You think the trees losing their leaves can be attributed to the fall season. You soon find out nature is dying.

1

My job as a fairy is to ensure life on land functions smoothly.

There was also the occasional fight against dark magic users to protect the fairyland.

Summoning a burst of magic, I hauled it at a raven before diving to the ground, hoping to attract it there. The morning had started magnificently before the alarms sounded, signaling an attack. I had gone for a relaxing flight with my pet butterfly, Pumpkin. It was a cool, crisp autumn morning. My favorite season.

Our attackers came from the skies, great, black ravens.

Ravens are vicious creatures. An assault from them is hard to defend. Because they roam the skies, the air fairies ward them effectively. We have methods to attract them to the land or water, but it's tedious.

My plan was working as the raven, now aggravated followed me to the earth. The closer I could get it, the stronger my earth magic's effect would be. I tumbled onto the ground, breaking through the trees before glancing at the sky. The raven hadn't followed me to the forest floor but was in my territory.

Placing my hands on a nearby tree, I focused on finding a matter near its branches. Feeling a surge to my right, I concentrated on the branches, imagining them unfurling, wrapping around the raven, trapping it. The branches would bring it to the leaves, and together, they would tangle to create a prison.

Hearing the rustle of leaves above me, I knew my magic was working.

The raven was struggling, but I was hopeful it wouldn't wriggle out of its cage. Yet, I felt the last branches slide into place and no death bombardment came from the sky, so I allowed myself a triumphant fist pump, knowing I had the raven trapped. As I flew above the trees again, I emerged in time to see the last of the ravens being warded off by the air fairies. I was about to turn around and return to the land when I heard someone calling my name.

"Oak! Stay up here for a moment, will you?"

Turning around, I saw Gale, an air fairie I'd be incredible friends with if we weren't air and earth. We didn't see each other often, but whenever we did, it was always a pleasant experience. I smiled at her as I flew to meet her.

Gale was among the most powerful air fairies, particularly talented at harvesting the winds. Like me, she had short-cropped hair, but her hair was striking white, contrasted with my bright orange. Instead of wearing clothes from the forest, her outfits always looked like silk of various types, like a cross between a cloud and the wind.

"Heya, Gale. It's been a while since we last chatted, eh?"

"Talk about it. The last time I saw you, the land was as white as my hair." We both chuckled softly at that before I continued.

"Last time it was the ice spirits, this time it's ravens." My mind acted before my mouth as I blurted out my next statement. "It's peculiar to see one raven, let alone a flock. Ravens are told to bring death."

I knew I had made a mistake as I saw Gale's expression shift. What was a smile turned to a frown as Gale began to fly away from me. Talking of death was taboo in our civilization, and it was never a welcome topic. Even when we fought, we tried to use methods of immobilization or trapping to avoid permanently harming any creatures.

"Winter is coming. Maybe they could be migrating. It's not unheard of. I have some things to tend to, see you around, Oak."

Gale left abruptly and I bit my lip, guiltily thinking of my mistake. I should have known better than to state my reflections, yet I couldn't shake the feeling.

Yes, ravens migrated, but they knew better than to go through fairy territory. Fall had just started, and it still seemed too early seasonally for a migration. And, ravens were vicious, even to their kind. There had been hundreds earlier, and I doubted they would all travel together. I didn't know what, but something felt off, and I was determined to find the solution.

2

My morning began like any other with Pumpkin slapping my face with his wings. He seemed particularly eager for a fly today, as he was relentless.

"Alright, I get it boy. C'mon, let me get ready." My words held no effect as he continued attempting to wake me. Sometimes, I wondered if he could even understand me.

I gently tried to push him off me, and he complied, understanding I was about to take him out. I changed my clothes with my magic and exited my shelter seeing Pumpkin lingering on the branch outside. Today, instead of waiting for me to dive off the branch, he started flapping his wings and turned to the right, going around my home tree.

It looks like Pumpkin wants to go on a different route today. There shouldn't be any harm, and it would make him happy. This is probably what he was so excited about earlier.

I followed Pumpkin through the forest, weaving through the colorful canopies, flying through flower fields and streams, and waving to acquaintances along the way. When we reached the river, Pumpkin turned to follow the river upstream, and I eagerly followed. The land upstream from the river boasted some of the most beautiful terrain in the Fairy Forest. From Mushroom Gardens to the location of Mother Oak, it was always a welcome journey.

Mother Oak was a majestic oak tree and the heart of our nation. It was rumored she birthed the forest with life connected to it. Only the most powerful earth fairies could see her and tend to her once a year on the Winter Solstice when she needed the most care. As long as the forest thrived, we knew that she thrived.

Pumpkin led me through the Mushroom Gardens, where mushrooms grew as tall as the trees, all colors seen on the fungi. "Should we be heading back soon?" I asked him, as he continued to flap onward. "I do have a job."

Pumpkin turned toward me and flapped his wings ferociously. I sensed that there was something he wanted to show me, and knowing Pumpkin, he would refuse to turn back until he got his way. "Alright, but if we don't arrive soon, I'm going back, with or without you."

Pumpkin began beating his wings faster, determined to reach our location. I lost sight of him for a moment as he flew over a grassy hill, and as I reached the crest, I understood why Pumpkin had been so desperate to get out earlier today.

Every part of the forest was dead. From the bottom of the hill, I couldn't see where the decay spread. The grass was black like the ravens that had attacked, all plants brown and wilted.

Worst of all was the trees.

Instead of being the beautiful colors of fall, the leaves were all blood red. Not the deep crimson that natural leaves were—stunning, bright red. What happened to the trees was not natural. The trees themselves were all dead and decaying. Their typical rich, brown bark was shades of gray and black, the decay spreading from its roots to its branches. The tree, unable to hold the weight of its limbs dropped them, and heavy branches littered the forest floor.

This is wrong. I need to inform the Elders.

3

"Thank you for alerting us about this, Oak. We'll be sure to investigate it." The Council of Elders almost seemed bored as I finished my speech.

The Council wasn't meant to be disturbed, but I assumed my disarray had been enough to schedule an appointment. Yet, the Council's nonchalance toward this issue disturbed me.

"As I stated, the leaves were an unnatural shade of red, and there was death as far as the eye could see. Don't you think this should warrant more worry?" I was anxious now at how they neglected my issue.

"We'll do the appropriate research, but we doubt it's anything that some magic cannot cure. Thank you for sharing your worries, but please return to your tasks. You are dismissed, Oak."

I had begun chewing on my lower lip, and my anxiety only increased as the day continued. Unexplainable problems always nagged me, and numerous factors showed something could be wrong.

First: The Ravens. Even though most shrugged it away, if I had learned anything as an earth fairy, it was that the ravens brought death. Ravens were some of the most vile creatures, and I doubted a flock of that size would simply be migrating.

Second: Pumpkin's attitude. Even if some may regard him as a simple butterfly, he was an intelligent creature. Growing around magic his entire life, I believed he would know if magic could solve a problem. Considering his mood, it seemed that something was gravely wrong.

Third: The state of the life in the area. I had never seen anything similar to the conditions of those trees, even with the most plague-infected suffering specimens. It was so abnormal and a combination of these factors stoked my concerns.

Just as I was about to prepare a soothing dew-drop bath, anticipating when I could snuggle in my moss blankets, a streak of blinding golden magic shot into my abode.

Only the Council wielded golden magic.

"Oak," the echo of numerous voices filled my room, "The Council of Elders has requested to meet with you."

As quickly as the golden light appeared, it vanished, leaving a feeling of dread in my stomach. It was unwise to leave the Council waiting, especially after they sent you a message. Begrudgingly, I left my home's warm lights--and moss blankets--into the chilly autumn night.

The temperatures had begun to drop, making me crave my bed more than I had previously. I shivered as I tried to arrive at Council instantly.

The Council of Elders lived on a sacred island surrounded by river flow, where the Water Elders resided. On the island was the largest tree in the forest, aside from Mother Oak, but only legend told of her size. The tree stretched into the sky, where the Earth and Air Elders resided. The council room was hidden beneath the tangles of the tree's roots. Typically, as I had earlier when you wanted to meet with the council, a portal of sorts was set up. It allowed both parties to communicate at a location that worked for them.

Each fairy element protected the island. The guards let me in, and I slowly walked toward the doorway. The councilroom was under the earth for a reason for no one--excluding the Elders who were the most powerful fairies--could perform magic inside it.

I began my trek into the earth, taking in my surroundings. I had never been below the surface, and seeing how my environment changed was fascinating. The air became cooler, and the roots of smaller plants zigzagged across the walls. The tree's roots had conformed to make a clear path, dimly lit with specks of light. I walked the corridor for several minutes until another door stopped me from progressing.

The door looked like a translucent, shimmering gateway, but even if I strained my eyes, I could not determine what was happening beyond it. Unsure of what to do, I raised a hand to knock, but before I could act, the doors flew open, and the sight of the councilroom appeared.

Even though we were deep underground, some windows showed the sacred island, as if we were level with the ground. The room was made of wood and looked as if the inside of the tree had been carved. The Elders sat across from me on inclined platforms, and I saw a dull bench before them. As I hurried into the councilroom, taking a seat on the bench, the Elders began to speak.

"We would like to start by apologizing. Even though we initially brushed off your word, after some investigation, we now realize something is wrong." One of them, what looked like a water fairy spoke.

I knew I should utter a response, but the shock of the situation hadn't caught up to me yet. I was meeting the Elders, and they were praising me. Yet, if they admitted that something was wrong, something was wrong.

I imagined I nodded my head, my mouth agape. The Elders took this as a sign to continue. This time, an earth fairy with pink hair--Blossom--spoke. "Searching our records, one event like this has been recorded in the history of the fairy. Mother Oak is dying."

If I had been shocked before, those emotions would have been a pebble compared to the boulder of shock I felt as I heard that. If there were anything more powerful than the Elders, it would be Mother Oak. It was rumored that her seed had fallen from the heavens themself, and from Mother Oak birthed all natural things. She sustained life, and if she died, it would be the fall of the fairy. Yet, infecting her was nearly impossible as she was constantly protected.

"A-are you completely sure? Don't we have... defenses?"

"There is only so much we can do. There is always a balance of power. The fairies are powerful, but we need the power to fight equally powerful dark beings. For all the power Mother Oak inherits, there is an equal evil. It infected Mother Oak before, and it could do it again. Even though it is grim, we must hope there is a solution as the fairies of our past discovered."

"Then, what must we do to... save nature?" The words felt heavy on my tongue. I never would have imagined the need to utter them.

"Only earth fairies can save Mother Oak. We know of your power Oak, and we are inviting you, along with Soile, Terros, and Blossom to, quite literally, get to the root of the problem and fix it. This is a great honor. Do you accept the task?"

I wanted to accept, but I had questions. "What do you mean by power? I'm no better than any other earth fairy."

"You may say that, but we've noticed the feats you've completed. For example, you manipulated a tree to capture a raven. They're swift creatures and ones that are quite large. Your power certainly is better than most of your companion's."

Contemplating the Elder's words, I realized they had a point. "Then, I... I accept your proposition."

4

With no time to waste, we instantly set out for Mother Oak. There was an exit near the top of the council room. Weaving through sticks and leaves, we emerged into the night.

I rarely enjoyed the fairyland at night. Whenever I had been called for a task at night, it was for a night shift defending our land. Even though there was a heavy task, it was a great distance to fly before we arrived. Fireflies danced on the flowers below, and the nightlife buzz filled my eyes and ears.

The typical, daytime affairs were nonexistent. Instead of seeing fairies tending to nature and its inhabitants, I saw the occasional reflection of the moonlight on a patrol unit's wings. We flew over still homes. As we approached the river, I knew we were near.

The infection seemed to have spread since the last time I saw it. There was a greater area of dead matter, the affected organisms were blacker, and the leaver was redder.

It was horrible.

It was death.

"We're near, " one of the Elders mutters as they fly faster toward Mother Oak.

I followed suit, and soon we arrived. I had never been to Mother Oak's location, as it was sacred ground. Flying into the clearing, I took in her keeping. I couldn't see the tree herself, as she was kept away, sheltered from evil beings. Her "cage" was a mound of twisted branches, moss, and grass. Flowers and other trees sprouted from it, and it could almost pass as a normal hill if not for the gates leading inside.

The gates were made of the same shimmering magic that hid the courtroom from the outside—the work of the Elders.

When the Elders approached the gate, they each held a hand and connected it to it. Uncertain, I stood behind them, looking at the procedure. Nervousness and excitement coursed through my body. What will have to be done once we see Mother Oak? What would happen if I mess up? I haven't done anything like this before...

In unison, the Elders muttered an enchantment. As they finished, the gate began to fall away like a veil, the shimmering glitter disappearing before my eyes. The gate fell with my excitement.

I had never seen Mother Oak before, but I was certain she wasn't meant to look like what met my eyes. She was over ten times the size of a typical oak, and her condition matched the environment outside, but worse. Instead of a rich-brown bark color, her bark was black. A black of death and decay. Her remaining branches seemed to droop like the weight of sticks and leaves was too much. It appeared that the sticks and leaves themself were also withering. Instead of the bloodred leaves outside, the leaves were tinged with red, predominantly a charcoal gray. They looked so feeble as if the softest touch of a rabbit would make them crumble.

I felt sick and scared. If Mother Oak died, it would mean the death of all nature. The death of our world and everyone in it. We couldn't allow that to happen.

The Elders shared a similar state. "Scan the perimeter of the tree. Look for any anomaly that could be causing this mishap." One of them with dark brown hair and matching skin and clothes, Soile I assumed, articulated.

Upon hearing his words, we flew around Mother Oak, assessing her for anything wrong. I flew into her branches, hoping to find traces of the issue. I grimaced as I brushed past leaves which crumbled under my touch. I had to be careful yet effective. Our lives were at risk.

I followed the branches to her body. I scanned the bark, looking for infection, any sign that something could be wrong. I was almost relieved when I heard someone calling, but when I saw where the voice was coming from, my anxiety deepened.

Blossom summoned us from the roots.

If Mother Oak's roots were affected, the problem would be both difficult and much more delicate to counter. With the other Elders inspecting the tree, I flew down and gathered around Blossom.

"There's only one way to get to the roots," Blossom solemnly spoke. "Terros and Soile, you know what to do."

The last Earth Elder, one with gray skin and sleek hair that was brown from the roots but green at the tips joined hands with Soile. Together, they placed their hands on the ground, closed their eyes, and began to mutter. Initially, I saw their hands faintly glowing green as the ground beneath them rumbled. Then, the power seemed to multiply and tremors spread through the Earth.

The pair continued to chant, but the more land they covered, the more strenuous the task seemed. Terros began sweating faintly as Soile breathed heavily. The light around their hands intensified. They controlled the erosion so it only affected the ground around Mother Oak, not where we were standing. I saw the land rupturing as dirt chunks as large as my home dislodged from the ground and piled around us.

Eventually, Terros and Soile removed their hands from the ground, both out of breath. They had successfully removed the ground around Mother Oak's roots. Even in the dim situation, I was amazed by their powers. Yes, I knew the Elders were the most powerful fairies, but I had never seen fairies corrode the ground as they had.

"There's no use in waiting. Let's discover what's causing this," Soile spoke.

It didn't take long to detect the anomaly. As we approached the crater I felt a shiver go up my spine as my eyes located the problem.

Parasitic killer worms.

These on their own were nasty stinkers. They were typically the cause of dead organisms. It was simple to rid them--dig into a plant's roots and cast a simple spell that would kill them. We didn't like to kill other forms of life, but these parasites were like mosquitos. No one benefitted from them. They would hole into a plant's roots and attach themselves to it, depriving the plant of nutrients. But, when they did this, they would release toxins into the plant's system leading to it withering.

I had never seen a plant wither like this before, but it was Mother Oak. Maybe it was her magic causing this decay. Maybe it was the worms.

For I had never seen such forms of these worms. Instead of the tiny, black, tubers I often dealt with, ones that could be no longer than my fingers, these were massive. They mingled together and I couldn't sense how long they were, but they were as wide as typical tree trunks. There was a nest of them, and seeing some moving around, I glimpsed their faces.

Because the specimens we usually dealt with were tiny, I never analyzed their faces well.

It turned out their mouths were full of hundreds of sharp teeth. Perfect for biting into roots, I bitterly thought.

"There's no time to waste. We must work together to exterminate these parasites," Terros angrily spoke.

I heard Blossom mutter and saw a burst of color fly from her hand, landing on one of the worms. "There, I've marked it. Everyone works together now, it's a simple spell, but there are hundreds of these."

We obliged, facing the worms and casting the spell. At once, we released the magic and it hit the worm.

We watched as the worm recoiled from the attack. It flailed, turning to face us as I caught a glimpse of that horrible mouth again. Then, it fell limp and collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. There wasn't much time to celebrate. We had gotten rid of one worm, but there were still hundreds to deal with.

And, now they were angry.

When they were small, dealing with their squirming was annoying. If you were bit, there was a simple cure to extract the toxins. It wasn't as if such a small amount would affect us. But, when they were this big, dealing with their retaliation wouldn't be annoying. It would be life-threatening.

At once, the worms slowed their feast as they turned to face us, the magic-users who had killed their friend. Hundreds of those horrifying mouths turned to face us. A hundred demon-worms against four fairies.

I wonder who'll win, I thought in despair.

5

"Go, fly out of their reach. Cast the magic faster than you ever have in your lives. Our entire world is at risk." Blossom told us as she flew up.

The rest of us followed. When I saw the Elders begin to cast the spell, I joined suit and another burst of magic flew toward another worm.

It fell, but there were still so many more. They were lunging at us, erupting from the ground trying to swallow us. We had to keep moving, stopping long enough only to cast a spell. We kept up this deadly dance, our hands linked.

I felt power like no other. It was coursing through my body, and I wasn't sure if it was the motivation to fight or the power of the Elders conflated with mine. Nonetheless, instead of feeling tired with each spell cast, I felt a new desire to fight, optimistic that it was possible to win this battle.

Even though the worms were huge, we were tiny. It was hard to hit us, and we used it to our advantage as we continued exterminating the parasites. I felt like we were making a difference. I felt like it was possible.

I didn't know if it was minutes or hours after we had begun fighting, but I glanced below us, truly taking in the sight. To my anguish, it seemed we had barely made a dent in the mass of worms.

I wasn't sure how, but the other Elders felt my despondency. Maybe our powers had been linked at that moment. We continued to cast the spell but it was less feverish than before.

"Don't you think we need more people to cast the spell? It seems hopeless with the four of us." I voiced my thoughts only to be immediately shut down by Terros.

"Mother Oak is protected for a reason. We do not want to distress the general population, and it is not a good idea for fairies with lower magic levels to be in a place that's so thick with extreme magic. It's difficult to explain, but they could experience great effects. It has to be the four of us, and even if it takes months, we have to be the ones to exterminate these pests."

"Yet, Oak brings up a good point. It will take too long with traditional methods. Mother Oak could be dead within the week. We need a way to speed up this process," Terros communicated, "I say we get creative. We are earth fairies, yes? Let's use nature to our advantage. Like this."

Terros removed his hands from our group. He flew close to one of the chunks of dirt removed from the ground earlier. The rest of us flew about, unsure what he was about to do. Terros closed his eyes, and I saw green magic illuminate his hands again. Even from a distance, I could see he was straining himself and saw the dirt begin to rise.

Dumbfounded, I saw Terros levitate the dirt above the nest. Then, he swiftly closed his hands into fists as the dirt fell. The shrieks of the worms below us proved that he had just crushed several.

I saw Terros fly toward another dirt boulder, but there was no need for another demonstration. We knew what to do.

Paying no attention to what the other fairies were doing, I concentrated on the fallen branches.

Yes, they were withered, but they still had life in them. Especially originating from Mother Oak's magic. Some were in better condition than others, and I turned toward those first. Hovering them above the pit, I imagined the branch transforming into a vine, flying toward the worms. The tips would become smooth and sharp, puncturing through their organ systems.

When I opened my eyes, I saw my fantasy had become a reality. Underneath, the branch I had chosen spiraled around the pit, pieces embedded in now-still worms. Giving myself a moment, I did a celebratory flying backflip before concentrating on the worms again.

I saw Blossom tangling the worms in flowers and grasses, cutting off their circulation or slicing through their bodies.

We can do this.

Soile and Terros had combined their power to levitate dirt, rocks, or any other form of earth over the worms before crushing them.

We can do this.

A worm lunged for me, opening its mouth, but it was met with a stake through its mouth.

We can do this.

Alternating between the spell and forces of nature, the four of us made a deadly group. The worms were slow and even though they could cause many issues, it was easy to rid them.

We are doing this.

I hadn't noticed the writing mass of worms disappearing. My mind concentrated on one thing--destroying these parasites and saving nature.

I didn't know how long it took, but as I peered into the pit looking for my next suspect, I saw a tangle of lifeless black bodies

"W-we did it. We saved nature," I omitted, astonished.

"I knew we could do it. Now, let's hurry back. Mother Oak is still delicate, but because the parasites are gone, rejuvenating her should be simple now." Blossom dedicated her words to me.

Smiling, we flew toward the gate. I looked over my shoulder one last time, as I would likely never see Mother Oak again. My heart happily danced in my chest, and I knew I'd have quite the tale for Pumpkin in the morning.

For now, I could finally enjoy the feeling of my moss covers.

Winner of the AstaniaCommunity's Amberfall 2024