Botanical

Chapter Four: The Phoenix

Lycon entered the Plantetarium. It was full of plants - with vines hanging everywhere, turning the glass dome into a tropical rainforest. Plants covered the glass and plants sprang up from the floor. It was like a bright, unkempt greenhouse. Lilium sat on a bench, playing with something that looked like a cat, but was different - it was made out of microgreens and moss.

 "What is that?" Lycon asked, setting her bag on the floor.

 "My creation and pet," Lilium said, beaming and standing up. "Her name is Sprout."

 Sprout meowed, and it sounded underwater. She trotted over to Lycon and sat on her feet. Wherever that cat stepped, a clover grew on the dirt floor. 

 "I think she likes me," Lycon said, rubbing the clovers behind the cat's ears.

 "She can tell you're a Botanical," Lilium explained. She picked up a stick. "Now, for our lesson! We will start with the base of every plant and tree in the world - fungus. It breeds new life and takes the old. It creates new and keeps the world going, the nutrition of it healing and growing. Can you make the great healer?" She handed Lycon the stick.

 Lycon focused on everything she'd just said. She took the stick and felt the sprout inside her. Thinking of the color she'd grow it, the texture, and the smell, she took a deep breath. She imagined fungus ledges, squeezed the stick, and felt a great relief grip her soul as little ledges of the fungi sprouted all over the stick. She smiled. "I did it!"

 "You did!" Lilium laughed. "Next, we're going to add more to it. This will be your inspiration stick. Can you add your favorite flowers?"

 Lycon immediately pictured the daisies she'd grown on the wall of the mill. Beautiful and pure, with the drop of gold in the center and the pretty, silky petals of white, like the skirt of a ballet dancer. She imagined the tender stalks and plump leaves, focused on the stick, and little delicate daisies decorated the fungi. Lilium beamed.

 For the next hour, Lycon covered the long stick with moss, leaves, flowers, fungi, and a lot of green. It was tall enough to be a walking stick, and Lycon had bonded with it. She was able to grow things from nothing out of the ground, so her hair was wreathed in a flower crown just like Lilium. She wondered how Veera's lesson was going. She hoped she was having just as much fun as she was.

 Soon, the lesson was over. She hurried downstairs to see Veera and En sitting at the kitchen table. Lunch, which was salad and cheesy bread, was waiting on gold plates.

 "Hi!" They greeted each other. Each was bursting with stories to tell about their lessons, so they stuffed their food down, grinning goofily at each other. They wiped their lips, thanked En for the meal, and ran outside for recess.

 "My lesson was awesome!" They both said at the same time as they ran towards the chicken coop.

 "I had so much fun!" Veera said. "I can't wait to show you!"

"And I grew so much stuff!" Lycon giggled. "Let me show you!"

 They slowed down and watched the multicolored chickens peck around the grass. Veera picked up one, its feathers fluffy against her skin. Lycon picked up another - they were very friendly.

 The girls saw a nine-inch rooster standing on the roof of the coop. He had a green tail, white body, golden neck, and red wings. He was beautiful, but so small.

 "Is he a chick?" Veera asked.

 "I don't know . . . he doesn't look like one," Lycon said, cocking her head to the side.

 The rooster looked straight at them with an offended expression. "Am I a chick? Am I a chick?" He squawked. "What is with Enchanters and their silly assumptions? Oh my goodness. Now you hurt my feelings. Give me some respect, people!"