Chapter 5 - Alyssia in Shambles

"Okay, Alaina. Its time you give me some answers on what the hell is going on. Why am I a stupid plant? What is going on?" growled Ryan.

He felt shock at his own anger, it felt like everything from his birthday was suddenly hitting him. He was furious about becoming a pawn in someone else's game. Whoever Hope had a grudge with, it wasn't his war. He only wanted to help her out of his goodness and it almost cost him again. The fact that he almost lost his emotions was making it more difficult to control his anger.

He had decided to trust Hope, and he would give her a chance to explain what the hell was happening to him. It looked like Alaina knew some of the answers to his questions.

"Ryan, these are trying times. I understand. Hope has sent me to assist you in repairing the world. I know all of this is confusing. So, let me start from the beginning" Alaina spoke softly as if she was trying to mollify his anger.

"The world you are now in is Alyssia. This place was a beautiful forest before the war destroyed it. We are at war with evil forces that try and succeed every single day to sap out more and more out of this world."

"Before I explain to you what you are, I need you to know how the people of Alyssia live. Or how they used to live before the war took our way of life hostage. Our world depended on 13 cardinal forces. These forces helped create and regulate the mana that exists in the world. Mana is the magic that exists around us. Mana makes people stronger, faster and unstoppable. Gradually they ascend into a higher plane of existence."

"Every location in this world has these cardinal forces. Some places a cardinal force exceeds another in strength. For example in a forest you might find the Cardinal force of Life and Death to be abundant. While in a volcano you will find the Cardinal force of Fire. There are 13 Cardinal forces and each of the Goddesses is an embodiment of a single Cardinal force."

"When a sentient being comes of an age, a spark inside it chooses what cardinal force it belongs to. This allows the beings in Alyssia to wield forces of this world. They can then cultivate these forces inside them and grow powerful. The rate at which you can gather these forces and extent of your control depends on what rank you belong to."

"There are 12 ranks each giving more and more power, I will speak of them later. There are a thousand locations in this world where all the forces are equal. So powerful are these places that they embody these cardinals as seeds of power. Out of these seeds grow powerful trees called the Divine trees."

"Once a divine tree gains consciousness and it nears Rank 1, it releases a sound to let the world know of its presence. The strongest beings all around the world get attracted to this. When the tree accepts a guardian, it starts to grow again. Without a Guardian, the tree is vulnerable to all the threats of this world."

"A Guardian is the tree's most loyal servant. By becoming a Guardian the life of the being which swears loyalty becomes connected to the tree. If the tree dies, the guardian dies. In exchange of such unflinching loyalty the tree gifts the Guardian. The power to wield all the Cardinal forces. While this makes the guardians the strongest of all the beings, it also comes at a price. They revert to Rank 1 in power."

"This was not a big deal, as people would regain their powers quickly within a couple of decades. Being a Guardian was an honor. All Guardians had armies of followers and they are safe during this period of weakness. Cities formed around the Divine trees, since they were cornerstones of civilizations. More and more people would then be able to control more than one cardinal force."

"One can control more than one cardinal forces when one swears fealty to the divine tree. In exchange of protection, it gives them the power. It is a symbiotic relation. Usually the trees are benevolent. So the cities formed around these trees were prosperous and peaceful. Some nations even made these cities their capitals."

"When the war for the world began around 1300 years ago. 12 of the 13 goddesses lost to an invading force controlled by the demon lord. Mana around the world grew uncontrollable because the Cardinals failed to regulate it. We started losing our magic and we started losing ranks as well. Divine Tree cities were the only places with any magic left."

"The forces of evil did not lose their magic as they derived their magic from the people. They killed and devoured all. Mana is inaccessible everywhere but near the divine trees. The world is becoming more and more unstable. The forces of evil gain more and more allies due to the lack of cardinals."

"The last of the divine tree cities fell under the control of the evil forces 300 years ago. Now most of the population has no mana to fight back and live as slaves. In effect the evil grows powerful as the divine trees are no longer under our control. The forces of good grow weaker as there is no way for us to recuperate. Until today, we had no way to fight back. Your arrival changes everything." Alaina finished.

"That's a lot to take in, there is still a lot I don't understand. How can I talk without a mouth? How can I see? I can sense my control around me has increased from 200 feet to 400 feet. This may be due to the ranking up you were talking about." Ryan said somewhat mollified.

"I still don't understand my lack of emotions. What are the ranks? I understand you said that you would be able to access Mana now since you are my Guardian. I still have too many questions. What happened to Hope?" Ryan asked.

"Assume each rank is level of power, A rank 2 being can take on 10 rank 1 beings with ease. In your domain of influence you are all knowing and nothing escapes your notice. Ryan before we speak further, Lady Hope sent me two messages. One of them was for you, I got the message through Mana, I will transmit it to you now. I think you will understand what is going on better then. I am sorry Ryan." Alaina said with downcast eyes.

She pushed mana into him, he felt himself slip into a dream realm. He was human here again. He looked around and found Hope waiting for him. She started talking to him.

"Hi Ryan, if you are seeing this then the last Cardinal Force has is no more. That means Cardinal of Hope, me is no longer in the form you would call alive. I am not dead either. The 12 goddesses were fighting the Demon Lord. He is a part of an invading force from outside our universe. In a last-ditch effort, they poured all their remaining power into a world seed and gave it to me. All universes have a world seed. This is the real reason the Demon Lord attacked our universe." Hope spoke out softly.

"It has been 1300 years since they have entrusted me with the world seed. 300 years ago, all the divine trees fell under his control. World seed is just a seed, it is but a lifeless thing without a soul. It was then I found you, I saw you had great potential in you. Your love for your family. Your dedication in the face of difficult circumstances. And finally your heart that still tries to forgive such horrible betrayal. To complete the World seed, I need to pour my essence in it while binding it to your soul." Hope continued.

"I will return to the world of Alyssia along side with my 12 sisters someday but only you can bring us back. Grow stronger, protect my world. You are not a simple divine tree. you are much more. You are a world tree. If you ever grow strong enough to revive me, I will tell you what that means. The road ahead is long and painful. I had numbed your emotions a little while you waited to meet the Druid Queen Alaina. I understand if you are angry, but I could not let you be alone with your hurt. Share it with her, in her you will find a true friend and a loyal Guardian." Hope finished talking. He returned to a seed again.