Blood And Stone

Chapter 42: The Sacred Tree

As the chilly winter winds blew through the soft grasses, War pulled her cloak tighter, the hood slipping down to cover her features. She had never been to the Ethereal Plains before but she could feel her eldest sister's presence in every bit of life around her. Spirit had selfishly made this area for herself so that she could hide away from her sisters, thinking they were beneath her. At least, that was what War thought. Why else would someone make an expanse of empty land with nothing but a strange, twisted tree in the center? Somewhere that you never allowed anyone to enter and that you refused to leave. Bile began to rise in her throat, leaving an acrid taste in her mouth. She turned her head and spit casually into the grass beneath her feet.

As she walked through the grass, the scent of the tree's life began to fill her nose. The scent was light at first, a mixture of dirt and sap that was soon accompanied by the scent of sweat and tears. The mortal scents felt out of place in the Ethereal Plains where everything was meant to be sweet and earthy. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she stepped to the top of a hill. War's eyes fell on a sight that tore the breath from her lungs and sent her spiraling into a state of denial so fierce that she couldn't even begin to process what she was seeing.

The usually empty field around the Sacred Tree was shimmering and sparkling with the purple shadow of mortals. They flickered and moved in a way so unlike those with free will that it sent a shiver of fear down her spine. A flicker and they moved forward, inching toward one another and then toward the tree. As each line moved forward, another appeared seemingly from nowhere. The light from their existence was glowing on the tree, encasing it in a thin layer of purple energy.

War pulled at her hood and closed her eyes, imagining what she would look like if she were to be one of these souls. She felt the shift, the bitter cold washed over her like a tidal wave. Her eyes flickered open to look down at her body. She could see right through herself, the purple shimmering mass that she had become. Without hesitation, she watched, timing the flickering of the group of souls. Flash, one, two, three, four, five, flash. She counted the seconds five times, ensuring that they moved every five seconds. Once she was sure she had the pattern down, she moved. Flash.

She ran down the hill quickly, looking at the lines of grass that lay flat against the ground. Three. Four. Five. Flash. War stepped into the line furthest from the tree. Once she found herself within the ranks, she began to understand that they were not disappearing, simply stepping forward. Every five seconds, she followed the line forward, bringing herself closer to the tree.

Her eyes explored the area. All of the souls stared forward, their eyes on the tree as they sparkled with tears. The souls belonged to anyone and everyone. Old women and men, adults, teenagers, and even children and infants. Each one was strong, their glowing auras with different shades of purple to indicate how old they were when they passed and how long ago that was. The lighter the shade, the younger and more recent the passing was. Shock bit her heart as a child of about three stepped forward, shining As brightly as the new moon. Anger tore through her like fire, consuming every inch of her from within, causing her disguise to flicker away slightly.

War forced herself to take a breath to try and calm herself. "Relax, War. We don't know the truth yet." Her words centered her and she continued her forward motion, following them closer to the tree once again. The closer they got to their destination, the more obvious it became that they were splitting off into groups of different ages. War watched, zig-zagging her way into a group of young adults. She kept herself stoic as she progressed forward, never breaking the pattern until she stood second in line.

A thin white flash rushed past the group of souls. Once it passed, the souls would move forward to become a simple ribbon of energy. Each age group zipped away in a different direction. War flickered as each Soul moved forward but she never moved. She simply let them pass through her. As she watched, the anger rose higher and higher, burning at her esophagus as she attempted to hold back her frustration with what she was witnessing.