3 A New Beginning

Sunlight passed through the dense greenery, from the tallest of trees, down to the forest floor. Obstructed by the canopy, it gives off a dim source of light. Not much, just enough to rouse the slumbering creatures within.

The nocturnal went to sleep, while the diurnal started waking up one by one, save for a silhouette under the largest tree in the forest, a fallen king, now given respite under the cradle of nature. Roots from the ancient tree cocooned over him, giving him sustenance while repairing his now broken body.

Few pair of eyes could be seen, looking from afar, observing the changes in the cocoon.

"Will he be alright? That wound is gruesome, I've never seen any like it. His whole body was charred black, while most of his organs experienced critical failure." a feminine voice asked.

"He will be alright. This stranger was lucky we found him early. If he was found one or two hours later, I believe he's a goner. Still, he is quite durable. To survive these kind of wound is no easy task for a human." a voice beside her answered.

"Let us go back to the village, I believe he'll come out sometime soon." one of them said.

"Alright, let us go." the feminine voice agreed.

And so they left the premise of the ancient tree, it's unknown which path they took to get back to their village as it was hidden by the forest.

The sun sets, and darkness comes. Many creatures started waking up to search for food, while many others went back to their lairs to sleep.

Deep within the cocoon, a voice resounded "Tell me child, what is it do you seek? Is it strength? Fame? Wealth? Or something else?"

Befuddled, the stranger tried to answer the strange voice, but there was no sound. No matter how hard he tried to speak up, nothing is coming out. And there he sees, deep within the roots, a body that was similar to his. He tried to reach out his arm, but there was no arm to reach out with. It then dawned on him, the fact that he was dead and was now a wisp of consciousness.

"It seems you do not know how to speak, yet. Try to think what is it you want to speak, then close your 'eyes', feel your surroundings." the strange voice could be heard again. He quickly did what he was told.

"By now you will feel pulsating threads, many of them. Pick one closest to you child, and open your 'eyes'." the voice continued it's instruction. And he did just that.

Before him was a vast space, lush grasslands and towering trees, the skies was blue and the clouds white, giving one a sense of freedom and prosperity.

"Where am I?" he asked out loud, as if someone will be there to answer him.

"You are in my domain child, my realm. The reality you see before you is something that I create within my mind. Now come, let us talk inside my home." a granny answered him, she was short and her slouching figure gave one an illusion that she was smaller.

He walked behind her, through the grasslands and inside the forest. There they continued through the forest trail, until at one point the granny veered off from the trail. They continued the journey, past by the same looking trees and rocks and cliffs, until they went through a clearing. There, a great tree stood firm on the middle of the clearing, up on it's branches lies a small wooden house.

The stranger went forward to get inside of the clearing, but he was stopped by the granny.

"Take off your shoes please, it damages the grass." she said.

So he took off his shoes, and went inside the clearing. There, many kinds of flowers and herbs grew on the ground, while verdant green surrounded the place, giving one a sense of peace and serenity.

"Come inside, I'll make you tea and something to eat." the amiable granny said.

He nodded and followed the granny up the ladder, into the small wooden house. Inside was what you would normally expect from a small tree house, except that there was a hearth for cooking. wooden spoon and bowls could be seen hanging from the roof, swaying as the wind comes by, producing calming sounds of wooden wind chimes.

Bird chirps could be heard outside, while inside, the clunking of wooden bowls and spoons, and the crackling sound of the hearth could be heard. The stranger closed his eyes, immersing himself on the sounds near him, the chirping of the birds up high, the clunking noise of the bowls and spoons, and the crackling of the hearth. He felt at peace, with the world, and with himself. Everything slowly came back to him, who he was, his joy and sorrow that he felt together with his crew and vessel, his regrets, and finally his hope that the crew he leads in the distant past, were happy in that life and the next.

He opened his eyes, no longer was he befuddled. A new beginning is right around the corner, for the former ruler of the seas.