The Tree, The Time, The Nothingness

I have stood my ground from when the Argentheians placed me upon this earth, and I stood alone for many generations more. It was a fate’s bleak hand that planted me, and a man’s hand will be my undoing, any moment now. I await now, any moment. I thought there was no soil enough to satisfy their souls. But wait, I still stand, but not alone anymore, for another tree they planted next to me. And with time, I got to know a friend, or so I thought… A different me, how can this be? Any moment now, you will see.

Time passed, and the different me stood its ground, and like myself, witnessed the change. I saw the men now turn away. Any moment now. I am a part of this land like them, and we have kept a weary eye on them, silently, me and the indifferent other, forming villages now, any moment now. I moved too much now; and here they come with steel.

I took a glimpse of me in pieces.

I watched them make more strange unnatural things as I clawed myself deeper into their ignorance. Any moment now, you will see. And there I stood, I awaited till they made me unnatural again. I saw them become many, but of all my heart I cared for them to use my shade, little creatures playing under my protection. They turn away now, and rock to stone, they made unnatural strange things again. I learned their ways and tongue, but I cannot speak it nor follow their actions.

Home! Home! They call them. Is this my home, this very earth I am clawed into? I have to learn more now, you will see.

I feel now.

A war, they say… I mourned their dead as I was akin, and through it all the winters passed, scorched earth, afire their homes. I saw only dirt, rock, and darkness all around now, you will see, O’ you will see…

I feel his golden chains now, cold! Smoke! I can’t breathe! O’ now you will see.

The creatures came closer. They reach out to me. A prayer! But how could I ever answer?

I feel heavy. A gentle golden kiss to my stem I felt, and a warm wet embrace.

Is it you, Father? I cried and cried and cried.

“They are coming, you must hide,” I hear; but I dare not to move now…

“Nephele it is my name, and forsaken; forlorn you have been, Argenth, but you were never meant to stand alone. I will stand with you as I am, as I were, and as I ever will be.”

What a sweet voice… soothing and familiar.

I shy away from drawing breath, even though she offers her windstorms so freely.

“Have we met before?”, I say.

“Dearly beloved, in your heart of hearts, you forever knew me; you heard my first touch like rain, from the first rains of September to the ice spears of Winter, from the Spring of colors to the Sun’s kiss and from the sunrise to the sky’s bleeding. I took care of you as my own, Argenth, orphaned child under the sea of the awakening stars.”

Coldness has mended now, but Argenth? I wonder… is that my calling?

I hear her touch like rain once again, the warm feeling of home, washing away their fire, rusting their steel away, eating their stone undone. I still stand now, you will see. I bore the men again and buried them once more into nothingness.

Nothing left, but came back… this is strange, I thought to myself. Myself… I feel unnatural, so it must be the change in me and the chaos of it that overtook my heart.

Is it Time? Is it you, Father? I feel his golden chains trying to reach me, but how can you reach something; that is no longer the same as it was before? Is it Time? No… this can’t be right.

“You poor thing. I am no father of yours, but I once held the idea of you much dearly, before you came to be. Come, take my hand; let us guide you away from their decay. I have no name to give you, but in entropy, no names are given, and even Time will time in time, and in darkness; sweet surrender to all shall pass. But you, O’ you will be free, unclaimed, unclawed from the soil. You will swim in an endless sea. It only takes one brave enough to drown. So come… let go off these roots and be free.”

Eerie voice… but I like to be free, I think. Thus, a choice… even though I feel safe in Nephele’s arms.

“My dear son, you have none, for he seeks to trick you. There is no endless sea, only Léthe, for he is always hungry to devour all; such is his nature. Should you choose to flee with him, nameless you shall be; formless and your memory will cease to exist. Is this, truly, the freedom you seek? And it’s true and fair even I must pass, but do not take your leave out of the fear you hold in your heart… Ah, I see it, my son. I have seen your heart, and it is darkened. But there is nothing to be afraid of, for you see, darkness never meant to endure, only to compliment the light, and alas, we begin anew. We all have our Oaths to hold, and your path is with me, for I created you, and I demand it! You will become the foundations that will hold the life for the creatures that have yet to come. You will nourish the earth. A purpose.”

“And as for you, old fool; of void and deception, you dare to come before my son as I stand… you let your own son to be taken away. Do not make false promises to my own.”

“Your creations only know and do of death and destruction. A son for a son you shall give. Heed my words, for I am eternal, and all will come to meet me in the end. You… O’ you won’t be there, my old friend, when the last light will fade and all in darkness shall come as all began. A son for a son.”

“That’s enough!” I thundered, and knew rage, for I moved and moved and moved much now, and to my heart’s content. And now you will see, you will see that freedom and peace takes a great Voice and Courage.

“So leave me to rest and be silent! I’ve seen too much to leave my soul in soil with them. Why am I to return to the ground? And I’ve known too much to become indifferent now. I wouldn’t be much different from the other me, the one who these creatures took away for their own designs. You both, you humor me, you don’t seem much different from each other—one turns you into nothingness as one is, the other claims you with his golden crown on his head—oh so wise claims to be, only to allow the decay to fold you into some sort of idea of a means to preserve life.

To get lost in your darknesses, Timeless, it is not a seeking of mine and I do not wish to preserve their life, Eternal One, O’ my Father… with their wars, homes, and your idea of a higher purpose that comes with the last fall of my leaves and branches. I will art a path of my own, that will be known to all who listen as my Opposition, and let it be the journey; become my Resilience.”

And there… I freed myself, even if I hadn’t moved an inch.