Forbidden Scroll: The Aureole of Wishes | 1
Deep in the Trepa Forest, there were thousands of wonderful Plants grown in various sizes and splashes of bright colors. The trees stood tall and strong. The great trees did not mind sharing their spaces with others like the plump shrubs, shy ferns, clingy vines, wet mosses, plain grasses, mushrooms with caps, and even the colorful wildflowers. Sometimes like the tall trees, the plump shrubs shared their shades and fruits with other Beasts, hungry for foods and shelter.
Under the shades of their elder Plants, the little seedlings and short sapling grew up together by drinking water and warm sunlight. The colorful wildflowers grew together in a field of bright colors and all over the land with the plain grasses and soft grains. The algae floated over the sparkling clean water with the floating rootstalks. The reeds danced and sang from the riverbank when a soft breeze passed by.
The mushrooms popped up from the ground to help with cleaning the undergrowth and guide the Beasts out of the Trepa Forest. Although the mushrooms were not accepted by the other Plants for not having green leaves and the ability to produce seeds or fruits. It was by the wills of the Trepa Forest Queen that those capped mushrooms were to be accepted as Plants. But the mushrooms could care less as they have their own colors, their own beauties. Everything in the bountiful Forest was beautiful, all except for one Plant.
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That Plant was just a little Black Sprout, who grew up alone under a rock stuck in the mud on the riverbank. Her form was very weak and ugly with rough, darkened leaves in ragged shapes and brown tendrils. Unlike the other Plants, the Black Sprout can only grow in a place, where the sun did not shine. She drew her energy from the cold dew of silver moonlight with her ugly leaves.
The Black Sprout had no kin to call family. She did not have a lot of friends because she was an ugly outsider. Most of the Plants and the Beasts despised her.
When the Black Sprout tried to join a game with other Plants of her age, they shunned her.
Seedlings, Bulbs, and the Saplings mocked the Black Sprout, "Dry, and short! Why are you so skinny?"
Even the Rootstalks called out, "Look! She got no roots, probably worse than the Duckweed!"
"She's like a wither wisp!" said the Blueberry Shrub to her neighbors, the Ferns and Trees.
The Mushrooms with bright colored caps declared, "She has no caps nor spores, she's not one of us!"
The cruel Wildflowers pointed with a giggle among each other, "Look at her leaves! Ugh! So ugly! I pity whoever mate that ugly weed!"
The Black Sprout's tendrils were pulled and crushed by the mean vines. Sometimes a few Plants shared their foods with the Black Sprout when there was a surplus, but only cared for themselves. The trees turned a blind eye. Although the Ladies of the Forest did not care for other Plants not under their domains, they would sometimes trample upon the Black Sprout's leaves in a fit of rage. Some Beasts were too bothered by the Black Sprout's hideous form and tried to stomp or tear her body to shreds whenever they caught sight of her.
But the Black Sprout was swift and nimble. Quicker than a lightning, the young Plant pulled away her brown tendrils and buried herself deeper into the soils to hide from the spiteful Ladies and the mean Beasts.
There was once a willow tree that also grew from the riverbank and manifested into a beautiful Lady after years of cultivating her energies from the sun. They called her, Lady of the Willow. She pitied her young neighbor and took Black Sprout under her shade.
Whenever Black Sprout got in trouble for being seen, the Lady of the Willow will come out of her tree to talk or use her branches to scare away the Beasts by spanking their bums.
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The Black Sprout thought everything was fine. At least, she had a home that was not cold and a place where she can find foods for herself. There was the kind Lady of the Willow to talk to. She did not want to ask for more than what she owed.
But then the Queen of the Trepa Forest left for a party far away with many of her Ladies in attendance. Then the Feral Beasts came down from the Nrgystl City and crossed the Border into the Forest to play.
Who would care if a few go missing? No one will know it!
The lives of the Forest's citizens were mere toys, always disposable at those Feral Beasts' wills. They were brutal and ruthless.
They plundered what did not belong to them.
They destroyed anything that displeased them without mercy.
They murdered and mocked the weak.
These Beasts were absolute monsters.
