Fang instinctually moved over and stood beside Rone. While my mind is away, try not to get to close to me. Fang tends to be overprotective when it happens. He wouldn’t mean to hurt you, but I can’t guarantee he wouldn’t.
The others all nodded, and Traijen got this big grin on his face.
“You’re about to witness something you don’t see every day. And don’t worry, Rone, we got your back till it’s finished.”
“Thank you,” Rone said sincerely, then turned and headed towards the edge of the forest. He inspected each tree he came to as if trying to decide which one would be the best.
When he finally settled on a rather large white oak. Some of its roots that were visible above the ground were as big around as a man’s head. Rone knew this one’s roots would run deep enough. He bowed his head and bent down on one knee, placing his hand on the trunk of the grand tree.
At first, nothing seemed to be happening, as the others all watched him intensely. Fang had laid down in front of Rone and looked as if he was guarding him. Which, in fact, he was.
Just when Trisha was about to turn and walk back to the pond, Traijen touched her arm and pointed towards Rone.
The oak now seemed to be shivering, almost like it was suffering from some type of cold. Then the lowest branch began to bend and stretch towards Rone.
As it did, the others could see how the end of the branch now held the shape of a crude hand. Its wooden fingers grasping Rone’s shoulder and gripping it gently. Almost like an elder would when speaking to a beloved child.
Once it firmly had a hold on him, green vines of Kudzu flowed from its fingers. The vines flowed down Rone’s back and across his kneeling form, wrapping him entirely from head to toe.
Katrina cocked her head to the side as if straining to hear something. She couldn’t be sure, but she felt as if she had heard the tree itself whispering to Rone.
Inside the vine cocoon, Rone was now being flooded with visions of his home. He saw what the trees had seen over the past weeks from the attacks on the villages to the funerals of his friends and his beloved mentor.
He watched horrified, as Tobias killed Sagina and Decker. Then saw Kellet as he entered the main house, but never coming back out. He saw those who remained with Tobias preparing and marching out for battle, then the sun rise and fall again with none returning.
The village of Briarthorn now stood empty and silent as a grave. Suddenly his vision shifted again, this time to the forest. Its vast acreage of greens now entirely tainted by the sickening browns and yellows of infection.
Animals lay dead and dying across the forest floor, as Orcs from the Black Boar Tribe now roamed his home unchecked. Try as he might, though, Rone could not see the top of Grey Ridge. Like those on the ridge had been when he first started on his quest. The tree’s lining the winding path to the summit had all been burned away.
Anger flooded Rone, followed by grief and sorrow. So deep was it, that it threatened to cause him to faint. He was aware suddenly of a loud shrieking noise in his ear. It filled his head and caused him to wince in pain at the sheer volume of it.
As he struggled to withdraw from the commune, the great oak only wrapped him tighter in its grip. It wanted to show him more. It wanted him to see everything. He could feel a surge of energy coming from the great oak, one that he now realized was the collected force of the entire forest around him.
Every tree, every bush, even to the blades of grass, now shoved their thoughts into him, and they were angry. They had felt the connection to so many nature users being snuffed out in such a small period and did not understand why. Together they begged him for answers he couldn’t give. And when those answers did not come, they became furious, screaming at his mind for vengeance and resolution.
Through sheer force of will fueled by a growing sense of desperation, Rone managed to break some of the connection between his mind and the screaming voices of nature.
Still, inside the kudzu cocoon, he began to claw at the vines, trying with all his might to dig his way out of them. While outside, he could hear Fang's snarls, and Traijens shouts for the wolf to let the others help him.
But the vines had now found his throat, growing ever tighter as the oak begged again and again for answers to who was responsible for this devastation.
In response and hoping to calm the oak enough for him to escape, Rone began to flood his mind with thoughts of the Orcs and of his fellow Thorn Callers. Trying anything he could to make the essence of nature understand, he did not have the answers it sought.
It was nearly impossible for Rone to breath now, as the kudzu vines continued to prevent the air from reaching his lungs. Struggle as he might, Rone could not get the great tree to understand, and now he was nearing the point of blacking out. That’s when thankfully, Traijen’s dagger sliced through the vine at his throat. Finally, allowing him to draw in that precious air his body so desperately needed.
As the others worked feverishly to free him, Rone kicked and screamed for them to get him free. When they had finally pulled the last of the vines from around his legs, Rone broke into a run for the edge of the pond. Flinging himself onto the ground and splashing its cool water onto his face. Trying desperately to wash away the horrors he had just been shown.
After a few moments, Rone managed to roll onto his back and cup his hands over his face. He could no longer hold back the sorrow or anger he felt over what he had seen.
His friends, his father, his home, all of it was gone. It had all been lost in just a short matter of weeks. The crushing weight of that reality mixed with the despair that now gripped him forced a scream from his throat that sent chills through his companions. As they all rushed to his side, desperately trying to figure out what just happened.
“Rone, what is it? What the hell was that?” Traijen asked worriedly.
“They’re gone, Tray! They’re all gone,” Rone managed between sobs.
“Who is gone?” Trisha asked quickly.
“My brothers and sisters, THE THORN CALLERS! They’re all dead or missing! Agnar is nearly gone as well, and those bastard Orcs are destroying what’s left. Meanwhile, I’m stuck out here! Chasing after some damned artifact that I may never get!
I should have been their Tray. I should have been there to protect them. To protect Max.”
As Rone’s voice faded into the sounds of grief, the others stood staring down at him, not really knowing what to say. Suddenly Katrina fell to the ground next to him and began to cry herself. She had known something like this was going to happen, even before she met Rone.
She knew enough about Zannith and his plans to suspect that before he was through, many people would likely die. And she cursed herself now for getting involved.
She wrapped her arms around Rone and pulled him to her, trying in some small way to ease her own conscious by comforting his pain.
Trisha thought about protesting the sudden burst of emotions, but before she could say anything, Traijen grabbed her shoulder. A little harder than he should have, she thought as he leaned close to her ear.
“Not now, Trish,” he whispered harshly. Though his words were barely audible, it was easy to tell they were not meant as a request.
32
When he was finally able, Rone rose to his feet and stood before his companions. Who could not help but notice he now looked both worn and defeated.
His trembling hands crossed on his chest as if he was struggling to hold back the emotions that might burst free again at any moment.