Tarren seemed pleased by his compliment and nodded her head in agreement as well.  She turned to look at Ennissyen.  He shook his head fractionally and sauntered off in the opposite direction.

 

Two emotions struck me at the same time.  Anger, because Ennissyen was confirming the suspicions I gleaned from the conversation earlier.  And then I was anxious because I was stuck with stalker, pretty boy.  There was just something about him that made me uneasy. 

 

I grimaced to myself as Tarren started down the hall with me in tow.  I snuck a sideways glance at pretty boy who kept a half a step behind me.  He was staring at me intently with a strange look on his face.  I quickly focused on the floor in front of me, bewildered.  I tried to smooth over the tangled knots in my stomach and strike up a conversation.  Maybe getting to know him a little would help ease all my anxieties.

 

“How was your trip getting here?”  I asked, forcing a pleasant tone. 

 

Apparently, the fact that I was talking startled him.  I didn’t understand any of his expressions at all.  I wondered if the other protectors were the same way.

 

“My trip was exceptionally pleasant.  We took an unmarked route from my country to ensure as little complication as possible.”  He inclined his head politely.  It seemed I was going to actually have to work a little to get him into the conversation.

 

“How do you like being a protector?”  I asked curiously. 

 

I was only met with another confusing expression.  I thought about my question for a minute, and saw the obvious miscommunication.

 

“I’m sorry, I worded that wrong.  What I meant to ask was what is it like being a protector?”  I amended.  “Do you see a lot of danger because of what you are?”

 

I couldn’t help myself, I was curious to gain some information on the topic.  He still held that confusing expression while he answered.

 

“This was my chosen destiny.  I’ve known nothing else before this.  I feel honored to be one of Eres’ chosen protectors.  Once I take the ceremonial dance with a Vala, I will be better suited to fulfill my duties.”  He stated his voice swelling with honor.

 

I was a bit lost on the part where he dances with a Vala.  I was about to question him when we walked through a set of doors into sunlight.  I had to blink several times to adjust my eyes.  We were standing on the threshold of the city, and it was the most amazing sight I’d ever seen.

 

I looked behind us for a second, marveling at the castle-like structure that we walked out of.  This was my first time seeing it from the outside.  Compared to the city itself, it was the only unnatural thing about the place.  I admired the white sandblasted stone, and the large windows.  The castle reminded me of those Hollywood California mansions the stars always flaunted to the media. 

 

I concluded that it was impossible to tell just how large of a structure it really was from the outside with so many trees camouflaging most of the sides.  The truth of that observation echoed in my head as I returned my attention to the city.

 

I let Tarren lead me around as usual while I gawked.  There were no man-made stone or brick buildings as I suspected.  All the dwellings and shops of Awsta were made out of the trees.  The centers of them seemed to be hollowed out.  I watched people pop in and out of them conducting their usual daily routines. 

 

“Tarren…”  I whispered. 

 

She nodded to my unspoken question.  If I hadn’t seen people entering or exiting, then I would have never known people existed here.  This place was made in secret, and it was obvious they intended to keep it that way considering the trouble they went through to keep everything looking as natural as possible.

 

“The ability to manipulate the trees in this fashion was handed down to us from our ancestors.  They were refugees of the great battles, and they developed this technique to protect the weaker and wounded.”  She said pointing to the tree homes.

 

“The process takes seven days to complete, and though every one of my people harbors the sacred knowledge, only the strongest are actually able to perform it.  The ceremony requires a considerable amount of Asgre, and can’t be done too often because of the strain it causes afterwards.”  She finished.

 

“Strain?  Can someone die from performing this ritual?”  I asked.  I was completely fascinated.  She looked at me with a polite smile.

 

“Yes.  We pick according to age and ability to prevent that from happening, but there have been a few losses.  For the most part, recovery is just a few days time.  The ability to perform this sacred duty is highly regarded.  Almost as much as the Vala themselves.”  I nodded thoughtfully. 

 

I continued to inspect our surroundings as we walked down the dirt street imagining people standing around the large trees chanting and swaying for seven days.

 

I was impressed by how big the city was.  We seemed to walk for miles, never coming to an end.  Just the sheer population itself was astonishing.  The amount of people milling in the streets between trees and shops.  I wondered how they managed to hide themselves in emergencies without giving themselves away. 

 

Most of the people resembled Tarren, with the pale skin, dark hair, and black eyes, but there were some who looked out of place as well.  When I questioned Tarren about them, she simply stated that they were peaceful people seeking refuge from the chaos dwelling in the neighboring lands.  That made sense. 

 

I was also beginning to notice that we never had trouble getting through the crowded roads.  As we passed knots of people, they scattered to clear the way and bowed their head in respect. 

 

“Why do they do that?  They act as if we are some kind of royalty or something.”  I murmured, staring at another group of people.  One woman even got to her hands and knees and bowed so low her forehead touched the ground.

 

“To them you are the same as royalty, Arie, probably even higher than that.”  Tarren stated,  “They regard the Vala with the utmost honor because they sacrifice their lives so that others may live theirs in peace.”

 

With that simple statement of fact, everything I had been suppressing over the course of the few weeks bubbled to the surface.  The choice I still had to make hung in the air like a sword over my head.  On one hand, I doom this entire place and its people for what I wanted.  On the other, I sacrifice my desires so that others here could have a chance at a peaceful future. 

 

I still wasn’t sure if it was worth it to trust that everyone had good intentions, and walk blindly into an existence of servitude for their assumed happy ending.  Of course, taking the selfish path didn’t feel right either.  I knew I was standing at the crossroads of my decision, and I would have to choose a direction soon.  Fight or flight?

 

“Do you suppose we might be able to observe your tree ceremony?”  Trevelyans’ curious question broke through my reverie. 

 

In all honesty, he had been so quiet standing next to me the entire time that I had completely forgotten about him.  I almost jumped out of my skin when he spoke to Tarren.

 

“I’m afraid that would be impossible.”  She answered with a polite tone and apologetic smile.  “We’re extremely private about our sacred customs.  Forgive me, but not even the Vala are able to witness the act.”

 

Trevelyan nodded once in response to his rejected proposal, clearly disappointed but didn’t press the issue.  I freed my hand from Tarrens’ grasp to move to the side of the dirt street where tents of merchandise were laid out on display for potential buyers.  Some of the items fascinated me, especially the jewelry.  The gems used were completely unfamiliar.  As I gazed at the different trinkets splayed out on one of the nearby tables, an icy feeling crawled up my spine.

 

My attention was drawn down the street where people were starting to scatter and scream in alarm.  Something inside me quivered slightly, and I moved away from the little tent to get a better look.  The others followed close behind as I made my way down the street.  Instinct told me that I wasn’t going to like what I saw.

 

Gasps and cries rose through the growing crowd of curious onlookers as we moved closer.  People were pointing and yelling, and I saw some men join the group with what appeared to be pitch forks in hand.  A twinge of fear stirred my stomach as I stepped around a few people to get a better look. 

 

I froze.

 

We had reached the end of the city, finally.  A make shift wooden fence separated the city with the beginning of the forest.  There was a considerable gap between them where an elderly man waited on his knees, quaking in fear.

 

Stalking towards him was a large black beast with hungry red eyes.  The monster looked exactly like the one I had encountered before.  Fangs dripping with saliva, a low rumbling snarl escaped his throat.  I shivered.  I was terrified for the old man.  I looked around me, waiting for someone to run out and save him, but everyone was frozen in fear.

 

“Why doesn’t anyone help him?”  Panic rose in my voice as I watched the beast stalk closer to the man, shifting from side to side like a cat would before he pounced.  Even if the old man ran for it now, he wouldn’t make it.  That much I knew for sure.

 

“I’m unable to get involved.”  I heard Trevelyan mumble through his evident fear.

 

“What?”  I screamed causing him to flinch. 

 

Anger and panic colored my voice.  Wasn’t he chosen to do these sorts of things?  I afforded another glance in the monsters direction before turning my attention to Tarren.

 

“Give me your dagger.”  I said through gritted teeth to her.  She only stared blankly at me, so I yanked it from her boot.  The speed of the movement was too fast for her to resist, thankfully.  Time was running out.

 

“What are you…?”  Trevelyan questioned, stepping between me and the monster, obstructing my view.

 

“Doing what you so obviously can’t.”  I cut him off, using the dagger to cut through my floor length dress.  I ripped off the bottom, making it knee length for easier movement.  The gasps rippling in the crowd sent adrenaline into my veins.

 

“You can’t!”  Trevelyan tried to grab my arm, but I shrugged from his reaching fingers, throwing the dagger, blade side down, into the ground between his feet.  He stopped his advance on me for a second, and I took the opportunity to sidestep around and past him with ease.

 

I saw the beast rearing for the final blow, and I allowed my anger and frustration from the previous few days to explode inside me.

 

It was over in three seconds.

 

Everything seemed to be in slow motion compared to my unhindered movements.  I thrust myself forward easily, bounding 15 feet ahead next to a man with a short sword strapped to his side.  I ripped it from the sheath, and leapt onto a stack of barrels in front of him.  Without losing any momentum, and adding as much force as I could muster, I launched straight into the air towards the monster.

 

Heat flowed from my hand into the sword, and I drove it into the monstrous animal just a breath before he connected with the elderly man.  The contact instantly disintegrated him.  The ashes disappeared into the wind before I landed on the ground again. 

 

The adrenaline dissipated like a punctured balloon, and I dropped the sword from my shaky hands as I fell to my knees in front of the old man.

 

He was pressing his forehead into the ground, muttering apologies relentlessly.  Hot, angry tears brimmed over as I pulled him into a fierce hug.  He was so startled by my sudden reaction that he didn’t move an inch.  I couldn’t believe that he was just going to be left here to die by that rotten animal while everybody else watched.

 

“Are you hurt?”  I asked gently, pulling myself away to inspect him.  He shook his head fiercely, and tried to bow again.

 

“You.”  I pointed to the closest man to us.  The poor guy almost jumped out of his skin.  “Help him to his home, and make sure he isn’t hurt.”

 

The man rushed over to help the elderly man up, and scurried away through the crowd.  I picked up the sword, anger in full swing, and stomped through the sea of spectators to where Trevelyan stood.  I must have had steam coming out of my nose, the way the shock was written across his face. 

 

“You!”  I glared, pointing straight at Trevelyan.  He flinched.

 

“’I’m unable to get involved’?” I recited his words with disgust.  “How can you value yourself as one of the honored chosen, when you were willing to watch an innocent man die by the fangs of that monster?” 

 

No response.

 

“Arie…”  Tarren tried to interject, but I ignored her.

 

“Some protector you are.”  I stated flatly, shoving the hilt of the sword I was holding into his chest with the full force of my fury and stalked past him.

 

I heard the sword clang to the ground and his wheezing for air.  I let a sound of disgust rip from my body, and clenched my fists.  I attempted to take deep breaths, but previous events reminded me how little it helped.  I just continued to walk forward, knowing that if I stopped, something would end up broken.

 

My head was speeding along at high velocity, completely detached from my body.  Every piece of information I gleaned since coming here tumbled around in my head like a cotton candy machine.  It was all stringing together to make incoherent thought.  This frustrated me even more.  Nothing was making sense- in my head or out.  Even my impending decision loomed around my head ominously.

 

In the blaze of my anger, I didn’t notice the wrong turn I made.  I had unintentionally walked my way into the thick of the forest that was uninhabited.  I turned full circle, and couldn’t even make out the sounds of the busy street markets.  Completely flustered, I picked a direction and continued walking.

 

My labored breathing echoed in the silence as I pushed myself forward.  The forest seemed to go on forever.   Blurs of color streamed past me in a blaze.  A glint of light flickered from somewhere in my periphery catching my interest.  I slowed down.

 

I was standing on the very outskirts of a tiny break in the forest.  I moved to get a closer look, and noticed beyond the break was a small clearing.  I stepped through the tall meadow grass and found the source of my interest.  The sunlight filtering into the clearing was reflecting off a quiet brook trickling through the tall grass cutting the clearing in two.  The place was beautiful and serene, but did nothing to curb the growing pressure in my chest. 

 

I collapsed to my knees in the grass, wrapping my arms around myself.  It was a sore attempt to keep the pressure from growing anymore, but I had to do something.  It felt like I could explode any minute.  The grass around me started to quiver.

 

“Arie?”

 

I looked up, and could barely make out Ennissyens form a few feet in front of me through my blurred double vision.  The ball in my chest coiled and writhed, causing me to wince.

 

“Run.”  I gasped, “’S not safe…”

 

I didn’t want him anywhere near me.  I didn’t know what was going to happen this time, or how I would end up at the end of it.  At the very least, I could spare him from being hurt or worse.  But to my complete dismay, he closed the gap between us, and grabbed my shoulders.  

 

“What’s wrong?”  Concern coated his voice. 

 

“I said…to go…” It was getting increasingly harder to breathe. 

 

The heat pushed against the walls of my chest, and I groaned from the pain.  I felt Ennissyens’ grip on my shoulders tighten.  A tingly feeling entered my body where his palms touched, but it didn’t spread like usual, and I knew then that he couldn’t help me.  I had to think of something, and fast before it got worse.

 

“Arie…”

 

I ignored his voice, and squeezed my eyes shut.  I concentrated on the first thing that popped into my head.  Instead of the pressure leaving my body this time, it moved towards the center.  From there, it felt like everything was being sucked in; like the pit of my stomach was a vacuum hose or something.

 

After a few seconds, the feeling dissipated, and I was finally relieved of the pressure in my chest.  I blew out a sigh of relief, and opened my eyes.  Ennissyen was there in front of me, but he had a very strange look on his face.  His hands still griping my shoulders, he leaned in closer to look into my eyes.  It was as if he were trying to read my mind or something.  The mere proximity of our faces made me gulp a few times.

 

“Explain to me why we are standing in the middle of the sacred garden?”  He said after a few moments. 

 

“W-what?”  I managed to choke.

 

He released me from his scrutiny, and I was finally able to take in our new surroundings.  We were sitting on the grassy bank of a lake surrounded by trees that almost resembled weeping willows.  Wild flowers littered the grass beneath us, and in the middle of the lake I could see a tiny island.  On the island grew the most strangely beautiful flowers I had ever encountered.  The blooms were bigger than both hands put together, and colored pink and white.  Giant ominous thorns spiked out from the stems.  I looked at the silver outline on my right palm and gasped. 

 

Those were the sacred flowers.