Darksiders: The Seed of Knowledge

Chapter Thirty-One

Upon returning to Earth for the second time that day, this time close to sundown, Faith sent the Horsemen to various parts of the globe, both to eradicate any angels, demons or Abyssal creatures still roaming the planet and to return with the items she needed for her spell.

"What items?" Death had asked.

"Remnants of Eden that were scattered throughout the world," she'd said through her helmet.  "If I place them correctly in the sigil, they will help me open the dimensional rift.  The first one is a piece of the Tree of Life."

"But the Council destroyed it on this world," Fury had said.

"Yes, but not completely," Faith had then explained.  "See, most human religions remembered Eden in stories passed down through the generations.  My birth-father's ancestors didn't have a myth about Eden, but they remembered the Tree of Life.  They called it Yggdrasill, the World Tree whose roots and branches connected all the realms."

Death had nodded.  "That sounds like the Tree of Life."

"There's more," Faith had said.  "The Norsemen worshiped a race of Old Ones called the Aesir, and their king, Odin, is a Keeper of Secrets.  In fact, he's one of the first."

"And that's relevant how?" Strife had asked.

"Because according to Norse mythology—and this happened in history, too—Odin sacrificed his eye to a being called Mimir, who guarded the Well of Wisdom at the base of Yggdrasill, in exchange for all that knowledge; which I calculate means the World Tree may also have been the Tree of Knowledge, rather than just the Tree of Life.  Anyway," she'd continued, returning to the current matter, "somewhere in the Norsemen's lands is a remnant of the Tree of Life that survived the burning."  She'd looked at Death.  "Find it and bring it back to me."

Nodding, the Pale Rider had summoned Despair and, after receiving directions from Faith, rode to Scandinavia.

The girl had then turned to Strife and Fury.  "In the capital of a country called Israel," she'd told them, "you'll find an ancient wall made of massive stones.  That's what remains of a Temple that my mother's ancestors built.  I need you to bring me a piece of that wall."

"What's so special about a wall?" Strife had asked.

"Its location," she'd explained.  "The Temple once stood where the Gates of Eden used to be.  The other thing I need from that country is a bit gruesome," she'd continued.  "In a city called Hebron, there's a dual cavern where the First Humans were buried.  And since they were born in Eden, I need their remains."

"They're likely nothing more than dust by now," Fury had said.

"Even their dust will do."

Faith had then given them directions and instructions, and they'd summoned their steeds and rode.  Then she'd turned to War.

"The last thing I need isn't really a remnant," she'd told him, "but it was mentioned in the prophecy about the End of Days."

"What is it?" War had asked her.

"The hollowed-out horn of a ram."  Seeing his confusion, she'd explained, "My mother's ancestors used these horns to signal the coming of the new year.  And in the days of kings, they sounded them in battle.  The prophecy mentions one being sounded at the coming of the Messiah, or at least when the part about Paradise begins.  So, from what I've calculated, the horn must be sounded while I'm casting the spell.

"The challenge will be finding one still intact."

"Where can I find it?"

"Anywhere, really.  Look for buildings and shops with a six-pointed star.  One of them is bound to have a shofar I can use."