Infestation
Pomola, the angel of fruits, was restless with concern for her pome when she found it in pain from a bug boring inside it. Desperate to help, she suppressed the icky feeling in her core and extracted the bug by its antennas. Looking into his unapologetic black eyes, still feeding on the insides of her fruit, made her determined to do something about it.
“Melina!” Pomola yelled, calling for the sprite of insects, knowing she would be somewhere trespassing inside her orchard. “Get over here now!”
Storming around, Pomola found her relaxing on her picnic blanket, helping herself to some sweets. Melina donned a black silk dress with a fitting maroon bodice. Its capped sleeves and bustled high-low skirt showed off her thin and long arms and legs.
“Tell your creepy crawlies to stay away from my orchards,” Pomola demanded, flinging the insect at her. “I do not want my fruits turning rotten like him.”
The bug flapped its wings, squeaking in complaint at its sprite.
Melina met her glare with attitude through her enormous, round sunglasses —like dragonfly’s eyes. “You angels are the same,” she creaked in her shrill voice. “Always mistreating my insects, thinking you are better than us.”
“Hey!” Pomola objected. “I wouldn’t say anything if they didn’t invade and vandalize my orchard all the time.”
Melina ruffled the antennas of her bug, smiling to cheer him up. “My insects will do as they please,” she declared, challenging her. “They can even dwell in your fruits if they wish.”
“Stop bugging me and leave my orchard,” Pomola pointed to the exit.
“Our days of sneaking around in darkness will soon be over,” Melina spat, getting to her feet. “You may think my insects are weak because they are small, but we have numbers on our side. Someday, we will plague every corner of Ecovia’s Egg, and I will show no mercy.”
“Ha!” Pomola laughed at her threat.
“Mark my words,” Melina allowed her insect to crawl up her arm, “You will fear us one day.”
The bug peeked over her shoulders and triumphantly smirked through his mandibles, teasing Pomola for getting away with his crime.
Melina scurried away, distancing herself from the orchard, and rested under the damp darkness of a rock near a small stream. Yanking the bug from her back, she held him at face level. Gravely staring into his blank eyes, she questioned, “Did you extract the seed as I had asked?”
“Yes, I have,” he replied, producing it from under his wings. “Here it is… full and in pristine condition.”
“Well done, little beastie,” Melina wickedly grinned, showing her appreciation by affectionately wiping the guts of the fruit off her insect’s face. “Finally, I have acquired the final ingredient for my elixir.”
With the wrath of the world in her eyes, Melina traveled south to the thick jungles of Oxino. She spent the next few nights in her hideout, brewing an evil portion in a cauldron over an open flame. Once the black, tarry goop boiled to the perfect toxicity, she called a meeting with the matriarchs of her various insect tribes.
“Thank you, mothers, for coming,” Melina greeted. “I have invited you all because I need your cooperation. I intend to take over every corner of Ecovia’s Egg and destroy everything the angels hold dear.”
The matriarchs silently glanced at each other, wiggling their antenna in the intrigue of her suggestion.
Melina crawled up the wall, taking center stage to make her case, “For far too long, we have tolerated others treating us with disgust. They have shooed us into the darkness, shunning and demeaning us on our appearance and size. We have always made do with the refuse left behind by mammals and birds, but it is time we get ourselves a fresh carcass to feed on. It is time everyone takes us seriously.”
“We concur with your sentiment, Sprite Melina,” one of the matriarchs chirped. “But can you stand a chance against the Angels of Ecovia?”
“Matriarchs, do not concern yourselves about the angels,” Melina reassured. “They are dysfunctional, always feuding, bickering, and undermining one another. They barely work together for Ecovia to sustain! Destroying them should be a piece of cake.”
“And how do you intend to achieve your vision?” another matriarch asked.
“If we want to flip the food chain, we need to multiply our already large numbers,” Melina answered. “I want you matriarchs to raise an army of pests and breed soldiers to sacrifice themselves for my war.”
“Raise an army?” the matriarchs repeated, taken aback by her suggestion. “Even if we were on board with your plan, our tribes will never agree.”
“I know they will not. That is why I have prepared this,” Melina displayed the vial in her hand. “This elixir is the solution to get your tribes on board. Also, it is my bribe to those who pledge their support to my war.”
“What do you mean, Sprite Melina?” they asked curiously.
“A sip of this elixir will give you matriarchs the ultimate power,” Melina explained, dropping down before them. “Your tribe will be your slaves, worship you as their queen, and follow your command to worlds end. They will develop a hive mentality in their adoration and never question or challenge your decisions.”
The matriarchs buzzed in chaos, talking over each other. They were ambivalent. Many outrightly declined the use of the elixir, finding its use immoral. Some were entirely on board, craving its ultimate power.
“Those who are interested can find me at my home under the largest boulder in the Oxino Forest,” Melina announced before leaving the matriarchs to consider her proposal. “Remember, this is a one-time offer. So think twice before you decline. Do not come crawling to me if you change your mind later. I will not entertain anyone.”
The matriarchs who accepted the offer became the queens of their tribes. They held their end of the bargain, breeding a new generation of insects trained to destroy the world without question. Soon Melina had millions at her disposal, and she deployed them the following summer to initiate her war.
The insects infested Ecovia’s Egg. They attacked from the land and the skies, destroying every plant and animal in their path and, in turn, damaging the soil, water, and air.
The angels were overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. They could not visit the infested places to help their plants and animals. Soon the situation turned dire. So they assembled in the realm of clouds to discuss a course of action.
“Melina must be stopped,” yowled Sophiena, the angel of mammals. “Her insects carry bioweapons of diseases, and my mammals are falling ill from their bites and stings.”
“I agree,” Dendriela chipped in. “They are hollowing my trees. It pains me that they cannot protect the flowers and fruits of my younger sisters.”
“But the insects are agile and armored in an exoskeleton,” Pomola observed. “How do we stop them?”
“Floriela, you should talk to Melina since you two get along,” suggested Aviana, the angel of birds. “Implore her to stop her madness.”
“Do you seriously believe Melina will listen to the voice of reason?” Marcelia rudely rebuffed. “The sprite is an evil witch—”
“Then what would you do?” Aviana challenged. “Break the ground, turn into lava, and destroy all life on Ecovia’s Egg?”
“At least I am not asking others to get their hands dirty,” Marcelia jibed. “You are so puffed up with pride—”
“Shut up!” Aviana screeched, only for Marcelia to echo back her words and square up to her.
The yelling between the two heightened the tensions as the other angels started criticizing one another too. Seeing the disharmony upset Chasitia, the angel of skies, and she began crying a storm.
“We should not fight among ourselves,” she childishly wailed. “We should focus on Melina, for she has sinned.”
Just as all hope seemed lost, a rainbow colored the sky, and Mother Naturella joined them in the realm of clouds. However, her presence went unnoticed among all the chaos.
“Angels,” she called for attention with her heavenly voice. “Stop arguing. You have to work together to stop Melina.”
“Us… and working together?” the angels reacted, glaring at one another.
“Yes. It is the only way for life on Ecovia to sustain.” Gesturing to the angels to gather around, Mother Naturella enlightened, “You are all special in your own way —you know that. But you cannot individually deal with a formidable enemy like Melina and her army of pests. So you must set aside your differences and unite to combine your strengths.”
“Can’t you solve the problem for us?” Chasitia asked, wiping the snot from her nose.
Observing the angels, expectantly looking up to her, Mother Naturella calmly remonstrated, “Now now, you must not expect others to solve your problems for you.” Sensing their hesitation, she verbalized her confidence in them, “I have faith in you all that you will do what is necessary to save your plants and animals.”
Encouraged by Mother Naturella’s words, the angels placed their hostility on hold and joined hands against Melina’s army of pests.
Chasitia sailed her dark clouds over the infested forests and rained down upon them, compelling Melina’s army of pests to seek shelter. It finally allowed the angels to visit the plants and animals living there.
While Chasitia began brewing a winter, medicinal plants of Dendriela, Floriela, and Pomola volunteered to move there. Their herbal treatments and medicaments cured the mammals and birds of infections, and the repellants they provided kept the insects at bay.
Aviana’s birds transported their seeds across the mainland, while Sophiena’s mammals assisted Marcelia in fertilizing her soil with their manure. They also built bonfires from the remains of the dead trees to smoke the insects away.
When the icy temperatures of winter swept Ecovia’s Egg, Melina’s insects began turning belly up. The numerous losses left her with no option but to retreat and call off the infestation.
“This isn’t the end, angels!” Melina spat, sulking in the shadows of her home. “I’ll be back with a bigger army of pests.”
“I would advise against it,” Mother Naturella’s voice emerged, her rainbow of light illuminating the darkness. “If you continue on your path of hate and hostility, your insects will be alienated and have to sneak around for the rest of eternity—”
“Do not lecture me, Mother Naturella,” Melina insolently cut her off. “I have to instill fear in the angels for them to respect me.”
“You can earn their respect by mirroring the virtues of cooperation, unity, and teamwork of your industrious insects. Hostility against them will only worsen their opinion of you,” Mother Naturella urged, attempting to steer her in the right direction. “So apologize to the angels—”
Melina buzzed in laughter at her suggestion, mocking her ethical counsel.
Mother Naturella dropped her head in sadness. “Understand the seriousness of what you’re doing, Melina,” she warned. “If you do not amend your ways, the ramifications will be severe.”
THE END
