The Legend of The Tree of Life (IV)

Incase you missed Part One, Two, or Three.

“What is this?” The ethereal voice of Mother bellowed and shook the ground beneath our feet.

Brazen and I broke apart, and Mother’s furious form engulfed us in the silver light of her Life Force Light.

“Mother, I-“

A boom of thunder interrupted me, followed by the sudden pummelling of rain.

“You have broken your oath.” She growled and barred her teeth at us as a silver flash of lightning struck the ground before me.

“Run,” I called to Brazen as I pushed him ahead of me and we fled into the darkness. Rain pelted us as we ran through the trees, fleeing the scene of our crime.

Headed for More Bay in search of a safe harbour from Mother’s wrath. But as we entered the clearing near town, Brazen slipped in the mud.

I reached down to help him up, then turned just in time to deflect a lightning strike directed at him. “Mother,” I spoke in a shaky voice, “I have not forgotten the oath,” I stated as I took a step between him and her. My legs shook in fear as she entered the clearing.

She approached with slow methodical steps, her silver essence the only light gleaming in the pounding rain of the clearing.

“Then why has your light gone out?” She countered, her ominous expression glimmering as specks of rain ran down her face. Her silver glow felt ominous as she looked down her nose at me, like the human scum she thought I’d become.

“Mother, please,” I begged.

“You would give up your soul for this human who has already abandoned you?” She inquired, her voice shaking with rage.

I turned and found that Brazen was gone. He had indeed forsaken me to the wrath of the Mother of Guardians. My mother.

My chest ached in heartbreak as I sunk to the forest floor and looked up at her.

She loomed over me with a glare of utter disappointment and I knew I was alone in suffering my coming fate. “Do what you must,” I muttered as I hung my head in shame and tears blurred my vision.

“I shall preserve you for all to see,” she began and placed a firm hand upon my shoulder. “As a reminder of what happens to those who break their oath of maidenhood.”

The pounding of the rain ceased immediately, with only the sound of water dripping onto the forest floor around us. Which was interrupted by a loud crack and groan like a tree branch about to break under too much weight. The whine of bowing wood continued to echo over the clearing.

Each groan caused my body to stiffen, leaving me paralyzed from the waist down and revealing tree bark in place of my once golden, glowing skin. I looked up to see Mother observing me through sad eyes as she continued with my transformation. The bark continued to make its way up my body until I was completely consumed by it.

“I will repurpose you, my child.” She began, as she knelt before me. “Your Life Force shall continue to feed the forest, but this time I will do better to protect you from the dangers of humans.” She whispered as she leaned in and placed her forehead against my rough bark. “I am sorry that I have failed you, my child.” She muttered as I felt myself fade from consciousness.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Days after the disturbance, my guilt still hadn’t faded after what I had done to my child. After what that human had made me do to preserve her purity.

I visited Livia, the Tree of Life, often and monitored her closely in case that human who tried to defile her returned. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he discovered her and then we could exact our revenge.

One evening I placed my hand upon her rough exterior and mourned the loss of my favourite daughter. I listened to Livia’s heartbeat beneath the bark, and I wished I had done more to protect her from our enemy. But a familiar crack that echoed in the trees behind me ripped from me my moment of grief.

I turned just in time to catch the back end of her old companion as he melted into the shadows of the forest. “If only you knew the true cost.” I sighed, then returned my gaze to my fallen child.

I watched golden balls of Life Force work their way through her roots, into the veins of the forest and provide the energy it needed. At least she would be safe, for the time being.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much reading, I hope you enjoyed my little series. If it interests you, this is also in direct connection to my other series, The Forest of Cigam.

Once again thank you for reading!

- Donna Fox (HKB)