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

Chapter Eleven: Cylla

»»Cylla««

Oh, great, I'm done for.

Did he have to use my Zornadian name? No one knows me by that name!

Maybe I should explain what it means, it means Queen of Trees. Yes, yes, bow and wail all you want, maybe even laugh, but I didn't want to be the Queen of Trees!

Actually, that's a lie, I wanted to be the Forvine Yov, because I love trees and I wanted to protect the Ochirus Noverm. But no one knows I am The Queen of Trees except..

Nyacin.

These wolf-heads must have extracted the info from Nyacin, since they had him hostage. Anger burned inside me.

Phro looked at me and seemed to understand what was going on, and for a second, I was scared he might shout "YOU CANNOT TAKE CYLLA!" and reveal my form in front of others, but he was wise and did not do so. We locked eyes and he seemed to understand what was going on.

Then he looked over at Yorul, then Hectar, then almost everyone in his sight.
Smartest. Lad. Ever.

To explain: he looked at me, and knew what was going on, so if he suddenly had looked back at the wolves, they would have known along with everyone else- that I was the Queen. But he looked at others, as if showing Oh I'm just checking up on all my friends before we all die.

Then he looked straight at the wolves. "Who is Forvine Yov? I'm pretty sure the Queen of Trees would be at the Tree of Life, not in our camp." He said in a bitter tone.

The lead- Granus, I recalled- had a bit of doubt in his expression, "We were told the Tree Mother will be at this camp. Step forth now, and we will let the others go without pain."

Hectar laughed, "Yeah, sure. Like we'd do that." Then she charged them.

I wanted to yell NO! They are immortals! But my voice didn't work. I was stunned as Hectar made her way through the wolves, smashing any that got in her way with her blade, and jumped to slash at Granus.

After a millisecond more of shock, I realised what was going on, and joined in.

All the campers screamed and ran outwards- a deadly expanding circle of weapons and bows, and attacked the pack.

The wolves were too stunned to defend, because apparently they weren't expecting a suicidal attack from us.

I threw my axe at Granus, and Phro slammed dozens of wolves as he cleared way for others to get away.

I ran side by side with him, destroying wolves as they appeared, and he said "Go, we cannot risk you. Tree, save it. I'll hold them off for you."
"NO! You'll die! I cannot leave my camp when it needs me most!" I protested.

Phro threw his hunting knife at a wolf as casually as one might throw a crumpled paper in the garbage can, we continued slashing and hacking at the wolves, but they just kept coming.

Other campers were not having any better luck, either, and soon we would be overwhelmed. And if the immortals joined the fight...

Phro yelled from the shouting and screaming around, "GO! You know it's the right choice!"

I wished he hadn't said that. I didn't want to go, but deep inside, I knew what power rests within me- and not as in All powerful destroy the enemies- but as a spirit inside me, vested upon me by the Holy Tree itself, to protect its soul. I knew if I got captured, the soul would lose. All life except the earthlings will die. I yelled, "ELIPTIUS!" and before I could rethink my choices, Phro slammed another spell "Suremus Josinus NOVERM!", and the ground opened beneath me slowly, a protective bubble around me. I stared in horror as Phro, now exhausted, crumpled on the floor- opening a path to the Viarifts takes all the energy and more, and I knew what would happen next.

Tears flooded my eyes as I slowly dissolved, I yelled and screamed "NO!", as I watched my friends get overrun by wolves. An arrow impaled in Phro's thigh, and he wailed in pain. I wanted to burst out and help them.

I took one last glance at Hectar and Granus battling, horror-struck as the immortal summoned a glass shard and impaled her in the chest.

I cried, smashing the floor and cursing myself for ever letting this happen.

I was swallowed by the floor completely, but the sound and the visions kept replaying in my head.

The camp had sacrificed probably all of it- just to save me. Phro had taken an arrow for me. Hectar had sacrificed herself taking on the immortal Wolf Granus. The wolf army grinned as it saw its enemies overrun, dying, withering. Tears now flooded the floor. I collapsed and my vision went dark.