Children skittered across a wide-open plain, laughing and giggling as one girl chased after them. The girl was the slowest among them, but as the distance grew, she smiled and spread her hand, causing the grassland to rustle as stalks of grass grew and aimed at the fleeing children's legs.

Some of the children were inattentive, and their legs were caught by the grass, causing them to dangle above the ground with puffed cheeks. While others moved and dodged with agile jumps, or deflected the incoming grass with their raw flesh that bounced the twining green back.

The swift movements of the group caused laughter to echo as they continued their games, but soon after, the grass began to loosen its grip and retract.

A woman walked across the plane dressed in a simple white gown with accented floral elements twining around it. Her face was beautiful and pristine, lightly touched by flowers and leaves. "Children, it's time for your lessons."

"Yes, Mother Caretaker!" The children fervently replied as they gathered at the woman's call.

They walked across the plane and moved toward a vast camp that spread far and wide. Behind the camp, one could see a towering tree stretching into the clouds. Men and women walked freely within the camp, each with a unique touch that blessed their flesh.

The group moved at ease, passing by crowds and constructs before finally reaching a wooden building and entering it.

The woman stood atop a carved podium etched in markings the children had yet to learn, and they sat below on leafy mats that cushioned the ground.

"Blessed be Skyfather. May you recognize the eternally grateful and their praise for the blessings you've bestowed upon us." The woman chanted with her eyes closed, and hands clenched together before turning her gaze toward the children. "Now, children. How many times have I told you not to abuse your blessings?"

"But, Mother Caretaker, we were just playing!" One of the boys spoke.

The woman waved her hand, raising the boy's leafy cushion off the ground and closing the leaves around him, leaving only a tiny gap for his eyes to peer through. "That is even worse, Horn. The blessings the Skyfather gives are not for children's games. They are for survival, for the eternal prosperity of Arth."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I'm sorry." The boy began to cry within his leafy cocoon.

"We're sorry, Mother Caretaker!" The other children added with lowered heads and saddened eyes.

The woman waved her hand again, smiling, as she set the boy's seat down, releasing him from his short-lived punishment.

"You shouldn't be so harsh on them." A man's voice broke through the awkwardness. He walked into the building, laughing gently. He was tall, his long white hair parted behind his pointed ears, draping down his back. His smile was bright despite the thick bandage wrapped around his eyes.

The woman looked surprised before her smile glowed through the room. "Sapphire, you're back?"

"How was the hunt?"

"It was—difficult," Sapphire replied shortly before walking toward the woman. "We found something in the nest, though. I think—you need to come see this, Flora."

"What is it? Is it that serious?" Flora chuckled and placed her hand on Sapphire's shoulder, "Okay, let's see what's gotten you so tense."

"Children, you can go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Mother Caretaker!"

With that, Flora left the building, following behind Sapphire, and soon they reached a building near the border nearest to the colossal tree.

Several men and women stood in a half-circle, eyeing something on the ground. "Move on over, Flora's here," Sapphire spoke up, causing the crowd to shift to the sides, revealing an egg-shaped object laying on a leafy cushion.

"Oh my, Skyfather! What is that?" Flora gasped as she stepped toward the object. She closed her eyes and felt it. Pulsing. Breathing. It lived inside. "Where did you find this?" She looked toward Sapphire with an unreadable expression.

"It was deep in the nest, buried, shielded by the beasts that lived there, scattered across. We almost missed it. Maybe it would've been better if we had—"

"No! You can't say that!" Flora interrupted. "Everything happens for a purpose. Such is the way that Skyfather wills it."

Then, a crackling sound changed the expressions of all present as their gaze shifted to the egg-shaped object.

Cracks spread across its surface until it finally fell apart, revealing a small bundle of flesh, its small hands clenched and body curled up. And then it shifted, revealing the tiny lifeform that hid within the egg's embrace, with its two hands and feet and short black hair that poked out from its soft head.

And then it moved—he moved, aware and conscious. His eyes opened and gazed at the crowd that surrounded him, and they stared back, focused on those deep ruby-red eyes, and then the baby smiled and giggled, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.