To Ascend

To Ascend is a story by Rando07 and is his entry to the Spring Writing Contest 2014.

Story
The canopy sparkled like the night sky—a thick layer of golden glitter scattered across a dark backdrop. Rays of light touched the earth like falling auric ribbons. The silence was palpable; the occasional flutter of leaves in the breeze only affirmed the calm. A small green figure wandered amongst the shrubbery beneath the forest’s canopy. Surrounded by an endless sea of sun-kissed vegetation, the figure paused for a brief moment to look up into the light above him. His noble Suletu shimmered as he continued to walk along the winding path through the forest.

Monolithic tree roots began to hide the once conspicuous earthen pathway. Clambering over such a root, the figure continued onward into the lush expanse. Rando’s armour almost mirrored the shade of green around him, the faint and youthful glow of his sauntering green eyes were the only parts of him that were not concealed by the forest.

He took a moment to look up into the blue as he reached a clearing. Rando embraced the warmth of the overhead sun with open arms, welcoming its generosity. A light breeze brushed past him and tugged him back into a reality that reminded him of the forest’s enormity. The intimidating trees loomed over him; their vines lazily hung just out of reach and mocked him. Rando glanced back up at the sky as the sun disappeared behind a layer of leaves. He accepted the forest’s challenge as he turned his head away from the clearing; the youthful inexperience in his eyes was replaced with the gleam of an indomitable spirit.

The le-matoran darted out of the clearing and vanished into the dense forest ahead. Small, low-hanging branches scratched his armour as he weaved between the trees and vaulted over large roots. Rando’s eyes were unfazed by the battering and exhaustion, only focused on a low branch in the distance.

As he neared his destination Rando leaned back and took a deep breath. The le-matoran launched himself off of the ground with a surprising amount of strength. He soared through the warm air for a breathless moment, arms outstretched towards a branch just ahead of him. Rando’s fingers latched onto the branch the instant they impacted the wood. He heaved himself onto the branch and caused a flurry of leaves to detach themselves and dance through the faint breeze on their way to the ground.

Rando cautiously advanced towards the main trunk of the tree as if he was precariously walking along the rim of a cliff face. A vine wrapped around a branch above hung just over his head, and after testing its strength, he continued his sky bound journey.

With every last crumb of energy being drained from him, Rando strived onward; pushing past ceilings of branches and leaves with every movement of his arms. Each passing moment yielded a rewarding glimpse of the passing sun’s radiant glow. Rando could feel the light drafts of air sweep across his Suletu as they seeped through the canopy. Finally nearing the forest’s apex, Rando shut his eyes and took one final breath of the humid forest air.

What was left of Rando’s energy went into one last surge of willpower that propelled him upward. The le-matoran burst through the canopy into the open air. He stared wide-eyed at the wilderness all around him. Rando splayed his arms out as a gust of wind carried several stray leaves past him. He looked out again towards the setting sun—a bright orb descending to the place where a world of endless emerald and cloudless azure united.

Characters

 * Rando

Trivia

 * The matoran's identity in this story was originally supposed to remain ambiguous throughout, however, Rando07 decided that it would be best to reveal Rando's identity as the main character in the story fairly early on.