The Tree of Hope: Chapter Eighteen

The eighteenth chapter of the first installment of The Legacies Saga

 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 

FIONA'S TALE

"Long before Natasha and I came down here, we were part of a three-man team called Team Chiron. The third person in our group was Fiona Anderson. None of us was especially awesome, but we had one great benefit: We worked well together and made up for each other's shortcomings. Together, and only together, we were the best team imaginable.

"It was four years ago when Julia decided to tell us the most important prophecy ever, made by her predecessor, a woman named Hannah. I still remember every word of that prophecy:

''The silver with which the? sky had paid''

The tree that cost the hero's life

The power that protects the one afraid

The contents of the top of knife

When together, the words spoken

And left for just a single hour

Shall render the oath of the sky broken

And give his saviour indomitable power

"That was the propecy of the combination. Back then, we were all still worried about the Mainworlders maybe missing this one tree, so she decided to tell us in order to make sure the prophecy didn't come true. We were sent on a mission to find the tree...

"But there were some unforeseen circumstances. Only twenty feet from the bottom of the Ekinta, we were confronted by some people called the 'auronel'. We were able to manipulate the Mist enough to get away from them, but in the time that took, a group of monsters - Scythian dracanae? - caught up with us.

"We couldn't fight them. Since this was meant to be a search-and-report mission, I had advised we come unarmed, since at best they would only impede us. And unlike the Hidden City, residents of Kanderr don't exactly leave weapons lying around that often. I had no idea that monsters would be actively trying to guard the tree; it didn't seem like their style. By the time they caught up with us, we were surrounded and had to get out fast.

"Fiona sensed a safe spot - she had that power. She thought it might have been where the tree was located. But when we got there, there was no tree, just a wide open area with some broken buildings. And a pile of gold at our feet. Fiona said there was something special about it. I was all, 'Yeah, of course it's special. It's gold'. But when she picked it up, Natasha and I were blasted out of there. Back to the Hidden City. I assumed Fiona was blasted out as well, but no matter where we looked, she was gone.

"A lot of us paid our respects. When even Julia couldn't find her, she was declared dead. All because I suggested we come unarmed, and then that we pick up that stupid cursed gold..."

~+~

James finished the tale and looked at the others.

"But Fiona didn't die," Marrell pieced together. "She stayed there... with the tree. You were right all along; the tree was right there, and when Fiona picked up the cursed gold, she stayed there and protected the tree ever since. You didn't kill Fiona - you saved the Mainworld tree!"

"And if Fiona's protecting the tree..." Natasha grinned. "Alaric Burne won't know what hit him."

Somehow, James doubted that.

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