Most creatures have thought about their reason for existing. I am sure that creatures on other planets or even in other places on this planet have wonder about it.
What is the mean of your life? Why are you here? What is your purpose?
Unlike most creatures, I knew my purpose. I was told of my purpose before I was created. My creator told me, to my face, just before I opened my eyes to life. My purpose was to protect the planet. My purpose was to care for the planet, to ensure that the other creatures on the planet loved it, respected it, nurtured it, and did not harm it. Do not let them over farm, do not let them eat everything, do not let them cut down all the trees, or dig large holes. Do not let other creatures hurt the planet or the other protectors. I had one job, I wasn't great at it.
I wonder if my creator regretted my creation. Since I failed at my one job. Not only did I allow my other protectors to get captured. I was currently hiding from all of my enemies, my creator, everything. Hiding in a cave. On a small island off the coast of another smaller island. I was carried away from it all and put in a small cave. Not only does my creator ignored me but I have lost all my ability to be my old self, to contact her when I need her. I wasn't strong anymore; I didn't like leaving the cave and I feared meeting others. It had been many moons since I was brought to this island. I have done very little since.
My daily routine was small, sometimes I would do nothing but sleep all day. Sometimes I would go and look for food. sometimes I would cry and sometimes, I would sit and do nothing, literally nothing. When I first came here, I didn't mind it. It was comforting to know that I was safe, that I wasn't going to be attack suddenly. Though, those feeling have faded now.
Now, I do not enjoy this life. Now, I have napped so much I am not tired. I don't do much now. The only thing that I am good at, is self-pity. I do a lot of self-pity. My neighbour said that it's an unhealthy hobby, but when you have no other hobbies. You take what you can get. For example: there is only one fruit that grows in abundance on this island. I have been eating that for three years. I am over it; I can honestly say if I never had it again, I wouldn't be sad. But I can't leave this island and go to the main island, where other fruits and vegetable grow. So, I content myself with eating the same fruit over and over and over again. I feel self-pity for not having other fruits; and that is my hobby.
The island didn't have many inhabitants, there was currently three of us and lops. A Lop, is a small animal, known for its large ears that they use for flying. They have four legs, two eyes, and are best served roasted. The other two inhabitants, that are not lops, where two males. I hadn't spoken with them for a while, especially during the time when food is limited, the lop could only breed so fast. This is one of those times, I hadn't seen my neighbours in a whole Red moon cycle, which is about thirty-two days. I also had not left my cave for a while. There has been silence outside of my cave for a long time, with just the rain to keep me aware of life. I suppose I should say that I was kind of banished, but not really. To go back through history and the war. I lost, so, I ran away. I am ashamed of this. I try not to talk about it, even though I think about it all the time. However, I was also hunted, tracked, and pursued. My friends who were not already captured, were taken, tortured and questioned, about me and where I could be. I feel like a coward sometimes, then others time I knew that if I didn't run. I would be dead.
I am, or I should say I was a Marian. A guardian of the planet, a spirit talker, a soul bearer. Now, I am an empty old female, living alone in a cave. All my traditional markings have gone, stripped off by shame. I could hardly make them out on a sunny day. When I first came to the island I didn't choose to live in a cave, I was brought here by one of my neighbours. He was the one that peeled me off the ground and saved me from my death. He now lives next to me. His name is Ivan, I have been his friend for a long time. Basically, from the time of my creation. My cave was large and deep, though it didn't go anywhere, there was a back wall. The only thing that was in my cave was me, a fire and my two bags. Those two bags held everything that I owned, I never really owned much in the first place. They sat at the back of the cave with me, most of the contents was spread out over the floor. The floor was just dirt, I had no covering or bed or anything, just dirt.
Most of my activities were limited to being in the cave. One of the tasks I do regularly, is stare into the fire. Sometimes during the day, I would stare at the light outside. I would nap often and other times I would walk to the other side of the cave. Sit there and see if there was anything different. On odd occasions, I would go through my things. Giving up a few moments late as I realised there was nothing interesting there. On the rare moments that I did leave my cave, I would collect food, or bathe, or go for a walk. Then I would get worried about losing my cave to another animal and going back to my cave. Lately over the last few blue moons, I had been hearing a voice. A faint voice that I thought couldn't be possible what I thought it was. I had not heard that voice in years, when I was still the person I use to be. That person had stopped contacting me. I thought she must be a shame of me, decided to get another and just waited for me to die. The voice would come at random times, sometimes while I was sleeping or bathing. Sometimes while I was on the privy or looking for food. I tried not to focus on it too much. It wasn't something that I thought should never return. So, I never answered. Most of the time the voice came while I was staring into the fire, which is what I was currently doing.
You shouldn't dwell like this I heard a voice say, there is still hope, Zuri.
I jolted up. My eyes widen as I looked around. Her voice came in so much clearer this time. Like she was right next to me, I usually didn't react like this. It was more the shock of hearing something, than the voice itself. The owner of the voice was Seraphina, she is the planets spirit. She is my creator, she is the planet and the planet is her. Her physical form is the planet, her spirit walks and talks with my kind. Her voice didn't come through again, so I laid down and covered myself with my dirty blanket. I didn't sleep well, continued to think about her and her voice. Why was she contacting me now? At my lowest hour. After a restless sleep, I got up with the light. I just sat and looked at the mouth of the cave, looking at the light that shone through. I thought of her, trying to call for her again but she didn't come. After a good while, I decided to go look for food. The cave had a view of the Vyth gulf. The water that separated me from my land. The forest wasn't as thick here was it was on my home island. The forest didn't grow fast and was easy to travel through. I got to the small clearing and stared at the water.
The water always reminded me of my brothers and sister. Those who were prisoners on the other side of the water. Missing them more each day, worrying about them more every second. I had not tried to go back to that world for a long time. I know that I have given up, that all hope is lost and that hiding and dwelling in my cave is a good choice. I have not seen or hear anything about that world for many years. Solitude, surprisingly, didn't bother me as much as I always thought it would.
I am not far away said the voice again. I jerked violently, shock from the sudden voice, they need your help she said again. I didn't jerk so much this time.
"How am I supposed to help?" I asked her aloud, she didn't respond. Typical. After there was more silence I turned around and headed for the trees. A group of trees not far from my cave grew the fruit that I ate daily. They were thick-trunked trees with diamond shape leaves. I sighed looking at the fruit, I was not excited about breakfast. I started to pick the fruit. I didn't have any kind of basket. I was only able to get six before I decided to move back to my cave. I stayed silent though, waiting for the voice to come again. I was surprised that it had come at all. I believed that I wasn't waiting for her voice. Thought hearing it made me happy. A feeling of comfort washed over me as I thought about her. I was her in a way, made from her, made to represent her. She was my mother, even though I had a Marian mother, I was not born from her. I was found long ago in the forest of Ellribiod, waiting for someone to find me. The Marians had always question why we were not left on our home Island of Argen'tel. Seraphina only ever answered with; How are the other being supposed to know another Marian has been created. Argen'tel was an island, it was surround by the lands of the other beings. Separate by large seas, accessible only to Marians. Few other beings had been to the Island, there were lots of rumours about it. I thought about the last time I was on my island. The white buildings and the tall fountain were the first things you saw when you dock at the island.
I didn't do anything for the rest of the day as the rains came again. The cold started to sink in, the change of season was upon us. The wind would always bring new harvest for the Feas, new life for the Slythins. In the old days, the winds would mean a change of habits for the Elves. The Feas were the most normal creatures on the planet. They had no gifts. They were from the planet called Fealia. They were simple, kind, hardworking folk. They enjoyed family time, farming, and singing. Some even fought. Though when they came to Seraphina, there were no wars, so they used it as a sport. They were the most generous creatures on the planet. There was no coin on the planet, resulting in food being traded for goods or services. This made life easier as well as simpler. There was no hungry or poverty on Seraphina because of the Feas generous nature. They had been on this planet for a long time, the first beings to arrive.
Next were the Slythins, similar body structure to Feas but they were green. A different shade of green depending on their status and breeding. They were difficult at first, but then came to enjoy the idea of no coin. They would always trade for service, they grew food as well, but never as good as the Feas. Slythins were a warrior breed, bread for the fight. It took them a long time to lose their aggression towards others. I always thought they would be the ones to wage war on the planet.
The Elves will tell you that they arrive on Seraphina a long time ago, however they were still after the Slythins and Feas. Elves at first were the most hidden creatures. They created large structures that worked around the environment. They never cut down a tree to place a house on top, they would place the house around the tree. They were very agreeable, friendly, and open to the Marians. They saw Slythins as nothing but aggression and Feas as a good trading partner. Elves were never good at farming, so they relied heavy on the Feas for food. All these creatures came to Seraphina through the links. A portal that would open to a new world. Very long ago, Seraphina was looking for others like her, planets that had a spirit. She had only met someone like her once and that was her creator, Gaia. The links went for many generations, never once had they meet a planet that didn't welcome them. The links were always random, lasting for unknown periods of time. The last link Seraphina had was with a planet called Tera. The war that raged between the two planets was devastating, many were killed, on both sides. This conflicted pushed Seraphina to stop the links, ending her journey. With the end of the Links, no other creatures were able to come to the planet and none of the creatures on the planet were able to leave. For some, this was a devastating idea as they had hoped to find their home planet once again. Though for many generations peace and prosperity reigned. All creatures lived in harmony. That harmony has not been felt on Seraphina for nearly four generations now. The wars that have plagued the planet have been devastating and the creatures now live in fear. Everyone was surprised when they heard the Elves started the war. The creatures that seem to respect the planet the most were the ones destroying it. Even after the second war no one really understood why they had started it. They refused to share their reason or even their goals. It was like over generations the Elves become different from their ancestors. They had no compassion for pain or suffering, they seemed pleased to bring it on other.
I slept little again that night, thinking of what was happening beyond my cave. I could never shake the feeling of being pathetic when I thought about it. Laying in my cave while others suffered, the idea kept me awake and banished.
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