Meet Lambakod

You woke up at the palm of something’s hand. Your eyes stretched from side to side, only to notice that there was nothing in front of you but the blue sky and a face of a giant that had wood for skin and flowery vines for a beard.

“My, what some sort of little critter do we have right now?”

He bared you his full-toothed grin as he creased his brows. His voice resounded in your ear, a sort of warm feeling accompanied by the freshest of winds that tasted of flowers. It appears that you could move around his palm.

He blinked.

He blinked again.

He was waiting for you to do something. Confused, you glared at him and he merely smiled. Finally, you were urged to walk at the edge of his hand and gaze down.

You found yourself so high up in the air that the greenery below you seemed like a sea of the same color. In this view, nothing matters. Everything looked the same under the sun and the veil of clouds cheering the life below. There, you saw mountains that might as well fit on your very palm. The trees might as well serve as the hairs standing up in your skin as the chill of excitement ran up your spine like the green horizon stretching at the great beyond. You fell silent. You take a deep breath, smiled, and faced the Anito behind you.

“Beautiful, right?”

He urged you to face that breathtaking scenery again and moved his beside you.

“I want you to remember this. This is my life’s work. This is who I am. There’s no need to call me such fancy names, but when you think of me, remember this—what feels like to look down from above. Whether it’s liberating or nauseating is up to you. Just remember that growth is always there and it’s our duty, as the forest that stretches as long as there’s land, that we would protect everything even if it means taking our loved ones hostage or to kill and crush our oppositions.”

He laughed freely, making you almost forget the hostility that stained his tone.

“This world is my garden, and I would use anyone to protect it. Remember that and this scene. If you do, I’ll give you power.”