6 Ancient
I was sitting in front of tree writing this one. It slowly morphed into ramblings about the world of the book I am chipping away at.
Those roots go deep. They go further than any of us could imagine. They spread out through rich soil, under grass and road. For hundreds of years, it looked over the land it is rooted to. Imagine a world where we worked with these colossal guardians. We could treat them as a guides and protectors instead of something to be butchered.
I think of all the ancient forests now lost to industry. They’re gone now. No amount of cultivation will bring them back. We’ve chopped up our lungs for Fast Furniture and destroyed entire species for redecoration reels.
Kashyyyk, Endor, the Mountain Kingdom, and Rivendell all ask this question: What if we loved, cared for, and respected the trees? Lived with them, learned from them, and kept them as integrated elements of our lives. Why does this have to be science fiction? Why do only elves care about their cosmic energy? Roots that dive deep into the soil and branches that reach to the stars.
In the lush, green apocalypse of my imagination, there are people who live with the forests. Caretakers. Protectors of ancient wisdom. One forest is on the other side of the mountain. Very few travel that far, but the Bibliotecs know it well. They are some of the few that travel enough to see mountains, forests, wastes, and cities. The forest is old. Survived the madness of the times after and the rebirth of humanity and the birth of The Others. The Others have a deep respect and fear of those green giants. For some, it is a place of worship and spiritual connection. For others, it is taboo, a place that should not be entered.
For those that live there, it is there everything. Every action and choice is made based on the impact to the forest because is real magic there. Not the old tomes spoken of around camp fires but old magic drawn up from the soil and collected from the stars. It is slow, subtle, and overwhelmingly powerful, once attuned to it. But those with busy minds will never know of it. The patience required to feel it and connect with it too much for most.
That is the Forest over the mountain.
A homage to the primordial caretakers that we have destroyed.
