The creature tasted bitter.

It took me a moment to realize my tongue was flicking out and tasting the air, and that the creature really did taste bitter to me. It wasn’t just a strange stray thought. So odd. Trees don’t taste. They don’t smell, see, or hear either so all these senses were new to me. A tree only feels. I could feel where I was from the air and the dirt and presence of those around me as a tree. As a creature all these other senses existed.

Some of the younger trees, ones that were once nymphs or dryads, remembered the sensations, but-

That was it! All creatures worked within a system created by the gods. That system helped them to grow and evolve into higher forms of themselves. All I had to do was grow and surely one day I would evolve into a nymph or dryad and then I could become a tree again!

Starting out as something as low as a snake meant I had a lot of growing to do to get back to my former self. Is that why that blue god’s message appeared? Were they assisting me as an apology for their cruel joke? In that case it was only fair. I had discovered the secret to my future and the reason behind their assistance. I am fabulous!

I’m so wise I sometimes amaze myself.

The creature still stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time. I mean. I know I’m a tree and I’m worth staring at but not many really seem to understand that. The momentary tree-like state wore off in seconds, and my revelations had me swaying in excitement for my new future goals.

I was learning why creatures liked movement so much. Their bodies naturally moved with their feelings. It was basically instinct.

The four-legged creature grew tired of staring and lunged at me, and I slid away as fast as I knew how. The gods must have cursed me with knowledge because suddenly I knew: that other creature ate the one who birthed me, and would eat me if I was caught.

How short sighted! The gods must be fools to create such an inefficient system of collecting nutrients. Had all their skill been used up making trees? This four legger would spend more energy chasing me than he would absorb by eating me.

The creature dug at the roots where I hid, and for the first time I understood fear. I did not want to be nutrients for something else. I didn’t want to feel the sharp needles of that thing tearing into my flesh.

Some instinct told me it was painful. The same instinct said pain should be avoided.

The creature was right on my tail as I slipped through the undergrowth, apologizing as best I could to the roots I disturbed along the way. Forgotten limbs and feelers from vines tangled up in bushes and grass and weeds, all trying to protect their own territory. I lost myself in that messy tangle of interlocking bodies. They stood their ground against the four legger as best they could, and I was grateful they sacrificed themselves for me.

Soon the blue glow of a god’s message appeared, and before I could laugh at their pathetic mistake I fell through the glow.

Charged through it, really. Head first. Stopping wasn’t something I knew very well yet.

In a moment I was somewhere else. Not too far. A disturbance not far off was the four legger after me roaring out their frustration. Trees were far superior to cats, though, so my success wasn’t much of a surprise.

I was far enough away to escape without setting off another chase, so I did. I saw no need to confront my doom again. One encounter with fear was enough for a lifetime.

The gods might not be completely unskilled after all since their message might have aided my escape. Because I didn’t want to offend them too badly in case that was true, I gave small thanks for my successful flight, and used my “roots” skill to exchange nutrients with the trees around me.

The trees aided me too. They were worthy of my thanks.

My experiences so far were far from comforting. Even using my roots skill wasn’t enough to stop my body from feeling cold. Dawn peeked through the upper foliage and I tried “eat” one more time, praying for a god’s - any god’s - mercy.

It failed.

In low spirits I wandered from patch of sunlight to patch of growing sunlight. I curled up on a warm rock to look about the area and consider what I learned since waking up like this.

One: this body sleeps. It can fall into that state unexpectedly, and the effects of sleep were like a curse. Managing the status was crucial.

Two: it was possible this body obtained nutrients like the four leggers. That meant consuming other creatures. I would need to experiment with this to discover if the new method of “eat” worked. Until then managing my health with “roots” was the only solution I had. This body wouldn’t survive on “roots” alone for long, though. I could already feel that I was expelling more nutrients than I was taking in. If consuming other creatures didn’t work, discovering how this body fed was my second priority.

Three: Other creatures could feed on me. Even under the roots of a protective tree I wasn’t completely safe.

Four: this body had a range of “instincts”. When I considered carefully, those instincts must be behaviors and knowledge passed down from the one who gave birth to me. The gods were not so generous as to give me all that knowledge when I was the root-rot under their trunk. These instincts must be a result of genetics and muscle memory. I was too big to be just sprouted, after all.

Five: as a creature, the gods’ messages sometimes appeared before me. It had to be a glitch. I couldn’t read the messages - only humans had that privilege - and I didn’t know what part they played in growth. But all creatures were capable of evolution. My dream of becoming a tree again was possible.

I needed a plan. The sunny spot on the rock had turned to shade, and I slithered down it to the next warm place.

My safe space under the apple tree was gone. My middle still hurt from lack of proper nutrients. Evolution meant growing and growing meant winning - ugh - fights. Running away wasn’t always going to be an option.

Becoming a tree again would be hard.

It was worth it, though. Being a tree was all I knew. I wasn’t suited to life as a creature. I didn’t even know how to properly communicate with other creatures. My only connection in this world was to the trees.

I continued exploring the sunny spaces away from the four legger’s range. I focused on finding small prey - preferably prey that was already dead - and used my tongue to taste for something more palatable than the bitter predator. I wouldn’t be able to battle and grow if I wasn’t sufficiently fed. Even trees never challenged other trees for the best sunlight spots without proper preparation.

Stealing someone else’s prey was possible if they were away. Food left out was fair game, right?

I hoped another creature eased the pain in my middle.

The mouse was out in the open. My tongue didn’t taste any other creatures nearby, at least not any large ones like the four legger who would be interested in my flesh. It was knocked across the roots of an elder tree. Moss covered the aged roots, blood seeping into the outer bark. His battle against the rodent must have been fierce.

I did my best to be respectful. I curled on the ground next to the dead mouse, and I used “roots” to ask permission for the creature like a proper sapling.

My old body was well beyond such gestures. I didn’t ask for permission back then; I gave it when I was feeling generous. But this strange snake body was still young enough to be a sapling, and I wasn’t bold or brave enough to catch my own mouse yet. Particularly with my middle so empty. Asking for permission was the proper way.

The elder gave permission with amusement. He shook his leaves and swayed with the wind, light at the twist on an otherwise ordinary day.

My thanks was a bit bitter. I didn’t enjoy being young again and relearning the way to live. My days as a sapling were long past.

My nose hit the mouse gently and I tried to evoke the tree’s skill. Eat. The elder tree laughed and the grass snickered. I’d known it wouldn’t work, but the thought of putting another creature in my mouth?

Flowers were different. Blooms were clean. This creature had all sorts of waste still on it.

A need was a need, however. I closed my eyes, opened my mouth, and ate my first meal.