The Adventures of a Dragon, a Pixie, and a Nereid: The Whale and His Tree Friend

The fresh scent of the saltwater, the crisp mist surrounding the ocean, and the warmth of the sunshine transformed the simple shore into a dream. Joan ran over the beach trying to contain the excitement of her hounds. But Melite was walking through the water enjoying the ebb and flow of the surf. She kicked up water with every step, laughing whenever the surf splashed her ankles. Every so often she would stop, mesmerized by the power and majesty of the ocean. Then there was Bog, uninterested in the view or the majesty. Instead, he watched the others with a smile, occasionally helping contain Joan’s hounds and keeping a watchful eye on Mel.

A deep rumbling moan caught Mel’s attention. She looked toward the ocean to see a giant blue whale. The large creature was trying to hold a tree on his head. The hounds pulled Joan but she was like a stone, her eyes shone as she stared at the large creature.

“Joan,” Bog eyed his pixie friend.

“Yeah?” She asked, not looking away from the magnificent creature.

“Do not climb the whale.”

“Why do you always assume the worst of me?” She asked with faux shock. It didn’t last long.

“JOAN!” the dragon called to her, but it was too late she was already on its back running up its spine.

He walked towards the whale, but he wasn’t going to try and stop his friend. Instead, he met Mel by the water, near the whale’s head. The two were silent as they watched the creature. Its big eyes stared upwards towards the tree trying to balance on its head.

“What do you think its doing?” Mel asked Bog her head tilted to the side watching it.

“Dunno,” He answered before shouting, “Hey, what are you doing?”

The voice that answered was like deep rumbling earthquake in the distance, “Trying to protect this tree.”

Mel blinked at the creature. Bog scratched his before he asked, “From what?”

“Gaia no longer accepted the island, said it no longer belonged,” the voice ground out. “She destroyed the island and fed it to the sea. But this tree is my friend, I want to save him.”

The two shared confused looks again, but it was Mel who asked the next question, “How did you become friends with a tree?”

“How does one become friends with anyone?” The whale bellowed taking a moment to adjust to balance his friend. “We met, we laugh, we cry, and we love together. This is what friendships are.”

“That’s really poetic,” Mel said with a smile before nudging Bog.

The dragon looked at his adorable companion and sighed, “Can we help?”

“Can you keep me balanced forever?” The whale’s voice filled with mockery, “So that our friendship endures the ravaging of time? So that my friend can live and I protect him? No? That’s what I thought. I shall continue to hold up my friend no matter the cost.”

From the top of the whale Joan floated down, her pixie wings a flutter. “Guys, guys, guys! There is a talking tree up there! His name is Rodney.”

“We were just talking to his whale friend,” Mel nodded enthusiastically. “He’s trying to save him and balance him.”

“That’s crazy,” Joan burst out laughing. “Rodney is squirming, so he’ll fall and then his friend doesn’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Mr. Whale,” Mel spoke with the large creature again, “Your friend Rodney said he wants to you to let go.”

His response only, “I am protecting Rodney.”

“You are exhausting yourself,” Joan told him, “That’s what Rodney told me.”

“I don’t care.”

“He does.”

“I won’t let him die.”

“Isn’t he going to die anyway?” Bog asked, there was pain in his voice. “You’re holding up a tree, but trees need soil, water, and sunlight. You might sustain him, but he can’t maintain this any more than you can.”

“Isn’t there something we can do?” Mel asked her large friend.

Unable to say no to her, he simply said, “I don’t know.”

Closing her eyes the young nereid placed her hand into the water, she spoke, “Poseidon, mighty sea god, I beg of you a request.”

The ocean waves began to expand, the tide came towards them all, before pooling in one spot, sculpting into the shape of a man’s head. “Who dare pull Poseidon from his slumber?”

“Cool,” Joan said with a bright smile.

The Nereid bowed her head, “It is I, Melite, I beg your assistance. To assist this new friend on his endeavor.”

“The whale and his tree,” the Sea God was familiar it seemed. “You still hold up this tree, and you have obtained help from a nereid.”

“I just want to help my friend,” the whale spoke without fear to the god.

“Gaia wishes for a new island, become it, and gain the strength to hold your friend forever, and he will prosper.”

“But what happens to the whale?” Mel asked suddenly worried, Poseidon’s glare told her it wasn’t her place to speak then.

Bog looked down at his worried friend before asking without fear of the consequences. “But what happens to the whale?”

“I would be choosing to give up my life as a whale and become an island,” the whale answered.

Wings flapping Joan shot like an arrow off back towards the tree.

“But why must you? Why can’t we find a place for the tree?” Mel asked, tears streaming down.

“Because he is from island,” The whale rumbled softly, “And Island does not belong.”

“But… but… but…”

Joan returned a moment later, fiery red curls bouncing, “Rodney begs you not to do this. Just let him go. He doesn’t mind. You tried, and no one has ever tried so hard for him. But you must let him go.”

“No.” Just one word, and the whale said everything he needed to.

“But you can’t die,” Mel burst out wrapping her arms around the dragon as she screamed, “There must be something else.”

Joan touched her friend’s shoulder, before looking towards, the whale once more, “Rodney would have to live with this.”

“But he would live.”

“Rodney said you were being a stubborn fool.”

The whale smiled, “I learned from the best.”

Silence fell over them all, the sea god awaiting a response an answer.

“What would you do Black God?” The whale now looked at the dragon, “What would you do if it were one of your friends?”

The dragon looked up from holding his crying friend, “I’d hold up the world so they may live,” he answered.

“Even if it meant your death?”

“Even if it meant I turned to stone,” he answered.

The whale looked towards Poseidon and nodded his agreement to the deal. Before the trios eyes the whale’s flesh hardened slowly. The top of his head slowly grew grass as his skin turned to soil. The tree’s roots found the soil and began to spread. Now a mountain island in the sea, with a big smile on its face.

The three walked to meet Rodney, his bark looking healthier by the second. “He did it,” Joan told him.

“I know,” Rodney responded in a slow breathed voice.

“Are you okay?” Mel asked him.

“My friend,” Rodney began, “My friend gave me a home where I will always belong.”

A breeze whispered through and as it met the island it gave the island’s voice sound once more, “I shall always lift up my friends.”

Originally published at http://mindofsanity.blogspot.com.