A Weave of Trees

Zeus looked longingly at his creation far away from his perch on Olympus; a grey void planet where the stench of rot emitted was so potent that the other Gods and Goddesses complained to Zeus.

“The Earth remembers what we forget”, cried Zeus, “surely it will remember to create…”, this time his words fell more desperate into the ether.

The Earth had many a time been subject to war and famine and mining on itself and usually the spirit of Mother Nature, Gaia could restore balance but it appears that Gaia herself was no longer talking.

“The soul of the Earth just may be dead this time”, Hades God of the Dead, Zeus’s brother chided, “Ah, a soul ready for the taking, this soul I have been after for a very, very long time”, at that he breathed in heavily, “that smell, divine! Ripe for the picking wouldn’t you say?”

“Go away Hades, do not bother me this day,” Zeus’s voice boomed.

“Oh yes that’s right, someone can’t go down there now can they? Was so easy to fix back in the day when the mortals didn’t have all these chemicals. Such a pity your little mortal heroes perished. Can you believe they consumed themselves into death? What a glorious day that was for I,” A greedy smirk lingering on his lips.

“I said, NOT today!” and he hurled a lighting bolt down to the surface hoping to revive something by letting some rain fall down. Bored already, Hades left Zeus to his lament.

Just at this time, Zeus’s wife, Hera walked in.

“Oh, still depressed are we? Maybe we can have a second honeymoon, wouldn’t that be a blessed thing?!”

Zeus grunted, his mind was elsewhere, “I’m leaving and shall not return for three days, please don’t let that little brat Hades claim Earth.”

Hera nodded, knowing there would be no persuading him today.

Zeus transported himself to the 3 sisters, The Fates, no longer weaving for there were no more fates to weave.

“We knew you would come,” the sisters spoke in unison.

“Sisters, please tell me some news, some premonition of a future that gives me… hope for this Earth,” Zeus pleaded firmly with an undertone of despair.

They cackled and whispered to each other and laughed then with serious faces, lips moving as if they were not speaking, a riddle came forth:

"Three will there be

Living in harmony

Forever bound.

Reuniting as one

is their destiny

Yet in loss they will weave new life.

Mother Nature is in strife,

but listen you must

for the song in the dust.

Music does not play in an idle climate.”

“Ah, as always sisters you have been informative, thank you for the riddle,” with that, Zeus left and transported to his next destination.

“Zeus, this is a surprise, we haven’t met sinc-”

“Orpheus, I need your help as one with a gift for music, how does a song play in the dust?”

Orpheus frowned with confusion as Zeus continued on to tell Orpheus of The Fate’s riddle.

Orpheus sat for a while in contemplation then finally spoke, “Dust makes no sound unless it is antagonized in some way. Mortal steps can make it crunch and wind can make it move and whip!”

Zeus thanked Orpheus and continued on his way.

Zeus made the difficult decision to visit Nemesis, the goddess of balance and retribution,

“Zeus,” she said flatly.

“Nemesis,” Zeus said in an equally flat tone.

“I suppose you are here to tell me of your plight to restore the Earth?”

“Yes I am! You of all should understand how important it is to restore the balance yet I find you here frivolously playing with your pets!”

“Exactly! Why should I care anymore about the mortals of the Earth, they received their just punishment!”

“You?” exclaimed Zeus, “of all people support this imbalance?”

“Is it an imbalance Zeus? The mortals are destroyed yet so is the Earth, there is your balance!”

“But then where is life Nemesis?” Zeus proceeded to tell Nemesis the riddle from The Fates.

“Life again?” Nemesis whispered, “life balancing with life? I can’t… believe that…”

Zeus smiled, “Well, you had best to and this is now your quest,” with that, Zeus disappeared.

Nemesis sat contemplating. My quest?! I didn’t ask for that! What do I do? Should I dare venture down to Earth? How would I start such a quest?

Nemesis flew above the land and water of the Earth. Smoke filled the air and sometimes, when it was clear enough, a thick black velvet sludge could be observed covering the land. Nemesis flew and flew looking for the great oceans, hoping the air would be clearer there. Eventually Nemesis found the ocean and swooped down over it.

Surely some creatures exist here? She spoke to the water, “Nymphs of the water, hear my cry on behalf of Zeus, rise now and show me you live.”

The water stood still. Nemesis stayed as long as she could to wait for an answer, but had to retreat to the safer outer limits of the earth’s atmosphere.

This is not looking promising.

Nemesis was just starting to realise how blind she had been to the imbalance of the world.

I had thought that the balance was there - the ultimate retribution of the mortals. But, what I couldn’t see was the imbalance to Gaia for she too suffered. They have equally suffered; this is not a balance.

Nemesis decided to seek out Gaia herself. If she was right about Gaia’s location, she would have to venture into the depths of the Earth; maybe even as far as the Underworld. Nemesis flew until she found an open entrance to a cave and dived in. There was an unbearable cold as she flew deeper into the cave, flying past stalagmites and stalactites and the rivers below the Earth. It was there, she ran into a nymph of the cave river.

“I know who you seek,” the nymph snarled, “you have abandoned us! Zeus is a coward! We turn our backs on him. What has he ever done for us? We are more than capable without him!”

“Zeus has sent me on this quest. I usually would seek retribution for your hubris but I see things in a different light this moment. You may be capable and you are right, we did turn away and for that you have my humblest apology,” Nemesis’s wings rose in the air but her body bowed in one swoop towards the floor, “ you need help and I have help to give”.

“Humph, only Gaia can decide if she accepts your apology,” the nymph reluctantly spoke, “you had best continue your journey,” the nymph pointed to the path which lead deeper into the cave.

As Nemesis journeyed forth, the scenery started to change and the air around her became warmer. Dazzling white and clear crystals shone everywhere, sometimes with hints of purple and green. The rock formations lessened as did the cave rivers. Nemesis journeyed until the temperature was unbearable, it would be difficult to go on, but if she doesn’t, how would she complete her quest?

Will I die here? Nemesis made the difficult decision to turn around, she walked for a few minutes, but she had already stayed too long in the heat.

Nemesis cried out as she fell down, “Gaia! Zeus! Hear my plea!”, she groaned as she stood up. She walked for a few moments and fell down again.

She decided to crawl along the ground, if only I can get to the outskirts of the heated zone, suddenly, Nemesis collapsed and the last thing she saw was the cave floor.

Nemesis slowly tried to open her eyes.

“Ah, she is awakening! Fetch more water!” demanded the old woman.

Nemesis attempted to speak but her lips would not move and no sound came out.

“All in time, quiet now, you must rest. More water is on its way, it will heal you.”

The nymph returned and held up a cup of water, “Thank you little one,” the old woman took the cup and held it to Nemesis’s lips.

Nemesis didn’t realise how thirsty she was, she drank that cup so fast then breathed in deeply, she was right about the water healing me, “I am Nemesis, thank you for saving me?”

“Gaia.”

“Gaia!” Nemesis shouted with surprise then continued with urgency, “I have been looking for you, Zeus has been looking for you! You have been silent for a long time.”

“I know who you are Nemesis, why should I speak when I have been abandoned? Have you come only to appease yourself to seek retribution by helping us? How deep does your remorse or understanding go of the delicate balance of life? You seek balance in mortal affairs in the sin of hubris, in vengeance but what about the balance of life itself? You claim to be the goddess of balance but how much do you really know?”

Silence filled the air.

Nemesis spoke softly, “it turns out, not enough,” Nemesis hung her head low, “I see how my own vengeance blinded me, how I lost the skill to think. I see that Gaia, I really do. I want to help you but I see now it is you who will help me.” Nemesis said enlightened.

“All you Gods and Goddesses stand high with your gift of immortality but here on Earth, there is real suffering, there is a realness which you could never understand. The mortals, they perished. Life. It perished,” Gaia spoke of a loss so deep.

Nemesis nodded for a time, contemplating, taking in everything that was said.

“I’m a mother to all life here and when the great imbalance happened I wept and wept. Pain like that I had not felt before.” Gaia took a deep breath to steady her voice, “come with me.”

They walked together down a path which Nemesis had not seen before and came to a large room in the cave. It took some time before Nemesis’s eyes adjusted, and once they did, her jaw dropped.

“What is this place?”

“Haven’t you ever wondered how I made Python the dragon serpent or Skorpios, the giant scorpion? Many have threatened to kill my children, or create imbalance by exterminating this creature or that creature but the balance is a delicate dance Nemesis.”

“Is this magic or” — Nemesis frowned — , “witchcraft?”

Gaia laughed a very deep bellied laugh then concerned, simply asked, “have you not heard of science?”

Nemesis looked around the room, there were glass cups and tubes and things that held fire. Some cups held a bubbling green slime and some looked like water. The smell was curious; potent and almost repulsive coupled with the fragrance of herbs and flowers.

“So, Gaia, you are a mother but you are also a scientist? This place is incredible. I see you have preserved some items that once grew on the Earth until more recently like the plants here,” Nemesis gestured to the pots of aloe vera and lavender.

“Yes, I do not know if they will survive or live on, I should imagine life may look very different in the future. I am working on something to help the clean up outside. Starting by clearing up that smoke to grow life again! But it will take time. That’s why I have moved deeper in the cave to start my experiments using the crystals.”

“Yes, that’s it! Eliminating the smoke should return the Earth to balance, but science scares me Gaia. After all, was it not the mortal’s science that destroyed the Earth? Consumption until there was nothing left to consume? Annihilism with not a creation in sight?”

“Hmm, you are right… the mortal’s science did destroy things but they did not even think to keep the balance. Tell me, if you create something so devastating that it destroys every living thing, tell me why is it that something equally powerful to heal every living thing was not created?”

“I believe it is because the mortals did not keep their faith in the Gods and Goddesses, they lost sight of their morals.”

“That is an idea too, but they also did not adhere to the laws of nature.”

Nemesis breathed in deeply, feeling relief yet resignation, “That is true too. I want to help you. I want to understand balance in its entirety so that something like this never happens again.”

Gaia smiled and with an open hand gestured to the equipment, “Let us work.”

Gaia and Nemesis continued to grow three crystals, which had originated of a single larger crystal. Gaia used the ancient knowledge of alchemy, growing and programming the crystals. Nemesis would assist with the programming, the process consisted of giving knowledge, music and applying compresses of herbs on the crystals. Day by day the crystals grew and changed shape into a mortal like form.

“Nemesis, these children will never survive out there as mortals, they need the blood of gods in them. Three gods must give up some of their blood.”

Nemesis nodded, “I will go straight away.”

Gaia grabbed Nemesis’s wrist to stop her, “If you don’t come back, the Earth will fail.”

Nemesis pulled away from Gaia’s grip and headed towards the exit of the cave.

Zeus watched from Olympus as Nemesis flew towards the home of the Gods.

“What have you found Nemesis?”

“Gaia.”

“Does she have a message?”

“No, she does not. She needs help in healing the world though; all hope is not lost.”

“What does she want this time?”

“Three vials of god blood.”

“No, I will not allow it, this could be dangerous.”

“Well, you could speak to her for yourself and find out why.”

Zeus scoffed, “Absolutely not. We… don’t see eye to eye,” Zeus frowned, “she has her way of making things happen and I have mine.”

Nemesis hung her head down, “Is now really a time for pride Zeus? Look, remember the riddle? Something about three living in harmony, in loss they weave new life? They are talking about Gaia’s creations! Creations she will form to heal the Earth again. She is in strife Zeus; there isn’t much time.”

“Nemesis, look Gaia is always creating some kind of crea-”

“-Zeus, I don’t think you can talk your way out of this one; don’t you miss the mortals?”

“You know I do! My heart weeps for them!”

“I know it does, but Earth as it is now, Gaia as she is now…there will be no mortals if you choose your pride first!”

Zeus’s head dropped, defeated, “You are right. I will choose the Gods and you will have your three vials. Return to me in 3 days.”

Nemesis nodded her head and took her leave.

“Ah Nemesis, you have returned, here are your vials.”

Nemesis took them out of Zeus’s hand, “thank you, three days

felt like an eternity,” Nemesis turned to fly back quickly to Earth.

“Wait! Gaia will be distrustful of me, that much I know. You must tell her which Gods gave their blood. Apollo, God of music and poetry, Hermes the messenger, and Achelous, God of the rivers.”

Nemesis nodded again and flew down to Earth, delivering the vials to Gaia to bring the crystal children to life.

The three crystal sisters lived. Each were tasked by Gaia to plant trees, so the air would clear and the wind move; creating music again. The Sisters set out in separate directions, but in the thick smoke they quickly lost sight of each other. If they could only grow them faster and plant more, they would be able to find each other.

Each sister developed her own technique. Sister Sophia talked to the trees, asking them to carry messages between each other, urging them to send these to her sisters. Sister Nomiki was drawn to the rivers and planted trees there, carrying water to them from a horn made of wood. Sister Ariadne sung songs to the trees urging them to grow.

Gradually, over time, the smoke began to dissipate as the trees started to reach up to the skies. The mortals lived again, as did the other life. To this day, the Crystal Sisters wander the Earth to be reunited again. Through their loss and desperation, they weave new life.