18 The Tree of Whispers 8.1

"I can't make up for what the Temple did. They are on the wrong side, not even I can deny it. But, let's focus on the problem here and now. This baby elf doesn't have parents nor a home. I beg you, please, test him."

He laughed. "Miss Saintess, I don't care about anything you say. Even if this baby is the prince, we won't help the Temple's people. Guards, escort the lady to the forest river. From there, leave her be." He turns around to leave. The guards slowly strode forward.

"Just leave on your own. We won't use force, for now." The guard in the middle speaks. [You talk like you can take me on. 'Any ideas?'] ('You know any type of teleportation spell?') "Are you deaf miss saintess? Move!" The guards pointed their spears at her. ['Just a simple one. To where?'] ('To that big tree. And fast, they'll lose their patience soon.')

"You have three seconds to start moving, saintess! Three! Two..." She closes her eyes. "One?" Where the saintess was, just an afterimage with a dense mana fog around it, remained. "...So, what now?" The guard on the left walks to the afterimage. When he gets close, he tries to touch it.

The image sways and dissipates. "She is probably far away by now." "Tsk, I can't believe that the saintess would ask help from us." "They did what they did in the past, and just because they forgot about it they think we would too... Forget it. You know what we'll have for lunch?" "Marta said she would make boar porridge." *GROWL* "My favorite~."

...

"Ugh." ('Did you succeed?') The Saintess vomited. ('I'll take that as a yes. For now, go to the place with the thickest mana flow.') She vomited once more. "Cough, cough... I'm out... of mana... Need rest..." She faints. (Great...) *TUD* Her head hit hard on the ground. Since she was out of mana, the robe also was out of mana. As for me, she dropped me on the side before passing out.

I knew the tree was enormous but up close... (Damn.) We were inside the Tree of Whispers, an ancient tree that is as old as the planet itself. Its name was given by the Primordials, the Tree of Whispers, because of the power of the tree. It shares memories.

A mortal soul won't reincarnate on its own, and can't wander around either. The Tree of Whispers captures the wandering souls and absorbs them until it's time for them to reincarnate.

Over 4000 feet tall and with roots extending for more than 300 miles, the biggest tree on the Ayon planet. Around 200.000 elfs lived inside the tree, and there is space for much more. It is not wrong to say that the elven capital exists inside the tree.

I crawl to her side and touch her hand. ('Are you still asleep?') ['...'] ('Fine, I'll look for what I need on my own.') I turn around and start crawling.

We are in a room that looks like it was made of wood. It was wood, actually. The elfs used spells to carve rooms inside the tree over the centuries; a room like the one we are in is common.

Besides us, and empty crates, nothing more could be seen inside the room. No spider webs, not even dust. And there wasn't a door, or window, or anything. (Okay, focus. I need to sense the mana in the air. Feel it resonating with your respiration, with your heartbeat. The mana is alive, and is waiting for you to stimulate it.)