By L. A. Arceo
There once stood a tree at the Edge of the Earth where oceans cascaded into the void of the Beyond. The magnificent tree’s cloud-white branches spiraled miles into the sky, glowing with ethereal light.
Though beauty generally fostered happiness, his effervescent limbs swayed with melancholy rather than joy over the Garden at the Edge of the Earth.
This particular tree conducted souls to the Beyond. After their last breath, souls would journey on the winds until finding their way to the Garden.
The towering tree would then bind each soul to his fruit. When ripened, the ensouled fruits would fall, glowing with starlight and life. Then, the surging waters would catch each soul, carrying them over the Edge to the Beyond. The tree never deviated.
Yet, each night, with sorrow’s weight, his fruitless branches swayed low.
He was lonely—desperately so.
Thus, he rebelled.
Nahti scaled the unearthly tree till her hands ached, coming to rest atop a massive branch. Heartbeat subsiding, she beheld the tree’s spiraling branches. Gnarled limbs reaching out over the Garden’s edge, hanging above falling waters.
She caressed the radiant bark. The color of aspens and the brightness of stars. No darkness could smother the Soul Tree’s light. So they say.
“You came.” This time the tree’s essence had taken on a more human appearance—except for his silver irises. Since she’d begun visiting, he’d adjusted his deformed depiction to one resembling her.
She couldn’t decide whether she deemed him handsome or frightening. “I told you I would, Siel.”
“I recall humans aren’t known for keeping their word.”
Shrugging, a wry smile tugged at her lips. “I guess that makes me special.”
“And why call me Siel? I have no name.”
“What else would I call you? ‘Tree’ makes you sound innocuous, and you’re anything but.” Nahti stood as a mere insect against the Soul Tree—easily swatted, ineffectual. Determined, she gritted her teeth and removed her boot knife. Reservations aside, she began carving the memorized lines into his bark.
“I suppose… What are you doing?”
“Something special. Does this hurt you?”
“No, I told you before that only fire hurts wood like mine.”
She winced, fingers stilling, then continued. “And I told you that spilling secrets like that is beyond stupid. If I told a man where I keep my coin purse, it’d be cut and gone before I shut my mouth.”
Brow furrowing, he asked, “Does not all wood burn with fire?”
“Yes, but humans wouldn’t assume yours did! That’s special knowledge!”
Siel cocked his head. “Weren’t you special?” Raven locks matching hers fell across his face. “If you ask, I will always answer. You are a strange human, but I enjoy your company.”
She froze. The knife disappeared into her boot as she turned her unprotected back to the manifestation. Miles high, yet she felt safe. Stupid. She huffed, turning back. “You shouldn’t have let a strange human into your precious Garden.”
Oddly wistful, Siel gazed over his garden. “It does not belong to me.”
“Well, don’t you protect it?”
“As a bird may protect its nest, but the tree belongs not to him.” His unnerving stare returned to hers. “I never presumed you a threat—strange, yet… innocent.”
“I’m no innocent,” Nahti muttered, eyes falling to her etchings.
“I hold power over souls and can perceive yours.” His form dispersed, and silver dust rose from the bark, swirling into a new Siel—vaguely taller now. His always-silver eyes bored into her own. “It’s quite beautiful, actually.”
“That’s ridiculous.” She recoiled from the spirit, returning to his trunk. Refocused, she began to climb.
The woman had been a curiosity at first, asking him questions and questioning his answers. In the end, her company had become as necessary as the stars.
He never inquired about the etchings again, and she never explained. Instead, he asked hundreds of other questions.
Every day, she’d climb, carve, and climb some more. Before long, each of his many branches held an etching from her knife.
He didn’t want to ask.
At night, the stars twinkled at him in merriment. “Silly tree, not asking, not knowing—a fire burning unchecked destroys the forest.”
The tree’s branches swayed low, laden with fruit.
When the stars’ alignment matched that of her first visit, the tree noticed the woman scaling his trunk with strange urgency.
He materialized to inquire, yet once his dust settled, she snapped, “Why are you keeping them?” The tree’s leaves shivered at the rage in her eyes.
“I don’t—”
“The souls, Siel! You told me your purpose, but each fruit is still up here!” Her hands swung out. His eyes followed to his many branches and thousands of fruit ripening but never dropping. “They’d said you’re evil and sent me to…” Her hands shook. “But you’re not, so… Why?”
His image’s head fell as his heavy branches sagged. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to feel alone anymore. So, I kept them.”
Her wrath quieting at his whisper, she responded softly. “They weren’t yours to keep.”
Glancing at the garden below, she withdrew two gemstones from a pouch. “My team sent me to carve fire runes into your branches. Striking these together will signal them to start the rite.”
A fruit fell from the branch they stood upon, plinking into the waters.
Starlight shimmered in her tearful eyes. “Too little, too late, Siel.”
He found he liked the name after all. “Fire will destroy me, yes, but I hold power over all souls in the Garden. To extinguish them would be simple.”
Her eyes widened, but not in fear. “Those are my friends.”
More fruit plinked into the water. “For you, I would release them all.”
“Why? I came to destroy you.”
“If you’d remain, I would never be lonely. I’d need them no longer.” He extended a perfectly formed hand to Nahti. “Would you promise to stay?”
Reaching up, Nahti’s hand tightened before dropping the gems into his palm.
All the fruit made of starlight and life fell into the eternal tides below.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Great ending line!
Thank you so much! It felt right to me, and I’m glad you liked it!
Freak ending! I love your poetic, fantasy style.
I meant great ending. Autocorrect got me again!
Thank you! I definitely tried to give it a poetic feel!
Such a beautifully composed, compelling narrative! It was vivid, pictorial, and had such a naturally flowing cadence.
My favorite line: “In the end, her company had become as necessary as the stars.”
Thank you Mrs. Erin Page, very sweet ;)
Such a beautifully composed, compelling narrative! It was vivid, pictorial, and had such a naturally flowing cadence.
My favorite line: “In the end, her company had become as necessary as the stars.”
Nice mythic feel to the story
Thank you! I’m glad it captured a mythic feel!
Wow great ending!
Thank you! It felt right :)
What a beautiful story, and so refreshing to read something that feels like an ancient myth while also giving me that thrill of something I’d never seen before. Well done!
Thanks Teddi! I’m so glad you liked it! It was based on a storytelling card game! LOL. It all came from the idea of a lonely tree.