Gaia

Risea abruptly bursts into the living room, causing Lok to react instantly and turn invisible.

"You don't have to do that," Risea states, his voice filled with urgency.

"The Grand Warden has summoned Milo." Risea continued.

"Talk about cliché timing." Lok's voice came as he reappeared.

The grandmother pushed Milo off her lap with excitement.

"What are you waiting for?" she exclaims, urging him to leave.

"A human wandering Primdrasil would certainly catch the Grand Warden's attention." Nido says as he scratched his unshaven chin.

Risea motions toward the door, signaling for Milo to exit that way. He then turns to look at Lok, his expression stern.

"Let's go," he urges. Lok's face lights up with excitement and he quickly makes his way to the door to join Milo. Risea glances at his parents, who are looking at him with warm smiles. He can't help but break his composure and smile back at them, but quickly regains his serious demeanour as he exits the house.

-

Warden Risea leads Milo and Lok on a path that circles Primdrasil, taking them to the opposite side from where Risea's house is located. Four sentinels accompany them on the journey. As they walk, Milo notices the stares that the elves give him, and it overwhelms the welcoming feeling that Lok's presence provided him, making him feel unwelcome.

As they approach a massive hollow opening in the trunk of the great tree, Milo is struck by its size. The inside is bustling with life and structures made from the tree itself. Green and blue aura bubbles rise from the center of the tree, illuminating the interior with a breathing glow.

The air was filled with the scent of fresh sap and flowers. Despite its already impressive size, the area inside the tree feels even larger than what it appears from the outside. The four sentinels that were accompanying them stop by the entrance and do not proceed into the tree.

Milo followed Risea and Lok as they made their way to a massive spiral staircase that was shaped by the tree itself. The staircase led to the top of the tree, and Milo could see platforms along the way where elves were tending to plants or conversing with each other.

A small stream of water flowed down from the top of the tree, cascading down the side of the staircase, creating a soothing sound. Milo felt a sense of peace wash over him as he listened to the gentle sound of the water.

The staircase was a natural wonder, formed by interwoven branches and adorned with vines and patches of moss. As one ascended the staircase, the soft crunch of leaves at every step mingled with the gentle rustling of foliage. As they climbed higher, the air grew cooler and fresher.

Despite this being Lok's home, it was his first time inside Primdrasil. Only certain distinguished elves were allowed to enter freely. Both he and Milo couldn't believe that they were climbing a tree that was so large and ancient, wondering what sights awaited them at the top.

-

After what seemed like an endless climb, they finally reached the summit of the great tree. A towering archway loomed before them, its surface etched with intricate patterns of vines and leaves that seemed to writhe and twist in the dim light. The archway was draped with loose vines and leaves, creating an impenetrable curtain that concealed whatever lay beyond.

Risea stepped forward, parting the foliage and leading the way through the archway. Milo and Lok followed closely behind.

They found themselves in a wide open space nestled within the branches of the great tree. In the center of this natural plateau, there was a body of water, bigger than a pond but smaller than a lake, with lily pads and colorful flowers adorning its surface. A path extended from Milo's position to the center of the water where he could make out the silhouette of a figure with its back to him.

As the figure slowly turns around, they were greeted by the sight of a slender elf with long, flowing white hair and bright blue eyes. The elf's features are elegant and refined, and a long, snow-white beard going down his majestic robe, reaching to his waist.

Risea gracefully kneels on one knee, prompting Lok to do the same. Milo, standing between them, is confused by their sudden action. The slender elf turns his gaze toward Milo, sensing his confusion.

"Be at ease, Milo the human," the elf's soft voice echoes in the clearing.

"You need not fear. Come." The slender figure extends his arms, asking Milo to approach. With a sense of anxiousness, Milo steps forward, drawn in by the elf's reassuring presence.

Risea stands and follows Milo closely. As Milo and Risea approach the elf, he leans in to brief him.

"That's Grand Warden Esron, Protector of the Weald. You should address him only as Grand Warden, Protector, or 'Your Grace'," he whispers.

But before Risea can finish, Esron interrupts from afar.

"Oh, come now, Risea. There is no need for such formalities with our guest." He turns to Milo.

"You can call me Esron." Esron says with a childish smile. Risea looks stunned, but Esron continues.

"Or if you prefer, you can call me Es. It is a friendlier name, don't you think?" Esron's suggestion stuns Risea even further, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Milo reaches Esron and the elf greets him with a hearty smile.

"Hello there," says Esron, "Could you please stand still for a moment?" Milo nods, choosing remaining silent.

Esron's eyes locks onto Milo, his face remaining serene and still as if he were frozen in time. His eyes seem to bore into Milo's, searching for something deeper within him. Milo notices a faint yellow aura around his eyes.

After a few moments, he blinks and breaks the gaze, the yellow light around his eyes fading.

"Forgive me, are you familiar with Gaia?" Esron asks, his voice softening.

"Lok mentioned it earlier. But I don't know much about it." Milo responded.

"Gaia is the life force energy that flows within all living things," Esron explained, demonstrating by raising his right arm gently, which in turn caused a thick stalk to rise from the water.

"It is the source of power for those who are attuned to it. With enough practice and discipline, one can learn to harness and manipulate Gaia to perform incredible feats."

Esron's gentle expression turns to a solemn one.

"However, while Gaia flows within all living things, not all are able to attune to its power. It is a blessing to be one of the attuned, Milo, and you are among the few who possess this gift."

"So, I can control Gaia as you do?" Milo's eyes light up with curiosity.

"Not quite," Esron replies, shaking his head. "Each person's connection to Gaia is unique and manifests differently. For me, as the Protector of the Weald, my Gaia flows from my soul's desire to defend and safeguard my people's realm."

Esron turns toward Risea as he continues elaborating.

"In some cases, Gaia can be inherited. If a parent is attuned to Gaia, their offspring may inherit a similar form of their parent's abilities, though it will still be unique to the individual. Moreover, if desired, the offspring may also be able to replicate their parent's techniques as they share the same attunement to Gaia.

"It appears that a rather powerful Gaia user has locked your memories. This individual seems to possess the ability to selectively remove access to certain information, making it difficult for you to recall it."

"Where can I find this individual?" Milo leans forward.

"I cannot say for sure, but what I do know is that Gaia users are often drawn to one another. Your encounter with Lok is a testament to that. It was no mere coincidence that you two met." Esron smiles gently as he stroked his beard.

Milo nods, taking in Esron's words.

"So you're saying that if I go out searching, I might run into this person?" Milo deduces.

"Indeed." Esron replies.

"Just as the rivers flow toward the sea, the paths of Gaia users tend to converge.

"But for now," Esron places his hand on Milo's shoulder, "Your memories may be locked, but your instincts will guide you toward rediscovering your Gaia. I will channel my Gaia into you, and with that I hope your muscle memory will kick in, unlocking your Gaia. But heed my warning, you must sustain the flow of Gaia or risk losing consciousness as your Gaia depletes. Are you prepared?" Esron asks, sounding slightly concerned.

"Yes." Milo responds with no hesitation.

In an instant, Milo tenses his body as a surge of heat, electricity, and energy rushes through him, causing his muscles to quiver with power. He witnesses an untamed yellow aura forming around Esron, pulsing with vibrant energy before flowing into his own body. The overwhelming force threatens to sap Milo's strength, and he feels his muscles aching with exhaustion. He struggles to remain conscious as darkness creeps into his peripheral vision.

But suddenly, something clicks in his mind.

Esron slowly removes his hand, observing Milo with fascination as the frenzied cyan aura surrounding Milo gradually steadies and becomes contained within his body. At this moment, Milo remembered his Gaia.

Esron notices the grin on Milo's face and extends his right arm out to his side, conjuring a branch from the water. The branch twists and cracks, revealing a wooden sentinel, resembling an elven guard but animated from wood. The wooden sentinel stands tall and proud, its bark-covered body was imposing and sturdy. Its glowing green eyes betray its hostility toward Milo.

"Now, let's test your abilities, Milo," Esron says, his tone challenging. Milo assumes a defensive stance, fists raised, as the wooden sentinel charges toward him with aggressive force.