Genas has Lost its Color

Genas was a beautiful elfish land. It was full of lush green valleys with all kinds of flowers and vegetation in magnificent colors. Mountains that seem to touch the heavens and crystal blue seas, clear as glass.

King Thalion lived on top of the highest mountain. He often would come down the mountain to the valley to spend time with his favorite elves, Gil-gald, Str of bright light and his mate, Galadriel, crowned maiden.They were the only inhabitants of Genas.

Gil-galad had strong chiseled features, carried himself with authority even though he did not always act with it. He enjoyed times in the gardens tending to the vegetables and fruits, he also was a master woodsman, making a home for he and Galadriel in the trunk of a large Dreamroot tree.

Galadriel ,was fair and lovely, stronger than her delicate features would imply. She often would help Gil-galad in the gardens. She would use her delicate features and a soft voice to have Gil-galad get her her favorite fruit for dinner.

In the cool of the evening when the light in the sky was just peeking above the meadow and the night light was peeking from the mountain top, King Thalion came down from his royal home and asked Gil-galad to walk with him.

The king said, “Gil-galad are you happy here?” “Yes,” Gil-galad replied, “It’s beautiful here.” The King continued, “Have I blessed you and bestowed wondrous gifts for you?’ “Indeed,” said Gil-galad. “And Galadriel.” the King added, “Is she not a good companion for you? Does she not bring out your best and fill in the spaces you are lacking.?” “Yes, yes she does. You have been most kind to us. I cannot imagine a land or place more magnificent in which to abide in."

The King stopped, they had come to the center of Genas, he took Gil-galad and showed him the beautiful groves of fruit trees, delicious, enticing, and sumptuous he showed him all the plants and berries on which to feast. Seeds, berries, nuts. An endless supply. Then the King said, “See all this?” As he waved his arm across the land as far as one could see. “Yes Gil-galad said. “You may eat of any of these be filled to your heart’s content, but see this tree in the center?”

Gil-galad looked and saw a tree, whose leaves shimmered with silver and gold flecks, he saw the fruit that was large and plump More sumptuous than any other fruit he had ever seen.“ You must not eat from this tree,” the King said, “You must not even touch this tree for when you do you will bring a curse to yourselves and this land.” 

“What is this tree?” Gil-galad asked. King Thalion answered, “This is the Silverleaf Tree, it contains the knowledge and wisdom of all that is good and righteous and also the knowledge of what is evil. I am protecting you, for such knowledge of all things would be more than your elfin heart and mind could comprehend.”

“Have you not said that I have provided well for you? Have I not shown you plants and trees and bushes to numerous to count that you may eat from?” 

Gil-galad answered, “Yes, my King, you have, “This one command I give you,” the King said, “You shall not eat of this tree here in the enter of Genas or you will die and the land be cursed.”

Gil-galad told Galadriel what the King had commanded, Galadriel simply nodded, not really listening.

One day while Galadriel was gathering fruit and seeds for supper she come across the beautiful Silverleaf Tree with shimmering silver and gold leaves and she looked at the fruit. It was more enticing and sumptuous looking than anything she ever saw. 

Gil-galad stood next to Galadriel, and they were looking at the tempting fruit when a voice was heard. “Sss surely you may eat of thissss fruit.” Galadriel turned and saw a creature looking like an old crooked branch hanging from a limb. “Who are you?” She asked.

“Ssss I am ssss Assssiri. Who ssssaid you may sssss not eat this delicious ssss fruit ssss?”

Galadriel replied, “Gil-galad said the King commanded him not to eat of it.” Asiri hissed, “Ssss surely the King ssss knows sss that when you do you will be as sss powerful as sss he is sss. Wouldn’t you like to be as sss the king?

Galadriel thought a moment and said, “Well no, I did not hear him say anything.” “Then did he sss say it?” Asiri asked.

Gil-galad stood silently, watching, listening. He knew he should say something, but he remained silent.

Galadriel looked at the tree. “Go ahead and touch the fruit .”Asiri said. “ See how it feels sss.” Galadriel touched the fruit it was smooth and felt firm in her hand, “Just tug, it will come off into your sss hand.”

Galadriel pulled on the fruit, some juice from the fruit dripped on her slender hand, “ Go ahead, taste it. Ssssee how good it isss.” Asiri said to her.

Galadriel tasted the sweet nectar of the fruit, she had never ever tasted anything so sweet. She had to have more. She cradled the fruit and then slowly took a bite of the deletable fruit.

Immediately she turned to Gil-galad and offered him a bite of the fruit,Gil-galad did nothing at first. “Oh please for me,” Galadriel said, “It is so delicious.” Asiri slithered to Gil-galad.

“Did the king sassy if you eat this ssss you will die? Ssss. Did he mean that really ssss? Is sss not Galadriel sss still amongst us alive and well?’ Gil-gald thought another moment, maybe the king did not mean what he said, Galadriel is still alive. And the fruit does look good.

Gil-gald took the fruit from Galadriel and took a bite, it tasted good at first. Bt when he swallowed the fruit, his stomach felt s if someone had placed a stone in it. He looked at Galadriel and she at him they instantly felt the pang of the disobedience they had committed.

It was the cool of the evening and the bright light in the sky was touching the land and the night l light was appearing at top of the mountain. Soon King Thalion would be descending his throne to walk with them. Gil-galad tuned to Galadriel and spoke, “The king must not know what we have done. We must keep it hidden from him. We must hide ourselves.

Galadriel angrily cried out “Why did you tell me that ll would be well Asiri, Asiri?” She shouted, but Asiri had disappeared just like he appeared.

King Thalion was in the garden “Gil-galad, where are you?” the king knew. But he asked yet again, “Gil-galad where are you?”

Gil-galad and Galadriel knew they could hide no longer shamefully they came before the king with their heads down.

“Why are you downcast? Did you eat of the Silverleaf Tree that I commanded you not to?” King Thalion already knew the answer.

Accusations flew. “THAT FEMALE!”, Gil-galad began angrily, “She is the one who tempted me to eat to the fruit. I had no choice, I HAD NO CHOICE!.” “No choice?” King Thalion questioned . Gil-galad replied, “YES, NO CHOICE, SHE IS A WITCH.”

Galadriel retorted “Do not blame me if you are spineless. You said nothing. That crooked creature Asiri made me question what was said. I did not hear you tell Gil-galad or me anything about not eating of the fruit IT IS NOT MY FAULT!

ENOUGH! King Thalion shouted. Talking to Gil-galad, he said, "I told you a command and I expected you to follow it and to have those with you to follow the command. You failed. You will still eat of the land and animals provided but you will have to work long and hard for the land to produce for you have caused a curse in the land of Genas.”

He turned to Gaaldriel, “As for you, you doubted what I had spoken to Gil-glad and instead chose to trust Asiri a lying deceiving creature. You will struggle with wanting independence and wanting to please Gil-galad. Your offspring will cause you great pain”. 

“Both of you will not see the joy and beauty of Genas again.” Then the king summoned for angels Seraphiel and Aziel. Serephiel an angel with wings of fire and eyes of blaze. Aziel a mighty angel with the features of a woman but do not be fooled, Aziel is the King’s mighty warrior. The King raised his scepter and the angels flew across the land .

Gil-galad and Galadriel watched in disbelief as the beautiful colors of Genas , even the color of their eyes and hair seem to follow the angels, leaving behind drab shades of grays in its place. The colors that defined the beauty of Genas were all gone.

“What have we done” Gil-gald cried. 

“This is the consequence of your disobedience,” the king said. “You were enticed by the beauty of the Silverleaf Tree. Now nothing is enticing to you. You will not tell the difference between what is sweet or what is sour or what appears good to eat by looking. All the fruits in this land are still edible. The Silverleaf Tree has been cursed by you eating of it. The tree will be destroyed so no other after you will eat of it.” He commanded Serephiel to burn the tree. 

“However," the King continued, “the spirit of wrong is in your herts and will be transferred to generations from now and ever more. From now on I will no longer come and personally walk with you for I cannot look upon the evil in your hearts you have crated through your disobedience."

“I will provide for you and I will make ways for you to draw near my presence but you will not see my face again.

Gil glad and Galadriel hung their heads with remorse. Seraphim and Ariel, when done with pulling the color and beauty from Genas, stood by King Thalion. The king raised his arms and said, “From this day forth this land shall be called Thelian, land without color or beauty.”

 “Thelian is the land where you and future generations will live out their lives until the day of restoration.”

The king returned to his castle at the top of the high mountain he had Seraphiel and Aziel to stand guard at the path to his throne. "You are not allowed to climb the mountain to get to me nor to partake of any of the Life Fruit found there."

Every where they looked was colorless, barely a difference between white and gray. The sky was light gray with shades of darker grays. The sun no longer bright and yellow was a muted grey, still produced heat and plants still grew but only with shades of gray for color. There was barely a distinction between leaves and flowers. There was a faint smell to the fruits and plants but it was as if someone had diluted everything.

Gil-galad and Galadriel found ways to tell trees of various fruit apart, they would place one stone at the base of the tree for sweet fruit, two for sour, they would hammer in the ground three sticks for trees or bushes with bitter fruit.

The slightest hint of color was at the top of the mountain where King Thalion lived . And the warrior angels, Seraphiel and Aziel standing guard at the base served as a reminder of what they had and lost. The beautiful land of Genas.