The Ten Guardians: The Mother Tree©

Chapter Sixteen

The others turned to look at Jaya and Myrum. Myrum looked at the ground and was silent as she and her grandmother agreed that Jaya should speak. Jaya had tears glistening in her eyes, but her voice was steady as she explained what happened to the group, going over every detail of the trial she had put Lone Wolf on and her and Myrum’s impressions of Lone Wolf’s actions and attitude. She ended by describing in detail the memory she had been able to relive with Sparrow’s help and that she had found Lone Wolf blameless in the situation. Colson needed to make the sacrifice he made to delay Ultaris, and there was no other option.

The silence was deafening. No one knew what to say, and after a few minutes of processing, Stein broke the silence.

“It sounds like Colson understood his responsibility and that his soul is endowed with his stewardship, so he made a great sacrifice to fight for this world’s independence. I am honored to share the title of Guardian with him and look forward to when we join him in his struggle,” Stein said as if she was stating the obvious.

“It sounds like you are saying we should kill each other and rush to his side to help fight,” Jonathan said, half in jest.

“Well, not you, no. Your soul would only add to the energy needing protecting, and I am not a mortal, so my soul could not influence this well of souls as Colson or Grey could,” Stein replied.

“No one is dying or killing anyone!” Grey said firmly as she took Jonathan’s hand in hers. “I already experienced dying once today, and I am not rushing to the experience again. We have other options, and we should explore them first.”

“I agree, killing ourselves off does not help our ultimate goal of restoring all of the guardians. We must focus on finding the other dragons,” Jaya replied.

“You mean killing the other dragons like Mantorine did to me,” Stein replied coldly, her eyes flaring red momentarily, showing her displeasure.

“Would you rather have lived in ignorance? Far below your true potential, living in fear of Ultaris and his jackals, harming the parts of the world they were supposed to protect in their petty battles for territories?” Jaya replied boldly.

“You forget yourself, mortal. I know who I am, and I know where my duties lie. I will not shrug off my stewardship to suit your agenda of mortal independence. I am the rock, loyal to the hierarchy bestowed upon this mission. My loyalties lie with Ultaris. I will do as he commands because he is my leader. I will give up my mantle at his request or keep it and use it as he sees fit.”

“Very well, then let’s go talk to him. As you said, he is at the bottom of the hill,” Myrum quickly replied, trying to mollify the tension.

“You know as well as I that Sparrow is not Ultaris … but he may someday become him. I would like to judge his caliber for myself,” Stein replied as she began walking down the hill toward their camp.

The others started to follow her, but Stein only allowed them to follow until they could see the camp from the crest of the hill. Then with a wave of her hand, a wall appeared between her and the rest of the party. The wall appeared to be made of a thin crystal, so thin it could be seen through like a window but strong enough to withstand an army. It wasn’t clear enough to see fine details, but images and shapes could be seen.

“Wait here. I have much to say to the Guardian of Time, and my temper is on edge. I wouldn’t want anyone hurt by accident,” Stein said loudly over her shoulder, not bothering to wait for a response.

As she continued down the hill, she could hear the others talking amongst themselves through the crystal, the vibrations of their voices transmitted through the stone to her ears. She wasn’t sure who was saying what but heard several overlapping voices.

“Should we break through?”

“Jareth, can you blast it open?”

“Maybe we should just wait.”

“What is going on?”

“Stop, everyone …” Grey said firmly, getting the other’s attention before continuing, “… Stein has waited a long time to speak to her leader. She isn’t being malicious, and Sparrow can take care of himself. Just give them space.”

Stein was satisfied that they wouldn’t try to break through the crystal and knew that she was just a stony blur to them now as she walked down the hill. They had both impressed upon one another when they shared a body, and she was grateful that Grey had kept the details of how Stein truly felt to herself.

Stein held her stoic gait and expression as she walked towards the campsite. Her emotions were chaotic at best. During her imprisonment within the Great Road, she did not know of Mantorine’s presence or her role in Stein’s imprisonment. She wasn’t even sure how Mantorine had killed her in the first place without harming her dragon body. She had received her memories, though, forgotten memories of a time when nobility and purpose drove the unity of the guardians. Once, they had worked together toward the goal of a safe and functional world for countless lifeforms. Now they had forgotten that there was anything else besides dominating the world they lived in.

When Stein first exited the Elder tree, unaware of all that had happened to the other guardians and the world, she had been angry. She thought her allies had abandoned her. She thought her leader had also abandoned her, and she had countless years for the thought to fester as she waited for release. She had no idea that her body had been used to influence the other guardians and betray her loyalties.

As Stein approached the campsite, she found Sparrow and Lone Wolf waiting by a warm, natural fire of burning logs. Lone Wolf was sitting comfortably on the backs of his oddly shaped legs, and Sparrow was seated on the ground like a commoner. Nearby were the marks of a dragon’s claws in the ground, which she presumed belonged to Sparrow’s dragon form. The two by the fire came to their feet at her approach, neither showing surprise at her presence, although her being alone couldn’t have been anticipated.

Stein activated her runes and threw a mental prompt at Lone Wolf, similar to what Sparrow had done to put Myrum and Jaya to sleep in the other paradox. But the effect bounced off Lone Wolf like she had thrown air at him. He shook his head once as if to shake off sudden grogginess, then bared his teeth at her as his hand rested on the shaft of his weapon. Stein’s eyes were drawn to the weapon and its markings, and immediately she could read the runes upon its surface. She was stunned by what she saw. Runes of murder, specifically designed to slice into the dragon forms of her people, bypassing their protections.

“You travel in the company of assassins and mortals and sit upon the dirt like a commoner. I do not know if you should be praised for your boldness or shunned for your departure from your nature,” Stein said arrogantly while staring at Lone Wolf and his weapon.

~My nature …” Sparrow said in reflection. He was going to expand on that thought but remembered what had just happened with Lone Wolf and recognized that Stein wanted to have a private conversation.

“Lone Wolf, would you mind joining the others? The crystal wall only extends into the trees over there. You can be around it in minutes,” Sparrow said while motioning toward the tree line at the bottom of the hill, opposite the trunk of the massive tree.

With a simple nod of understanding, Lone Wolf started running in the direction Sparrow had indicated. His speed was impressive, even to a guardian, as he was quickly out of sight among the trees surrounding the hill. Sparrow turned back to Stein, unsure of how this conversation would go. Stein was in a different position than the other guardians he had met. The others had been recently freed from their cloud of forgetfulness and rejoiced at the knowledge and freedom they had gained. Stein, on the other hand, had her memories restored for ages. She had been alone within the Great Road for that entire time, unaware of how she reached that point and what was happening in the outside world.

The uncertainty on his face was masked well, but Stein could see he was reserved at the very least. She tried probing him as she had done the others. She couldn’t see anything deeper than his appearance, which was comforting. At least she knew he was restored enough to have that basic level of control. The only thing she could sense just from looking at him was his strength. He was a shadow of his former self, yet stronger than a dragon guardian trapped in their forgetfulness. Stein, in her restored form as a being of light, could probably hold her own against him if it came to it.

“They call you Sparrow … like the common bird, correct?” Stein asked, but continued before he could respond, “I know you are not wholly Ultaris, although you project his confidence and certainty and look exactly like his human form. How much do you remember before the two of you were separated?”

Sparrow suspected that Stein was probing him. She was always good at reading creatures and knowing secrets about them. She often advised him on the mortals, seeing through their politics and intrigue and looking deep into the heart of issues. She would advise Lebine on which creations caused more disruption and chaos than order and unity. She often resolved disputes among the other elemental guardians, preventing them from bringing lesser matters to Ultaris’ attention.

She was the only elemental guardian that didn’t naturally consider their own interests as more important than anyone else’s. She was well-liked and heavily influenced the other elemental guardians and their thinking. She was also fiercely loyal to the chain of command, more so than any of the other guardians, and he considered her to be his closest ally after Lebine. Lebine wasn’t a fair comparison, though. Their personal relationship aside, Lebine would not defer to him simply because he was appointed the leader of their party. She respected his opinion and would usually take his advice, but if she thought he was wrong, she would argue her point. Stein, on the other hand, would obey orders regardless of her personal opinion on the subject matter.

Sparrow knew that Stein wasn’t learning anything from her probe of him and didn’t want her to wait any longer. He remembered her and their relationship and knew something was wrong. She was putting up walls for the mortals, bleeding an aura of haughty superiority instead of showing that she was grieving inside. He suspected her pain was a combination of her time spent alone in the Great Road and the news of what had taken place while she was imprisoned there. She blamed herself for Lebine and Sterben’s fight to the death and Ultaris’s reaction to it. She blamed herself for the state of the guardians, and their ignorance to their true purpose. She felt that she had failed him, her leader, and betrayed her loyalties somehow.

Sparrow spoke in their natural language, causing words to transcend feelings and images to enter the mind as he spoke.

“My friend, do not judge yourself so harshly. You were imprisoned in your sleep, your body possessed, and your reputation abused. Mantorine is the one that created the battle between Lebine and Sterben, not you.”

Stein’s barriers crumbled as her emotions overcame her. She fell to her knees to show her gratitude for her leader’s understanding, accepting the humbling words he gave to her without a response. She said nothing as she waited for him to continue. That’s when Sparrow gained a deeper insight into his former self before Ultaris fractured himself to change the world. He remembered hiding behind a wall of authority, especially with those he considered the ‘lessor’ guardians, as if their stewardship was somehow not as important as his own. This was why Stein fell to her knees in the form of submission after hearing words of comfort and encouragement from someone she should have considered a friend.

If Sparrow had learned anything from the removal of his more arrogant and cruel personality traits, and his time among the mortals, it was that respect and love were far stronger than intimidation, arrogance, and pride. There was a reason why the mortal souls were so powerful that Ultaris could use them as an energy source. They had the strength of love and compassion, tools that drove them to accomplish incredible feats.

Sparrow decided to destroy the concept that he was better than her somehow, in any way, simply because of a mantel of leadership bestowed upon him by someone else. His actual strength, be it stronger or weaker than hers, shouldn’t be an influence on his behavior. He strode forward and knelt in front of Stein.

“Stein, my sister,” he said as he helped her come to her feet, looking up at her face of stone. “I remember how I treated you in the past … I didn’t treat you like a friend; I treated you like a resource. In the paradox, I saw you were bonded with Grey for a time. Do you remember how she felt for the other mortals in this group? Do you remember how she respected them? She didn’t think she was better than them for being a guardian and would die for them if it was asked of her. In fact, it made her feel all the more inadequate as she tried to step into such an important role in front of them.

“I know you helped her as well. I can already sense she is more stable and can block her location from other guardians now. She has discovered who she is as a guardian, at least partially, and she has you to thank for that. You took that action because you wanted to help her. You knew you weren’t better than her, as I am not better than you for being the leader of our party of guardians. We are all in this together, win or lose … it has to be together.”

Uncertainty and caution showed plainly on her realistic stone face. Her eyes shone red, indicating she was deep in thought, most likely uncomfortable thoughts. After several moments of silence, Stein finally spoke in an uncertain voice.

“Thank you … Sparrow. This is all very unexpected, although I didn’t really know what to expect after so many centuries suspended in the Great Road. I just didn’t expect … you, I suppose.”

“Good or bad surprise?” Sparrow asked in jest.

“If you practice what you preach, which is an expression I picked up from Grey’s mind, then a good surprise. I may need to wait, though, and see the long-term outcome of such a perspective before I pass judgment on such a friendly leadership approach,” Stein replied.

“I think you’ll find it much more rewarding and incentivizing. I love this group of mortals, even when they fight like children over frivolous concepts. I have learned much in the months I have lived among them, about them and myself. I believe you will also learn much about yourself if you give them a chance.”

“Forgive my resistance … but you are far different than the Ultaris I remember, the one I pledged my soul to obey as we left for this world. Seeing such a change in you is unnerving, yet surprisingly pleasant to no longer fear you.”

“Fear me?” Sparrow asked in surprise

“Oh yes, the elemental guardians greatly feared Ultaris. He was immensely powerful and decisive in his decisions, even if it meant genocide for millions of creatures. I know they were creatures we created, and they had to fulfill a purpose toward our ultimate goal of a self-sufficient planet. It just seemed so harsh to let a species thrive for centuries, then wipe them out because the shape of their ears made them too good of hunters, or their body hair was too thin for the climate we intended for them.”

“I don’t remember much of the day-to-day small … decisions,” Sparrow said, horrified that he would classify genocide as a ‘small’ decision. “I can’t imagine why we couldn’t adjust the species hearing or relocate them to another climate.”

“Because then we would have to cascade changes. What other species did we displace when we moved the first one? Where do those go? What diet or environmental changes would be needed to accommodate the new species in the region? What food source for the hunters would thrive now because of the hearing change, and what about that source’s food?” Stein replied, ticking topics off her finger with no sign of stopping.

“I see your point. It was easier to start over,” Sparrow replied, but Stein was getting passionate and kept talking.

“Our infinite knowledge for creation should have included foresight for these issues. We should have planned better before we created things and let them loose upon the world, then have to fix our mistakes over and over again. We should have-”

Sparrow cut her off, “You mean ‘I’ should have … I should have known better.”

Stein didn’t reply. The red of her eyes, flaring as she spoke, dissipated and turned back to its shining white color. Her thoughts had been voiced, and she was relieved her subtle message was heard.

“I, the Lord of Time, should have known better. I should have looked into the future and seen a creature’s chance of survival and coexistence, as was my stewardship. I should have seen these issues before we created anything. You have been thinking about this for a long time, haven’t you?”

“For far too long. I admit that losing our memories greatly influenced our mistakes. Our true purpose was obscured, and we were only following the motions of what we had been doing for thousands of years. I know you did not intentionally allow creation to take place, knowing that the creation would need to be destroyed at a later time,” Stein replied with mild empathy to soothe the sting of her words.

“Even though I could hardly control what actions Lebine took, I still did nothing to counsel or guide her. My arrogance knew no bounds. I was lord of a world and no longer cared about anything else.”

“Except Lebine,” Stein reminded him with a smile.

“Yes … except for her. This is far more complicated than I realized. What will happen when I receive all of these personality traits from Ultaris when we are rejoined? Will I become like I was? Like him? Or something in the middle of insanity and narcissism?”

“Are you asking for my … oppinion?” Stein said with surprise.

“Of course. I meant what I said. We win or lose together. What would you advise, sister?”

Stein had an unreadable expression, but her eyes shone brightly, twinkling with surprise. Clearly, she was unused to Ultaris asking her for her opinion or expressing it so freely to her leader.

“I think you will have the same feelings, emotions, and sanity as anyone else in this world or the world we came from. You will be the same as you once were, and the only difference will be you, Sparrow. What you have learned on this journey and what you have changed within yourself will be what redeems you from your past self.”

“Well said, Stein, thank you. You are observant and have great insights. I’m sorry I didn’t ask for your opinion when it mattered, before all of this insanity. Maybe you could have helped steer us away from our current situation.”

“It matters now more than you realize. I was unsure if I should follow you, as my vow of loyalty was to Ultaris, not ‘Sparrow.’ But I believe following you is the wisest course of action,” Stein said firmly.

“Thank you, but remember that you aren’t following me. We are accomplishing our original goal of leaving this world to the creatures who call it home and doing it together. I will need your free input and guidance, especially while I am still discovering so much about myself.”

“Very well, then I should start by revealing some of the things I have observed from your friends …” Stein paused as if calling the mortals his “friends” was an odd experience, “ I believe at least two other guardians are influencing your journey, and I am unsure they share your same goals.”

Sparrow listened as Stein explained the intricacies and details she had observed of the mortals in their party. He seemed particularly alarmed with the ownership mark on Jareth, as he had completely missed it. He also was very upset about the news concerning Jaya. Not only was she the founder and matriarch of their group and his friend, but she also held hundreds, if not thousands, of souls within her seeker body. They would have an extremely powerful lich to deal with if she died before she could deposit them into the well of souls, probably the most powerful ever created. 

Lebine’s blessing mark on Izreea’s unborn child was expected, but the mark of chance on Izreea was odd. Why would Lebine want the chaos of chance to be drawn to their party? Why would she place it on a pregnant dardwain, a pregnancy Lebine had placed a blessing on? Sparrow didn’t know the answer to his thoughts, so he did what he hated doing with new information; he filed it away for another time when he could give it the attention it deserved.

“Thank you for the information. We will have to work together to figure some of this out before continuing on our path,” Sparrow said, indicating the conversation should expand to include the rest of their party.

Stein activated her runes and removed the crystal barrier she had created. The mortals walked down the path towards Stein and Sparrow after the wall came down. Jareth, Jonathan, Grey, and Izreea looked exhausted, and all had suffered minor injuries, except for Grey, who had her runes to protect her. They started to sit in a circle around the fire, giving no indication that they were ready to start traveling again.

Jaya started handing out dried meat and water flasks to everyone while she spoke.

“The four of you need to recuperate, especially Izreea. Rest while we combine supplies, collect Drock, and set up the campsite. We’ll sleep here tonight. Rest for now, and we can discuss where we go from here in a few hours.

Izreea was already asleep with her head on Jareth’s thigh, and the rest of the party didn’t have the energy to respond with anything other than a murmured “thank you,.”

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