They lied to the children about the color green.
In the stories from the Great Tree, green was the color of spring, the new life, the vibrant shade of leaves and trees.
However in the swamps they say that the green is the color of rot, moss covers the swamp and water is mucky olive shade. Green is not a good color to be, as it signifies sickness and the overwhelming power of nature. The one that is green is sick, the thing that is green is soon to be consumed by the plants.
But still, people looked Up, towards the highest points of the Great Tree and its magnificent green, the green hidden in the clouds, the green that always seemed to have its own glow.
A fairy tale for children, a dream for young ones and a curse for those who survived long enough.
Sadly, the man this story begins with was very green.
Green moss on his boots, green stains on his shirt, green plants in his hairs and even green tumors on his face, the price of living in the roots of the Tree.
He was walking to his green-covered mud house and his loving family, and as he opened a door made of bark and vines, something lunged at him
"Kaelen, my boy!" A child ran into him and was lifted high above his own head, high enough for him to touch the ceiling "How is my little birthday man!?" A tiny figure in shabby clothes, yet still the man grunted while he lifted him.
"GOOD!!" The child was smiling widely and played with its fathers hair, along with anything he found in them. It didn`t mind the green, in his eyes it was simply his father.
"Welcome back husband" His beautiful wife came from the other room , green was a common color for her too. But she looked much more like the swamp around them - shadows under her eyes, stains on the clothes and tumors everywhere.
She was sweeping the floor off bits of the hut that dried up and started to crumble, the thing people brought with them, and all of the plants that grew through the floor.
Funny.
They are killing things that grow in their house, just so their own son can grow too.
But that`s how the world works.
Kaelen`s father put down his son and kneeled down to him, while one of his hands went into his ripped pants and pulled out a closed hand.
"Kaelen, I got something from you"
His son nodded a few times
"Close your eyes and don`t peek"
His son nodded slowly and closed his eyes.
When he opened them, in his hand there was a small white feather with a faint orange glow.
Kaelen smile became even bigger than before and he started jumping around in excitement.
"Now now Kaelen" His father put out his cheek towards him, and his son after a while said
"THANK YOU DADDY!!" And hugged him tightly.
thud
They both looked at Kaelen`s mom as she dropped the broom on the floor.
"Keagan.....Please tell me....that`s not what I think it is"
"Sheelia....." The father, Keagan by name, stopped hugging his son and slowly approached his wife "It is".
"No...no" She backed up into the corner "You didn`t.."
"Sheelia, It`s for our son" He slowly took her hand and gently tried to calm her down.
"They`ll kill us .... the moment they know" She grabbed his hand tightly
"I know. But he`ll die here without it"
"Don`t worry scum" The door were slammed open by a group of men, lead by a sizable guy with a chained watch in his hands "He`ll die regardless of the feather"
All 3 of the family members backed into the corner with Kealen in the back grasping his new present in his arms, and his parents, grasping him.
"Keagan, you now something" The watch went into the pocket and a pipe went out of it "I thought you were smarter than a common fool "
A small accessory on the man`s wrist had a similar white feather in it, and as it glowed, the pipe caught fire and the smoke began to enter his mouth
"But I underestimated you" exhales the smoke, that filled the hut "You`re not a common fool, you`re the rarest and dumbest fool I`ve seen in years" snaps his fingers
His men barged through the room and pulled Kealen`s parents away from him, slamming both of them to the ground and leaving him alone in the corner
"You god damn well know, your life ain`t worth nothing compared to one of these " His wrist accessory blinked with a golden glow.
"Don`t do this Mr. Seer" Keagan could hardly say anything while his mouth was pressed into the dirt floor, not that it mattered to the man.
"Its Overseer to you scum" another finger snap, and Keagan was thrown into the wall almost breaking it.
The Overseer slammed his meaty hand onto Kealan`s shoulder and exhaled the smoke again to the face.
"GIVE IT"
A simple command, with a booming heavy voice from a heavy man Kealan has never met before, so naturally
"No....this is my present" and turned to the wall
"he he" inhales "Cute"
Smacks the child across the face, knocking him out.
"Why are you like your father child, tsk tsk" The Overseer grunting, picked up the feather off the ground and dusted it off, put it in the wrist accessory and walked towards the wife.
"You know what Keagan....Not only is your life not worth it, I don`t think hers is either"
"Don`t. Touch . Her" Keagan spoke through the blood and broken bones.
"Both of them combined aren`t worth enough actually" He slid his finger across her face
"But there are three of you here"
"I SAID" Keagan headbutted his guard and both fell to the ground. He managed to punch the man again before he got up, and he finally looked towards the Overseer "DON`T TOUCH HER"
"So I think the kid might pay off your debt at some point" Exhales the smoke of the pipe
However instead of smoke, fire and embers came out, torching Keagan`s face and making him scream in pain instantly and turning his face into a ball of flames and smoke.
"KEAGAN!!!!" his wife wriggled out of the embrace of the Overseer and rushed to douse out the fire off her husbands face "WHYYYYYYYY!!!!" her tears weren`t enough to put them out.
"Oh lord, please stop screaming" The seer inhaled his pipe again and while turning away, snapped his fingers.
One solid hit from the guard and she dropped on her husband`s burning body.
"Grab the kid, he`ll replace the fuck on the workplace"
Soon enough, the man was seen leaving Keagan`s hut that was burning brightly in the swamp, while his guard was carrying a body of a small child.