Illustration #10 - Terra and her Golem

There once was a princess who ruled a vast kingdom. Her name was Terra, and she had everything she could ever want. She had servants to provide her with great luxury, a kingdom full of loving civilians, a father who granted her anything she demanded, and the view of a glowing sunset from her bedroom window. She was entranced by this sight, and wanted it to become a part of her fair kingdom in some way. She asked her father to order the local architects to expand the kingdom; to reach as far down the horizon as where the sun would sit neatly atop the walls that surrounded it. Forests were chopped and lakes were filled. In the midst of this process, the architects encountered a strange old lady living in a hut. The architects asked the old lady to leave her house and vacate the area, as it was within the planned proximity of the princess' expanding kingdom. The old lady grew upset; this was her only home and building a new house would take her weeks of pain. She asked to speak with the princess herself and to persuade her to build her kingdom walls elsewhere. The old lady and Terra conversed and reached an impasse, neither of them wanting to back out on their original demands. Terra ordered her soldiers to escort the old lady out of her kingdom, but not before the old lady waved her fingers and muttered a few words. "From the wood, stone, and soil of Earth which you have torn in your wake, so shall you become." Terra's skin changed to soil and her body collapsed into a pile of dirt. The old lady was revealed to be a witch and with a boisterous cackle of laughter, she vanished. The kingdom mourned for the loss of their princess, and placed her soil into a grave. The following day, Terra awoke from her grave; her entire body consisting of dirt, roots, stone, and plants. She knew could never return to her kingdom in this state and proceeded to live in the forests surrounding what was once her home. Living a new life, Terra soon discovered an incredible ability she had; the power to create life. Terra harnessed this ability; she made friends with the wildlife and the creatures she would create, and found her kingdom in the environment surrounding her. She learned that she didn't need luxury, rule over a kingdom, or a father to grant her everything. All she really needed now was to continue seeing the same sunset; a reminder of what she had and what she lost because of her greed, but also what she gained afterwards.

Made using Windsor and Newton Cotman Watercolor paint and Bombay India Ink.