A gust of wind blew, grass rustled, and a cluster of flower fairies collectively yelped as their palm-sized bodies veered off-course, spinning out in the air and crash-landing onto the flowerbed below.

Thrown away by the impact, a large, white wyrdwood arm – indistinguishable from a real arm if it weren’t for the ball joints – was sent barreling towards the ground, yanked from the fairies’ grips as they lost control.

‘No!’

‘No!!’

Their wings buzzed, carrying their bodies into the air. All together, they managed to catch the arm moments before it touched the ground.

Relief blossomed on the fairies’ faces as they slowly hovered back into the air, glancing at each other while giggling soundlessly.

‘Hehe…’

Then, the wind blew downwards, shoving the fairies to the ground, arm in tow, and smashed the fragile wyrdwood into splinters.

It seems another trip must be made.

----------------------------------------

It goes without saying that wyrdwood is one of the wonders of the world of Fatum.

The origin of this material, the stark white Tree of Fates, is well known to be two things.

First, it is the only known source of wyrdwood in the entire world.

Second, its durability is, for all intents and purposes, infinite. The Tree of Fates shall never fall by mortal hand.

Yet, the moment the inevitable passage of time separates a branch from it, such durability becomes nothing but a myth. A child could squeeze a wyrdwood stick, pulverizing it into nothing but sawdust.

For this reason, wyrdwood crafts are reserved solely for the most elite of society. Representing the fragility of life, sculptures made of this wood are among the single most valuable creations of mankind.

For millennia, researchers debated the reason for this fragility. What could cause such a drastic shift in toughness?

It was eventually concluded that the only possible answer was the absence of mana. Broken away from the great Tree of Fates, mana no longer courses through the wood, rendering it unable to reinforce itself. Devoid of its protection, the wood, physically weak without its magical protection, collapses under a mere touch.

…With that being said, no living being has ever managed to supply wyrdwood with enough mana to reinforce it. This fact was taken rather well among Fatum’s inhabitants. After all, to possess mana comparable to the Tree of Fates itself was unthinkable, even considering the difference in volume needing to be supplied with mana.

After all, plants don’t have souls, surely – the Tree of Life included. Among the many proposals. the existence of a soul was among the first of many answers for its durability to be discarded.

----------------------------------------

In the center of Esh’s Field, a place nearly untouched for over one thousand years, countless fairies clamored, faint wills spreading throughout the air as they jumped around in playful excitement as they surrounded a lump of white on the ground.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

'Finally done!'

‘Mom almost back!’

‘Mom!’

Lying lifelessly on a bed of flowers, there was a doll, easily dwarfing the size of an individual fairy.

To call it a masterpiece would be an understatement.

Made entirely of wyrdwood, the body was pale white, not unlike a cloud in the sky. Carved with incredible delicacy, countless strands of wyrdwood hair sprawled across the ground beneath the doll, each as soft as a spider’s silk. The face, intricately carved onto the front of the head, was nothing short of a masterpiece, indistinguishable from a human.

If such a thing were to be sold, giving it a price would be impossible.

However, this was no mere thing.

This was the vessel for a soul. The soul of Esh’Alstroe, the fabled Sword Saintess of legends, and beloved caretaker of flower fairies.

Heartbroken by the death of their mother and using knowledge granted to them as existences closest to nature, countless flower fairies collected wyrdwood scraps fallen from the Tree of Fate – the only material in the world capable of housing a soul.

‘Hey!’

‘Coming over!’

Faint wills in the distance interrupted the fairies’ dance. As they looked over, they saw a group of widely grinning fairies carrying an orb emitting light and a faint scent of flowers. The soul of Esh’Alstroe.

A doll made of the only known material capable of housing a soul.

A perfectly preserved soul, protected from the passage of a millennium’s time.

Putting two and two together, it was obvious from the start what the fairies planned to do.

Slamming down into the doll, and their bodies too light to damage even soulless wyrdwood, the fairies bounced away, scattered around randomly as Esh’s soul sank into the wyrdwood.

Shaking their little heads, they gathered their bearings before staring at the culmination of a millennium’s work.

...

...It began with the sound of rustling plants, spreading throughout the doll’s interior.

Limbs twitched as they filled with life.

Flowers sprouted across the body, blossoming into brilliant notes of white. One bloomed out from the left eye socket, as if mimicking an eye.

Then, time seemed to stop, a chill spreading throughout the field..

An eye opened, the iris a brilliant lavender.

The wyrdwood joints creaked, moving for the first time since its completion.

The body sat up, slightly unsteady and dazed – like stirring after a long nap.

A hand braced against the ground, pushing itself to its feet as it stood.

It looked down, ashen-white strands of hair waving gently as the tips nearly touched the flower-covered ground.

It lifted its arms just a bit, opening and closing its hands – the movements accompanied by the telltale creaking of a doll’s joints, and strangely, the rustling of flower stems.

Finally, it turned towards its audience, face expressionless, yet somehow brimming with unknown emotion.

‘Mom!’

‘Mom woke up!’

Holding their breath, the fairies huddled together in childish anticipation, staring at the doll that had been lifeless mere moments ago, yet now alive.

The doll turned, blinked with its one visible eye, and as it did so, a languid thought sprung forth into the minds of the fairies.

‘...Did I shrink...?’

‘Mom awake!’

‘...Hey, you guys... what did you do...?’

And so, after one thousand years, Esh’Alstroe awoke…

…In the body of a doll, no larger than a child.

‘Big!’

As the thoughts of countless flower fairies wormed their way into her mind, Esh came to a sudden realization.

Everything is large in the eyes of fairies.