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phytochorion · 2 months ago

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How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Twelve - Scramble and Interfere

The day rose swift and bright. Horsetails crackled as they 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 more magic," Jake replied. "Hope yer feelin' sprightly."

"Fit as a finagle," 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 balanced, 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 Solenites, 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. "We weather together or flourish never!"

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, dumbfounded.

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 harm 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 the 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 and 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, make a start early next morning."

His friends grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Waking together with the dawn, 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, and by noon had passed the gully where the new ginkgo seeds were taking root. 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 manoeuvrability unable to stand the test of Elei's raw power and granting her 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 delighted 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?"

"Yaar, 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," he decided, 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 hillside near where they were working and dredged away the soil in a spectacular landslide. It had undone years of progress and killed a multitude of young plants, but also shattered more rock in an instant than they could in years, and created a deep chasm that was filling up with 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 colonisation 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 smouldering 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. From anyone else they’d be reassuring, but on Osmund’s tongue, they had sounded almost like a threat.

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