Zaraline's Point of View837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyfm8MzJEJ
After a handfull of days filled to the brim with headaches and practice, I was starting to really get the hang of it. I was also getting better at reading minds too. It gradually became less of a struggle to
You've come far, yes, the tree spirit hummed. Now it is time you learn how to attack back. Instead of pushing away, you must pull yourself closer and grip the mind of your opponent and suffocate it, as I have been doing thus far. Try it.
Considering I'd experienced it plenty of times before now, I was pretty sure I had the basic idea down pat. As he instructed, I pulled myself closer to the brilliant blue form of his consciousness, and then tried to wrap myself around it. It was fairly easy.
Then I pushed with everything I had.
A series of images flashed before my mind's eye. Looking. down over an unfamiliar countryside from high above, Morganna's smiling face, and an almost ethereal city with buildings built on the massive trees of this land. That was the last image I saw before I was brutally pushed away.
Haha! Almost got it, you did! You are strong indeed. The tree spirit's laugh echoed between our minds. As he was laughing, I dove in again, trying to get back in. It was like running into a wall. You won't be catching me off guard again though, I assure you. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAfEd91zqi
And so that was the next week of our time together. Repeatedly running into the mental equivalent of a stone wall. Occasionally, he would buckle, and I'd see more glimpses of memories. Vague things, like unfamiliar people and places, other dragons, more of Morganna, and I even saw Grindyr once or twice. Other times, I'd feel waves of intense emotion from him. There was a lot of sorrow and hatred to be found in this tree.
As more time passed, I progressively got stronger. I was determined to beat the tree spirit. Times where I almost cracked him like a nut became more and more frequent.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnlLtfcm2P
Then, finally the day came where I beat him.
The closest explanation to how it felt was like diving into a lake. A lake of memories, feelings, and knowledge, all hitting me at once. It was overwhelming.
In the back of my own mind, I remembered. A name. I was looking for his name. I found myself being drawn towards a particular memory. I was experiencing it through the eyes of the tree spirit. He was a man once.
Through the hazy view of the memory, I recognized the valley we were in at this very moment. There was no tower, and no willow tree. The sky was a brilliant color of orange. Morganna was at my side, firing off spells at monstrous creatures, things that could only be described as monsters of nightmare.
And I had a familiar sword in hand, with glowing blue runes along the flat of the blade. It was Stormbringer, completely whole. I whirled around, plunging the blade into the back of what looked to be a skinned hound, it's head a skull without eyes, and black tentacles for a mane. Lightning arced from the blade, and engulfed the creature, searing it away to a crisp.
We were beating these things, these demons back. They began to flee. I couldn't chase them down. They were far faster on foot than I ever could be. I looked over at Morganna.
"Morganna! Roast them!" Morganna nodded. I watched as her form molded and grew larged, wings sprouting from her back as she took on the form of a violet dragon. She launched herself into the air, and flew after them, her roar echoing through the valley. I could hear the demons screaming as she turned them to ash from above.
"Ah, finally..." an unfamiliar voice said behind me. While I personally didn't recognize it, the tree spirit did. He whirled around. There stood a tall, slender man, dressed in black and red, pale as death, and gaunt features. Silvery hair draped down to his shoulders on either side of his face. From the knowledge embedded in the memory, I knew him to be Corithas. The man who had brought this whole war upon us, if he could even be called a man anymore.
"It is so good to see you again, dearie." Wisps of shadow began to form at his feet, and slowly wrapped around him. "Alone, too. It's very difficult to give you my gift when you have dragons guarding your every side." The wisps of shadow converged in his hand, and coalesced into a shape that elongated and formed a bladed staff. The staff known simply as Aether. The one that had slaughtered so many, and twisted them into monsters.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFC0bJviDL
I felt a tug in my gut as I called upon the storm. Dark clouds formed in the sky, turning the sky from orange to a dark orange, almost red.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXDBneDgxl
"I am going to kill you," I told him in a voice that was not mine. Pure rage pumped in my veins, urging me forward. In my hand, Stormbringer crackled as arcs of lightning darted along my blade. Corithas smiled, a wicked smile, and brought his staff up to block my strike, and then shoved my blade aside to jab the blade of his staff into my right shoulder, twisted it, and then pulled away.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFCiG9tq1V
I staggered back, switching my sword from my right hand to my left. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNwFkmEq2Z
The fight between us raged on, legend against legend. He was simply faster, and kept landing little blows that added up. Lightning struck the ground around us, but Corithas managed to avoid getting struck.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzCl4uCWh9
Finally, it came to a point where our weapons were locked, each of us struggling to get the upper hand over the other. I could smell his breath. Despite the sort of creatures he spent his life with, his breath smelled like mint. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTekqeG4Dg
"Would you like to hear a joke?" Corithas asked, his voice strained. Of all times? Seriously? I refused to humor him with a reply.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09PsI5DVtg
"What did the pigeon say to the eagle as he was about to die?"837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHy38tRkckx
I glared at him, still refusing to dignify his question with a reply. With one great burst of energy, I shoved him back, and disengaged. My limbs were starting to feel heavy. This had to end soon. I switched my blade back to my right hand, and thrust my left one upward, calling upon the raw power of the storm.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBerwRPy9az
Streaks of lightning slammed down on my hand, making my hair stand on edge, and sending tingles throughout my entire body. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a growing darkness. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLuxd38dZT
"I'll see you soon!" Corithas shouted over the ambience of crackling lightning. The lightning in my palm formed a physical spear of white hot lightning, shaped like a bolt, which I hurled at Corithas's figure, half-shrouded by the darkness.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaIXXUOXxD
"That's the worst joke I've ever heard!"837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZa26zPfrj
After I said that, the bolt pierced his chest. As Corithas fell to his knees, the wisps of darkness rushed forward, and engulfed me. My body lurched forward, pain blooming from my stomach. I looked down, to see two shard-like manifestations of sticking out from my stomach. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPqJ7B93AX
My sword slipped from my hand as I collapsed to my knees. I could hear approaching wingbeats. Morganna. The shadows retreated, curling back around Corithas, who now clutched his chest. He grinned at me.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQwq8TomNb
"No!" I heard Morganna cry out, her voice gravelly due to her current form. The ground rumbled as she landed just behind me. She leaned over me, her maw opening wide. I watched as Corithas vanished, just before her flames could incinerate him. I collapsed on my side, unable to form the words to tell her. He was gone. Escaped again.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUc0mb0Fja
Morganna returned to her human form, and knelt before me. Tears ran down her face as she lifted my head to cradle it. "I am so sorry Rioric, my love."837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMhq9NX6jY
As those words left her lips, I found myself forcefully ripped from the memory, and shoved away from the mind of the tree spirit, from the mind of Rioric. I came back, and reconnected my mind with his.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8OykMMgfe
What was that? I asked. I could vaguely sense the bitterness rolling off of him in droves. But Rioric held my at the mental equivalent of an arm's length.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImiXjRQrG9
That was how I died. The terrible prelude to how I became a tree. A dragon by the name of Yrul came in my last moments. He was a master of healing. Morganna begged of him to save me. Only, Corithas's magic had corrupted my body deeply. He grew me into a tree. Yrul said there might be a slim chance I would emerge, fully healed. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBWgdmGRL3
And you haven't? My heart ached for Rioric. This poor soul had seen so much horror. And I'd only gotten a glimpse of it.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPsaOnLaBo
I have been here for forty years. I gave up hope thirty years ago. If I haven't been healed now, then I never will be. And I will remain in this tree. I have tried many times to convince Morganna to burn it down, to release me, but she will not. Even after all this time, she clings too desperately to hope. I wish she would wake up and move on.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKqAugqwrJ
Even so, Rioric continued, your company has been a light in these dark years. So, thank you. Truly.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpYPia6vBQ
You're welcome. Even if I did want to strangle you at times, you are not bad company, I replied. We both laughed.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd51XqM8Szy
Yes, you made your desires of doing such very clear. But, alas, your time with me has come to an end, your task completed. Morganna has told me you are to join the order, correct?837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TI4kUmlNG
Yes. She wanted to teach me how to use magic before I did so though. 837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mkFbrCZb3
And you're still looking to retake your homeland?837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IwpjaTUPr
Very much so.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23gG49cVEl
Then there will come a time when you fly away from here. I ask of you to do what Morganna cannot. Put me to rest. Please.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5vUOV9yHO
I hesitated. I couldn't imagine the consequences of that. Morganna would be furious with me. However, Rioric did not deserve to suffer like this. Nobody did.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Q1I8WXRxS
I will. And while I am here, I will not forget about you, Rioric.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZph19enPn
Your words please me greatly. Thank you, Zaraline.837Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIirtiO831e
