Brother Void

It was not long after the reptile touched a leaf of the Great Oak, that a visitor appeared upon an outermost branch of the Tree. His name was Brother Void. He was greeted by a horned creature that stood with a hunched stature. The furred satyr trembled in apprehension as he approached the visiting God-form that had the rather dull appearance of a young man in a black cloak.

"My lord!" The satyr quipped in a voice that stuttered nervously. He gestured wildly, beckoning the God-form to follow. "Welcome to the eternal ecosystem. Welcome! It's been such a long time!" Brother Void gave a little smile as he silently followed behind the satyr. The pair entered the Tree through a hollowed out doorway etched into the branch, and they continued along the dark path that smelled of damp and moss.

"Such marvellous design." Brother Void murmured, running his fingers along the walls. "Not even my Lady can age this place."

"Isn't that good?" The satyr giggled.

"Yes." Brother Void sneered, his voice sounded mocking. "He is the Great Preserver. For how long has He grown?" He mused. "twenty thousand years?"

"Much longer than that, I think!" Stuttered the satyr. "The records show at least a couple billion years. And...you - uh..." He paused to unfurl a time-worn scroll that mysteriously appeared in his claw. "Last time you were here, He was just a sapling."

"Ah, my apologies. Time does slip away you know..." Brother Void sounded amused.

"It has been a long time... Why are you here?"

"Oh...you know. Just checking up on the family." Brother Void said casually. "Has anyone died here, recently?"

"Of course not!" Screeched the satyr. "The Great Father would not allow such a thing!"

"Quite right... But, has anyone ever advised Him to cull his...Hmm what do you call it, 'ecosystem'?"

"Why would we want to do that? There is no need for culling!" The satyr sounded horrified.

"Oh, relax." Brother Void rolled his eyes. "A little bit of natural selection never hurt anyone. Perfectly organic."

"No, no, no! How dare you even consider such a thing!" Huffed the satyr.

"I have noticed that the Tree has not grown any further for the past few millennia..." Said Brother Void wryly.

"So?"

"Well...if your ecosystem keeps growing...and there is no one to prune it back..." He trailed off.

"Oh, I don't want to hear any more!" Said the satyr in anguish.

They reached a point where the branch joined the main trunk. A large chasm sharply dropped off where they stood, and if they looked closely, they could see little golden lights twinkling like stars in the distance. The skittering of insects could be heard all around them as the busy creatures relayed messages back and forth along the spine.

"This is where we part ways, little servant." Said Brother void grimly.

"But...-" The satyr stammered, uncertain. "Ah...I mean..."

"I must communicate directly with the Tree." Brother Void cut the satyr off. His voice was like silk. "It was a nice little chat we had. Do think about the things I said. Take care, now..." Brother Void leapt into the blackness of the chasm and was gone.

Healing

As Naz'shir reached the abandoned village, her heart sank. It was night. The place was a mess; the ground had begun to convert to quagmire, the abandoned buildings were ruined. There were bits of Clomper fat, grizzle, bone, and muscle scattered all over the place, as if someone had hurriedly gathered up as much as they could before quickly leaving. Most of it was rotten, by now, if not covered in disease.

It's infected everything... She thought as she surveyed the carnage with distraught eyes. Her tail flicked left and right, betraying extreme stress. The words of the crazy eyed tree woman haunted her: This is no ordinary illness... Naz'shir looked down at her claws filled with the strange green fire. Then, what is it...?

Seeing no movement in the village, she approached the 'hospital'. She could hear a low, buzzing hum from within, and could smell the decay stronger than ever. She dreaded the sight she would likely face, but needed to check for survivors, anyway. She stepped inside the building but immediately leaped away from it. The place swarmed with flies with bits of flesh strewn about; there were no bodies in the room.

She sighed. Oriens. Her thoughts were filled with despair; It didn't puzzle her to where exactly the bodies had gone. Naz'shir was about to leave, when she heard a faint growl. She soon discovered the source of the noise to be a survivor! The weakened Gashai looked to be barely breathing. It's eyes were closed to the world as it's body consumed by boils was curled up in a fetal position. Naz'shir hesitated for only a moment before she laid her hands upon the creature.

Nothing happened for a long minute as the Gashai lay silent and Naz'shir hoped against her skepticism. But slowly, the boils along its body began to shrink, as soon enough, the creature opened its eyes. It took a sharp inhalation of breath and stuttered: "The pain!"

"Shh!" Said Naz'shir as she rushed to comfort the victim.

"It's gone!" Choked the Gashai. "Pain is gone!" The healing process seemed to be accelerating now, as the cysts disappeared. Naz'shir could recognize the Gashai. Technician Si'Gyen. She looked up at Naz'shir in amazement. "Witchcraft?"

"Don't be silly..." Naz'shir giggled through sudden tears. "Where is Oriens?"

Si'Gyen looked at her, troubled. "Black cloaked men came here. Took him away with them. Took many bodies away." She sighed and stumbled to her feet. "Clan moved south. We can catch them if we run fast."

And so they did.

I'm thinking of continuing this story. Is anyone interested in this? I probably won't go ahead otherwise :O

edit: Wait I need to finish this story arc before I ask that question.

Naz'shir the Hero

The forest was quiet in a subdued sort of manner as Naz'shir and Si'Gyen swiftly made their way south. Remarkably, though Si'Gyen was on the verge of death a mere few hours ago, the mysterious healing power had not only restored her health, but also, it seemed, an extra couple of decades of her life. Si'Gyen was old enough to be Naz'shir's mother, yet she was able to easily keep pace with the youth. The pair talked easily as they ran at a sprint that would usually tire any average Gashai.

"Tell me more about this lithe woman." Said Si'Gyen eagerly. "She sounds like one of those despicable humans."

"Too small to be a human, and the ears were pointed. The clothing she wore was too revealing for human standards." Naz'shir laughed. "She carried no self-shame."

Si'Gyen snorted. "Much better than a human, then. But this woman, you stole her magic?"

Naz'shir shook her head. "This is no magic, just technology we don't yet understand. And I didn't steal it, the woman gave it to me."

"Kindness from the alien. Why?"

"She seemed more concerned about the trees than anything else. She could have killed me if she wanted to."

"You were lucky then."

...

The sprint through the forest continued for three days and nights without need for a single break for sleep or food. So caught up with the rhythm they were, that they nearly didn't notice coming upon the small group of Gashai. The two runners stumbled into the clearing with a start. The sitting Gashai - three of them - got up with a jolt as their wary eyes first fixed on Naz'shir and then Si'Gyen.

"Si'Gyen!" one of them called out before rushing over to embrace the woman. The other two reptiles stood on high alert, staring at Naz'shir with a look of mixed wonder and fear.

"Si'Gyen was dead..." One of them stammered. He was staring at Naz'shir's claws that were still glowing with a green light. "Your claws! They glow with power!"

"She can bring back the dead." Whispered the other Gashai, as he crept closer to Naz'shir.

"Naz'shir has made us both strong with her witchcraft!" Cried Si'Gyen prophetically. "We ran for three sun-rises without need of food or rest."

"Oh for the love of...I told you it's not... I didn't..." Struggled Naz'shir, dumbfounded. Si'Gyen shushed Naz'shir and winked at her.

"And this power has brought me back from the Void!"

"You weren't... even...dead." Naz'shir tried to awkwardly explain but the others didn't appear to be listening.

"It is a miracle! Truly, it is." Said Si'Gyen loudly.

"She should lead us! A Gashai of action! Not those fattened up patriarchs we give all our food to as they sit around and talk clomper-hide."

Naz'shir gave up and hid her head inside her claws with a loud sigh.

*o* I love it, mythology, the story, your writing skills, and the plot!!! ^-^

@ Sylveon. Glad you like this story. I'll try and write when I can.

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250 YEARS LATER

The young male Gashai was hunched over the podium as he skimmed over the hurriedly scrawled text for the hundredth time. He shook his head: there was no making sense of any of this work. It was far too symbolic and mystical; it didn't seem to directly deal with the problem at hand. 'Illuminated Teachings of Prophet Naz'Shir', pah! More like the ramblings of a crazy mystic.

With a sigh he gently closed the moldy scented book, briefly looking at the cover. It had a strange symbol etched into the front. The Rose Order he thought grimly. Just a long dead secret society that tried in vain to make sense of long lost teachings. He made his way out of the underground tomb and surveyed the pitiful sight. All around the gashai man was an endless flatland of sickly looking bog with not a tree in sight. A toxic brown mist filled the air, preventing any form of life from growing. The Gashai briefly checked the oxygen levels in the tanks strung across his back. Nearly full. Still time.

He trudged through the bog-land in the direction of the Great Tree, hoping to catch a glimpse of that legendary plant-woman recluse. He reached the base of the mountain, where no life grew...

and then he saw something...strange... It looked like a vine creeper, or a root tendril, poking out from the mountain-side, near the base. There was a crack in the rock where the root looked to have somehow pushed its way out. He peeked inside the gap and saw a yellow Gashai-like eye. It stared at him intently and blinked. The root tendrils trapped in the mountain feebly twitched with life.

...The Gashai jumped...

Eden's End

I

"I would not touch that if I were you." A voice whispered behind the Gashai. He whipped around to see a slender figure enshrouded in a black cloak. The dark hood hid their face as they regarded the Gashai with a quiet confidence. "A morbid abomination spawned from the curiosity of a child and the selfish whim of a God." The voice was bitter, like the thorns of a rose bushel, feminine, almost cruel. The Gashai thought of the Tree Woman.

"Are you...Lilia?" He murmured. "You are the one that can sprout trees by thought alone?"

The woman paused, then spoke, her voice strained. "Not anymore."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Take off your mask, child." The woman evaded the question. "I wish to see your savage eyes."

"I can't." Stated the reptile.

"Why not?" Asked the dark woman.

"The air is toxic here. It would kill me."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Pestilence changes everything she touches. She travels from world to world, devouring all. She cannot coexist with the savages. A lonely Goddess is She."

The Gashai stared at the black clad woman, not knowing what to say.

"Where is Naz'shir?" She suddenly asked, her voice calm.

"She's been dead for more than two hundred years." He said in confusion.

"A shame, then." Sighed the woman. "The body must be retrieved and brought into the heart of the Great Tree."

"No." Growled the Gashai. "You will help me restore this forest."

The woman shook her head with a touch of amusement in her voice. "You question my authority just like Naz'shir did before you. If either of you knew who I truly was, you would not be so quick to oppose my power."

He crossed his arms and snarled. "Gashai are dying. There are no more refuges left. Not enough oxygen. You helped Naz'shir cure the plague so long ago...now... help me."

The woman stared at the Gashai for a long time before she answered. "I will help you...but we need to retrieve the body first."

"Why?"

"There is not enough time to explain, and you would not understand. You just have to trust how important this is."

"...fine." Grumbled the Gashai. "I know where Naz'shir rests."

II

The pair looked down at the decapitated body that lay in the ornately carved sarcophagus.

"Where is the head?" Asked the woman incredulously.

"It probably got eaten." Said the Gashai bluntly.

"And your kind did this?"

He shrugged. "Well...yeah."

"Why?"

"She committed a serious crime."

"Which was...?"

"Endorsement of religious worship." He spoke blandly. "Half the Gashai population rioted over this. A lot of blood was spilled that day. Her followers were very passionate about their Healer..."

She snorted. "Pick up the body."

"Can't you?" He snapped.

"No." She murmured darkly and removed the hood shrouding her face. The slender features were overtaken by boils that stretched down the side of her face and along her neck. Her mouth was set into a permanent grimace on one side. "Pestilence has claimed me now. Merely touching the body would be enough to cause her great harm. However, I still have enough willpower to protect Her legacy." She strode towards the book of Naz'shir and carefully inspected the surface without touching the cover.

The Gashai gathered up the corpse of Naz'shir into his claws before turning towards the diseased Lilia. "What happens now?"

"Now you will take her to the Great Tree, and you will guard her remains with your life. I stay here with the book: it is far to precious to be left alone."

"What about the forest?"

"Speak to one of the satyrs up there. They will know what to do." Lilia closed her eyes as the Gashai swiftly left the tomb for the second time today.

III

A shock wave reverberated through the air, sending a shiver down the spine of the Gashai, and the sky filled with a roar that made his body hurt. The land quaked in response, and the Gashai had to watch his step as he ran. Cracks formed around him as the ground suddenly came alive, rudely awoken from slumber. Huge tentacles sprung from the depths of the underground as they blindly lashed about, seeking the source of the noise. They hungrily whipped at his ankles, and the lifeless form of Naz'shir, but he easily dodged the attacks.

The Gashai neared the base of the mountain where the Tree Branch descended upon it, usually motionless, yet now it swayed to and fro as if blown by a breeze. A figure met him at the base, a satyr with stern eyes that regarded the Gashai warily.

"Is that the sleeping Goddess?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes." Said the Gashai.

"Tell me your name." Growled the satyr.

"Sar'thal." Said the Gashai.

"Fitting for an Incomplete. I will escort us both to the summit where we shall both ascend."

Ascend. Sar'thal didn't like the sound of that. He suddenly remembered the Gashai that was trapped at the base of the mountain. "What about..."

"No." Snapped the satyr. "Leave it to rot with all the other wretches down here."

Sar'thal took one last look at the feeble tendrils sticking out of the mountain as he was hastily shuffled up the mountainside by the Satyr. Another shock-wave reverberated through the air as the sky itself screamed in fury.

"What's going on?" Sar'thal asked. The satyr didn't answer, but instead took the body. One of the Dryads leaned over the side of the overhanging branch, her hands dangling as she grabbed the body and pulled it up. A group of them swarmed over the Goddess corpse, giggling and poking at the strange reptilian claws.

"Get up." Growled the satyr to Sar'thal. "The Tree will not hurt you."

Sar'thal pushed himself up onto the tree branch, and was instantly swamped in Dryads.

"Ooh. A Royal Guard." One of them said, rudely grabbing at his face.

"Can I keep one of your fingers? Pretty please?" Another asked.

"Why isn't the Goddess talking?" Whined another Dryad.

"It's because she's keeping secrets." Said another enigmatically.

"Dryads, behave!" Roared the satyr. "It is not safe for you down here. You know what happened to Lilia."

"Yeah...She was so silly. She didn't even bring any baaaaackup." Replied a quiet Dryad at the back.

"Whatever. We have to get off this tree branch. NOW."

"Why?" Asked Sar'thal. No one answered. The Dryads daintily skipped up the branch as they carried the Goddess body with them, and the satyr hastily motioned Sar'thal to follow. Another ear splitting scream filled the air that seemed to resonate from the core of the Oak, as the branch quaked with rage. Thorns sprung from the base of the bark, and Sar'thal nearly fell, but was shuffled into the safety of the interior of the main trunk by a satyr claw. The door shut behind them, and that was the last any of them saw of Tefaeron III.

The End

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This is the end of the first major story arcs. If I write any more, it will be different. I will be taking a big break from this. So, if you guys want more, do say so, and...well... I might write more here later on. If anyone wants to critique any of this, feel free, but please, constructive criticism only.

Thanks for reading this little story, I hope you enjoyed it.