Nature Chose Me

Far deep in the forest, in the year 1612, there was a tiny cozy house, in which a boy sleep inside its only room, above a single bed, covered by the moonlight coming from the bedside window.

*Slam!*

Yet silence suddenly broke away. The door was violently opened by a girl in a white dress, using nothing but her foot.

“Hey, Staas! Wake up! You promised to accompany me.” The sweet sound of her grumpy voice loudly called and took the boy away from his dreamland.

“Eh…? Promised?” He raised his body from under his blanket, glaring at her with his sleepy eyes, after rubbing it clean with his index fingers.

“To gather the dawn herbs, remember?” The girl walked closer and with a change of a warm smile, she answered.

Her twilight green eyes gazed at him brightly, while her long brown hair with the color of tree bark was blown away by the passing wind, which came uninvited from the wide-opened door of this room.

Hearing her words Staas turned his view towards the side of his room to see through the wooden window.

“Ah… right.”

There he saw the morning sky still with a color of gloomy blue, giving a sense of coolness breezing around where the sun does not yet greet the land with her light.

This whole house is made out of a giant living tree, which constantly trembles the room with its breathing, even now. The tree let Staas lives inside it and allowed him to decorate it or even cut a hole for his vents, windows, and door. They don’t really feel pain like animals do.

“Let me take a quick bath first.”

Staas got up from his bed and nonchalantly walked towards his wardrobe. As he stood, his short yet straight body was shown to the world, with a long oversized nightgown serving as his sole cover.

His brown hair is still in a shape of a mess, with shades of bright white striping on nine lines at his upper left head, as if they’re purposely colored. They're, however, indeed natural.

“What!? Why are you so fond of bathing?” The girl yelled as if this is not the first time this ever happened.

“Why not? It felt nice.” Yet Staas replied calmly.

He opened his wardrobe, then slowly pick his clothing for the day, and held them at the top of his left palm.

“We have no time!” The girl impatiently rushes in and grabs Staas’ hand to take him away. All those clothing now fell to the cold floor, left behind by his owner. For now.

“C’mon! We can ask the hydriads to bathe you later. You’re always covered with the scent of a blooming hyacinth anyway!” With hands held she took the boy for a run, aiming towards the outside world.

And after a couple of steps, there they are, leaving the house for their little journey.

Behold, the village of nymphs. The place where most nymphs live their lives with their body fully exposed to the sun, under the protection of the trees. Every side of this enchanted forest is filled with all kinds of plants and housing, where the tree nymphs nest them as their home.

These tree nymphs are a spirit in a shape of a beautiful woman, also known as Dryads. Their skin, however, is either greenish or ash pale, their ears also quite pointy and their hairs are made from branches, leaves, and flowers.

“Good morning Staas, Gytha.” Greeted the Dryads, with a face painted by mature smile and hands coquettishly waved.

“Good morning.” Then they both politely replied as they run past each of them.

The Dryads, just like any other nymphs, wear no such thing as clothing as they fully embrace themselves with the things they are bound to. They’re the spirits of nature whom always glamoured in beauty. Any man who got themselves catching the sight of these ladies will quickly be enchanted, and might even find themselves lost in this vast forest if one of them ever fell in love with him.

This, however, doesn’t apply to Staas. The boy is immune to any kind of charm. Even with their eyeful lure blatantly presented upon him, he still stands unwavering, unable to be drowned by worldly lust and desire, at least not yet.

“Faster, Staas! We need to see the sun bestowed us with her light!”

“You’re the slow one Gytha, I barely even running.”

It’s been two years since Staas first remember opening his eyes. He doesn’t have any memories of what happened before that day, nor do the ladies about his existence.

Gytha and the elder nymph found him awake at the main tree of the Spirit Grove, the region or village where he’s living right now in this wilderness province called the Fatherwood.

His origin is unknown. Although one thing is for sure, he looks different from all the nymphs living in this forest, or maybe in existence. Except for Gytha.

The nymphs always have pointy ears, no matter which things they’re bound to. Trees, river, lake, whatever it is the nymph will always have that kind of ears.

Gytha's existence is always somewhat of a blessing for Staas since she prevents him from feeling left out with how her attribute is at least a bit similar to him with that round ears of her.

Even then, his feeling of loneliness can’t be fully rid of, especially with him being the only male among all these nymphs.

Yet this aspect might also become the reason why all the nymphs are so interested in him. They always come to tease and play with him, where not even his young look prevents them to do so.

However, to this day, none of them managed to seduce or conquer him with their womanly beauty.

“Myrica! Can you get the gate open for us, please?”

When arriving at the edge of the village walls, Gytha shouted to the lady attached to the top of the gate, guarding it as a keeper.

“Wait a moment, I’ll make a way for you both~” With an alluring voice, the keeper replied.

The gate of Spirit Grove isn’t built like a conventional humanoid city or village gate. They are roots of elder trees safely guarding the way between earth wall cliffing the entire village.

“♪♬♩~”

Not long after, the sound of a harp played in a tempo of andante, guiding the forest with its melody. As those notes lead, the giant roots blocking their way began to rumble, then slowly rolled themselves and make a way for the pair to pass.

“Thanks, Myrica!” Gytha yelled once more, expressing her gratitude while continuing to take Staas away on a journey in their herbs picking.

“Have a nice trip~” The keeper waves goodbye as those two slowly fade away with how far they went from the village.

However, when they passed the village gate, Gytha found Staas looking down glumly with his legs keep on moving following the girl's pace.

“What’s wrong, Staas? Still feeling sleepy?” The girl asked.

“No,” He replied. “I just wondering when will comes the time for me to also be casting some nature magic.”

“I mean… everyone in the forest can do it, even you, yet you refused to teach me.” His rant went on.

“It’s not like I don’t want to teach you— I just… don’t know how to do so. For all of us here, magic just comes naturally.” Gytha retorted. She can’t help but feel bad for him.

“Is it because I’m not a nymph?” He wondered in a glimmer of sadness.

“Maybe… but, don’t worry Staas. Maybe your magic is of a different type, we just don’t know it yet.” Said the girl, trying to find some excuse to make him feel better.

“Hmm… what about water then?” A wild guess appeared on his mind.

“Oh, that’ll explain why you like bathing so much!” She jested.

“Not funny…”

Their journey continues to the higher land of the forest, a hill where the sun first rises, a place to mark the start of the day for inhabitants of this world.

However, when they arrived, none of the herbs Gytha describes to find were to be seen in this wide grassy place. It’s almost flat, with all the trees held back away from the hill.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Full of doubt, Staas asked.

“Relax, there’s a reason why they’re called dawn herbs.”

Second by second, minute by minute passes, and the sky starts showing the shade of reddish-orange. The eastern light slowly blesses this morning with its warmth.

Then the sun peeked, and with it, the dawn has finally come.

From the flat ground made only by dirt, one by one a small weed began to grow itself at the speed of flowing water. Then comes tiny leaves followed by other branches or just a graceful crown of a flower.

What was once a hill filled with nothing but short grass, now full with herbs standing proud on their glory. And as the sun gets higher, the morning mist covering them began to condense into fresh dew.

“Understand why they called the dawn herbs now?” Chiya asked with a cheeky smile on her face.

“Yeah… I do now… I just hope the rabbits won’t snatch what we’re looking for.” Staas fixed his gaze at the crowding animals munching a couple of herbs at the lower side of the hill.

“All-father be praised, you’re right! Quick! Here’s the list and description, pick as many as you can! Don’t worry about over picking it, they’ll grow back, just not at this same morning.”