Page 68 of Quest

Darcel nodded, his trust in my judgment as unwavering as his grip he kept on my hand. The others followed suit. With only my lantern’s gentle glow a stark beacon against the encompassing dark, we pressed forward, allowing the silence and darkness to fully envelop us as we stepped into the unknown, trusting in Lumis’s light.

I led them through the rustling bamboo, frequently glancing up to see that we still followed the root map; the dried stalks gradually grew more sparse as our path wound upward to the highest peak accessible within the confines of our eerie surroundings. The terrain grew increasingly treacherous, the path obscured not just by darkness but by a pervasive sense of dread that seemed to seep from the very ground.

Yet as we ventured deeper into the shadows, a miraculous transformation began. Tiny white lights flickered to life around us, like stars winking into existence in a clear night sky. At first they were sparse, but they gradually multiplied, illuminating hidden crevices and alcoves in the rock face.

And then I saw it—a cluster of delicate, star-shaped petals glowing faintly in Lumis’s light. The plant was nestled in a particularly shadowy nook, its petals reflecting the light as if mimicking the constellations above—the star flower, the very embodiment of the celestial elements depicted in the mural.

We gathered around the herb, staring at it in awe as we reflected on the path that had led us here. The plant’s location had been an enigmatic puzzle, its existence intertwined with the fabric of the shadow realm itself, revealing itself only to those brave enough to step into the dark with the faith we had forged throughout our journey.

I nodded, heart pounding as I reached for one of the glowing blossoms. Its petals trembled beneath my touch, as if recognizing the seeker who had finally come for it. The moment I plucked it, the light around us surged—a final, brilliant confirmation that we had found what we had been seeking.

Darcel was the first to speak, his words an echo for my own reflections. “Obtaining this herb required more than just our eyes to see; it needed our courage to believe in the unseen…and our faith in the light we possessed to bring us to this point.”

Gratitude for the journey that had taught me so much about trust, courage, and the unseen forces that guide us filled my touch as I harvested the star herb nestled within the shadowed nooks of the peak. The plant came willingly, as if it had been awaiting me.

The moment I tugged it free, Lumis glowed again, a silent invitation to continue forward to whatever discovery still awaited us. The darkness grew denser and almost palpable as our exploration took us deeper, once more led by my lantern’s faint, otherworldly glow.

The peak leveled off, seeming to lead nowhere, but following an unspoken urge, I climbed to the tip and gasped as I looked down. Hollowed out like a vast, long-extinguished volcano, the mountain expanded into a vast, bowl-like valley that dwarfed us with its sheer size. Silent with awe, we climbed down into the crater, our footsteps soft in the thick dust. The roots of an immense tree spread across the crater’s floor and embedded themselves deep into the mountain. Above us, its branches arched protectively, their majestic span reaching for the open sky that revealed the first light of approaching day.

As we drew closer, recognition dawned with overwhelming clarity. Though I had never seen this natural marvel firsthand, it transcended the legends I had grown up with. The tales enveloped in reverence and wonder scarcely captured the grandeur that unfolded before us.

The wonder before us was no mere tree, but one revered in the herbalist legend that was part of my legacy. “The World Tree,” I murmured in awe.

“You recognize it?” Darcel asked.

I nodded. “It’s one of the legends my family is sworn to protect. It’s a sacred tree known to weave the life force of the entire land together. Its roots are said to stretch into the very heart of the earth, a guardian whose vitality sustains the balance of nature.”

My heart sank. It stood before us blighted, its vital light diminished to a mere shadow of its former radiance. I rested my hand against its nearly blackened trunk, scars rendered by the curse that had leeched the life from this kingdom. Despite the damage that had been rendered upon it, the heart of the land still beat faintly beneath the weight of darkness and oppressive shadow. Finally I understood the warning I’d received so long ago in the apothecary shop. It was clear that shadows were not only seeking the heart, but were close to smothering it.

“Could it be that the World Tree itself requires healing?” I wondered, more to myself than to my companions.

As if in answer, the star herbs we had just collected shimmered with a soft glow, resonating faintly with the dormant energy of the tree, as if it were trying to tell me something. Unlike the soft whispers of the enchanted cherry trees, the tree spoke in a deep, weary groan, as if exhausted from a long fight. I wasn’t sure whether it communicated with me in words or simply impressed its meaning into my mind, but its intent was clear, a plea for help to free it from the burden of the curse that was sapping its life force.

Every element that we’d gathered—the moonsilver herb, the flameheart cactus, and now these star herbs—weren’t just components of our journey, but were destined to revive this ancient guardian. Each element we’d gathered seemed infused with purpose, linked intricately to the World Tree, a possibility that transformed our mission from a quest for healing a land to restoring its very soul.

But merely recalling the wisdom of this ancient legend wasn’t enough for me to know how to act upon it. I stared up at it, pondering the vision we’d seen when we first opened the ancient scroll—the lantern the herbalist had created that highlighted the truth and soothed the dragon. My thoughts began to whirl as I wondered how we could fulfill the prophecy.

“How can we even begin to create a magical light with nothing more than the herbs we’ve gathered and our meager supplies?” I asked in discouragement.

Darcel tipped his head. “Do we need to craft a new lantern when we already have one?”

In response, Lumis flashed brightly and I stared down at it in wonder. Could it be that the prophetic light that we needed had been with us all this time, not only guiding us but prepared to play its role in this final act to break the curse?

Darcel’s arm came around me, drawing me close enough to whisper in my ear. “Perhaps this magnificent tree will show us the way. I’m confident in your ability to decipher whatever message it might impart.”

At his encouragement, I placed my hand on the trunk, maintaining my hold around Darcel’s with my other. At first the air was still and silent, but eventually the familiar wordless language caressed my thoughts in the faint, whispered groan of the World Tree, so quiet that if I hadn’t been touching it I might not have heard it at all.

Guided by the tree’s quiet instructions, with careful reverence I positioned Lumis within a natural alcove cradled by the tree’s gnarled roots. Hesitation momentarily stilled me—once I proceeded, there would be no undoing any potential failure. But the confidence in myself and my capabilities I’d cultivated throughout our journey fortified my resolve, giving me the strength to press forward.

I arranged the herbs in a circle around Lumis, each meticulously positioned. As I did, Lumis’s light reached out, tenderly touching each herb. The glow enfolded them, drawing them into its radiance to weave their essences into the heart of its flame, enveloping them in a warm, golden embrace.

The transformation was immediate and mesmerizing—the light magnified, traveling up the World Tree’s trunk, illuminating the bark with brilliant patterns. The glow ascended to the canopy, igniting it from within. Sparkles cascaded down the branches, streaming like liquid sunlight into the trunk and permeating the roots, heralding the tree’s awakening from an age-long slumber.

Darcel caught my hand, drawing me close as we watched, our faces bathed in the light that seemed infinitely brighter after all the darkness we’d traveled through.

As the light spread, the roots began to radiate a golden warmth that seeped into the earth, spreading beneath the soil’s surface like lifelines to distant parts of the kingdom, as if the tree was silently communicating with the land beyond the clearing’s confines. The ground beneath our feet warmed, filling me with a strong sense of well-being, awe, and joy.

Time lost all meaning as we remained in that reverent moment, basking in the beauty before us. The healing’s wondrous effects became even more apparent when we finally emerged back outside. The oppressive overcast had dissipated, giving way to the early brushstrokes of dawn, lifting the oppressive shadows that had once shrouded the kingdom. The blighted earth was rejuvenating, with fresh greenery already piercing through the once hardened soil. I bent close to examine a black-edged leaf, marveling to see the darkness visibly receding from it before my eyes.

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