The Forgotten Tree of Justice

Let me tell you a tale about Mother Nature’s justice (or Gaia for those who are on more intimate terms). Unlike mankind’s justice system that can be manipulated and bribed, Mother Nature uses a much simpler method - the pear tree. She care’s not for your excuses, bribes, and shades of grey. You either did or did not do as accused. The pear tree will decide and deliver justice as deemed appropriate.

Mankind had taken advantage, abused and destroyed so much of Mother Nature’s hard work over the centuries, she decided it was time to fight back. No longer would she watch helplessly as forests were destroyed, water polluted and made unfit for drinking, and animals that walked the earth reduced to nothing but memories.

The story begins many hundreds of years ago, with a luscious, sweet pear tree that Gaia planted on an open grassy knoll, deep in the middle a hidden magical forest. While Gaia cared for many plants and trees, this pear tree held a special place in her heart because the seeds were a gift from her friend, the goddess Flora. This tree bore the sweetest, juiciest and most bountiful fruit that man could ever imagine.

Flora wanted to thank Gaia for the beauty of the planet, filled with the most exquisite, beautiful and extraordinary living beings, all part of an ecosystem that blossomed and bloomed from her passion and devotion. She ensured she harvested the pear seeds with love and magic to create a tree that would forever nourish those in Gaia's care.

For many centuries Gaia tended to her pear tree, watering, pruning, and sharing the harvest of the fruit with those mythical and magical creatures that mankind has since obliterated from existence - the dryads, the faeries, the elves and the leprechauns, the gnomes, the goblins, the centaurs and fauns, and not to be forgotten, the pixies. All were welcomed by Gaia under the shade of the pear tree.

The forest was dark and foreboding, thick with tree trunks and vines, keeping the light from filtering through to the ground. There was no path naked to the human eye as mankind was forbidden entry to the forest. But as we all know, mankind has never been considerate of the rules of others, especially those whom he considers inferior.

Time saw many civilizations rise and fall, and with it came mankind's hunger to extend their reach to nearly all corners of the earth. Gaia watched in fear and pain as everything she loved was destroyed and ravaged. As her heartache intensified, her powers of protection began to weaken, leaving those in her care vulnerable and unprotected.

The fine balance between need and excess began to vanish as mankind's greed became the motivating factor. With man's manipulation of the environment came droughts, floods, pollution, scarcity and extinction. But ego and the fool stood over wisdom and the enlightened, keeping their foot on the neck of those who would resist. Submission of Mother Earth was to be achieved at all costs.

Gaia watched in horror as forests were depleted, rivers were dammed, and concrete jungles rose from the grounds that had once sustained plants and creatures that were essential to the harmonious survival of the planet. There was nothing that mankind considered sacred, and all was considered disposable in their search for domination over the environment in which they resided.

For hundreds of years, Gaia's pear tree had stood tall and impressive in the forest, unseen by human eyes. Here, Gaia resided with the last of the protectors of the forest, all those mythical creatures since destroyed by mankind's ignorance, denial and apathy. Their sanctuary and haven were not as impregnable as they hoped, as tree after tree was cut and felled, to be used as firewood or building supplies. Slowly the once vast and impressive forest diminished, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

It was a crisp winter afternoon when the man breached the inner sanctum of the forest. He was tall and powerfully built, muscular and heavyset, swinging his axe like it was nothing more than a twig. To most, he was known as Erik Bessom, but those closest to him, and those who feared him, called him "Iron Grasp", not because of his strength when wielding an axe, but because he allowed no one to take anything that he deemed as his.

As the first footfalls were heard in the forest, silence descended. No animal moved, no bird sang, no breeze stirred the leaves of the trees. It was as if an entire forest held its collective breath for fear of being discovered. Erik swung the axe mercilessly, decimating all that stood in his way. Gaia and the creatures of the forest fled in terror, running silently over the moss-laden floor of the forest to the deepest, darkest corners of their sanctuary.

Wielding the axe before him, Erik saw sunlight streaming through the top of the giant trees, and realised there must be an open area ahead. Forging onwards, he thrust through the tangle of vines and branches to see an incredible sight before him. Sitting in an open space on top of a grassy knoll was the most impressive pear tree he had ever seen. It stood close to forty feet high and was heavily laden with ripe fruit, ready for the picking. Now, this struck him as odd since it was winter and the wrong time of year for fruit to be growing on a tree.

Warily stepping forward, Erik reached out and plucked a pear from the tree. Taking a bite, his mouth was filled with sweet, delicious flesh, and the pear juices dripped down his chin. Never had he tasted a pear so tantalising to the taste buds. Looking around, he quickly realised he had stumbled upon a tree worth its weight in gold, and that it was unclaimed by any other. People would pay excellent money to buy fruit at this time when food was scarce.

He knew he would have to be smart and hide this incredible find from the other townsfolk. Deciding to return to his home, he would gather wire, nails and tools to build a fence to protect this pear tree from thieves, or anyone who would wish to take the tree from him. He would build a gate and place a warning sign on front, staking claim to what he now considered his pear tree. Plucking several more pears, he filled his pockets, and began the long trek home, for tomorrow he would return with everything he needed to build his fence.

It was cold and dark, and Themisia had lost her way in the deep forest. Her unborn child lay heavy in her womb, and she felt the tiredness and exhaustion seeping through her bones. Pushing past ancient tree trunks entwined with vines and shrubs, she knew she should stop and take shelter, but something was calling to her, pulling her forward. Fear and hunger kept her moving.

It was close to sunrise when she stumbled into the open. Knowing she could not go any further, Themisia was surprised to see a pear tree standing before her, ripe with fruit, and broad enough to offer shelter. Crying with relief, she grasped several pears from the tree, and quickly devoured them, sating her hunger. With heavy eyes, she curled at the bottom of the trunk amongst the dry leaves and soft moss, wrapping her coat around herself for warmth, and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

The mule dutifully followed Erik through the dense forest, heavily laden with tools and supplies. Stumbling into the clearing and warm sunlight, Erik tied the mule to the outer edge of the forest, away from the area where he would be working. Walking around to the opposite side of the tree, he suddenly stopped, angered by what he saw. A thief had brazenly eaten his pears and left the evidence on the ground. The thief was still curled asleep at the base of the tree.

Roaring in outrage, Erik yelled, "How dare you steal from my pear tree! You will pay me for what you have eaten!"

Themisia awoke with a start, disorientated and fearful, staring at a huge bear of a man towering over her, screaming about his stolen pears. "Sir, I did not know they were your pears, there is no sign or evidence to suggest that I was stealing from someone. I did not intentionally steal from you. It was dark and I was starving, needing to feed myself and my unborn child. I have no money to pay you as I am lost".

Filled with rage that someone would be so daring as to steal from him, Erik suddenly swung his axe high without warning, bringing the blade down across the woman's throat as she trembled beneath the tree. There was no time for Themisia to scream or react. Blood gushed forth, drenching the front of her garments as she held her hands around her throat, nothing but blood and spittle spilling from her mouth, held open in a silent scream. It was over in the blink of an eye, the blood of the innocent woman and unborn child seeping into the base of the tree.

Watching this unjust moment of bloodshed, Gaia's fury could be contained no more, rising from deep within, she unleashed an earsplitting scream of anger that made Erik's blood run cold. Turning, he fled back through the forest, leaving his mule behind, certain that something ungodly was breathing down his neck. Calling on the spirits of old that remained tied to the forest, Gaia demanded justice for the life taken.

The wind howled, trees bent and bowed, branches twined together, and vines twisted around the trunks, creating an impassable wall that no man could hope to penetrate. Try as he might, there was no passage through, and Erik found himself lost in the forest, wandering in circles with no option for escape.

With a heavy heart, Gaia collected Themisia's body and began preparing her for burial beneath the pear tree, now her final resting place. Calling on the forest spirits, Gaia bound Themisia's soul to the pear tree, invoking a magic binding spell that would ensure justice would always prevail. For any person that stood beneath the pear tree would be judged, their soul and intentions unable to be hidden from Themisia's spirit. Those pure of heart would find food and shelter, those tainted with greed and violence would answer for their crimes.

Themisia's spirit was sad at the turn of events but was grateful that Gaia had taken it upon herself to bury her and her unborn child. Knowing that she had been unjustly accused of a crime and murdered for her actions, Themisia swore to protect the pear tree and forest from those who would cause harm. She waited patiently for Erik to return.

Feeling no remorse for his actions, Erik eventually overcame his fear of being lost in the woods and returned to the pear tree to collect his mule and supplies. He was surprised and concerned to find that the body was gone. Walking up to the tree, he placed his hand on the trunk and bent to inspect the ground where he was sure the body had fallen. He did not see the vines snaking towards him, preparing to strike.

Themisia unleashed her fury in one split moment, wrapping her vines around Erik's neck, arms and legs, and jerking him from the ground. Lifting him higher, the vines wrapped themselves tighter around his neck and body, forcing all oxygen from his lungs. The more he struggled, the tighter the hold became, until eventually, all movement ceased. For Themisia, justice for her death felt sweet indeed.

Now legend has it, many a traveller has sought refuge beneath this mighty pear tree, but not all have survived to tell their story. Local townsfolk insist the forest is haunted, and those with blackened hearts, who eat of the pears, find themselves biting into rotten flesh, filled with maggots and poison. Those who unwisely fall asleep beneath the tree will wake gasping for breath as vines wrap tightly around their neck, pulling them high within the branches, as they splutter and choke until their body hangs motionless and silent. Only the pure of heart walk away unharmed.

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