaking the spell and helping the small figure to their feet.

"Um. Ok. Who's them?" Wesley voiced what was on all their minds.

"This is Noori," replied Askarya. "And you should all be grateful for the work they do, I don't know a single fairy who remineralises so much detritus."

"Well, good to meet you, Noori," ventured Sen. Noori returned his bow without saying a word.

As Askarya introduced them to the rest of the group, Sen tried to figure out where Noori's limbs were. It with difficult with their frame completely obscured by their robes, but Sen found their movement intriguing. They seemed to glide across the ground rather than walking, which was especially strange as, like all fungus fairies, they had no hint of wings.

Sen shrugged and leaned against Si-woo.

"Hey rénxiōng. It's getting late. I'll sleep here tonight, what's your plan?"

"Yeah, I'll join you. Night all."

Phonso waved an offhand goodbye, then returned his attention to Wesley as he too made to leave.

The two friends fluttered into the quiet recesses of the fort. It was open and airy, warm and dry. Compared to the early days when they'd slept in a pile on the floor, it had become very comfortable, with silk, straw and twine hammocks strung from the rafters, while feather and moss mattresses lay below for those who didn't fly.

It was quiet, with few occupants around. Over the years, accessory rooms and levels had been built, housing everything from Nathair's growing library to Jess's frock collection. Live vines and stems grew through the construction, replacing dead branches as they rotted away and turning it into a growing, ever-changing structure. More than a structure in fact, but a living thing in its own right, and for many of them, a home.

Sen and Si-woo looked out through the slats towards the horizon. The sun had just vanished, leaving the sky burnished rose and copper. Heavy clouds were building closer to the ground, threatening storms. Sen pointed to them.

"I don't like the look of those. Hope the river doesn't sweep away all of Simon's hard work."

"The look of what, sorry?" queried Si-woo, surprising Sen. He was normally the first to spot rain.

"Those clouds!"

"There's no clouds there." Si-woo rubbed his eyes. "Oh, so there are. Strange. Usually they come from the seaward side."

"I know," responded Sen, hesitant. "And these look like… they're rising off the ground."

An uneasy feeling hovered between them.

"There's a telescope in the admiral's room," suggested Si-woo. They raced there right away. Sen rapped the door.

"Admi- I mean, Sirichai?"

No answer. They pushed in, sorting as respectfully through his belongings as they could, then rushing back with the telescope in hand. Si-woo shakily put it to his eye & adjusted it.

"What do you see?" Sen felt like he didn't want to know the answer.

"Oh Souls. Oh FUCK this is bad!"

Si-woo looked to his friend and spoke a single word.

"Locusts."

---

"Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm, what are you waiting for?!!"

Si-woo scampered up and down the fort at breakneck pace, half climbing, half flying, banging Glen's pots and ladles together. Cullodena emerged from her quarters, looking furious, but her expression softened when she saw the fear in Si-woo's eyes.

"Byun, dearie, whatever's the matter?"

"Locust swarm, headed this way," he gasped. "Round up everyone you can find!"

Sen stood in the crown of the fort's tallest tree, telescope trained on the dark mass with shaking hands. A lichen-covered head emerged through the foliage.

"Nobody gonna tell me what all the fuss is about?"

"Askarya!" Sen blushed and fumbled the spyglass, embarrassed that he'd forgotten all about them in the confusion.

"See for yourself."

They trained the eyepiece on the horizon and scowled.

"That's not good. What's the plan?"

Si-woo fluttered up beside them, followed by everyone else present; Cullodena, Nathair, Glen, Jake, Kai, Elei and, to Sen's surprise, Noori.

"Well me old chum, I'm glad you asked," cut in Nathair. "Our goal is to stop that swarm settling on our fair demesne."

Askarya smiled despite the encroaching threat, amused that he could still be so loquacious in a crisis.

"Nathair, give it to us straight. Are we screwed?" asked Sen.

The fern fairy folded his arms. "Locust swarms don't fly by night. That means they'll be looking for a stopoff as it gets dark. Wherever they land, they'll strip it clean of greenery by morning. That's what we stand to lose."

The others shifted uneasily. From one perspective, it would be easier just to abandon the fort and rebuild once the plague had moved on. But no one voiced this. That option meant abandoning years of work, all the investment of time and energy that had gone into this place, not to mention the likely destruction of every treasured possession they stored inside. It was common knowledge that Nathair would lay down his own life if it meant preserving his library.

"Well, we're burning daylight," prompted Sen. The others switched their attention to him, faces resolute. "Jake, Kai, Elei, you'll be our first line of defence."

Kai cracked his knuckles.

"Glen, Askarya, reinforce the fort however you can. Nathair and Cullodena, you'll help us coordinate." He handed Nathair the spyglass. "And Si-woo and I will be in the air to deal with locusts that get through the outer defence."

The group nodded and quickly dispersed to their positions, Sen waiting to make sure all vulnerable points were covered.

Noori walked over to Sen and looked him in the eye.

"Oh. Sorry Noori, I… ahem, if you want to help, that's great! What kind of magic do you have?"

Noori opened one fist and revealed a sprig of moss. A dingy, stifling aura slowly leached out from Noori's shrouded silhouette. The little moss sprig withered and died.

Sen felt like a lead weight had dropped into his stomach. His breathing hitched and he forced himself not to step backwards.

"R-r-rot magic? That's-"

He swallowed.

"Hold on. That's precisely what we need right now!"

Sen looked over his shoulder. The swarm was less than a kilometre away.

"Noori, will that work on animals?"

The fungus fairy nodded once.

"Oh holy souls, superb. And can you, er, direct it? So that it won’t catch plants in the collateral?"

Noori wavered, then gave an unconvincing thumbs-up.

"Er. Alright. Whatever, it's our best option. Si-woo!"

Si-woo dived to meet Sen.

"What's up?"

"I need you to carry Noori."

Si-woo blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Noori's got amazing rot magic, I think it could take out half the swarm if we time it right. I need you to get them to the centre of it!"

"No way, no way, you're out of your mind," muttered Si-woo, pacing. "You want me to carry a disease causing fungus - no offence - into a plague of leaf stripping bugs on my own?!"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Sen sighed.

"Who's doing what on their own?" Kai alighted alongside them, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"Perfect, now he won't have to!" Sen exclaimed. "Kai, Si-woo's going into the swarm. Keep him safe."

Kai happily agreed, while Si-woo spluttered in indignation.

"Don't just go along with him like that! And Sen, may I ask why you're not the one carrying Noori?"

Sen froze, face turning green in embarrassment.

"Well… you're a much better flyer than me. And my magic will be little use out there. And- and I'm scared."

Si-woo's expression softened, just a tad. "I know. But what makes you think I'm not?"

Sen didn’t know how to respond. After a pause, he simply went with, “I’m sorry.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “I’m trying to do what has to be done to protect everything we’ve worked for. But a good leader leads by example. You’re right, really I should be the one going out there.”

He took a deep breath and turned to Noori. “You ready?”

The little fungus fairy nodded.

“Alright,” replied Sen, trying to stop his hands shaking. “Hop on.”

Kai pressed his hands to a cycad leaf, drawing in magical vivacity while Noori clambered self-consciously onto Sen’s back.

“Let’s go.”

The three of them dropped from the branch and veered out from the dense stand of trees, into the evening air that was all that lay between them and the storm. At that moment, a voice rang out behind them.

“Dang and blast it, wait for me!”

Si-woo had caught up with them in an instant, his wings flowing like banners. He caught sight of Sen’s knowing smile.

“Well, after all that talk about leading from the front, I could hardly just sit back and watch. You’ll stand a better chance with two pairs of eyes on you.”

“I couldn’t ask for more, Si-woo.”

---

Nathair watched the thrumming storm of wings grow until it blotted out the horizon. His fingers clenched, trying not to let the spyglass slip from his sweaty grasp. Beside him, his mother called something down to Elei, who answered in the affirmative as she geared up for battle. In the distance, the little shapes of Sen, Si-woo, Kai and Noori looked as though they were to be swallowed up without a trace.

---

Sen briefly took his eyes off the wall of jointed legs and compound eyes ahead, looking into Noori's eyes. Up to this point, their composure hadn't faltered, but he saw terror in their eyes.

"Hey, Noori, look at me. It'll be ok, you hear me? We'll get through this. I promise I won't let you fall."

Noori shifted nervously, inhaled deeply and sat up a bit straighter, their mood settling.

"That's the spirit." They were so close that the sound of chitinous wings and hungry mouthparts nearly drowned out Sen's voice.

"Alright, this is it! You ready? Kai, Si-woo? Got your magic ready, Noori? Yeah? Let's go!"

All at once, the swarm surrounded them. Locusts rushed by on all sides and from directly ahead. Kai reacted in a flash, swift strikes of his toughened limbs and wings sending orthopterans raining from the sky, keeping the path clear for the others.

"Now?" Shouted Si-woo.

"Wait until we're at the densest point!", answered Sen. "Our friends will take care of the rest!"

Si-woo gave a grim nod and fell in line beside Kai, calling up his water magic to create a shield of droplets that deflected the ravening grasshoppers around the quartet.

"Noori, it's up to you now. I'll give you as much help as I can."

Sen focused, grateful that for the moment, he didn't have to swerve around locusts as he did so. Breathing deeply in and clasping his hands as his wings powered onwards, he drew on a flow of inter-promoting and overacting magic. It was an atypical combination, but it would allow Noori's magic to feed off the energy Sen provided. It wasn't without risk, as if Noori overstepped their boundaries they could begin draining Sen's life force directly, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Noori locked themself in place with their legs, raising their arms with robes trailing. Flakes began to crumble and spill from their skin, a grey pallour extending all around. Sen nervously took a deep breath as the spores surrounded him, but they appeared to do no damage. The locusts weren't so lucky.

The moment the ashen dust touched them, the insects went into disarray, legs jerking and bodies spasmodically careening into each other. With every collision in the densely packed cloud of wings, another plume of spores went up, enveloping the sky in a grim haze.

"Will that be enough?" Sen shouted to Noori, who shook their head and pointed upwind. Sen nodded and flew on, to where the first spores had difficulty reaching. The locusts were beginning to disperse, flying in chaotic patterns as they avoided the cloud of death, and making it hard to get a good shot in. Noori took their best shot, sprinkling the infectious powder over another portion of the hungering plague, but it was clear that they weren't catching all of them.

Kai and Si-woo closed in on their location.

"Too many are getting through! Fort'll be overwhelmed!", hollered Kai.

"I know! Blast and damn it, we should have had a plan in reserve!"

"Guys, why is the moon rising on the opposite side to normal?" Si-woo chimed in.

"Now's really not the time-", Sen began, but trailed off as the ball of yellow light in the distance rapidly grew in size and intensity.

"Pretty sure that ain't the moon," observed Kai.

Something about the light was familiar, and Sen felt a twinge of premonition in his gut.

"I think we should shield our eyes."

Kai shrugged. "Hey, it's not that bright, it might help us corral those bugs more easi-"

"Cover them!", snapped Sen.

The light exploded.

Beams as piercing as the noonday sun burst forth, bathing the landscape with saturated shadows and cold fire. There was no noise, no heat, just a white glow that granted Sen the chance to get a look at the back of his own eyelids.

As quickly as it had arrived, the light blinked out, leaving nothing but its technicolor afterglow across their vision. Sen slowly got his bearings, wings continuing to beat on instinct as he turned in midair. Noori was still on his back, Si-woo still beside him. Kai was gone.

#gongsun sen #kai namele #askarya #phonso schuppenbaumer #wesley candock #noori #nathair quacey #cullodena quacey #glen #jake #elei fafie #gijinka #fantasy biology #magic #science fantasy #fantasy writing #writing #how the forest finds the island #byun si-woo

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monst · 4 years

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Masterlist (The baddies)

O.O - Means there is ‘sexy times’ (Nsfw)

Bold- sfw (Fluff, angst, mystery, miscellaneous etc.)

o.O- Half and half

-Himiko ‘Knife wife’ Toga-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

Nicknames for s/o

O.O Normal Infatuation

Toga x med student reader

O.O Knife wife in the sheets

Remorse

O.O Walking in on reader who sleeps nude.

O.O Every gamer’s wet dream (playing Doom2016 w/Male reader)

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-Dabi-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

O.O The patient in 1001A (9k ‘Harley Joker vibe)

O.O In the back of the bar

O.O No air

Nicknames for s/o

O.O The Silence after sex

His common rose (Bubbly reader)

Join (Quirkless Biker Au)

O.O Initiation (Quirless biker Au collab)

O.O @ Namelive x Camgirl reader

O.O Walking in on reader who sleeps in the nude

O.O Shigaraki’s clothes

Friday the thirteenth (Implied non/con)

O.O How much is enough?

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-Chisaki “Overhaul” Kai-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

O.O ^^^ Walking in on reader who sleeps nude.

O.O Step on me

O.O Mr. Steal yo girl (Ft Shigaraki)

O.O Tongue

Soup- Chisaki x Nurse reader

I’ve always cared (Actor Au)

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-Shigaraki Tomura-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

Selfless (Prohero! Shiggy)

O.O @ Namelive x Camgirl reader

O.O The Silence after sex

O.O Cosplay Goals (Gamer au)

O.O Watch

O.O Mr. Steal yo girl (Ft Chisaki)

In a loop, That never ends…

Treat you better (pt2 of AFO’s little pig)

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-Bubaigawara Jin (Twice)-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

O.O The Silence after sex

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-League of Villains-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

Thanksgiving with the league

Christmas with the league

Shenanigans

Shiggy’s bunny mitts (Just a cute reaction if he wore e’m)

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-AFO-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

O.O Little Pig

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

-Nomu-

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

I’m Sorry

O.O Oink Oink

#masterlist #The baddies

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colehence · 4 years

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Why the heck plasma?

/me is starring at the Laptop, eyebrows cocked and releasing a deep frustrated moan.

“Why am I writing plasma? WTF is going on in my brain? That was supposed to be my own story and not ninjago related! And why Kai and Jay? Why not Cole and Jay?

/me stares at my very own words.

*edits the whole thing and changes “Danny” to “Jay” and “the other (nameles) boy” to “Kai”*

Thank you, brain *mumble*

#my stuff #plasmashipping #Ninjago

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thenon-floweringfairies · 10 months

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How the Forest Finds the Island

The Polymath

It was close to a year later when Nathair made his triumphant return. He had sent no word of his arrival and it was a happy surprise for all at the fort.

The commotion spread like wildfire as news went round, everyone assembling in the large nest that had become the fort's meeting hall. Cullodena rushed to her son right away, hugging him close, and only releasing him so he could embrace Glen and Gawain too. Kai bombarded him with questions about his experiences and Belek went to make tea.

It was only as the babble began to die down that they saw he wasn't alone. An elegant woman in dark, simple clothes stood some way off. The skin on her face was pockmarked with a faded rash, as though testament to disease long recovered from. She gave them a smile from behind a lacy veil, jagged wings unfolding above her head.

"Oh, this is Morwenna!" Nathair announced. "She very kindly flew me back here."

Morwenna approached Cullodena, curtsied, and spoke in tones so soft everyone else struggled to catch her speech.

"You have a remarkably bright young man in Nathair. I do hope he is furnished with everything he requires to achieve the potential I have seen in him."

Cullodena blinked. "Aye, he's a smart lad…. exactly what were these books you were writing over there, son?" She asked, swiveling back to Nathair.

"I am sure he will fill you in once he is ready," Morwenna affirmed in the same quiet register. "Now I must depart. My regards to you all."

She was gone as inconspicuously as she had arrived.

The hall fell silent. Nathair stood there, fumbling.

"You want me to tell ye now?"

"Of course!" chorused everyone.

"But Morwenna just said… oh, all right."

They gathered on the wooden benches that Elei had expertly carved from fallen sticks and seed pods. Nathair cleared his throat.

"I worked on a total of three books whilst there," he intoned, "on the topic of magic. One has been completed, the others are in progress."

"Hang on, tell us about their castle!" interrupted Kai.

"Yeah, what does Phonso get up to when he's not looking down his pimply nose at us?" posited Askarya.

"Ye don't want to hear about the book? Put a lot of work into it."

"Like, we know how to use magic already," pointed out Jess, then quickly fell silent with a glare from Cullodena.

"I'll be happy to hear about it later," encouraged Glen, and Nathair turned fondly to him.

"Us too, and mama of course," agreed Aliwen, putting an arm round Gawain. "Until then, regale us with your adventures!"

"Very well," laughed Nathair.

He proceeded to hold forth about his visit to Schuppenbaumer Schloss. Phonso lived there with his parents and extended family, Morwenna being his aunt. There were also two moss fairies, Timothy and Sigismund, who served as butler and bookkeeper to the family, respectively. The latter had worked closely with Nathair during his time there, granting access to his insightful records that had taken stock of the family's fortune since time immemorial.

As Phonso had said, the basis of the fort was a hollow Lepidodendron trunk, open to the air at the top but ringed with floors and ceilings on the way down, creating comfortable quarters for the family and their servants. Nathair had been very well received, dining with the family most evenings and getting to know their individual eccentricities. Phonso's father, Ekbert, was an avid painter, and his eye for detail had got Nathair thinking about how even small differences between plants could set them on new evolutionary trajectories. His mother, Dinika, had noticed that a species of small jimmylegs had begun to roost near the schloss, and was attempting to selectively breed them. Of Phonso himself, Nathair had seen very little. His family didn't seem to know where he disappeared to, sometimes for weeks, but never appeared concerned. "If he really needs us, we'll know," Nathair recited, though admitted he wasn't sure what they were implying.

Questions came thick and fast, and Nathair could barely keep up, but he enjoyed the opportunity to showcase his knowledge. Eventually, with everyone worn out, they gathered in the fort's eating area for refreshing sips of dewdrops.

The hall had fallen silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Sen was making plans for the most suitable planting grounds he could lay claim to once the ginkgos could reliably reproduce. He should plant them in line with the island's prevailing winds, to ensure that pollen would drift from one stand of trees to the next. Which direction did the prevailing wind come from? He should ask Jess.

Jess had departed soon after Nathair's tale, and nobody knew where to, so Sen headed outside. He pushed through the curtain of leaves that concealed the upper entrance. Sirichai, arriving from the opposite direction, pleasantly surprised him.

"Admiral! You're back!" Sen chirped. "How was- whoah!"

Sirichai pulled him into a hug that lifted them both momentarily into the air. Setting him down on a petiole, the Admiral chuckled at his flustered face.

"No need to look so shocked, Maidenhair, we're pals now! And you don't have to always address me as "Admiral"."

Sen thought for a moment. "What about… Mr Ituá?"

Sirichai broke into a great grin. "Who have you heard call me that?"

"Aliwen. It's a nickname? What does it mean?"

Sirichai shook his head. "You'd have to ask her. Where were you going just now?"

"Looking for Jess. And where are you coming from?"

"Well, looks like we're not the only ones to put down roots here," Sirichai stated, sitting on a broken stipe.

"The Schuppenbaumers?" replied Sen, sitting opposite.

"What? They're here too?"

"Why, who did you meet?"

"The Candocks!" Sirichai informed him. "Simon and his sons are building a big pontoon on that delta out yonder!"

"Well, they're keeping themselves busy," Sen smiled. "When did they get here?"

"Few years after us, by the sound of it. The area's still mostly marshland, but they plan to afforest it."

"Afforest? But none of them represent trees, do they?"

"Oh, Simon's brother Wesley is there with them."

"Really?!" Sen sat bolt upright.

"Um, yeah? Spoke to me a while when I stopped by."

"I've always wanted to meet him." Sen shifted excitedly. "What's he like?"

"I dunno. He's fine, I guess. Why don't you fly over and see for yourself?"

"I reckon I'll do just that. Tell Askarya where I am!"

With barely a wave goodbye, Sen catapulted himself off the petiole and made for the coast.

---

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#gijinka #fantasy biology #magic #science fantasy #fantasy writing #writing #fantasy #how the forest finds the island #gongsun sen #askarya #jess cleese #cullodena quacey #nathair quacey #kai namele #Aliwen Añpe #sirichai baegu #morwenna schuppenbaumer

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thenon-floweringfairies · 1 year

Text

How the Forest Finds the Island

Scramble and Interfere

The day rose swift and bright. Horsetails crackled as the baked in the heat. Sen was up early as usual, and after watering his ginkgos, decided to check on those at the fort.

Swooping down on a warm breeze, he noticed that all the other fairies were assembled outside the structure. And intriguingly, the flora in the vicinity had grown a great deal. Where before had been bare sand or sparse bracken, now saplings of considerable height were already raising their green shoots. Sen wasn't the only one to have treated his plants to a bit of magic. It seemed their actions, though uncoordinated, had acted synergistically. Even his ginkgos, slow growing at the best of times, had sent up shoots.

"Sen, jolly good to see you!" Nathair waved cheerfully to him as he landed. "You're just in time!"

Sen looked around. "For what?"

"We," announced Nathair, gesturing to himself, "are lifting that-" he pointed to the fort- "up there!" He swept his arms to encompass the newly grown sprigs.

Jake stepped over. "The other pioneers an' I've been fertilizin' the soil since we got here. With a bit o' help from these new folks we got them seeds the admiral brought sproutin' pretty darn quick. So we figured, why not lift the fort up there? It'll be easiest now when they's little, an' as they grow they'll put us outta reach o' any varmints crawlin' below."

"I see. It's a fine idea," agreed Sen. "How are we going to lift it?"

"How else? A bit o' magic," Jake replied. "Hope yer feelin' sprightly".

"Fit as a fiddlehead," smiled Sen.

---

Jake paced up and down, scrutinising the group.

"Aliwen, you stand opposite me, over there. Jess, this side, Elei, that side. Sen, yer magical proclivity is Balance, correct? Here with me."

"I dinnae ken if I feel up to much magicking at me advanced age," cautioned Cullodena. "But I can fly up there and guide her into position, if ye fancy."

"I better do the same," mumbled Sirichai.

With everyone at their coordinates, Jake held up an arm.

"Y'all know what yer doin'?"

A chorus of assent rang out.

"Let's get a move on!"

Jake swept his arm down, signalling them to start. One group of fairies stood close to the young trees, using earth, metal and shadow magic to steady them. The others drew on wind, water and lightning to form a miniature tempest, coalescing underneath the fort and rocking it back and forth.

Joe, Cullodena and Sirichai perched in the shaking branches, sure-footed and keen eyed. Joe wordlessly gestured to Jess, who braced himself and ramped up the power of the whirlwind he was coaxing into being.

"Gawain, wee bit more on your side!" Called his mother. Obligingly, he summoned a crackle of electricity, balancing the wickerwork construction as the micro-cyclone slowly lifted it off the ground.

Jake cheered.

"Nearly there now! Keep goin' up! Admiral, guide us!"

Sirichai strode out to the edge of the floating fort like it was the prow of his ship.

"Alright, we need to go… towards you, Jake. And a little higher."

"You heard 'im!" Commanded the moustachioed fairy. The others hastened to comply.

"We're in position. Brace those trees."

Sen touched his brow to the bark of the nearest sapling. It was an exquisite young Solenite, one of Belek's. He let the turbulence of his mind clear like the sky after a storm, feeling the meeting of his consciousness with the tree's. Firm. Supportive. Each assuring the other that they would make it.

Askarya was doing something similar. Where their hands touched the trunk of a strapping tree fern, lichens unfurled and spread. Aliwen nodded appreciatively, embracing the stem of the next fern over.

"And down," called Sirichai.

"Slowly," added Cullodena.

The others obliged, easing off the power of their magic. The swirling winds became a gentle gust, keeping the fort airborne, but only just. Finally, with a crunch, it came to rest in the canopy. Jess sprung into the air in an instant, vaulting up to the branches and cajoling his arborescent ferns to send out twining tendrils. These crept over twigs and petioles, finding the struts of the edifice and wrapping tightly around them. Secured with biological guylines, Jess signalled the team with a thumbs up.

Cheering erupted from below. Jake wiped his brow.

"Fine work, y'all. We're indebted to yer efforts."

"Please, think nothing of it!" Insisted Si-woo, bouncing on the balls of his feet, the thrill of the achievement coursing through him. "A friend in need is a friend indeed!"

In the branches above, Jess leaned forward and propped up his chin imploringly on his hand.

"Gawain, be a dear and help me secure these supports, wouldn't ya?"

"Oh, um, yeah! I'll be right up!" Gawain nodded to Aliwen and sprinted for the nearest tree trunk, his momentum carrying him vertically up and his wings assisting him in leaping from branch to branch until he was level with Jess. Aliwen crossed her arms, her face clouding for a moment as she fixed her sights on Jess. Then she shook herself and went to help Elei rework some loose roots into the soil.

Sen could see Cullodena coming his way.

"Sen, laddie, some wee fae by the name of Wilbur Fiddlehead flew in yesterday, mentioned you by name. Asked after Aliwen, but I dinnae think she'd ever met him before."

"Ah, I met him earlier that day, he was with a moss fairy named Con Ringarooma."

"Oh, I ken Con," she remarked. "Fine young man, little reserved perhaps, keeps a low profile most always."

"I suppose that's often the way with thallies," mused Sen. "The quiet life suits them."

"I'll say," quipped Askarya, on their way to help Belek shift an obtrusive stone. "I reckon you vasculars just like to be the centre of attention."

Sen shrugged. "There is a certain lure in the limelight."

---

With all immediate needs seen to, the group settled down to rest awhile. The plant fairies and Askarya sat and photosynthesised, while Glen tucked into a satchel of snacks which Nathair carried.

The comfortable silence was broken when Kai leapt up, exclaiming, "Sen! Nearly forgot! Something I wanna show ya!"

He raced across the dusty ground, not quite getting airborne and instead using his wings for added thrust. In a single movement he launched himself at the scree slope and vanished into a cleft between the stones. With the exception of Elei, everyone watched, rapt.

Kai popped out seconds later, moving much more slowly and cradling something to his chest. He gently descended the crags and strolled across the plain. Sen realised he was holding his breath. Kai smiled as he rejoined the finagle, feeling all eyes on him. With a flourish, he raised what he had been carrying to the sun.

It glittered and swirled. Silver liquid coiled in a vial as clear as ice. Nothing like it had any of them seen in all their millions of years.

"Kai, what's…" Ponnarasu stifled a cough and grasped for words. "What's that you got there?"

"Well, some of you may remember the mercury I was kind enough to purge from the soil."

That got Elei's attention. "Blast it Kai, what have you done this time?!"

"Don't worry! Look, I sealed it!" her shipmate beamed. "You can come and look guys, it won't poison you!"

Askarya sat beside him, peering into the mirror-like carafe. Sirichai, Belek and Si-woo craned their necks, unconvinced if the toxic fluid was as secure as he claimed.

"How did you make that bottle?" inquired Sen.

"Is there a safe place you can store it?" queried Ponnarasu.

"Why not just get rid of it?" harrumphed Elei.

"Ok, it's made of glass, you all know what that is, yeah?"

Sen nodded. He'd seen glass on occasion, a strange, translucent stone formed by events such as lightning striking sand. This was thinner and clearer than any he'd seen before, though, clearly shaped by fairy hand.

"I enlisted Joe's help," elaborated Kai. "Not much of a talker, but he always seems happy to pitch in. Jake found us some nice fine sand, and I instructed Joe on how I wanted it shaped. He used his flamecraft to fuse it, and presto! A nice little watertight vial."

The crowd nodded, moving a little closer.

"And that cork, you're sure the fluid won't leach through it?" insisted Ponnarasu.

"Positive, grew it myself," chirped Kai. "So long as I don't- SHIT!"

The bottle suddenly slipped from his grasp, and panic flared in the group as he threw himself groundward and snatched it by the neck in mid-air.

Kai straightened up, scratching his spiny tresses awkwardly.

"Yeah so long as that doesn't happen it's fine."

Elei glared. Sen put a hand to his chest, waiting for his heart rate to slow.

"Bro, not to sound rude, but maybe let Askarya hold it?" Suggested Belek.

"Uhh, yeah, probably for the best," he admitted, passing the beaker to the lichen fairy.

"I've been keeping it in a nice, dry little alcove in there," Kai continued, waving toward the scree slope.

"You sure it's stable?" pressed Sirichai.

"Oh yeah. Pretty sure. Anyway, even if it does spill, I can extract it from the soil again no problem."

Passing the group, Glen and Nathair came over for a look.

"Upon ye souls, mercury!" Nathair exclaimed, fluttering over in a series of hops. "Mind if I peruse it?"

"Be my guest," flourished Kai, delighted to find someone who shared his interests. They were soon shrouded deeply in a discursive of the properties of toxic metals, too academic to hold the attention of anyone besides Glen & Askarya. The group dispersed. In the shadows, unseen, an inquisitive pair of eyes watched.

---

"Hey, Si-woo?"

The Archaeopteris fairy rolled over in the patch of sunlight where he was basking.

"Whassat?" He rubbed his eyes, looking in Sen's direction.

"I was thinking, have you been in this kind of situation before? Virgin territory, I mean?"

"Not to this extent. You were born back on Pangaea, yeah?"

Sen nodded.

"So that was a well established biome, even after the continents started to split. There were always stands of your plants nearby. Even after the worst calamities, you could repopulate."

"My thoughts exactly."

"And now… well, we're starting from scratch, isn't that right? This is volcanic bedrock, still growing. There's no seeds in the ground, barely a humus layer. It's everyone's game."

Sen was quiet for a time. He fetched Askarya and the three sat down together.

"What's this about?", the lichen fairy inquired.

"We think we need to lay plans," Sen began. "In order to ensure successful establishment."

"Of course," Askarya immediately nodded. Sen and Si-woo shared a brief, relieved glance. Somehow, it had felt like Askarya might chew them out over this.

"I'll move south," Sen decided. "The land there is barren, but it will improve in time. I've already planted some seeds there, so once more soil is formed, I'll be in prime position."

"I'm thinking along the same lines," mused Si-woo. North of here is crowded, I'll have better luck down south. You can apply yourself to the inland reaches and I'll take the coasts?"

"Let's do it. Askarya?"

"I'm happy to help. But I have to ask… why us? Haven't you known some of the others much longer?"

"That's true, but I feel very close to both of you. You've given me all that I could ask while it was just the three of us here. And, well, I just like being with you two." He thought he saw them both blush, and chuckled inwardly. "Besides, the others will look out for themselves. Baegu's crew are experienced and the Pioneers are tough as old boots. The only one I'm a little concerned for is Belek, but you know how independent they are. Wouldn't take assistance even if it were offered."

Si-woo stretched his arms and wings. "Don't know about you, but I'm beat after lifting that fort. Are you planning to start today?"

"Tomorrow," assured Sen. "We'll go back to mine, rest up, and make an early start tomorrow."

His friends grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

---

Waking together the next morning, Sen, Si-woo and Askarya relaxed for a bit and prepared themselves, then set out on their quest. They flew swiftly, taking turns carrying Askarya. The wind was against them, but they made good progress, passing the gully where the new ginkgo seeds were taking root by noon. Beyond this point, they entered the unknown.

The ground only got more barren, with even Con's sparse mosses no longer in evidence. Sen and Si-woo descended simultaneously, sensing that this was the place. Askarya hopped off Si-woo's back, and the three of them looked to the horizon.

They stood at the peak of a volcanic slab that had been thrust upwards, forming a cliff that towered over the landscape. In every direction, empty fields of granite lay immutable. A shiver ran up Sen's wings. The thought of transforming this wasteland into a verdant home was daunting. Not impossible, surely. But it was going to take a very long time.

Fortunately, they had all the time in the world. And what better time than now to make a start? Without a word, the three fairies got to work.

---

For nigh on a decade they toiled. Their labour was painfully slow at first. With his developing ginkgos not far away, Sen was in the best position to draw on his magic, and so he took the lead. Unfortunately, despite his balance magic granting him capability with various natural systems, sterile rock was not one of them. It barely responded to any of his entreaties, and several times they considered asking Jake for help, but pride or self-consciousness held them back. They could do this themselves.

A breakthrough came when Sen discovered that, instead of trying to work the rock as a single unit, it suited him better to focus on the feldspar and other metallic compounds contained within. These, with gentle coaxing, he could denude and crumble, until the rock split under its own weight and crashed down the precipice.

Askarya and Si-woo, meanwhile, made return trips to their nesting site daily. Askarya carefully split tiny pieces from the lichens flourishing there, carried them to the stone barrens and searched for tiny clefts and hollows where they could regenerate. Creepingly, imperceptibly, the granite fields were turning green.

Some of the lichens died soon after replanting. Others survived but failed to proliferate. Still others found themselves in that sweet spot where all their needs were met and they could thrive. The more lichen that claimed these stones, the more Askarya's power grew. Soon they had overtaken Sen as the unofficial chief worker.

Askarya's efforts were to all their benefit. As the dead lichens rotted away, they left the thinnest layer of soil behind. This was something Sen could really work with. Using inter-regulating, and sometimes overacting magic, he called on the enzymes, acids, fluids and nutrients of the decomposing fungal matter, fomenting microbial communities to eat away at the underlying rock.

Eventually, there was enough sandy humus gathered in some cracks and pools that Si-woo reckoned his spores might take root. He fetched a capsule of them immediately, carefully planting the myriad tiny spores wherever he thought they stood a chance.

All this time, the three barely saw any other fairies in the granite fields. They made regular trips back to the fort, though, which was quickly becoming a truce zone as competition elsewhere heated up. Materials, camaraderie and gossip were exchanged.

Kai and Jake were continuing to extract any harmful substances from the soil, encasing them in glass and storing them in the scree cave. Nathair took a keen interest in everything discovered, and by amalgamating plant fibres and starches that the others weren't using, managed to compress them into a rough parchment. He sat in a shady spot most days, writing frenetically. Belek had established a healthy grove of czekanowskiales which they took meticulous care of. Like soft, willowy ginkgos, they sang softly in the breeze and provided a home to a diverse understory of ferns and horsetails.

Elei and Jess had apparently fought an aerial duel over a prime patch of land, with Jess's speed and maneuverability standing the test of Elei's raw power and granting him ownership, for now at least. Aliwen had taken Gawain with her as she flew north, and neither had been seen in months. Joe kept to himself as ever. Sirichai had made several exploratory forays along the coast, reporting that he had met Simon Candock, a venerable horsetail fairy well-known to all of them, and his twin sons. The greatest excitement came when an old friend made a surprise appearance.

The community were in a relaxed mood. Sen, Si-woo and Askarya were at the fort, having made good progress breaking rocks that day. Cullodena sat in the shade, knitting a gift for Wilbur and Con. Glen was experimenting with new recipes. Then an odd shape appeared over a rise to the east. Two long spines, adorned with bells and ribbons, cast their arcing shadows across the verdant terrain. All present stopped to observe the apparition. The spines continued to rise, revealing themselves as the horns of a great, reptilian beast, which surmounted the rise, then trundled toward the fort on columnar legs. Upon its back, cross-legged, sat a fairy.

“Girjesh!”

Everyone’s heads swivelled back in the opposite direction, just in time to catch Ponnarasu flying headlong over them. The fairy atop the beast tugged on the reins to slow it, smiling broadly. Ponnarasu flew to him and into his embrace.

“How long has it been, old friend?” Girjesh wondered aloud.

“It feels like forever,” admitted Ponnarasu. “Sometimes I wish I had tried harder to stay in contact.”

Girjesh clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. “You had duties to attend, I hold you no ill will over it. I’m just chuffed to see you again.”

Together, they spread their wings and drifted down from the reptile, which remained obligingly in place. “Come, Girjesh,” motioned Ponnarasu. “I’m sure you’ve met most of my present company, but there may be a few new faces.”

Questions were eagerly asked of Girjesh, many tales recounted and offers of lodgings for him at the fort instantly offered. He declined with a polite regret that he was on business and couldn’t stay long. They didn’t press him on where he was going, trusting that it was important and, if his previous travels were anything to go by, exciting. He convened with them until sundown, using his fire and water magic to brew excellent ma huang tea, being introduced to the Quacey clan and complimenting them on all the progress they had made. Eventually, he flitted back to his steed and with a last, heartfelt wave, disappeared to the west.

---

Sen and his friends sat back and admired their handiwork. At long last, the igneous badlands were looking something like an ecosystem. Si-woo poked at a leafy, soft plant growing close to the ground.

"Askarya, this one of yours?"

"Bro, that's not a lichen, that's a liverwort."

"Huh. So it is."

"That's good!" Remarked Sen. "None of us planted that, so either there's someone looking to help us, or plants are naturally starting to establish here!"

"Sure is promising," smiled Si-woo. "And look, the rains are on their way."

"Where?" Sen and Askarya craned their necks, nodding as the progymnosperm fairy indicated some fast moving wisps that coagulated before their eyes.

"I'm pretty happy with how the Archaeopteris seedlings are coming on," continued Si-woo. "I think the soil here is too shallow for them to reach a great height, but if they can develop to maturity under these conditions, they'll be self-sustaining."

Sen nodded, scrutinising the windbeaten trees for any sign of spore capsules.

"I'll go and check on the lava fields again," decided Sen, the others nodding as he leapt skyward.

There had been a few earthquakes while they had worked, reminders that this land was in its turbulent infancy. One had split the stone near where they were working, undoing years of progress, but also creating a deep chasm that now housed some clear lakes.

The granite was old rock, formed long ago and deep underground. The recent geological activity had pushed it to the surface, forming this part of the island chain. But other reaches were undergoing a more active creation.

Boiling, bubbling magma was forcing its way to the surface. Some was still spilling onto land, creating bleak fields of basalt and andesite. At the coast, more dramatic eruptions were occurring, spewing out trachyte, dacite and pumice. It was to this unstable shore that Sen flew now.

He settled on a promontory looking out to sea, far above the terrifying, molten flows, and even then feeling their heat. No signs of them subsiding.

He was about to fly back and report this site as unsuitable for plant colonization when a flash of green caught his eye. To his sheer astonishment, a pair of stately ferns was standing proud above the igneous wreckage. Sen marvelled at them. How resilient indeed were plants, to take root and grow even in the most unlikely places, nothing to sustain them but a crack in some cooled lava.

He wondered who the lucky fairy was, the very first to make their mark in this place. He was quite certain they were true ferns, not seed ferns, which narrowed it down somewhat. How many fern fairies did he know? Nathair, Gawain, Aliwen, Wilbur… and it didn't look like any of theirs.

He took a step toward them.

"How do you do?" a smoldering voice announced.

Sen stopped in his tracks. Descending on resplendent green and gold wings was a fairy of radiant countenance and regal bearing. He settled before Sen with calculated poise and looked his guest up and down.

"I… good day to you, sir," Sen enunciated, bowing. "Gongsun Sen, at your service."

"Osmund Umber, likewise," the fairy replied. He remained upright, eyes fixed on Sen. The ginkgo tender felt as though his foliage might crinkle under that searing gaze.

At length, Osmund turned away, arms crossed. Sen let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding and straightened up. He noted how fine the fellow's clothing was, billowing in folds of scarlet and white as he looked across the churning miasma below.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Osmund mulled.

"So it is," ventured Sen. The flickering flames, the rising smoke, the roiling waters… in a terrifying, primordial way, it was beautiful indeed.

"Pardon my interruption," broached Sen, "may I ask what your ferns are called?"

"Winnifred and Montgomery," supplied Osmund without missing a beat. Sen was at a loss for words.

"Just my little joke," smirked Osmund, catching sight of his expression. "They're interrupted ferns."

"Oh, that's nice," was all Sen could think to say. Had he heard him right? Interrupted?

"Truly resilient," spoke Osmund, folding his hands behind his back as he leaned in to inspect the hopeful plants, "to build a kingdom from nothing".

"I should let you get back to caring for them," decided Sen, warming up his wings.

"Very well. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other." Osmund didn't so much as turn his head.

Far from the volcanic flows and nearly back to his friends, those words kept circling in Sen's head. They had sounded almost like a threat.

---

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