Sol's Shine and the Kingdom of Terra

Chapter 11 Relics Of The Past

 Many years ago in the past, lived a much younger version of Nico Lavi Gideon at the age of 9, within the Kingdom of Wood. Standing on the edge of his hometown was something simply known as the 'Almighty Tree of Sinnel', the name that many of the other elves called it. Nico was always a quiet kid. He was constantly in awe of the sheer size of the tree that loomed over them and most of his time was spent staring straight up at the Almighty Tree. The top branches were just slightly above the clouds and the tree's shadow would constantly fall over the town for most of the day, like they were constantly living in the dark. But what really caught the boy's attention was the giant lion face that seemed to take shape out of the wood from halfway up the tree trunk like something else was trying to protrude out of it.

The young elf sat in a patch of grass, looking at the tree again. Four children started to approach Nico from behind, trying their best to make their appearance unknown to him. "See? I told you, all he does is sit there and look at that tree all day." One of them whispered to their friends. "He's so weird..." Another responded. One of those children suddenly got an idea in their head, grew a smile, and approached Nico to make herself more known to him. "Hey stupid! You know you can do other things aside from looking at some overgrown plant, right?!"

Nico slowly turned around to see the four other kids looking at him with disgust. Ignoring what the girl said, Nico raised a question to them. "Do you think it's true?" One of the other boys was now more confused than disgusted as he raised his brow to Nico. "What are you freaking talking about?" Nico had to clarify a bit more. "What they're teaching us in school, that Sinnel wanted to create a new world for us, to save us all because the one we're in now is fickle and won't last forever." The other kids started to laugh at him.

"Of course it's true you idiot! Why would you even ask that!?" One of the kids said. "They don't teach us about that lion though. It's never mentioned once." Nico pointed to what he was talking about, at the tree's trunk. "That's just the tree's shape! I bet you're the type of kid who sees certain shapes in clouds and actually thinks it's real." Before the kids could leave, Nico decided to say something else to them. "But my uncle says that it's all a lie though. He says that Sinnel has to destroy this world in order to create another one, reshape it into something else." "You're uncle sounds like a lunatic. But this is coming from the kid who sits around all day doing nothing! I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from- well you know." The kids continued to laugh at him and walk away.

Nico continued to stare at the tree until nightfall. At some point, another figure started to approach from behind again. This time Nico could tell someone else was there when he was able to see his own shadow due to the lantern they were carrying. Nico turned to see that it was his uncle Ivan. "Do you know what time it is, boy?! The other townsfolk have been saying that you were just sitting in this spot again." Nico got up from where he was to walk over and approach his uncle.

"The other kids think you're a lunatic. Are the stories that you told me about Sinnel actually true?" Nico asked him. "Wha- of course they are! You would doubt me?!" Ivan seemed to be offended a bit but Nico still wasn't sure. "I want to believe you but... everyone else seems to think otherwise. I don't know if Sinnel is supposed to be our savior or a destroyer." Ivan looked around and with his lantern to make sure the two of them were really alone. "Well it doesn't matter. I just didn't think you would tell anyone else about the stories I've told you considering what it is you do all day. It's better to let them think I'm insane. Come with me."

Nico did as he was told and followed his uncle to a secluded spot. "You gotta be absolutely sure that you don't tell anyone about this, understood kiddo?" Nico nodded. When Ivan was sure enough that the two of them were really alone, he placed his hand along a stone wall, put the light of his lantern out, and soon enough his entire arm was going through it like the wall was never even there to begin with. Ivan took his nephew's hand and the two of them walked right on through. Nico's eyes widened as he suddenly became fascinated with this phenomena.