Ecerpt from Banyan

Chapter One - Grashot Forest

“Things are always at their best in their beginnings.”- Pascal

The story begins in the season of the sun in the year of modern time…

The sunlight glistened on the water of Spirit Stream and made visible the trout swimming just below the surface. The forest was bursting with color as nature came into bloom and the Meadowlark sang their early morning song to greet the day. Banyan took his daily walk along a small footpath in the forest gathering berries, nuts and herbs carefully placing them in a small pouch beneath his robe. Fairies were playing and floating about on bubbles, their laughter filling the air like enchanted music. Others were gathering herbs and plants that would be used later for secret fairy spells woven when the moon is full. A Butterfly fairy, her wings like that of a Monarch, with long silken hair and skin of butter crème, sat atop a bubble pensively gazing into a small moonstone that she was holding. Her concentration centered so on the Oracles of the moonstone, she never noticed Banyan as he quietly slipped past. It wasn’t long before Banyan came to his favorite spot in the forest, where the stream bends and seems to fade into a nearby stand of Cedar and clusters of wild flowers dressed in fiery reds and pale pinks blanketing the base of the trees. Banyan stopped to gather pieces of dried cedar, placing them in his empty satchel. He would bring some home for himself and his dear friend Ozar. They would use the cedar to make treasure boxes to store feathers and shiny river rocks and such. Banyan could hardly wait to return home and see the excitement in his friend’s eyes when he gazed upon the beautiful pieces of cedar he had found. Banyan so enjoyed the hours the two of them spent sitting in front of the fire, drinking Persimmon tea sweetened with honey and smoking their hand carved pipes. The delicate aroma from the special pipe blend would circle the tabletop scattered with parchment and quills as they designed each box with great detail. As he made his way further down stream, Banyan decided to stop and enjoy a cool drink from the spring, watching as his reflection gazed back at him. At age 362, Banyan was a gnome of diminutive stature, with dark tan skin and white hair. His beard, so long that it trailed behind as he walked, offering a place for the butterflies and fairies to play. Banyan sat listening to the sound of the water rippling over the rocks as he took inventory of the herbs he had gathered. Still needing a few more items, he continued down to the meadow where the Boxwood and Horseweed grow before starting to venture back home.

Standing at the mirror in his office straightening his tie, Jeremy still wasn’t ready for his afternoon meeting. Jeremy was not only very powerful and rich, but very much the ladies man. At six feet, one hundred and seventy pounds, his muscular frame, rugged good looks, sandy blonde hair and green eyes left women rivaling for his attention.

He had written his proposal several times before finding the words he was confident would be compelling enough to warrant any changes to the zoning. His attorneys had always handled these things in the past, but this time he couldn’t trust anyone else to do it. It wouldn’t be easy trying to convince the city council of Riverview to make the zoning changes he needed without disclosing his motives. He could not let them find out that it was actually his development company, Landruth Developers that headed the hostile takeover of Winford Realty. There would be too many questions concerning the takeover and the sudden acquisition of 13 parcels of land just outside the city that bordered the Grashot Forest. If anyone were to suspect that the changes he was trying to slide in under the radar were actually meant to allow development of the Forest, Jeremy’s plans would be destroyed. There was no time to worry about that now, he had to get to city hall early enough to shake a few hands and line a few palms before the start of the meeting. Jeremy had a talent for knowing which city council members would be - lets say - more open to shaking hands with him than others. He would find their “special need” and then fill it. It was the way he did business. It was the way his father, Warren Landruth always did business. Warren owned a multi million-dollar corporation by the time he was 30. He never designed, manufactured or built anything. All his money was made destroying what others had labored to build, the hostile takeover of a troubled company, buying it cheap and selling it off in pieces to the highest bidder. Picking away at a company’s structure much like a buzzard picks clean the bones of a dead carcass. When the mogul passed and Jeremy took over the day- to-day operations of Landruth Developers, that practice did not end there. Jeremy had his eyes set on his next victim, and he was about to move in for the kill.

The sun was high in the afternoon sky as Banyan heard a familiar screech from above. He gazed up and saw his friend Rowan circling over head. Rowan was a magnificent Eagle, born in the time known as To’luk Hray, the time of the Red Moon. It was a time when all the eagles were given large and powerful wings and took to the wind as messengers, carrying the words of all directions between the realms. Rowan has lived many generations, soaring high above the forest, making his home in the dominion of Chenosh Ashari, the resting place of the wind. With his wings spread wide, Rowan glided downward and came to rest next to Banyan. The two exchanged news of recent events while they dined on the berries and nuts Banyan had gathered earlier that day. Then Rowan began to speak of a place outside the forest called the City. It was a big place, much bigger than the forest. Now perched on a branch with his wings tucked firmly at his side, Rowan went on to tell Banyan how this place filled with humans, dirt, noise, and buildings was moving closer. Its borders were stretching out farther and farther with every passing day. “I made the mistake of getting to close. Clouds of dirt rose from towering stacks covering my wings, suffocating the air from beneath and I feared I might not make it back home. Soon you will be able to hear its noise and smell it’s dirt and one day I’m afraid, the forest will be no more.” “How can that be?” Banyan asked his trusted friend. “How can the forest be gone forever? That’s impossible. The forest is as old as time itself.”
“But I’m afraid it is possible and I’m here to warn you and the other Keepers before it’s too late”. Rowan’s voice was saddened by what he had to tell his old friend. “The City grows closer everyday. Now, Banyan you must gather the other Keepers, I will come with you and tell them what I have seen. I will tell them the stories I have heard from others of my kind. Stories of the rivers that are now spoiled and unsafe to drink from, of land that will no longer grow plants and forests that disappear; cut down over night.”

The Riverview City Council meeting was now in session and Jeremy was presenting his proposal to the council members. “Over the years the city of Riverview has been presented with numerous offers of expansion and the city council exercising good sense and foresight chose not to accept them. What good is expansion if it doesn’t benefit the entire community? With recent hostile takeovers and land being bought and sold right out from under us by companies that disappear like thieves in the night, I think it’s time the council put certain zoning changes in place to protect Riverview’s best interest. Particularly Grashot Forest. Until now no development has been proposed near the forest but with recent events perhaps it’s time to put into place zoning that would allow for only certain types of development.” “I don’t follow the reasoning behind that Mr. Landruth. “Why allow any type of development if that is exactly what we are trying to avoid?” questioned Councilman Connolly as he tapped his pen on the desk, trying to restrain the uncertainty in his voice. “Councilman Connolly, the one thing everyone wants is the one thing they know they cannot have, that’s what makes it so desirable. So by changing the zoning of Grashot Forest to allow for,” Jeremy paused momentarily, “let’s say housing that detracts from its desirability. And what would be less desirable and less profitable to build than houses?” “And you honestly believe that in this day and age there is no money in housing Mr. Landruth?” Councilman Connolly grilled as he tapped his pen more aggressively on the desk. “Yes, that’s exactly what I believe”, Jeremy said with a smirk. “Especially houses stuck out in the middle of nowhere, miles outside the city limits.”

Filled with worry and disbelief of the news his trusted friend had shared with him, Banyan called upon the Fairies to go on ahead to the village and gather the other Keepers. “Tell them to meet at the Circle of the Ancients, they will know its urgency.” Banyan turned to Rowan but no words were exchanged as the two hurried back to the village. Seated at the Circle of the Ancients, the Keepers waited with heavy hearts to hear what Rowan had to tell them. He had always been a trusted and loyal friend to the Keepers. As Rowan entered the circle he began to speak of the buildings that loom in the sky: the endless roads that cover the fields, of the noise, smoke, dirt and of the humans who were moving closer, killing more of the forest and those that live there everyday. He warned of how they would not stop until all the forest was gone forever. He told the Keepers of how he had seen it happen to many of the places he once visited. “Keepers”, Rowan pleaded, “you must listen to me. There are places now just memories lost in time like the Dragons and the Unicorns whose footprints are mere shadows across our hearts. If the once mighty dragons can be wiped away like the mist of the morning dew, I ask you, what will become of us? Who will be left to carry the shadow of our footprints?” Banyan and the others fought to hold back their tears. Banyan asked the others to put their trust in the Wisdom that had guided them through the ages; hoping together they could find a way to preserve the forest before it was too late.

Next Council meeting: one week later. “Council has returned with its vote”, announced a senior council member, his voice sounding quite pleased with what he was about to say, “And it seems congratulations are in order Mr. Landruth. That was a very convincing argument. Not only did the Council vote to change the zoning of Grashot Forest, it will go into effect immediately.” It was all Jeremy could do to hide his excitement. Things were finally starting to fall into place.