Mushroom story

 Mushroom illustrations are in my portfolio

Today is not the same as in the past.  (Chapter 1)

Elderly people say that long time ago the kingdom Fungi was ruled by the king Agaric the Haney. His words were sweet but the heart desired for eternal life only.  He ruled the country for too long and his poison began to corrode him from the inside.  He was afraid of losing power, life and his wealth.The folk of the kingdom tried to resist his madness. Then, in order to intimidate people and strengthen his power, he released a rumor about an Unknown Darkness that is spreading across the world and is about to swallow the kingdom. The only way to defend yourself is to make a sacrifice. Therefore, by decree of the king, every day all the inhabitants of the kingdom had to come to the palace to bend their knees . And the royal guard was choosing several persons to fry them along with onions and potatoes and serve on a platter to the king sitting in the depths of his palace. He read in some historical book that it is a remedy for all diseases.

As time went by, Agaric the Haney took care of his life. (chapter 2)

He drew strength by devouring the lives of the folk of his kingdom. Lies, fear, cruelty and despair settled on the streets of cities and villages forever. People thought this was the Unknown Darkness spreading all over despite the daily sacrifices. Finely, they began to wonder if this remedy was reliable. And why did no one in other kingdoms sacrifice himself to defeat the Unknown Darkness?

Thus, in order to distract people from dangerous thoughts, the king decided to declare war on dissidents. Agaric resorted to the help of his henchmen. They managed to convince folk that everyone who doubts the ancient knowledge and recipes for protection from the Darkness is infected with rot. It could not be cured. Additionally, this infection transmitted not only through the air, but even through subtle information flows penetrating all living things. Therefore, everyone must stand up for their moral values ​​and hand over each sick man to the ministry of the interior. For their weakness and betrayal those dirty persons are worthy of cruel punishment. Even though they were relatives or children. Especially children… Agaric the Haney needed the young healthy blood.

Finally, stability and order have reigned in the kingdom Fungi. (Chapter 3)

Everyone knew his place and everyone was ready to push back the Unknown Darkness. It conquered everything around but failed to subdue the valiant people of Fungi.

So they thought… They were confident in their exceptional purity, wisdom and strength. That is why Fungi went out to cleanse the whole world of rot. The mad king led an army to force every creature to admit his lifestyle as the only true. His people knew exactly what life should look like because they had clearly written instructions from the royal henchmen. Agaric the Haney spent all the country's resources for this invasion. The army was starving and freezing. However the bloody king got no recognition. Moreover, Fungi folk was shocked to see that the whole world can breathe without a user manual. And every creature has its own way to live. No meter in the dark or in the light. Suddenly, It became clear that no sacrifices were necessary and no need to fight with anyone.

Yet, royal fanatics were on the alert to chase and stamp out the rot. It was time for the Fungi people to make a choice if they resist or be bended again. This mushroom confrontation was resolved by a fierce battle. Many years passed before it was ended. Many mushrooms were crushed during this time. The mad king has sunk into oblivion, because there was no one to feed him.

But you know, friends, that mushrooms reproduce by spores. Therefore, a new generation of mushrooms grew on the battlefield over time. They lost their magical powers and became ordinary mushrooms though. 

At the end you may want to ask me - what about the world? Well, life has never stopped for any second. As Elderly people say, life goes on as before because it doesn't care what you think or what you're afraid of.