Fauna rose from the altar and walked to the rear of the crumbling temple. A wooden door had once divided it from the Woods of Wonder, but it had long since decayed, leaving a stone threshold as the only evidence it had ever existed. Beyond it, life bloomed. A rolling field leapt and tumbled before her. It was called the Field of Flora, named after the goddess of spring, plants, the sow and the harvest. Beyond it, hidden from view, was a narrow stream that divided the field and forest. The Woods of Wonder stretched for a lifetime, so she had been told, and somewhere within it, trouble was brewing. She was certain she could put a stop to it, though she wasn't in a hurry; she wanted to take the time to enjoy the beauty of the world around her.
She strode confidently into the field. The grass climbed to her knees, tickling her legs as they reached through the cloth strips of her dress with every step. She smiled. She wiggled her bare toes, the blades soft beneath her feet. Huge flowers bloomed all around her, dotting the rich green grass with pink, yellow, pale blue and a vibrant violet. She took a deep breath. The air was so sweet it even tasted of honey. She wondered where all the bees and butterflies were; they were creatures of Flora, and surely they would be in her most sacred place? She shrugged. Perhaps it was still too early in the day. A few stray beads of dew continued to lounge on blades of grass and flower petals. Yes, she thought, it's still too early. She looked at a cluster of blue flowers overflowing with pollen. They were nearly the size of her head. She knelt beside one and stroked its prominent stigma, its girth comparable to a small branch and nearly five inches in height. Her fingers came away yellow.
"Don't worry," she whispered, "the bees will wake up soon."
The flower then lunged forward, its stigma grazing her lips.
Fauna recoiled in surprise. "Goodness!" she gasped.
All around her, flowers began to writhe. Clumps of pollen fell from their stigmas like shooting stars. They stretched towards her, their stems growing to accommodate their need to move.
Fauna frowned. "You poor flowers are desperate for pollination," she said with a pout. Her frown quickly faded. "I have an idea." She reached for the closest flower, the one she had been petting before it lunged at her, and stroked its stigma again. "I'll spread your pollen. That will make everybody happy." She turned to the next flower, petting it until her entire hand was stained. She turned to the next one and stroked its stigma the same way she stroked Storm Caller's horn. The flower seemed to push against her as if begging for more.
"Don't worry," she laughed. "There's enough for everybody."
As soon as she finished speaking, a fourth flower lunged forward and wedged its stigma between her lips.
"Hm!" she gasped. "Someone's eager!" Her voice was muffled. Flowers continued to crowd around her. She reached out with both hands and stroked their stigmas, up and down as the fourth flower bobbed gently in her mouth. They finished with a quick burst of pollen. As soon as one was done, another appeared. When the fourth flower slipped out of her mouth, a fifth - or no, perhaps it would be the seventh? - took its place, plunging between her lips and pumping them with a frail desperation. The flowers were delicate, and so she had to let them do what they needed.
Something smooth wrapped around her ankles. She glanced over her shoulder while a flower continued to pound her mouth. The flowers' leaves had come to life and held her, curling around her ankles and legs, ready to pull her through the field when this cluster of flowers finished. The ones in her hands showered her in pollen, and the one between her lips completely coated her tongue. The leaves tightened their grips and pulled her towards the next clump, knocking her onto her back as the vegetation peered up from the grass like curious imps.