Zaraline's Point of View853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm60GqzXytp
After another few hours of meditation, I got back to where I could see the blue light. I crept along at a snail's pace towards it. This time, however, I finally made it. As I reached out towards it, the whispers grew louder, as though I were right next to whatever it was.
When I made contact, everything went silent, and a wave of intense calm settled over my being. It was pleasant. The silence didn't last long. It was broken by a smooth, distinctly male voice.
It seems the little bird has finally flown. His words were drawn out, spoken slowly. Exactly what I would've imagined if a tree could talk. I know what you seek.
I had no idea how to reply? Did I just focus intently on what I was trying to say?CAN YOU HEAR ME?
I felt the consciousness of whomever it was in the tree cringe away. Yes, he replied. I heard that loud and clear. And every thought you've had since our minds connected. No need to shout.
I felt extremely uncomfortable, knowing he could hear literally every thought I was thinking. Then I felt even more uncomfortable, realizing he heard that too.
Fear not. You will receive no judgement from me, little one. Morganna has requested you to learn my name, correct?
Yes.
You will not have it, he said. Wait. What? Not without first learning what Morganna asked me to teach you.
That meant more sitting at this tree all day. Exciting. What is it that you have to teach me?
I will teach you to guard your mind, as I am. That will be the easy part. Then, you will break my guards and discover my name for yourself.
I stayed silent for a moment. While I was excited to learn how to protect my thoughts, I was not excited to try and break into someone else's mind. It felt wrong. Not only that, but I had a nagging sense that it was going to be the equivalent of trying to break through a stone wall with my bare fists. Then, I quickly remembered that the tree spirit was hearing everything going through my head. Shit.
Please. Do you feel bad when you cut down trees to build your home? Do not let your feeble sense of ethics get in your way. You have a problem you must solve. At least you are smart enough to acknowledge it.
Most trees aren't inhabited by sentient spirits, I retorted, my tone of thought cross.
Everything living has some form of sentience, even on a basic level. Did you not see the other specks of blue dots around me? Those were bugs, fish, and other little critters around the pond. Think about that next time you step on a spider, hmm?
I couldn't deny that. It explained what all those little specks were.
Now, he began, choosing to ignore my acknowledgment, guarding your mind can be done in two ways. The first, is that you simply do not think what you do not want the other to know. Of course, that isn't effective when someone is invading your mind, trying to find out every little detail there is about you. That is where the second method comes in.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIzTRD91hV
Without an ounce of warning, I felt myself brutally cut off from the tree's mind, and shoved away. Or, that's what it seemed, as the blue orb of light that represented the tree spirit was now off in the distance. I was back right where I started. Anger burned through me as I began pushing my way back towards the tree spirit. This time it was harder, and again I found myself unable to make it past the halfway point. I wasn't going to give up.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpX6c57ILn
I stopped pushing, and forced myself to calm down. Breath. I had to let myself drift back. After some time, I was able to make it back and reconnect my mind to the tree spirit's.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQwZjZLyBu
And that is the second method. Perhaps a bit exaggerated, though. Perhaps I pushed a little too hard. His tone of thought was nonchalant. I got the sense that he completely intended to do that. You must put distance between your consciousness, and the consciousness attacking you. 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxaaCyfEbF
And what if someone attacks your consciousness when you're not expecting it?853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIll5wS4GM
It will hurt much more, but it is similar in concept. Hopefully, with practice, you won't even need to meditate to read minds. Watching you struggle your way here every day gets rather tiring. Now, practice ejecting me from your mind.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZNr102BXU
So I imagined myself pushing away. To my surprise, it came easily. It felt sort of like swimming, as though I were kicking myself up from the bottom of a lake. I felt myself reeled back in, until my mind mind reconnected with the tree spirit.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNmPdyvAPi
Again, he said, his thought monotone. So I did it again. And again, and again, until I had it down to a science. 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu15fMEz4K
Again, he'd said for what seemed to be the hundredth time. So I went to push off again. Except this time, I was unable to do so. It felt as though there was something gripping my mind, and the harder I pushed away, the more desperate the grip seemed to become. 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ940OWxqO1D
I screamed within the confines of my own mind, breaking myself free from the grip on my mind. Afterwards, I let myself drift, not rushing to get back right away. Pain throbbed through my head, and I knew I was going to have one awful headache by the time we were finished.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKuYbYjft3
After I let myself recover some, I drifted back, and reconnected with the tree spirit's mind.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhguIOXkC24
That was good. Only, if anyone were truly attacking you, they would not have given you that moment of respite like I did. 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzV9ZjCzpo
Well, I most certainly appreciate it. My head is absolutely throbbing.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniqGmb97Kw
Well, I do suggest you get used to it. I will let you go for now. You should ask Morganna to give you something for the pain. 853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMgabihDod
I hurriedly pushed myself away from the Tree spirit, and roused myself from my meditative trance. It was well after dark now. I pushed myself up. The coming days were going to be hell, and I was not excited for them.853Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzireSjjyJ
