[i]Darkness.[/i]

It had been several hours before Euclid finally stood up, having watched the sun disappear behind the horizon and leave the edge of the sky a brillant shade of orange. Above him, the stars glistened and sparkled, millions of tiny lights that peppered the atmosphere and made the scenery more beautiful than it was during the day. The moon hung in the background, large and almost threatening, and Euclid smiled. He had always been a fan of large moons in the backdrop of the sky, looming over the planet; almost commanding it, but leaving the true majesty to be found on the world itself. Now that he was here, in his own world, he had no idea what to do.

[i]We grow.[/i]

His thoughts were shaken by the soft booming of what he could tell were large footsteps. The ground trembled beneath him but he never lost his footing, shifting his body to view the source of the quake. What came to him was a large entity, enshrouded in green shrubbery with an intricate design all across its body. Its form was massive compared to his own, topping out easily at forty feet in height. It stood on four legs, of which at the end of each were several roots that seemed to form some type of extremities. No face could be found on the creature; if there was one, he couldn't see it. Its head was adorned with a tree that had no leaves, yet the branching was remarkably beautiful. When it stopped in front of Euclid, the two exchanged stares for the longest time before the creature let out a moan that sounded melodic, yet beautifully haunting. Euclid knew immediately what it was and dropped to his knees, propping himself up so that he could keep from buckling under the raw emotion felt in this moment. He had finally encountered the creature of his dreams - the Elder Root.

Resting on its back haunches, the creature moved to lay down, the roots on its feet extending and piercing into the ground. It positioned itself comfortably, then became completely still. Moments passed before the grass around it started to grow at a rapid rate. Flowers erupted from the ground, blooming almost as fast as they had been given birth. The growth started to move outward from the Elder Root's body, reaching past where Euclid was. He stood up, making sure not to get buried by the rapid engendering of vegetation. After a few minutes, the growth stopped, leaving the ground in a beautiful array of plants that could really only be seen from the air. Euclid marveled at the sight of the beast's majesty before yawning lightly. He had spent much of his time here watching the scenery, studying the world. He needed to rest.

[i]Rest is for the weak.[/i]

Settling into the creature's surprisingly soft shrubbery, Euclid crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, he was lost to his dreams.

---

Elsewhere, in a city surrounded by water, was a fragile teen, ailing and afraid of the outside. He clutched a locket in his hand, his breaths ragged and labored as he stared out over the ocean. It was getting hard for him to breathe, to stand, to live. But, he still had some hope, even if it was slim. He knew that somewhere, someone out there was going to find him and fulfill his final request. Keeping this in mind, he smiled and placed the locket in his jeans.

"I know you're out there," he whispered to himself. "And when you finally arrive, I will be waiting. I just hope it isn't too late by then."