The Rise of the Sea Ghosts (from The Gelid Times Trilogy)

Chapter 19

The Tree of Lux Brumalis: To the North 

Vega searched the darkness.

Protect the Tree of Lux Brumalis? There would be fire and anguish? Sole purpose?

Vega peered into the darkness, but the luminescent figures had, indeed, vanished. She felt for the handle of the knife on her belt behind her. It was still there. She held it for a moment, steadied her breathing and decided it was best to pick up the firewood and return to the fire. There she could contemplate the warning and wait for Fara. As much as Fara was her adversary, Vega suddenly longed for someone to talk to and found herself wishing that Fara's return would be eminent despite how much she loathed her.

As Vega returned to the fire, small waves of homesickness flowed over her and she found herself wishing, more than ever, that Mama Knowe was there to advise her. What would Mama Knowe say about the luminescent figures? Would Mama Knowe advise her to stay and battle to protect the Tree of Lux Brumalis or return with the topaz as planned? Her stomach churned and lurched and Vega swallowed hard to stop it.

Dropping the firewood next to the fire, Vega knelt to organise the wood in neat piles so it could be easily added to the fire. The fire flickered and crackled as Vega added each new twig and she sat down facing the fire and the Tree of Lux Brumalis beyond. Letting the rucksack with the topaz slide from her shoulders, she leaned back and allowed the fire to warm her hands and feet. The flames danced in chaotic circles and cast eerie shadows in the space between the fire and the Tree of Lux Brumalis. The shadows licked up the trunk of the tree creating an undulating lattice that clawed around its bark.

Protect the Tree of Lux Brumalis.

The words echoed in Vega's mind. How would she protect the Tree of Lux Brumalis on her own. She would need help – not just Fara – but a whole army. How was she to procure an army if she were not to leave the Tree of Lux Brumalis unattended? Fara turned the conundrum over and over searching the darkness beyond the fire for answers. It was a enigma that had no right answer and conditions that were conflicting. Vega closed her eyes. Protecting the tree on her own was impossible. Leaving the tree was seemingly impossible.

Vega opened her eyes. This was not the dilemma, she decided. The dilemma was whether she should return to Terretown with the topaz and claim her rightful position as First Decision Maker or stay indefinitely and wait for Fara, who might never return from the other side of the Tree of Lux Brumalis. This was her original purpose.

But a voice she did not recognise rose within her – purposes change. Your purpose now is to protect the Tree of Lux Brumalis. The voice shifted from her heart to her head to her soul. Vega sat up and shook her head.

"I'm tired," she said addressing the fire and reached for her rucksack and pushed it under her raised knees and then rested her head on them. "I must complete my purpose – my village are depending on me." She whispered.

Vega caught a glimpse of light emanating from within her rucksack. The topaz. She moved her legs and unzipped the bag. The topaz glowed electric blue. Vega reached in to lift it out of the bag. As soon as she touched it, her hands adhered to the surface. Images of destruction flashed through heart of the topaz: the Tree of Lux Brumalis cut down and burned to the ground; death and suffering and a vast blackness in an abyss of devastation. The world in the aftermath of the felling of the Tree of Lux Brumalis held no light, no hope and no salvation. Vega tried to let go of the topaz, but it was stuck to her hands. Vega shook her arms to try to release the stone, but as she did so little tears on the skin of her palms began to appear and drops of blood seeped out over the topaz.

"No!" Vega stood up and screamed at the topaz.

She raised it high over her head and was ready to smash it into a million pieces when out of the corner of her eye, across the clearing, she caught sight of a figure coming from the behind the Tree of Lux Brumalis.

"Fara!" Vega shouted.

At the sight of Fara, all Vega's angst and fear dissipated. Relief overwhelmed her, and the topaz fell loose from the skin of her hands, its light diminished, and the stone returned to being - just a topaz.

Vega scooped the topaz in her arm and ran towards Fara. Fara's look of gloom that had travelled with them for the whole of the journey had intensified, her eyes were wild and in her arms – the opal – the opal that Vega left behind.

"Ve...Ve...Ve..." Fara stammered.

"Fara, Fara. Come over to the fire." Vega put her free arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the fire.

"Ve...Ve...Ve..." Fara tried again to speak.

"It's okay Fara," Vega reassured her, "just sit by the fire – here - sit here."

Fara slumped to the ground and cradled the opal. She began to rock back and forth. Vega quickly packed up the topaz in her rucksack. She grabbed Fara's rucksack where she removed a blanket from the back, wrapped it around Fara's shoulders and offered her a drink of water from her flask. Fara grabbed the flask with her left hand and gulped the water swallowing large gasps of air along with the water.

"Take it easy Fara – you'll get a stomach-ache," Vega said realising that she sounded like Mama Knowe.

Fara obeyed and relinquished the flask to Vega. Still rocking back and forth, Fara raised her free hand and grabbed Vega's hair at the base of her neck and clenched it in a tight fist drawing Vega's face close to hers.

"Vega...we must protect the tree," Fara whispered hoarsely, "We must protect the tree."

Vega stared at Fara. She looked as if she had lost all semblance of reality, but she spoke the words of the luminescent figures.

"What happened on the other side of the tree Fara?" Vega asked. "What did you see?"

"We must protect the tree," Fara repeated.

"Who did you see?" Vega raised Fara's face to meet here eyes.

Fara's eyes were unable to focus on Vega and in moments her eyes rolled in her head, and she passed out.