As Iris walked further north the life in the city seemed to dim, the pathways grew empty, even the trees looked grey and lifeless, their once colorful leaves and flowers all turned to stone. She came across an archway made of petrified vines and black roses, withered leaves and blackened grass coated the ground.
Is this it?
She wondered, stepping through into a small dome shaped clearing, sun had made its way through the faded canopy, the scent of ashes was followed by the crackling of dead leaves under each footstep. The only thing within the clearing that offered some kind of movement was a large fountain spewing black liquid. Surrounding this fountain in the shape of a star stood five statues made of petrified wood, each one carved from the stump of a dead tree.
Her eyes scanned each statue. Each one wore different garments with a plaque at their base each statue was faceless.
To her immediate left was the knight, clad in a helmet covering what would have been it's face, it's sword was cracked, and it's armor damaged, the plaque read 'Nytewalkers'.
The next was a woman, with more intricate armor, a cape of dying leaves fell from its back, she held a shield and mace, her plaque was faded, but still legible 'Shielded by the Moon'
To her immediate right was another woman, clad in what looked like rotting leather, her head was hooded a bow hung on her back by spider's webs. Her plaque read 'beast tamer'
Before she could finish reading each statue Iris heard a voice, followed by the rustling of leaves.
"Are you new here?" The voice was strained and dry. Iris turned, expecting an old grizzled man, or some kind of elder, but what met her gaze was different, a young adult, he couldn't be older than 30, he wore a long hooded cloak made of raven feathers, a black mask covered his face with a large white X over where his mouth would be.
"H-hello" said Iris, her stutter returning as she took in the man's appearance. Pitch black hair, colorless eyes, he was pale and clearly drained "y-yes I'm new here, my name's I-Iris"
"A pleasure to meet you." He strained, "what brought you here?" His voice scratched through his throat, like he'd just swallowed thorns.
Iris tried to meet his eyes, but she couldn't, everything in her body told her to run, like her very instincts were fighting against her. But why? "S-so what's your name?" She stuttered through clenched teeth.
"Onyx." The man replied, "I assume your here for a reason?" He asked, "no one usually comes here without a reason."
"S-someone told me to c-come here" she explained, "he said coming here would answer some questions for me." The air grew still, silence filled the air for a moment as Onyx stepped closer. Iris's breathing became shallow asvher eyes scanned him and her surroundings. "What.. is this place..?" Iris asked nervously, finally breaking the silence.
"It's called the Grey, or some call it the Garden." Onyx stopped, just about a foot away from Iris, "newcomers normally are told to avoid this place, who told you to come here?" His voice was quieter now, he spoke with less strain.
"H-his name was Arte" Iris whispered backing away, "he said there was something here for me." She stood on trembling legs, struggling to stand her ground. Onyx's eyes reflected nothing, two opaque wells of withering grey, the air grew colder, enough for Iris to see her own breath, "i-if I'm not welcome I c-can leave." She suggested, hoping for a way out. But Onyx shook his head.
"No, if you were sent here by him, there was a reason" Onyx sighed, though it sounded more like a reversed gasp for air. "This used to be where the five guilds would accept new members," he gestured towards the statues, "each statue was once the head of each guild, but history has forced their memory to fade, not even the forest remembers who they were." He turned away, relieving some of the tension from Iris as he walked.
"W-what do I do if i-i want to join?" Asked Iris reluctantly, "is there some ritual?" Onyx shook his head as he walked.
"No, but this is no longer where that choice is made. There is history here, but I am no teacher. If you wish to find it. Do so without desecrating these sacred grounds" he points up towards the canopy, or what was left of it above the petrified Garden, "Even the spirit of the Wylds avoids this place, but it is not kind to those who would damage it's gardens" with that, Onyx stepped into the shadows of the forest.
Iris fell to one knee struggling to catch her breath. A weight has been lifted from her throat, like the air itself tried to strangle her. She coughed looking up towards the last two statues, finding herself in front of the central one. A dragon clad in armor made of thorns, two wings expanded from its back, one pitch black and rotting, the other pure white with feathers, it knelt in front of a sapling with pale green leaves.
The plaque at the statue's base was larger than the others, it looked freshly polished, it read. 'wings of burden, thorns of freedom, Wardens of the Dying Overgrowth'
Iris tilted her head in confusion, the tiny sapling was the only thing with any color in her surroundings, she reached towards it's leaves. As her hand grew closer, the branches of the saplings leaned into her touch. Feeling it's coiled limb expand and contract as if it were breathing. after a moment of contact small vines began to curl around Iris's fingers stopping at her second knuckle.
"Are you.. trying to communicate..?" She asks, sitting in silence for a moment before giggling, "look at me, not only talking to a plant, but thinking it will respo-" a light shock stings her fingertip interrupting her. "Ow!" She says, pulling her hand away, "rude!" She swats at the small vines. "You're cute and all, but that hurt!" She complained.
A soft humming swirled around her, "be kind to your plants" spoke a childish feminine voice, "you never know what they're capable of" the girl spoke in a sing-songy tone, she giggled as her voice bounced around like a ball, Iris couldn't pinpoint where it came from.
"Hey!" She spoke, looking around, "the plant hurt me first!" She declared.
"A plant?" Mocked the voice, "are you sure you didn't just touch a thorn?" She laughed
"Yes I'm sure! It shocked me" Iris looked around, trying to figure out where this voice echoed from
"It?" She said, "you know 'it' has a name" the voice suddenly sounded like it was right next to Iris, but when she looked, there was nothing "that 'plant' you speak of is still young" giggled the voice as it began to trail upwards, "and if you're to become a Warden you should at least know her name"
Iris's eyes followed the voice again, looking up into the canopy she saw it, a girl in a black dress with long dark seaweed like hair dripping black raindrops as it swayed in the wind. She stood sideways on a large branch, vines wrapped around her legs keeping her still, her face was veiled by the hair that fell past it.
"Looks like you finally saw me" the girl giggled
"Who are you?!" Called Iris "what do you mean by Warden?!"
"You don't even know?" Iris blinked and her vision suddenly blurred, once
"Woah!" She exclaimed "too close!" The girl was short, her skin was grey like the paper after charcoal had been erased, she was soaked in a tar like substance, a dress made of blackened dead leaves and spider's webs covered her body, her hair fell until it just barely touched the ground. Under it peered two black holes where her eyes should be, Iris stared deep into her eyes, her legs trembled, as if the ground beneath her threatened to open and drag her under.
"This will be so much fun!" The girl's voice echoed, bouncing excitedly through the trees as the smile on her face grew. "So what kind is it? Did it talk to you?" She asks as she squatted beside the plant.
"T-talk to me?!?" Asked Iris "sorry, you're gonna have to slow down, "talked to me?!" Iris looked down at her hand, them approached the plant again, the small girl poked at it and it's soil as she reached for it.
The sapling's branches reached for Iris's hand again, it's leaves glowing brighter as it touched her fingertip, wrapping around her finger the plant once again without moving past her first knuckle. It's sway matched with her breathing and it's glow steadied along with her heartbeat.
"It's not talking." Iris mentioned, as the girl giggled
"It's not supposed to silly" she joked "it's a plant,"
"thats mean!" Exclaimed Iris "what is a Warden then?" She asked angrily, although in the blink of an eye the girl had vanished. An echo of her voice lingered in the deepest parts of the Wylds
"You'll have to learn" whispered her fading voice.
Waves of confusion washed over Iris, she sat there, her fingertips enveloped in the vines of this tiny sapling, the feint beating of the light soothed her mind as she stood, scooping up the plant in her arms and walking back towards the city in search of a pot or bowl to place this new puzzle she's found.
Just what was that girl talking about? And why does it involve me?
Just outside of town she found a discarded clay pot, it was cracked with chips around it's rim but it held the sapling well enough, immediately after placing her plant in its new home she filled with with soil, patting it down to keep the sapling upright.
After filling the plant with soil Iris lifted the pot and moved through the streets towards the fountain, at least where she thought it was. As she walked the plant let go of her hand, still gleaming brightly, the streets were oddly empty, the wisps that floated above her were no longer bright, instead they shifted to a deep blue illuminating the branches and leaves above. The sweet scent of berries filled the air as bright white embers spanned the roof of the forest mocking the constellations that hid beyond the canopy.
Iris continued walking, glancing back up at the faux stars above her dance back and forth. Reaching the fountain she'd cupped some of the waters with her hands and dampened the soil in the pot, the sapling, seeming even more alive than before stretched it's branches and began it's sway again.