Shivani: Of Power And Strength

Chapter 4: Goodbyes

There was a moment of silence where Alaric's face turned blank with surprise. It was as if his brain couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information from his wide eyes. Every muscle in his body froze before he gave out an incredulous expression.

At the center of a grassy land stood proudly an enormous trunk. Its large barks were so patterned as it was carved to perfection. Alaric stared at it in awe. He looked like an ant in front of a titan. Looking up, Alaric's mouth hanged wide open. The tree stretched up to the high heavens. He could barely see any form of leaves. It definitely looked nothing like the one he first encountered.

“How am I gonna find the fruit?” He doesn't expect it to be humongous! It would probably take him an eternity to search for it. Nonetheless, he was brought here by the Guardian Monk for this reason.

“Wish me luck, sweetheart.” Alaric sighed. The fruit won't reveal itself if he just stood there and do nothing.

With that in mind, he slowly walked towards its huge roots. As soon as he found a perfect spot, he carefully set his daughter down. He didn't know how much time he would spend on top of the tree, so he wanted to make sure to give a proper protection for his child. Concentrating some of his powers on his hands, he closed his eyes.

Soon enough, a bluish energy found its way to the tip of his index and middle fingers. Smiling to himself, he quickly drew a symbol on the air. It expanded towards his daughter's sleeping form, and soon formed a small barrier.

“That should do it. I'll be right back, sweetie.” Nodding to himself, he turned to look at the top. He knew it would be a challenge because of its enormous size, but he had to do it for his daughter. Not wasting time, he began to levitate.

As soon as Alaric landed on a gigantic branch, the cold atmosphere hugged his whole being. It immediately crept under his thin clothes, spreading across his skin like a snake. His teeth begun chattering as his lips slowly turned blueish hue. Alaric hugged himself in an attempt to give his body some warmth, but the cold instantly chilled his fingers into numbness. It even found its way into his toes and spread painfully throughout his feet.

Not a second later, he collapsed on his knees. He wasn't prepared for this, yet somehow, he let a small smile plastered on his face. It was at times like this when he would miss the Divine Empress. He could already imagine her lecturing him about his weakness. “Forgive this stupid son of yours, dear mother.”

With trembling hands, he tried to gather what was left of his powers. He needed to warm himself as soon as possible.

Sitting on an indian position, he closed his eyes.

After a few minutes of struggling, Alaric finally felt the familiar warmth slowly taking over his veins. He had to shut his eyes even more as the burning sensation started melting the cold all over his system. It's as though he was stabbed by millions of needles, however, it was all worth it. A refreshing energy soon took over his whole body. Breathing in, he slowly opened his eyes as he stood up. That is when he truly registered his surroundings. Below him was an army of endless clouds. Looking around, Alaric realized that he was on top a glistening Ash Tree. There, he saw some red blossom that were gracefully dancing with the strong gust of wind. The leaves were thick and sparkling evergreen. Adding to that, some of them were shaped like a fruit making his mission almost impossible.

“I can do it! I have to!”

oooOooo

It had been over thirty minutes, and Alaric was getting frustrated.
No matter how much effort he exerted, he just can't see it. He knew he had already explored every corner, but to no avail. It is as if something was preventing him from finding it. He wanted to yell. Vent his anger on someone, and have a tantrum like a child, but he restrained himself. He was once the Crown Prince of the Immortal Realm. Such actions was below him.