AXIUM

CHAPTER 7

XRenia appeared in space above the earth. Her grandfather stood inside his capsule like shield over top of the world his calm and straight faced demeanor the perfect picture of the powerful ruler he was. With precise smooth motions of his hands he formed a scrying far larger than she believed was possible.

When he finished he clasped his hands behind his back and stared imperviously down at the world below. "Tell me what you see."

She gazed at her grandfather's scrying with unbridled curiosity. It spanned the width and breath of their kingdom and worked like a liquid magnifying glass. Wherever her eyes swept the scrying would zoom in bringing every aspect of Terra into crystal clear view. She gasped in awe struck wondered for it was the most beautiful and magnificent sight she had ever seen.

The rolling hills of ordinate green and the seas of tall graceful trees flowed seamlessly into each other. Villages and towns dotted the endless expanse in complete harmony with breathtaking nature about them.

Her grandfather turned his head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"It's our kingdom."

"Describe it for me."

"It's green and lush. The towns and villages seem to blend perfectly into nature and they seem so. . so tranquil."

"And the cities?"

XRenia eyes swept across the land to focus on Coriander one of the largest cities and her favorite one. It was vibrant and full of life and there was no black smog hanging over the city like there was in other nations. Exquisite hanging gardens let their vines hang down every skyscraper. Tall luscious green grass grew under the glass riveted walkways and even the roads for the constant flow of vehicles were somehow designed in such a way that they added to the beauty of the city instead of taking away from it. "The only word I can think of to describe them is elegant."

"I prefer the word pulchritudinous. But yes they are elegant."

He waved his hand and the land shifted and morphed. The land that replaced their fair kingdom was a hideous clay red. A giant desert sat right in the middle of it. The northern lands covered in ice and continuous blizzards. The few forest there was, were a brownish green. The Eastern side was dotted in factories that spewed forth sickening black clouds. Giant gaping holes could be seen across the entire land and at places it look like a beast the size of a nation had taken its claws to it, ripping colossal size gouges into the earth.

"This is the Badlands. What Terra used to be called and looked like."

She gasped. "That can't be true. It looks nothing like our kingdom."

"That's because your grandmother and I, along with your parents have spent our entire lives changing it into what it is today."

XRenia put her hand to her mouth in amazement.

"Over a billion people call Terra home and thanks to our efforts they live peaceful happy lives." Her grandfather took a deep and satisfied breath. "This is the results of our blood sweat and tears. This is what you are capable of."

He turned and stared meaningfully at her his starlight blue eyes burning home his statement. She swallowed hard and without saying another word her grandfather produced a rift and disappeared.

She floated there in silence staring down at her grandfather scrying. For the life of her she couldn't believe that this ugly continent staring back at her used to be what their beautiful kingdom looked like.

XRenia couldn't even imagine what it would take to heal even one of those holes in the land. Yet her family had healed them all. Then she remembered what Verin had said about putting others first. That is exactly what her grandfather, grandmother and her parents had done all their lives and she had never even realized it. Oh sure they ruled the kingdom but she knew quite well that was no picnic even if many adolescent teenagers her age believed it was. No, her family had continuously gave and gave of themselves while she on the other hand was spoiled rotten.