Chapter 10

The corridors vibrated with anxious energy as Haledon and Sparrow cut through the crowd. Druids of the Astralaceae wept hysterically in collective solidarity as they tried to console each other. To them, the fleet of Astralaceaes had always been more than ships. They were the moons that framed the universe beyond their small worlds. Their loss had shattered the reality of those who remained.

"Excuse me!" Sparrow bellowed as she pushed her way through a particularly sorrowful group. "Ugh, come on, people—"

"Sparrow, they've—we've never been through anything like this before," Haledon replied as he nodded compassionately to a few familiar faces. "Please be patient."

"It's not a topic of impatience. Mourn, but remain productive while doing so."

"Let us regrow from the fire before you tax our ecosystem." He snapped at her as a sudden wave of frustration flushed through him.

She looked over her shoulder at Haledon with a smirk.

"Because that head injury somehow stoked a fire in you...Sure—" Sparrow said with a chuckle. "But if they are to be allowed to mourn in their innocence, other systems must work twice as hard. Do you believe you can forego your rest for their comfort? Are you willing to do so?"

Haledon followed her down the hall quietly, thinking about the offer. The sobs and cries along the corridor pulled his attention around as the thought took root.

"What do you say, Seral Druid?" She continued after a pregnant pause. "Are you willing to protect their innocence and that of the entire fleet? Are you willing to commit to a true lifetime of stewardship?"

"Yes." He replied quietly.

"Then recite to me your oath."

"Earth Care. People Care. Fair Share." Haledon returned with profound confidence in his voice.

Sparrow stopped and turned to face Haledon. She wore a look of excitement and confusion.

"What was that?" She asked as the foliage around her shoulders seemed to lift with equal exuberance.

"Earth Care. People Care. Fair Share." He recited again. "They are the three tenants of our fleet. To be stewards that foster peace and unity between Humanity and Nature."

"Interesting...very interesting." She mused, crossing her arms. "Your Astra has done surprisingly well at managing societal divergence from ancient Earth customs. After so many generations, there should have been some drift, but you are still as guided as the first crew."

"What—?"

"I mean, I'm not saying you're wrong. We believe in protecting the earth, its people, and promoting equality—but a lot has changed while your fleet was gone...." She began to trail off.

"You said—"

Sparrow waved her hands, finishing her tangent, and returning to reality. She looked to Haledon again with a curious smirk before snapping her fingers to silence him. Vines of hibiscus and stargazer lilies began to grow in the space between their feet.

"What is this?" He asked, examining the hall and the unobservant bystanders passing through.

"An initiation ceremony. Repeat after me," Sparrow cleared her throat. "I, Seral Druid Haledon of the Astralaceaes, affirm that I am a Druid of Nature. A lifetime of small changes has planted a seed at my core, which has grown full, and though I am hearty, I continue to grow as I root myself in the present and future."

Haledon listened carefully and repeated with a cautious reverence. The hall had begun to fill with curious onlookers as Sparrow continued. Her hands danced from finger to finger, leaving spindly webs of pollen to slowly drift to the floor.

"Through observation and patience, I accept that my new community's feedback for my growth is incomplete without this self-regulation. Whether it be through person, plant, or animal, I dedicate myself to the protection and balance of Nature."

The vines at the feet of Haledon had begun to crawl up to his ankles. They stretched and grabbed for his knees as Sparrow raised her hands into the air.

The pollen splashed out, painting the halls and creating dense shrubs of fiery, red foliage. The burning bush began to spread, creating an arched threshold over the top of Haledon and Sparrow.

"—For Nature produces no waste yet yields bounty for all species. I vow to dedicate my life to the understanding of Nature's regenerative abilities. To catch and store the energy that flows through Nature and respond to the changes ahead creatively, as every creature should."

Sparrow pulled her hands tightly to her chest. She looked down into them as if spying something small within her clasped grip. A tender seedling began to reach out from her palm and into the light.

"Through the integration of mindsets and not segregation of strengths, we create a bountiful future at all levels of life. And it's through the valuing of diversity that I will master the edge that Humanity and Nature share and create a stable ecosystem where once there was chaos."

The vines had begun to crawl up Sparrow. Small tendrils reached out from her waist, grabbing at her hands in vain. The same plants had crawled up to Haledon's chest and covered his body with tropical colour.

Reaching her hands across, she displayed the seedling that sprouted from her palm. The first of the leaves reached up as it swayed in a gentle breeze.

"I, Seral Druid Haledon of the Astralaceae, having designed from pattern to detail, am ready to commit myself to Nature's continued balance. From this moment and until my energy is given back."

Haledon repeated the final passage and looked up to Sparrow. She smiled slightly as she plucked the flower from her hand and placed it on his chest. Looking around, her eyes glanced over his shoulder. Haledon turned and noticed the corridor had become full of Earth and Astralaceae Druids observing the ceremony. Some smiled, others stared in awe, but they all shared similar respect for the moment.

Above the crowd, the shrubs Sparrow had grown had begun to rain down red leaves. Children started to run through the Druids' legs, giggling and catching at the foliage before it touched the ground.

Haledon looked down at the flowers across his chest. The one Sparrow placed had begun to take root, finding a place on his SOIL’s chest plate. A single orange poppy stood out against the white flowers and rich, brown bark. The vibrant colour of the other flowers Sparrow had grown had already started to fade and soon disappeared into the foliage.

"That oath was pledged by each Earth Druid out here. Every one of them has sworn the same protection to Nature and, by extension, your fleet. You now share in their stewardship." Sparrow turned and looked at the veil of grass behind her. "So, shall we go in and face the Grove?"

"The Grove?"

"A bunch of trembling aspens born into a climate of change who believe they're the pinnacle of Nature."

Haledon looked at her with a nervous expression before replying, "Okay. Yes."

Sparrow inspected Haledon up and down with a nod before placing a hand on his shoulder. She stepped through the veil, and Haledon followed her into an empty amphitheatre. Chairs of woven rock and vine matched a sturdy, grown desk that created terraces of seating. At the center of the room, a stone disc was presented as a stage. On it, a pedestal, overgrown in vines, released a cloud of spores into the air.

The exaggerated display revealed the remaining fleet as they drifted along. Small Dragonflies and Astraloideas zipped through the sea of spores from Astralaceae to debris. Tethering themselves to the chunks, they would guide them to the nearest ship for decomposition.

"Primeval Druid Sparrow." A cold voice echoed from across the room.

Haledon noticed a dozen Druids sitting in a semi-circle. They stared down at the platform from two rows up. Among them, he saw the Druids who had boarded the ship three days prior, their colourful plumage being hard to miss. With them were Primeval Druids of the Astralaceae, including Hannar.

"You may leave, Seral Druid Haledon. This does not concern you," Hannar spoke immediately upon noticing Haledon.

"Eherm," Sparrow cleared her throat loudly. "Actually, Seral Druid Haledon has committed an oath to this fleet and me. He is now my Seral Druid and will learn from me this day forward until he becomes a Primeval. And, as his Primeval, I determine that this does involve him."

"Sparrow, this is highly unorthodox," The voice of Primeval Druid Hummingbird rang. She stood from her seat, her vibrant flowers glimmering in the light as she pointed accusingly. "For a Primeval to take on a Seral is—"

"Primeval Druids Cascade, Flint, Luna, Jovian..." Sparrow listed before pausing. She examined the faces of the Druids intently. "These are just a few renowned Druids who did exactly such a thing when there was a disruption of Nature's order.”

Sparrow looked around, examining the room, before locking her eyes back to Hummingbird. With a chuckle, she tapped her hand to her head.

“Oh right, I almost forgot myself...” Sparrow remarked. “I have had many Climactic Druids under my tutelage, so I recommend sitting down, Hummingbird, unless you have pressing matters to discuss. Last I checked, this conversation was between me and Mesa."

"This conversation concerns all of us, Primeval Druid Sparrow." Mesa stood up and extended his hand to the rest of the Druids. "Your actions have jeopardized this entire fleet!"

"The assault of the Mecharrion was imminent, and we all knew that. That's why we were here. Not to fight them directly but to support the genetic modification of the Astralaceaes so they could defend themselves."

"But the Astras could not defend themselves! And as a result of your commandeering of my Colides, we lost time engaging the Mecharrion at the expense of Druids' lives."

"Ridiculous! Your Colides? A result of my actions?" Sparrow chirped back with a laugh. "The Mecharrion suicide squads cost Astra lives. If you had left the Colides attached—like they should have been—the Droseran Cape would have removed them before they could have damaged our ships. Your ignorance cost the lives of the fleet."

Mesa looked around the room, his face contorted in anger. "Don't talk to me about strategy, Lunar Moth!"

Sparrow scowled as she glanced over to Haledon and back to the irate Mesa.

"Need I remind you of your failures at the moons of Jupiter?" Mesa turned to face the rest of the Druids. "This Primeval has jeopardized this fleet's safety and challenged the balance of Nature for the last time. We should stunt her growth before she spreads like an overzealous bramble and chokes out this fleet entirely."

Haledon watched as the eyes of the Druids grew wide. They stared anxiously between Mesa and Sparrow, their gaze eventually locking down at the stage.

"Primeval Druid Mesa of the Sonoran Desert!" Sparrow yelled, her voice shaking the room as the air resonated with each word.

Haledon turned to look at Sparrow. She had begun to lift into the air, her feet dangling loose as vines pulled her aloft.

The platform beneath Haledon began to tremble. Trying to get out of the way, he stepped to the side of the stone. But as the shaking intensified, his foot slipped, and he stumbled off the stage.

An audible cracking echoed through the chamber as the rock fractured out like a spiderweb. A hail of stone splinters blasted away as thick roots lashed out like whips, connecting to Sparrow's feet and coiling like agitated cobras.

"Wha—what is the meaning of—" Mesa began but was interrupted by Sparrow's commanding tone.

"We didn't venture out on the endless sea to be put under the canopy of Carnyx Druid with lust for the hunt."

Sparrow had risen twenty feet in the air with the vines and roots wrapping around her legs. The foliage continued to crawl up her chest and down her arms. Haledon watched in amazement as Sparrow had begun to transform into an arboreal juggernaut, bigger than any he had seen.

"To see a Druid threatening the fleet, look no further than the one standing amongst you." Pointing her hand out, vines erupted forward. They raced around each other, twisting and snaking their way towards the Grove. The plants took hold of Mesa's chest and ripped him from his spot.

Sparrow pulled the Druid forward, hoisting him into the air before her. Vibrant flowers drifted to the ground under him, raining onto Haledon's body as he tried to stand.

"I was sent out here to be a steward of Druid practices and nurture our fleet's development. I was not sent to nurse your appetite, Little Pup!"

Sparrow's head, now the size of Mesa's torso, leaned down from the ceiling. Her body emerged from the shadows, where it had transformed into a gargantuan spider. A collection of roots and vines continued to coil tightly around her cephalothorax. Eight large legs unfurled from her abdomen and grabbed at the walls. Eyes the size of grapefruits glowed with a bioluminescent red and inspected the room before locking down on Mesa.

"You were chosen to support the fleet, not chase Mecharrion across the stars." She pulled him up to her pedipalps, the little feelers rubbing at his struggling body. "Does the spider attack the hornet's nest, Mesa? No. It lures them to the web."

The eyes twitched up and looked at the remaining Druids in the room. Faces of fear and awe made up the crowd as they continued to watch the scene unfold.

"I—" Mesa began, but was interrupted as Sparrow pulled him closer to her fangs.

"You!" She growled, the room rumbling.

Mesa shielded his face.

"Your Collides has a niche." She scolded and directed her rage towards the others. "All of you have a niche! Optimize it and stop pushing your shortcomings on others. When you fail to maintain your balance, we all lose!"

The vines constricting Mesa loosened, and he fell to the ground. Hitting the stone, he crumpled into a heap and grunted in pain. He lay there for a moment, watching Sparrow and Haledon, as shame flushed his face.

The legs of the spider adjusted along the walls as the abdomen curled under the body. A thin tear along the center widened, and Sparrow stepped out from the foliar arachnid. The wound closed, and the bramble creature stood menacingly over her, its eyes locked on the Grove.

She looked at Mesa on the ground and scoffed before turning to Haledon.

"Come, Haledon, let us gather your Guild and begin training."

Sparrow turned to leave as Hummingbird called out, "Sparrow, if you walk through that threshold, we'll—"

"You'll what?" She turned her gaze like daggers being thrown back. The spider along the wall skittered closer to the Druids.

There was a hushed silence among the members of the Grove.

"That's what I thought." Sparrow spat in response before walking out with Haledon close behind her.