Ramblings of an old man.
Rebellious States.
The Rebellious states or as they call themselves the Land of Resistance, was built in a torn land.
Monsters strived here, and forests grew no matter how much one would try to cut them. Mountains contained coldness that would freeze the sun itself.
The Land would be normally qualified as unlivable.
Yet here protected by the might of the barrier erected hundred thousand of years ago.
Species that have been chased out by human civilization flocked here, plants pushed by the weird weather also strived here.
The Land was big…But the place where actual life was possible is scarce.
The People living here lived in nomad tribes, with a weak sense civilization.
The Saharos Empire couldn't access here, but could still make things difficult for this place.
Early on, they did all they could.
Influence the weather, cut the state from the rest of the world, shut down any sign of human advancement.
Even the advancement of the tiny bit of technological and magical awareness was forcefully halted.
The Population here was now reduced to a band of simple unnamed and ignorant nomads.
That roamed the forests, hunting and eating.
The different tribes eventually grew big enough to reach the billion population.
But soon…
Food shortage, started to appear.
A Great period of starvation began.
The Population was miserable, and eventually those protective walls became a prison. Locking them in there.
These periods were marked as the darkest of the history of the tribes.
A Period where the living devoured the dead. Where father crippled themselves to feed their families.
Such times appeared periodically inside the walls…
Yet…Weirdly no war ever happened between the different tribes.
It was like the leaders were patiently waiting.
Actually all the population was waiting.
In the exact center of the whole barrier's territory stood an extremely tall tree.
The Tree was towering in the Heavens. Thousands of Light Years Tall!!!
Of course in it's heydays it had reached Billions of years of lenght!!
It's size, it's green leaves, it's powerful trunk.
Everything about it gave a sense of security to the Tribes.
On the darkest times, the tree always gave it's blessing to the land.
And allowed the whole land to have flow of bountiful harvest, that would last ten thousand of years.
All the leader of the tribes, would then make a visit, and crawl to it's trunk:
"We are grateful for our ancestor's grace!!"
Indeed. The tree was revered as the ancestor of all the tribes living here.
Yet every time, unbeknownst to everyone. Every time, 'the harvest' would arrive.
The Power of the Barrier would dim out, a little.
The arrival of the harvest would also mark of The Awakening of the Ancestor.
The tribe chiefs, would then enter in the tree. To pay their respect.
The tribe chiefs no matter the conflicts, or the issues, always held a sense of intimacy with each other.
Their eyes were always filled during their whole life time with quiet, yet resolute patience. Their shoulders always appeared to be arched.
Like old men and women tired of carrying a burden since birth.
They will probably, like their predecessors, live and die, carrying this burden with them and passing it on to their children.
Not only them...but the rest of the population had this determined glint. In it one could see hate, but also longing and hope...
...Their time will eventually come. One day, 'he' will come and save them.
When this will end?
There wasn't a tribe leader that didn't ask for such a question.
They've been waiting for freedom for so long.
Today…The Time they've been waiting for has arrived.
But it was only met with horror and panic.
The Barrier that has been protecting them from the monsters on the other side, was waning.
The Beautiful Green three was slowly losing it's lifeforce. It's Green leaves turning brown.
The Four tribe leaders were all brought together once again.
Outside the trunk of the tree.
A beautiful, snow-white haired woman, was pleading, her eyes watery.
The love and sadness in her eyes couldn't be replicated.
She was the strongest warrior of the 4 Enka Tribes, ever.
In it's whole history.
The Sole direct disciple of the Ancestor. She had quite the reputation and had immense strength that could probably rival a 10th Ranked Knight.
But that was clearly not enough.
When she was young, she held a lot of hope for the future.
She was the only one ever chosen as the disciple of the Ancestor. She wanted to be the one that could finally be able to break the shackles of her kin.
She knew that her people were dying here. She with her own eyes, saw the horror of the starvation times.
She saw how her people were reduced to cannibalism and misery. Their will reduced to smithereens.
After, attaining the position she held.
She pleaded several times with each of the tribe leaders, to try and leave the territory.
The Barrier was obviously too weak now.
Even she could break it, if she tried for a long time.
She, who spent a long time with the Ancestor knew that his power as well as his lifeforce were only getting weaker by the day.
But all she received was plain refusal.
No explanation was given.
No words were spoken.
She could see that there was something deeper going on.
Yet…It was something neither her teacher, nor her kin leaders wanted to tell her.
Today…That time finally came. The day she dreaded the most was here.
For a week now. The Barrier have been bombarded continuously. The tree had lost it's luster.
And even the Ancestor who she relied on the most, was absent.
Even then, she immediately readied and rallied all the population in fear.
She had great leadership, and a great reputation. So she could keep people calm for a while.
The Tribe Leaders only kept silent, and resolute faces.
Their eyes had complex and unreadable emotions in them. Like it was the case for all their lives.
Finally, the signal for the Ancestor awakening was announced.
Immediately…The people's hope were reignited. That tree was after all the pillar of those men and women.
Those Four Figures immediately reunited before going straight to the tree.
In front it, as they expected, they found, the headstrong girl in their way. Her eyes watery with shed tears, her gaze profound with rage:
"Why..?"
"…Just why…?"
"We could have escaped this disaster."
"Is resisting the Sahros Empire that important?"
"Is it more important than the safety of our people?"
An elderly man, in his Fifty narrowed his eyes as he closed the distance. His face was at peace, as he seemed completely calm. Like impending doom wasn't at his door:
"We could have never escaped."
"Facing this disaster is our fate."
The Three others only sighed, as they nodded. With the same unbending calm.
"What…What is that supposed to mean?!!"
"Is it our fate to be slaughtered like dogs?!!"
"Why are you doing this? Are you relying on the ancestor?!!"
"Do you have a way to counter-attack?!!"
Liz, the Amazonas tribe leader, and the one closest to her, approached, held her cheek in her hand:
"Ajika. The Brightest star of our tribes."
The leader held a gaze with deep affection, as she caressed the girl.
"You are our pride, my dear."
"Caring, powerful and beautiful…"
The Elderly tribe leaders, also shut their eyes, their faces becoming more and more relaxed.
"And more important as innocent, like white snow."
"Our beautiful parting gift of this world"
"Let us deal with the demons of our sins ourselves."
"You don't have to taint yourself."
It was at that time, she realized.
The Tribe Leaders weren't overconfident, weren't stupid either, weren't ignorant of the powerful foes outside.
Now the reality is that….
'They never even wanted to survive in the first place!!!'
They all held a small smile, as they entered the ancestral tree one last time.
The 4 Enka Tribe Leaders entered…A miserable smile splattered on their face.
In front of them, the inside of the Ancestral Tree opened up….
Stairs made of plants were magically formed as the inside of the trunk seemed to take life and turn into a modest little poorly hut.
An aged voice, that appeared to hold the unfettered weight of time resounded:
"My Children…"
"Welcome back…"
The voice was breezy, calm and soothing….Like a vegetal breeze in a humid forest.
Such a transformation of nature into omniscient would owe a large number of people. Only…
The 4 Leaders ground their smile as they saw the transformations. Their fists tightened in frustration….
The Ancestor was never a man of extravagance but the inside of his place was never that rustic and desolate.
Where was the lush greenery, the sumptuous fruits and the endless majesty of his branches?
Only the yellowest and grayest colors of death were sparkled here and there.
They knew they were sinners….They would live to see the day the Ancestor would breath his last.
Until they ended they abused his lifeforce and energy and never could resist the Saharos Empire, until the end.
They never could avange their Emperor. They never could produce, someone capable enough.
Maybe Ajika could have attained that level…But it was still too late.
They abused the lifeforce of their Ancestors like a pig waiting to be fed….What right did they have to live a day later than him?
No!! They would rather die than accept to live in such humiliation!!!
Anyway even if they tried...It was impossible to escape.
In front of them, from the back of a trunk, branches grew, one by one, and fused with each other forming a green standing silhouette.
The green vegetations fused together and began to turn into different colors…
Giving it a bronze complexion, white hair, and some wrinkles here and there. The whole body looked like that of an honest down to earth farmer.
But looking at the trembling arms, the shaky legs…One could see that this little farmer didn't have much to plow.
Nevertheless, his green verdant eyes seemed to hold incredible light. His smile never left his face and his posture was still straight.
In the eyes of the 4, it seemed like the last stand of a warrior facing the endless swarm of the battlefield. They felt their heart bleed their blood turn cold…
However, they still retained their feelings underneath their fake and forced smiles.
Looking at the useless efforts of these children…The Ancestor's smile only deepened with kindness.
"Children….What is it that is troubling you?"
The Four took a deep breath…And knelt on the ground in the same fashion…
"Ancestor…"
"Our Four Tribes are ready to die alongside you this time."
"We've been waiting for slumber for a long time now."
The Ancestor narrowed his verdant eyes, in it unreadable thoughts were passing through. Suddenly…
"HAHAHA…."
A powerful laugh brought them back from their reverence….
"Since when did I become so useless that a bunch of brats, have such heavy expressions in front of me."
As he spoke a powerful explosions resounded through the whole state plunging everyone in fear.
On the ground the four's expression became even more solemn.
The old man's eyes moved faraway as if it could break through the limit of epochs and eons and reach into the intangible.
In them one could see an indiscernible tinge of regret one couldn't possibly fathom, even at the same level:
"It seems this servant role has come to it's end."
His eyes then seemed to subtly pass by the ground, and move almost immediately, as if it was a simple moment of inattention.
But…How could every move of any being at this level not hold meaning?
Sadly the four were still kneeling their eyes, ignorant of everything in front of them.
"Sigh…"
He then looked up:
"How is Ajika?"
As he spoke, he could sense a trembling shadow on the corner. His eyes lingered a little bit on the trembling shadow, his old heart warming up one last time….
A kind smile and doting appeared on his face:
"Does she eat well?"
He marched in a slow manner as the platform on their feet seemed to ascend inside the trunk.
The Four kept kneeling, their feelings heavy…
"Does she sleep plenty?"
The old man approached a corner of the little hut.
Suddenly as the platform stopped ascending….The ceiling of the hut opened up, revealing the dazzling blue sky…
On it, the old man, seemed like a scholarly immortal, his eyes were already plunging on the horizon, his bronze skin, shinning with a rusty light…Like the last brilliance of an old antique:
"Did she cause you any trouble?"
The leader of the Amozanes tribe responded with reverence and respect:
"She is doing great, ancestor."
"She is eating to her fill and sleeping until the sun completely stood up."
The Ancestor's smile was even more blinding as if a God was blessing the mortal world…
"All is good, then…"
"That child suffered a lot in the Famine era."
"I am bound here until comes my time."
"There is nothing this old man could do for her apart from some words of comfort."
As the ceiling opened up…It revealed the hidden silhouette, in it…One could see on a corner, a white haired woman sobbing…Her eyes red and her voice shaky.
The Four didn't even have to raise the head for them to know who it was…
The old man didn't look at her, but only looked down at this land….
'Get well, little rabbit.'
This once, fertile yet abandoned land. He protected, with all his might.
Since when was he bound to that place? Was the Saharos Empire even an existence….a name back then?
He then looked and sighed…The children that now roamed the land he was bound to…
…Those children he let down again and again….Yet never stopped believing in him. Never stopped believing in his words...
Nostalgia….and regret flashed in his green pupils…
Another laugh escaped his mouth…
"HA HA HA"
Since when did he become this kind of bitter old bastard?
Or was he always like that?
A mystical voice resounded through his head:
'…Your heart has always been old, my friend…'
'I am too young…So I do need someone like you by my side, waiting for me.'
'You are a powerful and mysterious tree holding fort for us young guys!'
'I am not that much older than you in tree years!'
'Hahaha….This doesn't matter much does it?'
'No matter what happens…I know you won't change. And I know I can trust you! '
'HAHAHAHA'
A youthful and toddler like laugh resounded through his head.
….His green eyes seemed to be shining again, and a grin reappeared on his face:
'Or maybe you are right after all, your majesty.'
'….Maybe I wasn't just unfortunate…But this was the role you saw fit for me…since long…'
The old man kept a knowing smile on and as he looked down at the presents here…His smile grew again, and laughed slowly, before he sat down….
His upright posture was now a thing of the past, as a cup of liquor appeared in his hand. It appeared in the hands of everyone present there. The Sobbing Ajika contained her tears, as her shaky little hands approached the cup.
Why was she crying?
Everyone knew…It is because her more than anyone else could see….That he was withering….
His energy was spent on reinforcing the barrier and each strike took a way from his power.
He was already old to begin with…He never had more than a century more to him…He originally planned to wait for Ajika to be strong enough so he could transmit to her his life force, before he could enter slumber in peace. It was indeed a step too late.
He lived for so long, but even so he lacked time. How humorous!
His laugh, his fearless face and the inexhaustible light in his eyes….Made him seem like a person celebrating a joyous event. He spoke once again:
"Would you like to hear some ramblings from an old man?"