Phrocylan & The Tree of Life (The Spirit of the Tree Book 1)

Chapter Six: Owls

I was back in the room.

Cylla was sitting by my side, in the same armor clothes and axe, but this time, Molto wasn't here.

When she saw me open my eyes, she jumped up and exclaimed, "OH! You're awake. How you feelin' now?"

I wondered why she jumped up like that, but I was glad to have her at my side. "I'm okay. Thanks."

"That's good... What happened back there? You just collapsed."

I explained my dream of sorts to her. She looked like I'd just slapped her in the face, she got up and ran outside. I wondered if I'd said something wrong...

I got up and explored the camp site. There was a campfire burning in the middle, it was night time now, and people were misteling around, same as before but more alert now. Everyone wore armor and held weapons, ready to charge into battle.

I saw Molto sitting with a few others- Ru, and Hectar. They were sitting on a wooden table with empty plates like they'd just finished dinner, and joking around, laughing and having fun.

I thought about the possibility I was- am one of them, could that be? Just sitting around chatting with friends? I didn't have any memory of doing anything free of worry. I remember running around from place to place, dodging police, then being found by the camp. Even after coming to camp, although my memory was blank, I remembered running around making sure things were alright, on guard, and paranoid. I never rested.

Maybe today would be the day I did so, so I went towards Molto.

His eyes lit up when he saw me, and Ru and Hectar were shocked, Molto hugged me, the others shook my hand. Ru asked, "Where you been, man! We've been worried sick. Glad you're not dead."

Hectar tackled me with her axe-handle, "Welcome back."

"Thanks," I said, rubbing my stomach where I'd just been tackled with an axe. It's so amazing how at ease they were in combat gear, like this was a normal life for them. "What's going on? Why is everyone in combat armor?"

They all sat down. "We're moving site tonight, westwards, towards the viarifts. We move every week or so, to get closer to our goal. Agasthus is scouting ahead with Cylla and Eager." Ru said.

"Eager?" I asked, not knowing who Eager was.

"Our camp owl, I forgot you remember nothing." Hectar explained.

"I remember you guys, at least." I quickly corrected.

They all laughed. "Yeah we're not easy to forget are we now?" Ru exclaimed.

We spent the evening exchanging stories, some fictional, some real, and having fun. I felt like these were my best friends, of course the weirdest.

They said the plate was just for pre-food and they had a little bit cake, then the real dinner came. We ate and washed our utensils. That's when my great evening got worse.

We heard the ruffling in the air, and screeching. The calls of Eager the owl.

He was making his way into the camp's campfire area, in a hurry. There was a paper in its claws, it landed and spread the scroll. The scroll read:

"Good news: We found the army; Bad news: We found the army. 2 miles west from edge, we are waiting. Senior Guard, Agasthus."

Everyone gasped, and began murmuring in fear. There was an army? What type? That didn't matter now, Cylla and Agasthus were in danger, and the enemy was closing in. We had to do something, and Nyacin came forth.

"It looks like we're close. We have to do an assault. Let us hope they have not found Cylla And Agasthus. Even if they did, those two are talented fighters, they will hold up.. But not for long. We must go now, there is no time to prepare a whole group. I will go there myself."

"No." I stepped up. Everyone looked at me.

"I will go with you."