Book IX The Everlasting Tree

The Eleven Wise gathered in an epic tower on the final floor that was filled with pillars that reach high into the celestial sky, they were all bathe with the light of all the stars that shine from this heaven. The Eleven Wise, was made up of all elders from unknown region, that came together in time of need, these eleven beings were one of many counsels in the universe that control the balance between light and darkness. Made up of both male and female, they all gather together and began to discuss the urgency for this meeting, they all walked with a white glittering tunic and wooden staff that they all held with their left hand.

One elder with a long white beard step forward and began state with his firm but gentle voice:

"My dear friends, knowing all of us have busy schedules in our own departments, we have stop from teaching to reunite what I sense is something unnatural. I see we all have seen in our vision of an enormous tree that bares special fruits growing in one of the last parts of light in a planet far from here, this is one of the last or not the last living nature in this realm that has fallen into an evil darkness. We all know that we most stop this dark abyss from eating away at the last of this natural world, so please we most choose one of our own to go down and protect this natural phenomenon."

"I believe that Sophia will be best suited for this matter, she has trained under me and she is the best of our students as of this date," said an old beautiful lady with long gray hair that was braided in two, the braids fell over each of her shoulder.

The rest of The Eleven Wise began to tap the white marble floor with their staff in agreement, while the same time talking and chattering away about the decision.

"Sophia is the correct choice in this matter, since she is your pupil she will be under your guidance and care in this matter at hand. Send for her and you must tell her what must be done in special situation. This meeting is now concluded, we will leave the rest up to you Wise Ursula." The long beard man said at the same tossing his long white beard over his right shoulder and making his way out.

"Thank you Wise Aurelio," Wise Ursula replied while joining in with the others tapping their staff on the floor making the sound of gentle taps echoing through the final floor. Within minutes The Eleven Wise had slowly disperse and were back on their way to each of their department, that was located throughout the celestial realm.

***

The vast sky bursting with giant stars that bathe light onto a huge tower that stood high above other small buildings, gave off a since of power to this tower. The stars' light shined onto an immense stain glass window on the last floor, inside there was a young lady dress in a blue dress that fit her body well by platinum belt that hang on her lower hip, she paced back and forth with her platinum sandals while reading a book that was held by both hands. Few moments past and she sat on chair facing the gigantic table filled with stacked books on all sides, the room was a big square room and in front of the table stood by the stain glass window depicting a battle between a black knight and a white knight, that gently moved in it all it furry clashing swords with every few moments that past. The young lady with curly brown hair began to bob her head, as she tried to stay awake to read more about the Battle of Tilion. Her greenish-grey eyes flicker as the light from the stars pierce the multi colored glass window, that cast down all types of rainbow color into this fast room, that was filled with all kinds of scrolls and books.

As she began to lean against the books, a tap at the door came in from her back, with a jolt she was on her feet as the door glided opened and in walked Wise Ursula in all her motherly grace. Her white tunic glided smoothly as she made her way in to the will lit room cause by so many stars that shined on to this celestial world.

"Sophia, another day knee deep in books, right?" Wise Ursula said with a gentle chuckle. "What are your reading now?"

"Yes mam! Ah right now I am reading The Battle of Tilion." Sophia replied in strong and respectable way.

"What sparked your interest in this specific battle?"

"Well, The Battle of Tilion is one of few battle that is so well recorded into so many scrolls and books, also it is a battle that neither side was wrong; it was a battle of intelligence and power. Each side had a sound philosophy of life and the way it took many star cycles to end, and it end in a tragic way. That is why there are so many songs of this battle sung in many taverns." Sophia said while rubbing her almond skin face as if trying to wake up.

"Yes I remember in my time of study, I did also fall in love with The Battle of Tilion, many unsung heroes died in that epic battle." Wise Ursula said while remembering her youth.

Snapping back into the matter hand Wise Ursula, made her way with her wooden staff tapping the ground as she walked to one of the chairs next to the table, she walked in strong matter as if her age did not matter.

"Please sit Sophia, we must talk about something urgent." Wise Ursula stated while pulling a second chair in front of hers for Sophia.

"Yes mam," Sophia said while sit swiftly down as if not to waste any time.

"As you have heard The Wise Eleven have reunited after many stars cycle to discuss a matter immediate emergency," Wise Ursula paused and adjusted herself in the chair with her wooden staff leaning against the side of the chair. "I will get straight to the point, there is unbalance in nature in a world far from here, and if this unbalance goes unchecked it will spread all out in the multiverse. We all know that there are many worlds apart from ours, some with intelligence and some not but the thing we all have in connection is the nature stream, the stream of life that connects us all. Unfortunately, this world has fallen into darkness and the nature stream is dying out, yet we do not know the cause this blackness but there is a since of raw evil in it," Wise Ursula slowly said as if stuck in deep thought.

"These unnatural phenomena, what has caused the nature stream to be affected by this?"

"We have no knowledge or foresight to see what broke this chain of life but we must not sit here and waste time talking about this, The Eleven Wise have seen something still alive and full of nature. We all have seen an image of tree with special fruits that is still filled with nature and that darkness has not yet taken it, we must protect this tree from the grips of this blackness."

"What can we do to help this world," Sophia replied with haste.

"We have decided that one of our pupils must go and that special pupil is you," the old beautiful lady said while point her staff at Sophia.

Sophia did not speak but was stalk in deep thoughts, as if trying to pick the right words for such in honor. She slowly stood from her chair and walked to center of the room, still deep in thought then she began to speak:

"Wise Ursula, I have train for so long and I know it was always for a special moment to mark my name in the scrolls of time, to be part of an epic conflict to become one that must come to guide a world back into light; is it my time?"

"Perhaps not your time, but definitely the start of your own story!"

Sophia gaze back to her graceful teacher and smile; with that smile Sophia was ready to embark on her new journey. While Sophia stared at her teacher, Wise Ursula made her way back to the door, and from the outside of the door pulled out platinum staff that was held up outside the door and also a large square object covers in crimson cloth.

"Here are two things you will need on your journey," Wise Ursula said while handing her the platinum staff to Sophia.

Sophia fingers tip ran down the staff that was engrave with epic battles and three word that were engraved in gold: Wisdom… Courage… Inspiration…! These were the code that Sophia held deep in her heart, as she looked upon the staff, tears formed from her greenish-grey eyes.

"Thank you teacher, for this gift…."

"There is still one more," the beautiful old women cut in, handing her the crimson cloth with both hands.

Sophia slowly took the crimson cloth out and found an epic book in front of her beautiful eyes, she slowly rubbed the gold title "The Everlasting Book". She opened the book to her surprise there was nothing written, not even a drawing or design, she was stuck in perplex state.

"As you can see this not no ordinary book, now it has blank pages but since you touch the book with your own finger tips, it is imprinted with your genetic code hence this book will shed light on the future for you, it will tell you what is going on and also it has the power to communicate when you write in it. This is a powerful book and it will guide you on your journey by giving you to the gift foresight to what will come, this is both a gift and curse; for us being with the gift of foresight see all but seeing all brings immense suffering to our heart that we must bear alone," Wise Ursula said in a subtle voice while her right arm gently touch Sophia's left shoulder. "Come child we must not linger you will be sent to this realm; I know it is short time but time is not our alley in this battle."

Sophia looked deep into her teacher eyes and she knew the importance of this mission, she quickly turns and place the epic book into a medium size brown leather bag with some ink and feathers for her to write. Her action was quick and in no time she had the staff in the right hand while her brown bag hanged from one side, she stood tall in front of her teacher.

"I'm ready to move forth in this journey," Sophia said while walking closer to Wise Ursula.

"My child I will open up a water gate for you to travel," Wise Ursula replied.

Her staff hit the ground three times and moved in a circular movement, while chanting some rhymes that made a small part of the floor turn into watery substance. "Step in my child and this water gate will take to the place you must save…"

As Sophia step in she saw in the water gate reflection a massive tree cover in darkness, in matter moment she was full immerse in the water falling deep into the water as if being sucked into a whirlpool. She held her breath and began to spin in circular way down in to unknown, but suddenly all became still. In the water began expand making the surface of the water slowly make it way toward her floating in the stillness of water. Sophia head began emerge and it gave site to a gigantic tree filled with leaves of all color, as the water lowered she felt the ground with her sandals and she stood up with amazement that she was all dried for it was her first time traveling through a water gate.

As she took her first step towards the tree she began survey the surrounding, all around her she saw darkness and smoke from the far distance. Looking on the ground it was green but the decay began to move ever so slow around the tree, at once Sophia tap the earth with her staff and recited enchantment:

"All within be blessed

No distress for within this

Circle all life is blessed."

A small indigo light surrounded the base of the tree and the decay stop dead and its tracks. Sophia stood and let out a sigh of relief, for she knew she there was still a little bit of hope to save the nature stream of this earth. Still her greenish eyes looked to the horizon and she could not believe so much darkness can exist in one place, so much malice energy and the wind blew in the smell of death and decay. She adjusted her eyes to the shadowy world that appear to her, the tree behind her cast a bright light but the world around was engulf in darkness and only an eerie light came from the moon up high. She stood in shock and awe, as the red moon loomed her cursed light on to her.

"Awww!!!"

Sophia fell on to her strong ebony knee and grasped her head as waves of images crash into her mind, hold on to her head as pain filled her mind causing her eyes to roll back. She laid down and cradle position still grasping her head as blood slowly slid down her eyes. Screaming again she felt a burning in her left ankle, with her bloody eyes she stared and saw black flames burn some type of cross on to her.

All sudden the pain in her mind stop as all the images became new memories to her, many upon many memories of all type of battle and the life of chosen few. Gathering her composure, she knelt on all four and watch the last of blood drip down to this cursed earth that seem to reject her pure blood that laid on ground with many drops. She gently rubbed off with her hands the trace blood that slowly slid down her face. With all the information that was smash into her mind, she now knew what was to come and what must be done, she gathered her things and stood tall and look onto this new world darkness with her smear bloody face and she knew this was the only the beginning.

She pulled out her brown leather bag The Everlasting Book, walking toward the massive tree and sat under it. Lying her staff on the right side and putting the book on top of her thigh as she sat crossed legged, she gently pulled out the feather and ink. Sophia began to write a question:

"Where is the one I must meet?"

The ink began to be absorbed into the paper and all sudden the ink spread in abundance, painting images in three dimensions of young girl being carried by tall dark man in all black clock.

"There you are Providence," Sophia said with a glimpse a hope in her greenish-grey, for Sophia new that there was still hope in this world filled with growing darkness.