The Crystal Sarcophagus

Scroll Beetles

Nelda started off due west, the already massive godtrees getting larger in her field of vision. She turned around to make certain her father was keeping pace and saw the old man was already trailing behind, smiling at a bush of pink-purple bell-shaped flowers.

"We haven't even gotten out of the clearing yet," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"What?" Nelda did her best to look confused.

"Did you say something?"

"Oh, ah, yeah. We haven't spent time like this in forever." It was true, even if it was a lie. Nelda had taken over most of the ranging work alone as long as it didn't take her out of the Godwood and into the lands of her people. Agoreos had forbidden it as soon as Nelda was old enough to be curious. Something about people not being as trustworthy as they used to be, and little girls not being as level-headed as they used to be.

"Yes, it's nice. We never do this anymore. Someday you may not have me around, so you should have a little more patience with an old man." He was now grinning at a bed of red poppies as they passed.

Nelda knew she was caught. Her face went as red as the poppies.

"Besides, Nelda, wisdom begins in the moment. Don't let your mind carry you too far into the future or back in the past. The past has valuable lessons for us, certainly, but living there gives us no opportunity to walk them out. The future is almost never what we think it will be. It is merely fruitless worry or disappointed hope. Greatness calls on a Guardian when they least expect it."

She really wanted to understand what he was talking about, and she kind of did. But she knew if she asked him any questions, their conversation wouldn't be over for hours. She wasn't ready for that. She turned and smiled, "I'll slow down."

Soon the two of them were dwarfed by the immensity of the godtrees that lined the clearing and marked their passage into Godwood. They always filled her with awe, like an ant crawling between the legs of a man. They made her feel small, but as her job was to protect and care for them, they also made her feel important.

She instinctively reached out her hand and felt the bark—rough in appearance, but smooth as silk to the touch—of the nearest giant as she had done so many times in her childhood. Though she expected it, the pulsing throb from within the three always gave her pause. These trees were more than just alive, they were life itself. With every pulse, a tingling sensation like electricity ran up her arm, causing an unexplainable burst of joy.

Without meaning to, Nelda raised her other hand up to her mouth and began to giggle. She locked eyes with her father as giggle progressed into peals of laughter. Agoreos quickly followed suit and put his own hand up to the tree next to hers. Soon the pair of them were cackling together so hard they could barely stand.

An exceptionally strong pulse of energy shot into Nelda's hand and her eyes were filled with a flash of light. She could hear herself laughing just as she was a moment ago, but it was somehow distant now. She was far away, looking down on a familiar scene.

A little girl, older than five, with auburn hair and emerald eyes was pressing her hand against the trunk of an enormous tree. She giggled like fairy as she looked up at a bearded man with dark, thick curls atop his head and shining grey eyes. The man wasn't touching the tree then, but was laughing all the same.

The little girl removed her hand from the tree. "I can feel it beating."

"Yes, my lamb, all godtrees have a pulse," he beamed, crouching at a level with her.