Origin of Artiyaem

"Is this a practice that involves the whole town?"

Silax was surprised by the scale of the ceremony. His initial impression of the rite was just something a few people did as a way to ease their hearts from the guilt of killing other creatures.

"Yes. That day is dedicated to the renewal of our connection with nature and entreating the tree for another year filled with bountiful harvest."

"Do you all get to eat the fruit of the tree?" Silax asked.

"Yes, we do. Everyone is given a piece during the blessing part of the ceremony. The fruit looks like a plum, but white in color, and it has no seed in it. It has a sweet, but mild taste, I don't know how exactly to describe it. You would have to taste it yourself to understand." 

"How much fruit does it produce? It must be quite a lot to be enough for everyone in your town."

Silax tried to imagine the size of a tree that could provide enough fruit for a whole town.

"Counting the fruits on the tree, it wouldn't be enough to go round, but somehow, everyone gets one. It's part of the magic of the Yahvi I guess."

"Does the rite really help in producing a fruitful year for the town?"

"We never have a problem of food in my town, but I think the importance of the ceremony is more than that. It has tree aspects to it that I believe are important to the community as a whole.

"Respect: The Rite of Yahvi honors the life taken and ensures its sacrifice sustains the town.

Balance: By returning everything back to nature, we maintain the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

Connection: The ritual strengthens our bond with the tree, the spirits that reside within and with each other."

"That's an interesting way of looking at the cycle of life. So where does the phrase Spirit of the forest, you return whence you came. May your sacrifice nourish the earth, and your peace be woven into the eternal circle of life, come from?"

"It's a variation of the phrase the spiritual leader uses when praying to the spirit of the tree. We are not allowed say the actual phrase, only the spiritual leader, guardian of Yahvi is permitted. The variations were made up by others long ago, there are a few, used depending on the situation.

"Nature's bounty, nature's claim. Your gift sustains, your peace remains. There's also, nature's child, returning home. Your gift sustains, with respect I roam. What phrase is used depends on the situation."

Silax stared into the sky, a look of melancholy in his eyes as he repeated the first phrase.

"Nature's bounty, nature's claim. Your gift sustains, your peace remains. Peace huh, wouldn't that be beautiful."

Elara was shocked when she heard him mention the word peace in the common language.

"You know the meaning? Earlier today, I thought you were just repeating after me, but you actually understand the meaning."

"Yes, I do. I used to spend most of my time reading, and a lot of books I was interested in were only written in ancient elven script, so it was necessary for me to learn the language. You don't understand ancient elvish?"

Elara was amazed by the fact that he understood ancient elvish.

"No, I don't. I understand some words, and the meaning of the of the phrases used in the rites, but that's it. It's not like people speak it in their everyday life." Elara replied with a giggle.

She found it funny that Silax expected her to actually understand ancient elvish.

"I guess you're right. No reason putting in the time and effort needed to learn a new language if it doesn't interest you."

"You said you used to spend a lot of time reading, you don't anymore?" 

"I still spend my free time reading, but now I have other things that take up my time."

"Like what? I've told you a little bit about myself, at least about my hometown. Tell me a little bit about yourself."

Elara looked at him, the interest in him apparent in her eyes.

"Well, there's not much to tell. I used to spend most of my days with my eyes glued to the pages of books, it was pretty much all I was allowed to do. Books were my only companion, my parents tried to spend as much time as they could with me, but they were always busy with work.

"I later gained an interest in supernatural flora, and most of my reading became centered on the magical plants that are spread around Artiyaem. That's how I came across Yahvi, although not a lot is written about it.

"When I gained a little bit of freedom and mobility, I became interested in experiencing this plants myself, which led me to the realization that I need to strengthen myself. Most of these plants are located in places where you need to know how to protect yourself, that took me towards the path of learning self-defense.

"That's when I realized I enjoyed using the blade, which led to more training practice with the blade. This in turn takes up a few hours of my day. I also have a business which I manage, so that takes another chunk from my day.

"Between, training, managing and traveling, there's less time to spend on reading as much as I used to. That might change pretty soon though."

"What do you mean change soon?"

"Well, you see, Asorin is at the top of the list of things I'm interested in, and I believe the ruin we're headed to, is connected to it. If I can find the tree then my wish would be granted, and I can return home."

"I thought Asorin was just a story used to explain the creation of the plane of Artiyaem? You must have heard the myth, right?"

"Yes, I have. Seen it so many times that I have each word of it memorized.

"Deep within the heart of creation lies Asorin, the World Tree. Its colossal form pierces the very fabric of reality, its roots delve into the infinite abyss, anchoring countless dimensions onto it. Its branches each a universe unto itself, stretch outwards, shimmering with the light of a million suns. Legends whisper that Asorin is not just a tree, but the very nexus of existence, the anchor point, the very lifeblood of existence. Long ago, a war between two factions occurred on its surface, causing a piece of it to be cleaved off, the segment fell through the fabric of reality and landed within the roots of the great tree. From that segment of Asorin, living entities sprouted up, they spread all through it, making it their home, the called this home, Artiyaem."

Silax took a deep breath after reciting the words he had read countless times.

"Asorin is real, I'm certain of that, and it is my biggest wish to lay my eyes on it."

Elara shook her head in doubt, not convinced.

"Many have spent their whole lives searching for it but none have found it. What makes you so certain that it exists, and what gives you the confidence that you'll ever find it?"

"I'm sure it exists, that's the only way my life up until now would make sense. As for spending my whole life searching for it, even if it takes several lifetimes, I wouldn't give up until I do." Silax answered with a firmness in voice.

Elara could see an unyielding resolve in his mind. Even though she wasn't convinced , she knew nothing she said would change his mind.