Newt-Ella Doe-Knott

Hi all! My name is Newt-Ella Doe-Knott and do I have a story for you!

So I had just left Azorius to become Guildpact and I have to say, I really missed my boyfriend Pete Zah. Like, really missed him. I mean, he's so sweet and perfect and nice and god bless him. But not, like, God god, because this is Ravnica and Christianity doesn't exist there and I don't even know what that is. Hmm. How meta.

Anyway I had just arrived to Selesnya and this guy was talking to me. He was all like "hmm, I think you would make a really pretty tree".

And I said "aw, thank you! But I really like being a human."

So he said "are you sure? You would be in touch with nature!"

And I said "I would rather be in touch with Pete Zah if you know what I mean."

He didn't. It was sad. "So no tree?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No tree."

"Okay!" He said. "Good luck on your adventure!"

And he disappeared back into the woods, and I went back to thinking about Pete Zah. And I wasn't a tree.

Anyway, thanks for reading my story! See you next time!

- Newt-Ella Doe-Knott

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trezene Cavrian

No matter how beautiful Vitu-Ghazi was, I would not let my guard down.

The dark foliage made efforts to stay on alert a whole lot easier, and so did the towering columns, casting long, ominous shadows against the grass in the light of dusk, supporting the massive ring above—unlimited cover for an ambush.

I mean, what Guildmaster would want you to "spend a day and a night here in Vitu-Ghazi" as their only test to judge your worth to be the Guildpact? More importantly, what Guildmaster would make a seemingly good deal without an unsaid catch? Certainly not Azorius's—their catch in the deal of nominating me for Guildpact was that if I succeeded, I would be their tool used for achieving their goal to become Ravnican nobility—and I was sure that Selesnya wouldn't be much different.

As if I needed further proof of this opinion, a hand tugged at my shoulder and I, ignoring its gentle grip, found myself blasting its owner, an elf, with the harshest wind I could conjure.

She stayed put; the howling wind had minimal effect on her, only her silky hair floated around her soft-edged face as if she was relaxing in a gentle breeze. And her brightly-coloured eyes smiled sympathetically at my already exhausted yet surprised stance as the wind died down.

Now that her hair had settled and the leaves had stopped swirling around her, I could see (read: scrutinise) her face more clearly. Her eyes were electric blue, set in the middle of dark rings, and she had a creamy complexion. Her face hadn't been as soft as I had originally seen: she had cheekbones set high in her face, probably camouflaged by her—wait, now that I looked at it, her hair was short and rather tangled, another feature I had gotten wrong. This look, however, gave me the feeling that I could almost name her.

Then she opened her mouth to speak, and the effect was ruined.

Her voice wasn't unpleasant. Not compared to mine, at least, but it just sounded so wrong.

"That was hardly complimentary towards your escort, child." She teased.

Her phrasing, the way she accented her words—they didn't match with what I would imagine a face like that would say.

"It wasn't meant to be." I got up from my half-kneeling position. "And who are you? There definitely wasn't an escort in the non-existent description."

The way the elf laughed would've given the impression that I was a naive human teen who used cynicism to act cool. But then, who's to say I'm not? Still, a spasm of irritation led my eyebrows to shoot up half an inch up my forehead. "No, it seemed not. My name is Vana. I was given the role of your escort throughout your stay here as a...variable in your trial."

So she would be the catch. She would be the real trial.

That thought put my senses on high alert as she led me to her "apartment". Nonetheless I couldn't help but wonder at the city around me.

What had originally looked like regular

buildings were in fact branches of the city-tree woven into structures, similar to a massive wicker basket, just wild, leafy, alive and growing. Already I could see half-formed top stories on some of the shorter buildings, the constructive branches snaking in, out and around one another to form the perfect supporting structures. The streets were covered with gravel, and I bet if I dug deep enough, I would be able to feel Vitu-Ghazi's rough bark under the pads of my fingertips.

If I wanted to, I could walk to the edge of the tree's wide berth and admire the sunrise from there the next day.

Vana's house was just as impressive as any of the others, but twice as tall and had countless levels.

"You own the entire place?" I gasped.

Vana gave me a look. "No," she said. "I simply live in one of the stories. The fifth,if you want to go into specifics. This place isn't owned by anyone. Though technically the entire city 'belongs' to the dryad of Vitu-Ghazi, since every part of it is basically her." After which she ducked her head to enter. I decided to follow suit after much internal debate.

A few flights of stairs, a turn to the right, and Vana stopped in front of a low doorway. "This is your room." She gestured towards the gaping hole in the corridor wall.

It didn't have a door, but it took a low crouch to be able to get in, and I whipped around, eyes narrowed when I was halfway through to see if Vana was up to something. She only smiled and nodded towards the hay bed.

This is going to be interesting, I thought as I lay down. Despite my best efforts, I fell into a slumber within minutes.

It seemed like I had slept for only moments when I jerked upwards into sitting position, and my head hit something hard.

After much cursing, I looked around to identify the said something when I froze, remembering why I had woken up in the first place.

Someone had been trying to manipulate my mind.

My training in mind spells and illusions had taught my subconsciousness to snap out of the hypnotism as soon as it began. Or at least, if the spell wasn't well cast enough to slip past my defences.

But it couldn't have been Vana, because she was eating breakfast when I came out, better rested than years living in Azorius.

"Hello Trezene." She smiled distractedly. I eyed her warily as my bowl of fruits was pushed towards me. "Oh don't worry," Vana smiled again. "These were harvested with full permission from the dryads who bore them." She paused, then added, "And I assure you that they are not poisoned."

That wasn't very assuring.

"I assume you're going to train now." She asked when I had forced down my last spoonful of breakfast. I didn't ask her how she knew: it was common knowledge that illusionists, aeromancers and hydromancers often did physical practice in the morning, when there was a light breeze and dew still hung in the air.

"Please don't tell me you have to follow me." I groaned. Vana smiled apologetically. It seemed now that all she ever did was smile.

"Unfortunately, I do," she replied. "Come on, let's go back to the Garden and see what you can do."

"That is definitely not what you're supposed to do!" She laughed as she watched my weak attempts to draw water from the spiderwebs. "Move like a dancer, not a kickboxer."

"I'm trying," I huffed. Somehow I could never make my movements graceful.

When it reached the point where I had to grip Vana's arm for support, she winced.

"What?" I was cautious again. She peeled back her sleeve to reveal a developing bruise on her forearm.

"Hardly anything, child. I knocked my hand against a corner and it started to bruise."

She smiled, again, embarrassed this time. "But enough of that—try to move with more...fluidity. Without so much force, like this." And to my surprise, with a sweep of her arm, the dew disappeared."

"You never told me you were a hydromancer!" I stared at her as she pulled water from the morning dew in the air with seeming ease.

This should've made me more careful around her, what with her unbelievable skill and definite ability to win a dual against me. But on the flip side she filled me with awe. She was probably better than my teacher.

Perhaps that was the time I started to lower my guard around her a little, when I finally came to trust her.

It was with a newfound respect that I requested Vana to mentor me in mental training. She happily agreed, and after a wholesome vegetarian lunch, she instructed me to sit opposite her.

"From what I can see from your physical abilities, your mental defenses don't really seem strong enough." She murmured. Though my teacher had often said that my mental training was a lot more effective, I found myself trusting Vana's word more. I didn't feel angry, though, just determined to learn more. I didn't usually have this kind of conviction during my classes.

"Perhaps it would help if you told me about what's troubling you." Vana said. It didn't sound too bad to me, so I tested my first sentence.

"Well...I'm scared that I'll become Guildpact—" That was true. I hated that much responsibility. "—but at the same time, I'm scared that the new Guildpact wouldn't be impartial towards all the Guilds. All the candidates are relatively young, and they seem gullible. Even I seem gullible to myself sometimes." I tried disguising my nerves with laughter, but ended up sounding like an awkward goat. I cleared my throat, swallowed, squeezed my eyes shut and continued. "I don't really want extra discrimination. I mean, at home, I didn't really have a carefree childhood because I had to take care of everyone my age. Imagine what it would be like for the Guild to face bias on top of that." The chuckle I let out had no humour in it. "And I hate that the Azorius chose me because my youth means more years for them to be in charge of Ravnica." My discontent was boiling into an anger I didn't even know existed until that day. "I'm just a stepping stone—" A shiver ran down my spine and my eyes flew open.

Vana was panting heavily opposite me. A sheen of sweat coated her face and her hair was dripping with perspiration.

"What?" I asked.

She stretched a bit, then replied, "It's simply very warm. I think we've had enough practice, eh?" She laughed nervously. "You should experience some improvement now that your anger has been let out. Honestly I was appalled at how Azorius used you as a tool. Keep in mind that the world is not always that evil."

Then everything clicked.

I shot up so fast my head spun. And before I knew what I was doing, my hand had formed a pinching motion. Though I had never been great at aeromancy or it's watery counterpart, illusions were my best subject. It must have been good enough, or maybe Vana was too tired because her disguise dissolved into mist. Behind it was a face I didn't recognise. A face I didn't see in the mirror every day.

Because she used the word tool.

That was something I thought to myself all the time.

Vana was a hypnotist, a mind reader, and an illusionist. She had tried to hypnotise me in my sleep but ended up getting her forearm bruised instead.

She had read my mind during my rant, and picked up one key word:

Tool.

"Don't worry about me being biased against you," I told a shaking Vana. "Selesnya will never get the short end of the stick, and neither will any other guild. I've learnt my lesson and I promise never to fall under the spell of anyone."

Vana, for once, looked confused. "What gave it away?" She whispered.

I clenched my jaw to keep from laughing. "You smile too much." I lied. Then I walked away to find out if I'd gotten my signet.

She didn't follow me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tharius Masveld

When Tharius had first looked upon the magnificence of Vitu-Ghazi, he'd found himself struck with wonder, so much so that he'd briefly forgotten the challenge that lay before him. He couldn't deny the feeling of suspicion that had begun to raise the hair on the back of his neck as he moved into the city.

It was now about midday, and Tharius found himself lost in thought as he gradually navigated his way through the vast gardens. Shaking himself, he quickly snapped back to reality. Get a hold of yourself. He closed his eyes for a moment, before straightening and continuing forward. It was all too easy for him to be ensnared by the intricate beauty of the citadel. His sharp eyes swept across the branches that enclosed the pathway, their glittering leaves swaying alluringly in the wind. It was almost like the branches swished apart as he walked, revealing the dusty pathway that continued its winding path alongside the trunk of the enormous tree.

He made sure to keep the center of the city within his sight as he walked, thinking that managing to get himself lost would be the surest way to fail at his mission. However, he wasn't keen on the idea of staying in the city, surrounded by unfamiliar folk. Instead, he pressed on, and the breeze seemed to gently push him forward through the swirling leaves.

Tharius now left the winding path, and stepped out into a small clearing. There seemed to be a sort of concrete that lay atop the thick branches of the trees, and vibrant green grass grew through it. He stared at it for a moment, not quite able to comprehend how or where it could be growing from. As he moved further out of the cover of the branches, the blades of grass brushed his ankles. In front of him was a sort of balcony made from a deep, russet colored wood that twisted to form a railing. He approached it, laying his hands tentatively onto the wooden rail, the bark smooth beneath his fingers. His first reaction was to look down, and he leaned forward the slightest amount to inspect the drop beneath him. He saw the massive tree trunk, his eyes running across it all the way to the ground, which he guessed was several hundred feet below him.

Just as he took a step back from the railing, he heard rustling in the tangles branches above him. His eyes quickly flashed up, though he could see nothing but the array of green and golden leaves. As he surveyed the branch, one crisp leaf came drifting down in front of him, and landed at his feet.

"The first signs of autumn," a clear, melodic voice spoke from behind him. Tharius' heart skipped a beat in surprise, though he showed no sign of it on his face as he turned to gaze upon the speaker. It surprised him again to see that the speaker was as tall as him, and her dark eyes glinted with amusement at something in his expression. She had long, raven black hair that spilled over her shoulders and down her back, which reached nearly to her knees.

"The colors are so beautiful, don't you think?" she asked, giving a small, curving smile that seemed more feline than human.

"Quite," was all he said, steadily holding her glimmering gaze.

Her smile widened. "Is this your first visit to the city?" she then asked, tilting her head as if in curiosity.

"Yes," he said. "It's rather... peaceful. More so than I was told to expect."

"That it is," she said, sighing softly. "I've always thought it such a shame that so few appreciate it. But I suppose it only makes it more special for those of us who do, right?"

As she spoke, an alarm went off in Tharius' mind, and his posture shifted almost undetectably. But now, he effortlessly slipped into his familiar mindset of calculated observation, and he regarded her coolly.

"I expect the members of the conclave give more than their share of appreciation," he said.

"I suppose we do," she said, with an easy laugh that held no real humor. "Although, a place of such loveliness deserves to be shared by those with hearts as pure as yours and mine."

"I don't claim to have a pure heart," Tharius said.

"No?" she stepped up beside him, gracefully bending to pick up the fallen leaf as she spoke. "But I can sense it within you. I think that you can see the peace and beauty here in a way that most cannot."

"Perhaps I can," he said. "But those with hearts like mine are sooner to be offset by it than entranced."

"You mean to declare your opposition to a life of tranquility and peace?" she asked softly. "How strange, the thoughts of men."

When he did not respond, she was prompted to continue.

"Do you not think that a garden is a perfect example of an ideal society?" she asked. "There is not one flower more beautiful than another, no blade of grass more green than the rest of the meadow. In a garden, there is pure equality and unity. The flowers, the insects, the birds, they do not trample over one another to live. They work to ensure the survival of the garden, and in turn, they maintain their own survival."

"How unfortunate, that people do not share the same innocence in their motivations," Tharius said. "Try as they might to seem like it."

"And why not?" she asked, moving a step closer. "You speak as though you are not one of them. But yes, humans are flawed, and often ignorant of their own selfishness. Yet, I see no deceit in you."

"I make an effort to not hide from my nature," he said.

"And what is your nature, if not honest and free of corruption?" she asked. When the corner of his mouth pulled up in a crooked smile, she continued, her tone more earnest now. "Selesnya thrives on the very same honor that drives you not to deceive me. It seeks the selfless hearts, the minds that so clearly swim with beliefs of unity and serenity."

"None of which can be found in me," he said.

"Do you disagree that a society structured around selflessness will prevail?" she asked. "For how else can any individual rise, if not at peace with those around him?"

"And how can one hope to achieve anything when tied down by the values of those that are weaker than him?" Tharius countered, his head tilting to the side. "Your view of a perfect society is doomed to remain at a level of mediocrity, never rising to pursue one goal or another, else the unity be disrupted. But me," he paused, taking a step towards her. "I give no regard to any that threaten to stand between me and my destination."

"Flawed, indeed," she said. "But overflowing with potential. However, I fear that I do not have the time required to unlock that potential."

"I have to agree," he said.

"May you soon realize the err of your ways, and then return a changed soul," she said, her eyes glinting once more as she seemed to fall back into the branches. As he watched, she slipped down between them, disappearing from his sight with no sign of her presence other than the rustling of the leaves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elowen Maevier

If Elowen possessed a fondness for Selesnya's indisputable beauty, it didn't show. Rather, it seemed that her distaste for it was growing viler by the second.

Her brows crinkled at the sight of buttercups below, having found a revulsion for the way they flaunted their vibrant yellow. She glanced away as her gaze shifted. The more her gaze roamed the area, the darker her eyes became. Tree trunks jutted from the ground, leaves gathered in clumps of forest green. Vines climbed the bark. Flora dotted the grass with vivid blues and lavenders. The garden was covered with bright colors and filled with life, but Elowen had never seen beauty in such imagery - she saw it in black skies and desolate fields.

There was no comfort save for the trees - they were darker than most, casting shadows onto the cobble pathways and verdant grass. She smiled, and then pranced forward while her lungs indulged in a rather nourishing breath. Straying from the cobble, the underside of her boot trampled numerous flowers and buttercups, their delicacy lost. Under the shade of the tree, she lowered herself to a seated position, bottom on the ground and wings folded as they pressed against the bark. She felt at rest at last, knowing that she could spend the remainder of the dreadful night there in waiting.

Or not.

The soft rustling of leaves caught Elowen's attention, and she glanced around, on guard. The sound grew louder, and she was at her feet promptly, eyes darting about and fro. It was unnerving, really, and her wings unfolded halfway as she struggled to control her anxiety. The feathers of her wings were warm against her back, though cold air enveloped the rest of her body. She grappled with her emotions, striving to stay calm.

"It's a wonderful night, isn't it?"

Elowen swivelled around on the core of her heel, startled. The voice she'd heard was masculine and fairly smooth, and as she met the being's face when she halted her whirl, she was entranced by his looks. He was quite a handsome fellow with green eyes and a blemishless face. His figure was slender too, and he possessed sharply pointed ears. It was quite obvious that he was an elf - an attractive one too. Her lips were parted for a moment longer before she regained her senses and delivered a sensible response.

"No, not really."

The elf raised one of his perfectly-shaped eyebrows in question, "You don't like it?"

She glanced at the buttercups underfoot, and then at the vines glowing green against the bark of the trees. Her gaze returned to the elf, eyes challenging and voice firm. "Of course not."

The elf gave her a long stare, and as he did so, a silence hung in the air. His eyes glowed green in the dark, focused on the angel before him. He opened his mouth to speak, but then paused for a moment - perhaps he was debating whether not he wanted to tell her what he was about to say. He seemed to make up his mind as he opened his mouth to speak again, though this time words actually broke free.

"Eldon. Eldon Osvreel."

Elowen stared. The elf, Eldon, stepped closer.

"That's my name," he tried again, dragging out each word slowly as if she couldn't understand, "what's yours?"

She held his gaze, scoffing, "Don't be rude, I knew that was your name. You didn't have to slow it down for me."

Eldon smirked. "What's your name?" he repeated.

"Elowen," she said after a brief pause. "and that's Elowen to you, not any stupid nicknames."

"Who said I was gonna give you one anyway?" he asked.

She scowled. "If this is all you're gonna do, then you might as well show yourself out. I don't need people to constantly annoy me while I'm trying to cope with staying here for a night," she told him before turning away. She stepped closer to the tree as her wings folded once more.

He shook his head, but Elowen had already turned her back on him so she couldn't see. He decided to ignore her first remark, and instead, focused on her choice of words. "Cope? Do you not like it here in Vitu Ghazi?"

Elowen turned to face him. "I hate it here."

"But it's beautiful!" he argued.

"This?" She pointed to the flora below her, and then her hands motioned at the entire garden around the two. "This is not beautiful."

The elf frowned, and the tips of his ears drooped slightly. "I'll take you to the very center, then. You won't be able to deny that it's beautiful - it's a fact."

She almost rolled her eyes at his words. "Been there, done that."

Eldon furrowed his eyebrows. "You didn't think that Vitu-Ghazi was beautiful? The City-Tree is practically the most beautiful place in all of Ravnica!"

"Practically. That's debatable."

"Debatable?" the elf paused, "then what do you consider beautiful? Withered flowers? Rotten food?"

"Well actually, the withered petals of dead flowers can be quite pretty. The way it curls, and then the way it crumbles when you touch it..." Elowen smiled as the elf grimaced, distaste clear upon his face.

"That's not beautiful," Eldon's eyes glowed brighter, "that's downright awful!"

"Is it?"

Eldon nodded furiously. "Green magic brings life to all of us, and to destroy nature is horrible. Do you really think blackening all the flowers and greenery is right? Life is the most important of all!"

"No it's not." Elowen exclaimed, "All it does is this!" She gestured around her at the vibrant colors of the life within the flourishing garden. "And this isn't even beautiful."

"Not beautiful? This isn't even about beauty. Life is what gives us everything, and what about nature? The trees, the flowers, the grass. It's all apart of the world, and it's what makes the world right."

Elowen responded, "Makes the world right? I don't think so."

"You should think so. The world gives us green magic and trees, flowers, and all things living. We need to protect what it's given us, you know, and well, it's just what we need to do," the elf said, a strong emotion shining in his eyes.

"Whatever."

"Killing flowers and plants... turning them all black... None of this is okay. Think—"

"Whatever."

"—about it."

"I don't care, okay? I'm just staying as long as I need to get my signet, and then I'm out of here," Elowen's gaze met Eldon's. "And, hopefully, I won't ever have to see you again."

Eldon frowned. "I—" he opened his mouth to speak, but Elowen beat him to it, talking without even a hint of fervor.

"I don't care."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emrys of the Willow

DID NOT HAND IN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enid of the Rainforest

DID NOT HAND IN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lavina Hael

At any rate, the garden would become a bloodbath if the birds didn't stop chirping the way they did. They had already been singing for hours and hours to the point that Lavina wasn't sure they'd ever shut up. In fact, she wasn't sure how the others had even put up with the constant chattering, and singing. While the garden was pretty, it definitely wasn't pretty enough to distract from the feathered nuisances.

Though, another part of her annoyance was at how uneventful the quest for a Selesnyan signet was. To sit in a garden all night held no interest of Lavina's. She wanted nothing more than to get out and do something actually worthwhile.

Sure, she could entertain herself by staring at the fresh flower buds that were like splatters of paint on a canvas of green, she could pick some silky petals from a scented blossom, or even fly to the highest tree branch. But she couldn't do this for the entire night, could she?

No, actually she didn't want to.

What she wanted to do was kick some wrongdoer ass and take names. Though the chances of that happening was fairly slim. Especially considering the peaceful status Selesnya maintained. Perhaps if she was lucky, one of the citizens would inadvertently break a tree branch and she could charge them for vandalism. But she wouldn't be that lucky, and she knew it.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" a voice said from beside her.

She didn't bother to see who it was. She recognized the voice by its unforgettable happy tone. It was the same happy tone that belonged to the dryad she told to bugger off a few hours ago. Although seeing as it had returned, it either hadn't taken the hint, or it was being stupid. Could even be both.

"Yes, I suppose it is," she replied.

The dryad laughed, almost falling from the tree branch it sat atop of.

"You don't sound too enthused about it," it smiled. "In fact, that was the most monotone voice I've heard yet. Though you angels are like that, no?" Lavina straightened her posture and stretched out her wings. Sometimes people would become intimidated and leave her alone if she did this, but it only happened every once in awhile. Unfortunately for her, that day was not the "once in awhile" she needed for the dryad to go away. It appeared unfazed, and ready to irritate her for the next hour or so. "Those are some magnificent wings you have there. Very pretty," it continued.

Lavina let out a deep sigh. At no point did they say receiving a signet from Selesyna included tolerating both birds and a dryad who could've come straight from a fairy tale. Unless it was in the fine print she missed.

"What can I do to make you go away?" she said after a few minutes.

The dryad hummed a joyful tune, and rocked back and forth in the tree branch it sat on. Its eyes appeared half-closed, and lidded with a satisfaction that was unmistakable.

In hindsight, she gave the tree nymph too much power with that question.

"What's your name?" it asked.

She relaxed her wings and tucked them in behind her before crossing her arms. The question seemed simple enough.

"Lavina Hael," she replied.

"Cool name."

"Uh huh."

"Would you like to know mine?"

"I thought you said you would go away."

"I said nothing of that sort."

"Is there something you want?"

"My name is Balanos of the Oak."

"I don't care."

"You know what your problem is?"

"Yes, I have a dryad that won't leave me alone."

"No, your problem is you've forgotten what peace feels like."

"Oh really?"

Balanos nodded. "You're so caught up in all your Boros business that you've forgotten what it's like to enjoy peace and relax in the comfort of beauty."

Lavina almost snorted. The flowers were pretty, the groves were majestic, and the flowery scent of the garden was a pleasant smell, but she had heard the rumors. The rumors that spoke of something sinister beyond the beauty of Selesnya. There had been talk in Boros about how The Conclave employed quietmen to silence citizens of Ravnica, and create chaos throughout the guilds. And while she had never arrested a quietman before, she knew other angels who had (or at least claimed to have had). She believed the rumors without a doubt in her mind.

"Yes, because it's so relaxing to surround yourself with beauty that's secretly corrupt," she replied sarcastically.

Balanos stiffened. It stopped humming and rocking back and forth on the tree branch, instead sitting perfectly still. The sparkle in its eyes disappeared, instead taking on a more serious expression.

"I beg your pardon, but Selesnya is anything but corrupt. We fight corruption, and we fight for peace and unity among the guilds. Harmony is our biggest priority," Balanos said.

Lavina couldn't stop herself from laughing. She realized she was being rude by ridiculing the tree nymph when it was already getting defensive, but she couldn't help herself. To say harmony was an entire guild's first priority was either the Chorus of the Conclave trying to sell something to its citizens, or nothing more than someone being oblivious to reality. Long ago she had figured out that while many people valued harmony, other things often took priority above it. Not to mention that not everyone prioritized the same things. There had to be at least one person in Selesnya who secretly valued fortune over harmony.

"Is that what they tell you?" she continued to laugh.

Balanos wasn't laughing. No, the dryad was far from it. Its jaw clenched in a fashion that seemed almost painful, and its eyes closed for a few moments in time. It wasn't long until Balanos pinched the bridge of its nose and let out a deep sigh.

"Lavina," Balanos started. The dryad sighed yet again. "violence and power struggles only lead to pain and suffering. As an angel, you should understand that."

Lavina almost laughed again but forced herself to choke it down to avoid angering the tree. Rarely did anyone mistake an angel from Boros as peace-loving or even forgiving. It wasn't unusual for her peers to confuse vengeance with justice, and any wrongdoer who crossed an angel from Boros was well aware of that fact.

But alas, she decided not to correct Balanos on its blatantly wrong perception of angels from her guild. Simply wasn't worth the time.

"Ever heard of the phrase, 'everyone has their own agenda?'" she pressed.

"Yes, but—"

She wouldn't allow Balanos the chance to counter.

"Betrayal and corruption happens because people have their own agendas," she interjected. "Though citizens of your guild may claim to be fighting for peace, it doesn't mean they actually are."

Balanos rolled its eyes.

"Not everyone has ulterior motives," it replied.

She raised a brow. This was true that not everyone had ulterior motives, but it was also true that it only took a few bad seeds to incriminate an entire group. Yet, that was an entirely different issue on its own.

"You expect me to believe quietmen from your Conclave, don't exist?" she fired back.

The tree nymph frowned, and crossed its arms.

"They don't," Balanos denied.

She shrugged. It wasn't like she hadn't expected Balanos to deny it. The dryad had been trying to convince her that Selesnya was a pure guild that had absolutely no ulterior motives in its support for world peace and guild unity. Admitting to the usage of quietmen would be admitting to guilt. Both of which would equate to an automatic loss in the dispute. And people loved winning arguments. Even more than that, they loved being right (or believing they were right).

"But you have to say that," she said.

Balanos muttered something under its breath before rubbing its forehead in distress. When Lavina looked at Balanos she saw someone who was more or less unimpressed by her argument. Though 'unimpressed' may not have been the right word—it was more frustration than anything else.

"Do you have something against world peace and joy?" it breathed sharply.

A flick of the brow and she was about to win the dispute.

"World peace is unattainable," she stated. "You can't be fair to everyone all the time, and fairness is a matter of opinion. Resentment is inevitable, just as corruption is," she concluded. Balanos stayed silent, not making a noise or action. He looked visibly pissed, and she wondered if she had badgered him too much. "Look," she started again. "you can improve the world— innovate it, make it less prejudice, make things better for everyone. But you can't have complete world peace and unity. That's just not how it works."

The dryad narrowed its eyes.

"I think we're done here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mikaela Gavreel

I peer up into a pair of dark, flickering irises. Blue, deep, sharp—like crystals in the sea. As they dart from side to side, I squint, . Vampire. The boy's throat bobs with a hiccup.

Clearing my own, I take a step back. I pull the knife point away from his neck but keep the edge poised carefully over his chest, lifting my chin ever-so-slightly to give myself the Lavina disposition. "Well then," I say, "being with—" I push up a corner of his lip. "—fangs, what brings you to the Conclave's citadel?"

Only air passes through the boy's windpipe as he opens his mouth without sound. "I'm—one of the—" He takes a deep breath. "I was taking a stroll."

I pause, lowering my dagger. Then I lift it again, raising an eyebrow to go with the motion. My gaze travels down his arm to the side of his wrist where a swirl of the letter M marks his pale skin. "What's that?"

He croaks, "Name."

"Name?"

"M. For Mars."

Slamming a palm against the rough bark, I lean in till our faces are dangerously close, giving him my best Lavina eye. The corner of my lip quirks upwards as I tilt my head to the side. "Just? Mars?"

He stammers, "Marigold Cypress Lost...D—Dimir."

"Dimir," I say. "Interesting word I might have heard rumours about."

The vampire squirms. "It's just a name."

"I don't think it's on the list of surnames for the local vampire community."

"I wasn't named after m—my parents."

I give myself a mental kick and grimace. What exactly am I doing? "Perhaps," I mutter to it, "I'm trying to be intimidating." Um, it says, just...drive your blade into the tree next to his face. Drawing my fist back, I swing it down to plunge it into the wood. The bark splinters. Yes, that should do it.

Mars' cheeks drain of colour, leaving his features dimmer than the Obzedat. "It is my name," he presses. "I saw you in the forest and recognised you as the Boros angel I saw two months ago. You know, the one who kicked that demon into a fruit stand. I was going to say hi, but then you heard me and I ran—" Seeing my narrowed eyes still trained on him, he withers. "Can you let me go now? Please?" His dark eyes flicker towards the afternoon sun, leaving his expression pained. "There's a— like just—" He breathes deeply. "The sun is shining and you're glowing in my face, and I don't think I can go any longer before I cop it."

I blink. Looking down, I see the typical luminescence radiating off my skin. When I glance back up, I notice the sweat dripping down flushed cheeks as the sun's rays blister his snowy skin. Well. I cough. Pulling away, I mutter an "I'm sorry" before dusting my hands off.

A new voice breaks into the clearing. "Oh word, the best way to kill a dryad is this." The two of us swivel our heads towards the source, eyes landing on the lithe wooded creature approaching us from the other side. The lady of bark-traced skin frowns at the tree behind me and I turn around to find the root of her concern, catching a glimpse of the knife still embedded in the trunk. Quickly, I wrap my fingers around its handle and yank the blade from the wood, shoving it back into my belt.

My hands wrangle themselves together. "I'll make up for it. I'm so sorry about your tree...I didn't realise."

The dryad lets out a chuckle, sounding like the leaves rustling in a light breeze. "Don't worry." Stepping between the two of us, she presses a hand to the wood, closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. Opening them, she turns towards me. "It's not connected to a dryad. No harm done." Then a frown knits her brows. "Except to the tree."

A shuffle starts up behind me, and I turn around to see Mars backing his way into the shade. His lips stretch into a tight grin as he leaves the boundaries of the crime scene, leaving me to the dryad with him hovering in the background. I dig my teeth into my lower lip. "Is it...hurting or something?"

Forest green eyes stare into mine solemnly. "Quite a little."

I rise onto my toes hopefully. "You can heal it, can't you?"

"Definitely," she says. "However..."

I tilt my head.

The dryad smiles. "Something tells me that you can too."

"Oh, no." I wave the idea off. "I've never touched a plant except to stab it."

She shakes her head with a smile. "A little birdie told me that your magic is more than fire, and that you also practice healing." On one hand she produces a tendril of emerald light and on the other, a sphere of white. "Boros is the same as Selesnya in many ways of magic, and healing is one of them. Go on, give it a try." She holds the sphere out to me. "Anyone here is welcome to fix their mistakes."

Nodding, I take a small step forward, reaching out tentatively to touch the bark. My eyes flicker up towards Mars who shoots me a little smile from his spot behind a tree. Looking back at my healing target, I take a deep breath and brush my fingers across the cavity in the wood. I've only begun whispering the spell under my breath when a spark singes the bark's surface. I recoil. Shaking my head, I turn towards the dryad. "You don't want me to do this."

She chuckles. "We're not leaving until you do." She brushes the soot off carefully. "Your magic isn't as bad as you make it out to be. It's strong. You're letting it overpower your emotions. What you really should be doing is using your emotions to control them. That's how it is for your kind, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

"And maybe not. I was just theorising according to my knowledge of the magic in Boros. Give it another try. If it doesn't work this time, it will eventually."

I press my hand against the wood again, closing my eyes. Full focus. No space for being nervous. I begin to feel jittery once the thought crosses my mind just as the magic sparks within me. Before I can push it down, it works its way unsteadily to the surface, curling, twisting, withering...fizzing out. I clench my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut, steeling myself for another round. "Don't get impatient. You're letting it control you again." At the dryad's words, I take a deep breath, letting the nerves and anger drain on its way out. Almost instantly, the beam of warmth spirals up my arm and seals the distance between my palm and the tree bark. The cavity under my hand burns with a searing heat, making my insides feel whole like warm bread in the winter.

As it slowly ebbs away, I open my eyes to see the bark restored to its original state. I feel my lips produce a smile. "Magic and I should really work together sometime."

"You really should," says the dryad. "I could see great things coming out of this. Speaking of great things, welcome to Selesnya, candidates of Guildpact." She sticks out a hand of twigs and leaves which I promptly take for a handshake. It's surprisingly warm. The dryad nods at Mars who emerges from his shade haven to accept a handshake of his own. "I'm Pinera. Pinera of the...Pine." She puts a hand to her hip as Mars' lips twist with the holding back of a laugh and says, "Don't think I don't get this a lot."

My eyes just widen as I look between the two of them. "He's one of the candidates too?"

"Of course! Why else would you see a vampire in Selesnya?"

Mars mutters a quiet "nice to meet you too" under his breath and I swallow, reaching out for a handshake. "An apology is due."

He nearly flinches at the contact. "It's alright."

Pinera smiles. "Seems like most of you won't meet till dinner tonight. It's good to see you two making up. Mikaela and Marigold, isn't it?"

"Just Mars," he says.

Pinera nods understandingly. "I'd assume you two have limited knowledge on the Selesnyan culture? How much of Vitu-Ghazi have you seen?"

I look at Mars for an agreement and he shrugs. "Not very much," I admit. "We haven't been around long."

The dryad's face lights up. "I get to bring you around, then! Come on." She grabs me by the arm, giving me just enough time to latch onto Mars' before sprinting towards the east of Vitu-Ghazi.

***

"I live in one of the vernadi towards the edge of Vitu-Ghazi," says Pinera, expertly hopping over the stones in the river. Mars and I follow with significantly less success, stumbling over the rocks and slipping on moss. "It's furthest away from the centre, which makes it a lot more quiet. You two should've been to town already, haven't you? It's the liveliest place in the capital."

I laugh as a spray of water hits my ankles, ignoring the fact that my ceremonial dinner attire is victim to the wetness. I reach the bank, turning around to catch Mars as he stumbles on after me. He smiles a little, the colour returning to his face. "I assume you're not bringing us there, then?" I ask, turning around.

"Nope. I'm bringing you to my favourite place in Vitu-Ghazi. Don't worry, it isn't far. This river marks the start of it. Darkness falls over us as we follow Pinera through a stretch of forest and I sense Mars relaxing significantly beside me. Soon enough, we reach a high stone wall with an arch opening covered in vines. "Come on," she says, pushing them aside and slipping in. I look at Mars who signals for me to head on in before following suit.

Beyond the wall is a glade where sunlight filters in through the leaves and a stream trickles through the clearing. Birdsong flutters from the trees as crickets chirp and the wind weaves through leaves with a rustle. In awe, I turn to see Pinera with a hand outstretched as a butterfly lands on the tip of her finger. She catches me looking and smiles. "This is our nursery," she says, gliding towards a row of saplings lining the edge of the forest. "It's in the deepest part of the forest where new life can grow, undisturbed by the bustle of city life." I wonder if she realises that city life in Vitu-Ghazi is nothing compared to the streets of any other guild I've visited while on duty. Crime happens most anywhere, but I've never nabbed a thief in Selesnya. "It's more than saplings we grow here. Every animal in the nursery is either a parent or a child. Hear those birds? That's the sound of a sparrow's feeding time."

Besides the animal sounds, something about the place seems to thrum with an underlying tone. I look up to see the trees surrounding the glade extending up towards a point I can no longer see. Beneath them, the saplings reach upwards in awe, and a current passes between the young and the old like a whispered conversation only they can hear.

Crossing the clearing, I bend down by the water's edge and dip a hand into the stream. I've never felt so...alive, I think to myself as the water, crystal-clear, trickles through my fingers. It plinks almost musically into the stream below and runs off with the current.

Though I don't voice my thoughts, the forest seems to hear, laughing quietly in assent. I look up, tilt my head, smiling a little as my ears pick up the rustling of leaves. Maybe it's true that the foliage has a voice of its own. Vitu-Ghazi is like a sleeping human child, always trapped in a frame between slumber and consciousness. Its breath is as steady as a baby's at rest but flutters with the anticipation of waking up to play. It's no wonder that the people here often speak of protection and conservation, albeit in languages I don't understand.

"Hey, Mars," I say, holding up a cupful in my hands. "You think this tastes sparkly?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shark Finn

"Welcome, candidates. May you walk in the light of the World-Soul," the whispery voice of a dryad fills my ears. We are seated in a circle around her, eating the healthiest breakfast I've ever eaten: plain wheat bread.

I take another bite of my bread. Vitu-Ghazi is a beautiful place, just not what it looks like from the outside. Sure, it's grown from that colossal tree. Sure, it has the softest, almost unnatural green grass that carpets the ground. However, these plants come with something, or they wouldn't be called plants anymore. I guess the Selesnyans either don't mind it or have gotten used to it, but if you're the squeamish type, I suggest you don't come to Vitu-Ghazi for vacation. It does look lovely on the outside, though looks can be deceiving. I grit my teeth in annoyance. After a moment, I finally decide to smack the pest that's already drowsy with a full stomach. I wipe the blood on my shirt. My blood, to be exact. Well, the only six-legged creature that adds to the beauty of this place is the butterfly. The rest are simply a nuisance.

"Hey," a voice snaps me out of my daydream. "You're the only one left here. What's taking you so long to eat that loaf of bread?"

"I'm not really used to its taste," I explain, standing up to brush the crumbs off my shorts. "So... where are we headed?"

"To your tent, where you'll be spending the night. Weren't you listening earlier?" He frowns, the whiskers on his face twitching in annoyance. I grin sheepishly up at him.

"What makes you think you can become the Guildpact?" he asks me on the way to my sleeping quarters. I tell him that I thought all the candidates could become the Guildpact, except that I would be a better one. They had differing strengths, for an instance, being able to plan and lead well despite their biases. I, for one, would have the strength of youth and creativity, little biases towards my Guild and quick thinking.

He shook his head. "How can you lead if you can't even pay attention properly?" I made a mental note to work on that, or my Guild wouldn't be too happy with me. "I'm sorry, I just realised I don't know you name. I'm Flounder, obviously a Merfolk." He smiles cheerily. Wow, bipolar much. It strikes me sometimes how different beings of the same species can be. Not just physically, but also mentally. Shrugging, I introduce myself as the terror of the sea, though biologically Merfolk.

Flounder's eyes almost pop out of their sockets. "To be honest, I was kind of expecting that. But you look more human than fish. And your hair is – "

"I know, those traits are just something I can't change about me. I guess that's what makes me different from my kind. It's... one of the reasons for me not having biases towards my Guild, because I simply can't, and don't want to, blend in."

"I suppose a young one like you would have a rebellious streak inside, then?"

"A little... my temper is quite fiery. I'm not one to insist on my way, though. Going with the flow is always the best."

Flounder nods in agreement. He lifts the tent flap and ushers me in. Inside is a simple wooden table and a mattress, with a blanket and some pillows neatly propped up on it. He pulls the closet door open, revealing a white silk gown and another laced one.

"You'll spend the night here. You may wear the laced gown at night – it'll help to keep you warm. The nights can be chilly here in Vitu-Ghazi. Change into your silk gown. Meet me outside once you're done and we'll continue our discussion there." He doesn't give me a chance to respond before ducking out of the tent, leaving me alone in my room. Wrinkling my nose, I gingerly hold up the gown, being careful not to crumple it. I lay it on my mattress and remove my shirt. My dorsal fin perks up and I flex it a little, enjoying the feeling of the cloth not pressing it down. I put on the gown. It isn't as bad as cloth, though it still presses my fin down. The feeling of it against my skin is soft and smooth. I should probably wear silk more often.

I skip my way towards the entrance just as Flounder pops his head through the tent flap in time to glare at me, unnerved by my queer personality.

"So," he finally begins after a while of walking. "I'm guessing you don't really care much about peace."

"You Selesnyans believe in it, don't you? Well, no offense, but I think too much of peace isn't good. I mean, there won't be any excitement in life if there are no conflicts. If there are no conflicts, there'll be nothing to learn from. Don't get me wrong, I do think that peace is good, just that too much of anything can lead to one's downfall."

"But peace leads to safety and harmony. Don't you think it's more important than excitement?" he asks, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the Vitu-Ghazi residents, smiles shining brightly on their faces as they nod to each other in polite greeting.

"I never voiced out my disagreement to that statement. I do agree that peace is important, but it's also essential to have a balanced life. For example, medicine is made to cure sickness, though it can be deadly when taken in the wrong amounts."

Flounder's eyebrows crease, just a little, then he leads me to a quiet spot under a Sakura tree. It shades us from the blazing sun above which is slowly peaking in the morning sky. He invites me to sit among the pink flowers that litter the ground.

"Come, it's time for our midday meal. Wash your hands in that stream and I'll meet you back here with your lunch prepared. Don't run!" he adds, a millisecond too late. I fall flat on my face as I trip over my gown. On a second thought, maybe I'd just stick to a t-shirt and shorts for casual wear next time.

I bring my hand up to my nose, my eyes stinging. I hate it when I feel like this. I close my eyes until the stinging sensation leaves them. Merfolk have no tear glands, so they can't cry. When we supposedly do, there's a stinging sensation at the back of our eyeballs which, at the same time, is unbearably itchy. We're not supposed to have eyelids either, unlike me. A normal Merfolk like Flounder would win in a staring competition, yet he would be unsettling to look at for too long. He's never blinked once in his entire life. My eyelids are not necessarily, like my other unusual traits, a bad thing either. It helps to quicken the fading of the stinging sensation.

I storm towards the stream, my face burning from the sound of Flounder's howls of laughter behind. "You're...You're probably the first candidate to ever fall down like that!" he gasps. "What a great achievement!" At this point, I almost turn around to give him the finger, but I remember I'm one of the candidates for the Guildpact and that would probably ruin my non-existent reputation.

At the river bank, I immerse my hands into the cool but refreshing water, then splash some onto my face to wake myself up. I have to admit, Selesnya is so peaceful that it's sleepy. There's no thrill of adventure and absolutely no reason to be constantly alert. I can't survive in a place like this for less than a week. Thank goodness I'm only spending a day and a night here, which seems to be dragging on painfully slowly. I wonder if time has purposely slowed down simply to mock me.

I stick out my tongue at no one in particular before turning around, heading back towards Flounder who has a pile of fruits prepared for us in front of him. He tells me that he's handpicked all the fruits from the trees around. I look sceptically at the fruit he holds out to me, recalling how my breakfast had tasted like. The 'fruit', one which I have never seen before, is green and a little brown on the outside, but fully brown on the inside, holding some transparent unidentified liquid. Eventually, my curiosity gets the better of me and I grab the bowl-like fruit. Copying Flounder, I tip the liquid into my mouth. Immediately, my eyes light up.

"You like it?" He grins when I nod vigorously, my mouth too full of the savoury liquid to reply. "It's called a coconut." I don't reply. I'm too busy scraping the flesh off its hull. When I'm done, I turn to wipe my mouth on my sleeve, but Flounder stops me. He produces a handkerchief from his pocket (which I didn't notice was there in the first place) and offers it to me.

I wipe the juice off my chin and grin. "That was the best meal ever."

"There's more to come," he says, as he introduces me to the grape, the apple and the orange. My personal favourite, however, remains as the coconut.

After our satisfying but healthy course, we lean against the bark of the Sakura tree to allow our food to digest. "Shark," Flounder voices out just when I'm about to nod off. "Ponder on this thought for a moment: Would you rather have no peace, like the Gruul Clans, who thrives on the power and ferocity of nature, or have peace, like us Selesnyans. Think about it. Who would you rather end up like?"

It takes me some time to comprehend the question and to be fully awake. "Look, I don't think that the Gruul Clans have completely no peace. I believe everyone has a bit of peace inside them. Whether or not they choose to display it is another question altogether. The beings in the Gruul Clans probably have peace, they're just not very good at finding it like you. Like how we the Simic value knowledge more than any other Guild – it doesn't mean the other Guilds don't have knowledge. Every Guild has their own strengths which is what differentiates us from the others. If everyone valued peace like the Selesnyans, there wouldn't be a Selesnya Concave. Our differences are what keeps our Guilds thriving."

Flounder raises his eyebrows. "For someone as clumsy as you, your IQ isn't that bad. I can see why they chose you to represent your Guild. Not only are your opinions wise and unbiased, but you're also not afraid to express them. You have to be more cautious of what you say, though. Some people may take offense in your words, even if you're not aware of it. Watch your tongue, boy. Although I must say you are rather sharp and quick-witted, your tongue may gain you many enemies."

He then tells me to close my eyes and pay attention to my breathing. If I heard a sound, I was to take note of it and go back to my breathing. After a few moments, he asks me how I feel. His voice seems so distant and surreal.

"I'm... I'm floating," I murmur. The right words just can't seem to form properly in my mouth. In reality, I feel that I'm suspended in a black void. If I ever go to outer space, I imagine this would be how I feel, the only audible sound: my breathing. Faintly, there are birds chirping and insects buzzing merrily about, but that's more like what my subconscious mind is hearing. The only thing I'm fully aware of are my breaths.

"Now, I want you to dive deeper. Dive below the layers until you find some warmth. Find your inner peace," Flounder whispers, his voice scattered in this quiet yet empty space.

I do as he instructs, pushing past the thick layers of darkness around me. My heart begins to accelerate after a while. I'm still shrouded in complete darkness. What if I never find it? Almost as if he can read my thoughts, Flounder takes my hand in his to remind me he's there. He tells me to relax. Soon, I'm left floating again in the void.

When I've gathered enough courage, I count to three, then dive back down again. It takes some time but eventually, I find what I'm supposed to be looking for. Underneath the layers there's a form of light. It's not that type of bright, artificial light you have to shield your eyes from when someone switches on the ceiling light in a dark room you've been in for a long time. That light I found is giving off a warm kind of glow, drawing me closer to it. Before I can get to it, my eyes fly open as I slap my face. Flounder gapes at me, speechless.

"Sorry, that mosquito was really getting on my nerves," I mutter, scratching the red spot that's beginning to become more prominent on my pale skin. "Anyway, going back to the topic of inner peace, I found it. Or rather, I saw it. I didn't have the time to get to it because of this." I hold up my hand to show Flounder the blood splattered on the palm of my hand, the dead body of the poor insect splayed in the middle of the mess. "Second one I killed today – and it's not even half the day yet!"

"There's always time for peace, no matter what." Flounder still looks dazed, but he's at least recovered enough to speak. He blinks a few times in rapid succession. He continued by pointing out if there was peace, there would be unity. I argued by saying that it was not necessarily like this. We went back and forth like this for almost the entire afternoon until I ended up confusing myself.

"Look," Flounder finally said. "Let's go have our dinner, which will hopefully bring this discussion to a conclusion. I get up and follow him to the area where all the candidates had gathered in the morning. We are given rice with fresh vegetables to eat for dinner this time, then invited to take a seat on the grass to enjoy the 'show'. If Flounder says it's good, it's definitely worth it, despite all the insects here. A smile tugs at my lips as I recall the heavenly coconut he offered to me.

A hush falls over the candidates when a streak of light dances across the sky. I nudge Flounder and point to it, my finger following the 'shooting star'. He puts his finger to his lips. Gradually, the trees start to sway. They sway in a trance-like manner, as if they are dancing to a rhythm. The streak follows the direction of the trees, shooting back and forth across the blue canvas. As it does this, it disperses into many different streaks, then fall onto the trees, sliding down their trunks as if it were a liquid. When it reaches the ground, the streaks slither towards the audience, then slowly fades into nothingness. An appreciative murmur ripples throughout the crowd.

Suddenly, the trees go still. Without warning, a sliver of light shoots out upwards from a tree and then the next few in rapid succession. The higher they go, the thicker they become until they burst with colours.

"Fireworks," Flounder whispers in awe. He tells me that the Selesnyans have seen this 'light show' put up by the green and white mages many times, but the show is never the same. They only display it during special occasions and it is something every person looks forward to.

The show continues late into the night with the mages showing of their abilities to animate both the sky and the trees. With these, they weave together a story of how people with many differences can come together in peace. They end with all the lights merging together to form the word: 'peace'. They receive a standing ovation and the thunderous applause rings out in the night.

"What do you think of our values now?" Flounder asks.

"It's...It's certainly an essential value," I remark, still half-dazed by the spectacular show. "I can see the logic behind your words now." Flounder grins and tells me to think it over during the night.

I don't realise that the thrill from the 'light show' has sapped my energy. I change into my laced gown and fall asleep before my head has the chance to try out the texture of the pillow, my sleep filled with visions of peace in the court. At one point, the entire court laspes into silence. It lasts so long that it feels wrong. I open my mouth to argue my stand but the judge, who had the body of a dryad and Flounder's face for some reason, silences me with a flick of his hand, mouthing the word 'peace'.

I literally lose the ability to speak, which I thought was rather unfair, because right after, dryad Flounder opens his mouth to say, "When there is peace, there is unity."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halcyon Stirling

"Life is a blade of grass. Like the golden dew, dripping down into the soil, rays of sunshine beckoning a new sapling to come to the land of the sentient, we rise. Yet as individuals, we shrivel like the corrupted weeds. We crumble, insignificant lives ripped away from existence, gone."

Halcyon couldn't help but sprawl onto the the ready made bed, burying his head into the cloud-like duvet. His eyes might as well have rolled back into his head by now. All the words the Selesnyans fed him were truly one ear in one ear out.

To be fair, Halcyon couldn't complain too much. He was currently situated in one of the nicest, most beautiful places in all of Ravnica, Vitu-Ghazi, one look outside his window could prove that much. The environment made Halcyon want to spread his wings and fly, the sheer beauty of the place sang to him in the most beautiful melody. The fading afterlights of the day, a crescent moon emerging from between the leaves, lakes and ponds mirroring the galaxies and the cosmos. Lanterns adorned the massive tree, hanging from its branches. The soft glow of the night and the warm shimmer of the lanterns merged to illuminate the city in the tree with the softest flush.

With gritted teeth, Halcyon turned away from the alluring view, remembering exactly the way the inhabitants of this divine place were. They were all brainwashed, mindlessly following a 'voice of nature'. For him, who had always stood up for whatever he believed in, the notion itself was ridiculous. Once more, Halcyon fell onto his bed, this time even more exasperated. He had to spend the night in this damned place too before he could leave the next morning with the signet. However, it was a good resting place before the real trials began, a good place to collect his thoughts and try to plan.

Yet as more and more time passed, he couldn't help but feel trapped in the room, trapped in his thoughts. Barely able to breathe, he staggered out of his room into the dark of midnight, the warm glow from before replaced by an eerily chilling glare. He needed to get to a source of water, water had always calmed him. He dove into the first pond he saw, his vision clouded by his own silver hair. His amphibious nature revealed itself under the water, and he let out a breathe that he felt like he had been holding onto forever. Glancing at the bubbles making their way to the surface, a long forgotten sense of serenity washed over him.

"Each droplet of water was once apart of rain. Like the effervescent and sparkly feeling of rainwater against your skin. It brings life and joy. But as a single droplet, it is but a bit of moisture gone to waste, useless to all of life."

The voice dissolved back into the tree, leaving a gentle ripple on the surface of the pond. A sigh left his mouth with an eruption of bubbles, gently popping when they reached air.

When would they realise that their ways just weren't in his nature? When would they realise that they were wasting their breath? When would they realise he was his own person?

It is better to be in your own world than to make worlds collide.