The 4th Step- Part 3

The journey would take him far. Far, far away from his resting place in that tranquil forest. But it was a journey to be undertaken, no matter the consequences. He was compelled, considering it a divine duty. A duty to look at the aftermath of what he had caused. So he started walking, one foot in front of another. The glory of the King depended on this journey. Even if it meant his death.

Through the forest he passed, golden eyes absorbing the sunlight, shining softly in the dim twilight caused by the interlocking boughs overhead. His path was straight and true as an arrow shot by Artemis, the undergrowth moving out of his way, shrinking, as if bowing to its king. Deer walked beside wolves, trailing him as he moved softly down the path, gentle as a spring breeze, disturbing not even the fallen leaves in his path. Like a wraith, the King moved through the halls created for him as he walked. 

Many animals came close to him, bearing offerings to his glory. The squirrels brought nuts, which he then stopped to place in the soil, coaxing it to grow, and soon his path was flanked by new saplings. Even as he floated through the forest, he gave life. The birds landed on his outstretched arms, tittering with excitement, bringing him the sticks with which they build their homes. With a sharp rock he had picked up, he slit open his forearms with a shallow cut, bathing the sticks in a tiny drop of his own blood, of him. By doing this, he granted the sticks more strength than steel, to ensure that the nests built on these would never break down. Whether a storm strikes or a predator. Even as he glided through the forest, he protected and provided for his own. 

Even as he moved, his following grew. The wolves slowly surrounded him in a wide circle, an honour guard of his own. The deer walked alongside him, with birds and squirrels landing on their antlers. Apes and monkeys alike swung from the trees, flipping and falling and exclaiming jubilantly. And just there, in the shadows, the panthers prowled, looking around with their glowing yellow eyes, exerting sheer dominance with each footstep. 

Soon, he reached the edge of the forest, and his following stopped as he took his first step out of his resting place. It had been centuries since he had last stepped out of his sacred place, this place of eternity. He turned around, looking at the gathering before him. Some stepped forward, offering him some fruits for his travels. He just smiled and gathered some in his arms, taking a bite out of a pristine red apple.

"You have thrived here for eras. The eras with and without the King. You were attacked, burnt, looted, yet you still stood. You still rebuilt. And now, for centuries past, you watched over my bound body. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have nothing to offer except for my blessing and a proclamation."

The King turned around and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Then, as he exhaled, he opened his eyes and exploded with light once more. Soon, the proclamation rang through every living things' body, embracing them with that warmth once more.

"This forest stood to watch over my innate body, letting no one come close enough to even feel my aura. For this, I thank them. From now, none under this sun and moon shall tread its hallowed ground with any intention to harm. From now, it is the Forest of the King!"

And then, he closed his eyes once more, sighing softly. The connection grew more powerful each time, and on breaking the connection he felt more and more hollow. Such was the price of caressing the entire world itself, touching each soul through the roots of the Tree of Life that connected them all.

The King turned around, firming his resolve with each step outside his forest. He journeyed long and hard, enduring what would be hardships for others. For him, it was just a trivial matter. When it was freezing cold, he heated himself with the warmth of the bodies around him. When it was burning hot, he cooled himself off by summoning the breeze and moving the clouds overhead. When he was thirsty, he always came across a stream. When he was hungry, his subjects around him got him fruits and berries, ripe and juicy. Yet he never strayed from his path, walking straight towards his destination. Wherever it was.

Every forest he crossed thrived like no other. Every prairie became lusher. Every plain bloomed with flowers and saplings. Life flourished, rejoicing in his presence, still flourishing even as his shadow moved further and further away. Every place he stepped on connected to him, to his eternity, and claimed some of it for itself.

And then, after almost five months of journeying, he reached his destination. There in front of him stood a jungle vaster than he had seen yet, yet also like none other. It was a jungle of stone and steel, and it was overgrown with a forest of its own.