A walk among the trees

The power from Sung surged through me, my consciousness connected to Sung. I felt and heard all things throughout the land. All the trees felt alive. I felt their consciousness brush up against mine, wanting to let me in on their secrets. Brightly shining lights flashed across my mind showing glimpses of the past. Showing things I have never seen. I knew these were the memories of the trees. I reached out with my mind in search of the oldest tree in Sung; I needed to know what it knew. My mind searched through hundreds of trees with thousands of years worth of history until I saw the history of how my tribe came to be. I sat and watched the history of my people unfold. The wars fought and battles won. I turn my head as the scenes get gory. The slaughter of my people was too much to handle. 

“Do not turn away,” I hear someone say.

I felt a powerful presence other than the trees around me. It pushed up against my consciousness, demanding my attention.

“Watch, know what you are fighting for,” the presence Whispers.

 I’m whisked away in a blur of smoke to materialize in the scene I was just watching.

 I watch from a distance, hiding in darkness as a woman no older than forty-five moons dig a hole in the ground. She looks over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, looking off into the darkness as if she could see me. When she’s satisfied she’s not being watched, she continues. The woman pulls a cloth from under her dress, cradling it as if it were a newborn child. I stepped closer to get a better look. I take a step forward and there's an audible crack from underneath my foot,  I slowly lift my foot praying to the gods she didn’t hear it. When I look up her eyes are upon me, she’s frightened, I lift my hands in surrender slowly stepping forward. She tries to scurry away on her butt and hands as fast as she can; I try to stop her; I lift my hands to use my power to hold her in place, nothing happens. I try again, same results, so I do the next best thing. 

I leap in the air, arms flailing. As I descend I watch her watch me with wide eyes as I land on top of her. I'm sure she’s in shock because she doesn’t scream immediately, but when she does, I resist the urge to cover my ears. I place a hand over her mouth and look down into her frightened silver eyes and watch as tears escape down her face.

“I will not hurt you,” I whisper down into her ear. 

I slowly lift my hand hoping she doesn’t scream again 

“Who are you,” she asks as I slowly get up and dust myself off.

I wasn’t sure if I should answer her truthfully, or how would she react to the fact that I’m not really here. Just a manifestation of my subconscious mind.

“Kane,” I replied as I offered her my hand to stand. 

She released me and began surveying our surrounding area. She was on high alert, her shoulders tense, she was wound up tighter than a string on a lute and at any moment she could pop.

“Are you alone,” She questioned, eyes darting from here to there.

“Yes,” was my reply, she was acting strangely hiding the cloth I know she holds from my eyes 

“what’s that your holding,” I asked as I walked closer to her. She twisted her body away from me and took a step back.

“Nothing,” she replied. Clutching the bundle in her hand. 

I heard leaves rustle in the distance; I looked to the woman in front of me whose eyes had gotten wider and looked all around in a panic for an exit. Whoever was coming I wasn’t about to let them take her. She was frightened for a reason, and whatever that reason was, I plan on protecting her.

 I wasn’t an amazing fighter and warrior like my brother Kai, but he has taught me enough to  protect myself. 

I grab the woman’s hand and we duck behind a bush tree; I place a finger to my lips to tell her to shhh. 

She looks at me, eyes wide, and nods her head. We watch in utter silence as two men run past holding spears. I look at the woman in front of me with an raised eyebrow and a questioning look. She just shakes her head and watches as the men search the surrounding area for her. As they get closer, she grabs my arm and squeeze closing her eyes tightly

and mouths a silent prayer. 

At this rate it’s only a matter of time before they find us, so I look for a distraction. I look down to my feet and notice a rock. I pick it up and hold it in my hand. It's not too heavy or light, perfect for what I’m about to do. I wait until the men have their backs turned. I stand and throw the rock as far as I can in our opposite direction. The woman grabbed my arm and pulled me back down beside her. We watch as the men run towards the sound; I let go a long breath I didn’t know I was holding and slump down.

“Thank you,” she whispered to me. 

I looked up at her as she fumbled with the cloth in hand, wondering what it was and if it’s the reason she’s being hunted down

“I’m Kara,” she says as she studies me.

I  know she’s wondering if she could trust me or not.

 She sighs heavily and unravels the cloth in her hand. 

I look down in confusion. The contents are four strange looking seeds. I reached out to touch it, but she snatched her hand back and pulled her lips back in a snarl. 

“Don’t touch,” Kara hissed 

“They're very fragile,” she continued. 

I nodded my head in understanding. She peered at me through her lashes.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “But these four seeds are all that's left from a special place within the Skyy forest.” 

“Within the forest there's a tree that's capable of healing, and if you take too much of it. It can extend your life,”  Kara explained.

I gasp,  

“Why is this all that's left of the Skyy forest?,” I asked, looking at the seeds she holds in her hands. They seem oddly familiar.

“Not too long ago  someone came across these healing trees and took it back to there village, The village hoarded this knowledge of the trees, never sharing with anyone, as time went on people noticed that this village wasn’t aging but they kept reproducing throwing the balance of our world out of whack, children starved,”

I watched her intently as she told her stories, wondering if it is the same tree I'm fighting to protect now.

“A leader from another tribe named Hunt found out their secret and wanted the trees also,” She continued

I nodded my head. This story sounds awfully familiar. I knew how it would end, but the details were hazy. I watched as she ran a gentle finger over the seeds like a lover's caress, her lips set in a hard line, determination burned in her eyes.

“I must protect these,” she says in a quiet voice.  

Kara places the seeds into the hole she has dug with her bare hands.

“The tribe's leader denied Hunt, Hunt was furious He stole away in the night dressed in a cloak in search for the trees When he came to the place where the trees were hidden he took the torch  he carried and burned that part of the forest to the ground,” tears shimmered in Kara’s eyes as she told this story.

“It’s said that when the trees  burned they sang the most hunting song of sorrow and death, people kneeled before the burning trees and wept,” Kara uttered. She turned her head so I couldn't see her fight back tears.

“How did you come to have the seeds to these trees?” I asked 

looking to her for clarity. I wanted to reach out to touch her to comfort her but decided against it.

I watched as her lower lip quivered to stop herself; she bit down on her lip, reminding me of the warrior woman back home with the most perfect lips I had ever seen. 

She looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes then sighed 

“You might think I’m crazy but I heard the trees call to me, there was a pull that led me to the trees, It was like they knew what would happen before it happened like they prepared for it,”

she looked up into my eyes, and a shiver ran down my spine.

“When I got to the trees,  there was a figure standing there lit up like the night sky his entire body was aglow with some kind of golden light he beckoned to me calling me over with a wave of the hand, my body followed before my mind knew what it was doing, I stood in front of him,”

I watched Kara's entire body shake as she told this story.

“He told me he had two gifts for me and he placed this cloth in my hand,” she said, lifting the cloth up to the light.

I looked down at the cloth she held with wonder.

“He said if there ever comes a time when these trees no longer stand, that I should plant these somewhere safe, these two gifts I give you will protect each other, then he placed his hand on my abdomen, my body felt hot for only a second but I knew what he did and what my second gift was,” Kara continued with a watery smile.

“Nine months later I gave birth to two beautiful babies, Netta, a beautiful baby girl with molten gold eyes the same color as the figure that beckoned me. And Akoma My baby boy, the splitting image of my mate, My Mate, who burned down the trees,” Kara smiled at me sadly, her face twisted with a grimace as she recalls her story.

“As the trees burned,” Kara whispers to me

“Netta screamed as if she was in pain, I knew right then what my daughter’s destiny was,”

My jaw went slack as I stared at my ancestor, The Mother of the Sung tribe.

I try to reach out to touch Kara but I’m whisked away again,  I’m in a vortex of memories from the trees.

The powerful presence was still there lingering in the back whispering 

“Know what you are fighting for,” The presence said.

Now I’m standing on a battlefield. Bodies litter the ground. The air is thick with smoke, fires burning in the distance. It's hard to breathe. I choke on the thick air. I rip a piece of my robe and tie it around my nose and mouth and walk forward.  I walked past groaning men with wounds that showed their organs, bodies with missing heads or limbs. An arm reached out and grabbed  my ankle, I kicked out to free myself but the grip only gotten tighter 

“Help me,” a raspy voice croaked 

I looked down to the voice, whose hand was gripping my ankle. Blood covered his body and his guts lay open on display.  I looked around for anything to help me. When I felt

an icy wind to my left, I turned to see a sword coming for me. I tried to take a step back but fell on my ass. When the sword came down, I thought I was a goner; I closed my eyes to wait for the icy steel to touch my skin when I’m splattered in the face with something warm; I opened my eyes, lifted my hand to touch my face. It came away red. I look to my body, there's no visible wound; I look to the hand that grips my ankle, It’s no longer attached to an arm, I scramble back and throw the severed limb away from me. I look around for anything to protect myself with when I spot the fallen warrior’s sword; I reach over to grab it when a black leather boot whose toe is covered in blood stops me.

When I look up, I’m met with molten gold eyes the same color as mine, I look from her eyes to her face to the legendary ice daggers at her side, the same ice daggers that killed her brother Akoma. I’m not sure if I should stand and bow or grovel at her feet. 

“Goddess” I exclaim, as a flush crept up my face. 

Netta gave me a once over and reached out a hand to help me up.

When I was standing back on my feet, I bowed, my eyes watching her the whole way down. Netta let go a huff and rolled her eyes.

“We don’t have time for this,” She scolded.

“Follow me,” Netta commanded.

“And watch your step,”

I followed behind her quietly; as we walked through the battlefield. My head on a swivel as I look from here to there for any threat. Wishing I would have picked up that warrior’s sword.

We come to stand in front of a small hut that lays right beyond the battlefield.  Netta walks in moving the curtain door out of her way. I stand there for a couple more seconds surveying the area. This place feels very familiar, that's when I notice it, a small tree that sits right behind the hut I walk over to the tree and kneel, I dig my fingers through the dirt and close my eyes as I picture a frightened Kara planting its seeds. I sigh and look towards the hut that will one day be a garden shed in the sacred garden of my manse. I look back to the tree and I could see me and Kai running around playing in the garden Climbing The Famous Sung tree as little boys. 

I stand dust off my knees and take in the scenery very different from what I know it to be. 

I feel her presence standing behind me watching, I slowly turn to face the goddess.

“Why have you brought me here,” I ask as her eyes bore into

me, making me blush.

“To show you what’s at risk,” she replied.

I swallowed hard as she continued. 

“This war for this tree has really taken its toll on our tribe, she pointed to the battlefield beyond  and it continues to take lives, you have a tortuous road ahead of you,”

 I look up into her eyes. I see images of Mera, Kai, my mother, father, I see blood and hear screams, there’s fire everywhere. I turn  my head and close my eyes. The images are too much for me. 

“I have already gifted you with the things you need to win this war,” Netta said. Looking off into the distance. 

“I don’t understand,” I say to her, confused and lost. 

“I have given you a kernel of my power, power that was gifted to me from my father, the guardian of the forest known to many as the woodland god. I have also gifted you with your mate, she will be strong when you are not, she is the perfect woman for you and her presence is imminent if your going to win this war,” 

Netta came closer, placed her fingers to my head and images of Mera flooded my brain, Mera with white tattoos down her back, the image changed and now she’s holding a baby smiling as she sits in a chair in the sacred garden while a little girl plays at her feet. There's a flash in the image change once more and now she’s standing beside me with happy tears in her eyes as we watch a young man with eyes like mine pledge himself to our tribe, Tau Kou Ye lay lee, Im steaming with pride as he’s blessed by the goddess, The next image feels different I watch Mera lay on the floor in the same clothes I seen her in earlier today, in what appears to be a room in one of our guest suites with a bloody lip and a tear-stained face.  I watch her slow even breathing and know that she’s asleep. 

The visions stop and I’m standing in front of Netta, panting like a fish out of water, trying to catch my breath. 

“This is what we're fighting for,” Netta proclaimed.

“There Will come a time when you will want to give up, Just remember what I showed you here, a future that’s yet to happen and the past,” Netta says as she floats away.