Word Count: 1,136
Genre: Fantasy
The early morning sunlight brings true warmth for the first time in months. It's heard in the way the bird songs ring out with hope and joy as they become bells for the slumbering animals while warmer winds trail behind their new flight patterns. Wood frogs unfreeze from their catatonic states and join in as the chorus to the birds’ melodies. Bears rouse and yawn and it echoes from cave to cave, breathing in new life to the stones. The ground rumbles awake too, with the chitter and scrambles of burrowed mice and rabbits poking their heads from deep dens. It takes a second for them to break through the remaining snow, but most of it has already begun to dissipate. Dew replaces the majority of it, allowing the grass to peek through and shine as if the water were crystals against the sun’s rays. The snow continues to melt in slow waves, creating reflections and rainbows against the flora emerging from under it. Greens, pinks, oranges, and more sparkle as they are freed. Some, heavy with water, bob and shake, as if ridding themselves of the rest of their drowsiness. Even the trees have an old, powerful sway to them as they begin to shake off the weight of months of snow. With each movement, they call to the winds to bring more life into its forests.
And just under the surface, something deeper and more fantastical stirs in response. The forest shudders and dryads pull themselves from their trees to greet their sisters. The buzzing of wings were from more than just bugs, alive and well, but from small fairies who used the mice as their steeds and leaves as their sails. They glitter and flutter from one tiny home to the next. The chittering that follows is from more than just the rodents and small mammals scuffling through the melting snow, but from goblins and gnomes, fae and other indescribable creatures to the eye; each one with renewed vigor and disposition as winter's reign comes to an end.
The world was waking up.
It was time for one more to wake up too.
The mountain of snow shifts and falls around a large creature as its old bones awaken. Every knot and joint stretches and pops as it begins to extend its body. Limb after limb, claw after claw. It expands its mind as well, to feel and convene with every life that takes covenant with it; from the largest predator to the blades of grass.
It is one with the forest as the forest is one with them. And yet, even through all of its regality, as it stretches its long neck, exposing iridescent greens and whites, the creature’s horns tangle in a low growing tree with branches like spiderwebs. It gives an indignant huff to the snickering satyrs and fae gesturing it to lower itself. Those who could, climb the trees to decipher them from the branches of the creature’s crown. Stretching out like the forest canopy, a sea of green leaf-like feathers rustle as creatures both magical and mundane scatter from beneath its large wings. The creature nods to them as they leave their safety to find newness in the oncoming spring. They’ll return eventually, with offerings of food and shiny rocks as their thanks and this creature would bless them in kind.
But now was still the time to wake and gather its bearings. Its claws dig into the soil, creating more fauna rather than destroying the ground beneath it. And it yawns, large and wide, almost as if to swallow the forest whole. Instead, the heat causes the rest of the snow in this secluded clearing to melt. The creatures laugh and cheer.
“The Great One is awake!”
“To another bountiful spring!”
Spring fever has yet to hit them and by their chanting and scurrying, it did not appear that it ever would. With lowered head, the Great One looks at all of its subjects, all of its children, letting some get close enough to see their reflection in its yellow eyes. It watches as they regard it with awe and wonder while others are brave enough to get close and place hands, hooves, noses, even chaste kisses onto its snout. Each of them is recognized with a blink, a huff, a kindness. Each life in the forest is no more important than the next, serving their purposes to maintain the forest’s balance. And though this creature is acknowledged as the guardian of the forest, it humbles itself in front of the beings it protects.
And then unfamiliar steps break through the fest, causing everything to freeze. There is an ominous clarity to the way distinctive boots crunch on leaves and how metal clinks against its surroundings, echoing danger to come. The creatures don’t hesitate to find solace under the creature’s wings. They know they always can.
Because as the Great One and the protector of this forest, it too continues to do its part to keep the forest safe, especially from unwelcome visitors. The sound is clear. These were beasts that would take and take without leaving anything in return. They would destroy for the sake of destruction, leaving the creatures of the forest - the Great One’s kin- without homes to return to. These beasts who would clothe themselves in fur and hide believe they were mightier than those born of the forest. The irritation is clear in how it begins to bare its teeth as the steps draw deeper into the forest, but, this is a minor annoyance like the buzzing of flies against its ears. Only two of those monsters entered the forest and those same two would have their penance.
The creature inhales. But unlike its cousins and their fire, this creature exhales magic. The treeline thickens and becomes impossible to see through. Paths worn down by animals wind into an endless maze. And the rest of the snow on the trees start to fall, obscuring the beasts’ tracks home. It’s subtle, only noticeable to those who know the forest as well as the creature born with it, but the ones it’s sworn to protect can feel the magic wrapping through the entire forest guiding them where they needed to be.
There is yet another pause as the Great One, and all of the beings cowering underneath it, listen intently to the boots. The latter begins to relax as the steps become confused and lost, but the Great One remains on high alert until their stubbornness finally breaks and they reluctantly find their path home.
It is then that the Great One, a dragon born with the forest and of the forest, lowers its head to relax and enjoy the company of its subjects. Because the forest is finally awake.
And spring has begun.
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