The Green Desert

Decades ago, a kingdom surrounded by desert was miraculously very green. Trees and flowers were everywhere. How did this miracle come to be? It all began with the first king. He and his followers were searching for a habitable place in the desert when they stumbled upon a strange black stone. Intrigued, the king approached it and when he touched it, he fell unconscious.

He suddenly found himself in the realm of Gaia, feeling an ominous yet pleasant presence. When he looked behind him, he saw a large creature covered in flowers and greens, sitting on a throne made from the wood of Yggdrasil. The king was awestruck and the first word out of his mouth was “a7a”. Embarrassed, he looked away to compose himself and then stood up, paying respect to the creature and saying,

“Oh you, whose presence is so mysterious in front of me, I, a mere human, am baffled to stand in front of you.”

The creature replied, "አንተ ይህ እንደ አንተ የደሃ አድራጅ ነው!”

The king didn't understand, so he introduced himself again.

"ለአንተ አንተ የደሃ ክብር ነው? አንተ የአይሁድ ክንድ…”

The king still couldn’t understand what the Gaia was saying. Looking at his pitiful face the Gaia grasped the situation.

“Heh of course a creature like you will not understand what is coming out of our mouth. You are in the presence of the great Gaia! Say your name to us!”

The king replied, “M-My name is Tignaru Haru, your majesty.”

“It is our first time seeing such a creature, what brings you here?” asked the Gaia.

“Me and my people are in great need of help. We are wandering around the hot, hellish desert.”

“So, you are in need of help? How did you enter our realm?”

The king then explained everything. “We have understood your situation... what will we get if we help you and your followers?”

“I-I will give you whatever you want, your majesty!”

“Silence! How could you think that a mere creature has anything to please us?!”

The king felt his legs giving out, trembling from the Gaia's fierce voice.

“My utmost apologies, your majesty! Please forgive this mere creature.”

Seeing the king begging for his life, something came to the Gaia’s mind.

“We have never seen a creature like you; it has us curious. If you want our blessing, then we want something in return.”

The king asked, “What, your majesty?”

“It is your life! Your soul, which is emitting a delightful taste to calm our curiosity and linger our hunger.”

The king was stunned, his heart racing as he started to realize that his destiny has already been sealed as he entered this realm. The king pleaded,

“Y-Your majesty, can you please think of smth else?! I HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE BURDENED ON ME! I can’t die now, not yet”

“Silence! Know your place! We wish to have what we yearn for.”

Accepting his fate, the king made up his mind,

“Your majesty, if you think my soul is that much worth, then please in return accept this mere creature’s last wish: PLEASE help my followers! Grant them a shelter!”

An one-sided agreement was made and the king received the blessing of the great Gaia. The Gaia gave the king the seed of Yggdrasil; a single drop of water was needed to make it grow instantly. But then the king offered his soul to the Gaia. Feasting on the soul of the king, half of his life span was drained. From a prideful, clumsy, strong king, he immediately became old, with a very thin body.

When the king opened his eyes, he found himself in the highest floor of the castle, made out of wood, where a nice breeze blew through the window. Five years had passed since he fell unconscious. Knowing he had not long to live, the king looked for a successor. Though everything that had happened was already written in their destiny, the change of their inescapable fate was bound to happen with the arrival of the successor. A new storm was coming.