westwhere | I called out

Entry tags:

I called out

WHO: Eleven and OPEN to anyone around the Tree, chained to the Tree, or otherwise in search of one tree-hugger.
WHEN: May 31-June 10th-ish
WHERE: The Tree
WHAT: Tree simping/vibing
WARNINGS: tba?

It's simple curiosity that leads Eleven out to the tree when he hears of it. He doesn't expect more than a worn, old pine tree sticky with sap. But the moment he sees it, with wide-stretching branches held tidily up from its trunk and twining beneath the weight of a trim canopy, his breath catches.

Caught up in staring for several heartbeats, he becomes aware of a cold aura that the tree itself seems responsible for. Moreover, he senses the beginning stirs of life, entwined with another feeling that takes him too long to place: death.

Cold forgotten, his heart tumbles through his chest, tripping up his feet in his haste to reach the trunk of the tree. His marked hand touches first, palm thrust forward, fingers embedding into deep grooves in the rough bark. The whole of his awareness and focus narrows to the tree beneath his hand, seeking a connection that fails to immediately manifest.

A.

He wouldn't give up.

Over the next several days, Eleven spent considerably more time at the tree than the farmhouse. There was some connection to be made there, he was sure- it was just a matter of forging it. An effort well-worth his time if any of his suspicions or hopes came to fruition.

He spent hours circling the tree, prodding around its roots to extract visible shards of embedded glass with gloved hands, and occasionally stopped to examine an oddly shaped fallen leaf with focused intent. Sat between its roots and leaned back against the trunk to simply rest and attempt to feel for something else through the cold wafting from the bark.

Eleven spoke to it when he thought he was alone- voice soft with apologies, reassurance, or quiet concerns. Then near the end of the day, bent himself in prayer for lengthy spans of minutes, still and silent, willing his mind open to the brush of another consciousness until the sun began to set.

B.

Of course he's heard of the trials of Anurr and how he'd had to chain himself to this very tree for three days and three nights (or something?) and while he isn't surprised that Anurr's most fervent supporters have elected to follow in his footsteps, it does surprise him to discover slightly more familiar faces in the mornings he comes to visit.

Eleven crouches near them, tentatively reaching out to try and wake them if they don't appear to be conscious and anxiously hovering when/if they are.

"Hey, are you all right? Do you need help?"

C.

His persistence pays off.

Pressed fully into the trunk, Eleven knows when he's found it- a subtle feeling, but one that's reaching for the energy he's poured into the tree. The back of his hand shines with a soft glow just before he loses time and external awareness between one breath and the next.

He exists in a quiet, floating awareness, attached to a sense of aged perception. Understanding slowly permeates his mind quite without words, in the same manner his own questions reach out. It isn't much, but it's enough and he's grateful up until something within the tree pulls at him and leaves him cold.

Eleven starts back to reality with a sharp gasp and shivering breathlessness, cold and fatigue plaguing him with quaking arms and unsteady footsteps as he moves to peel himself away.

[ooc: action or prose is fine!]

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The Luminary had been at this tree business and somehow along the way today he'd given the knight the slip. It wasn't like Hendrik to misplace his charge but that was just the way it was going.

Relentlessly he searched for the boy, and made sure that he wasn't being hunted in the meantime, unsure if the undead still lurked somehow. Those thoughts he tried not to allow to plague him since he was focusing on finding the boy.

But then it seems his luck turned for the better, and he came upon Eleven who was pressed up against the tree for what seemed an eternity. This reminded him of the time on Mount Pang Lai where the boy had gone after his grandfather Lord Robert in the afterlife. And the waiting had been the hardest part.

So he stood there almost transfixed by the sight of the Luminary's hand being lit up. It made him wonder if this was somehow connected back to the World Tree and if the other was able to conjure memories, just as had happened with Hendrik's past there.

"Hendrik," Eleven managed between shudders, not at all surprised to see him. It wasn't that he'd meant to lose him, but the knight had surely known where to find him after these past several days.

He made his way over to the knight and leaned into his space in hopes of leeching his residual warmth. His own magic felt too drained to muster his own flame.

"It isn't Yggdrasil," he informed him, though he supposed some part of him had already known that. "Doesn't.. regulate the cycle.."

Oddly it was the desire for familiarity that sent Lily out into the woods that day, seeking out familiar-looking plants. While she found a few that looked something like the ones back home, she didn't know them to be especially magical she was quick to toss aside the disappointment she felt, not spotting the odd patch of Fluxweed in favor of curiosity, as her walk took her closer to where the trials were being held.

She had not spent time around the tree. There was something about it that was completely fascinating, but the nature of what was asked of them, and those chilly voices she heard coming from these woods at night had made her hesitant to approach. Even now, having made her way there she kept her distance, her arms crossed tightly as she frowned at it from across the distance.

Lily followed the circumference of the tree’s trunk, making a wide circle. She was careful to maintain the stretch of space between her and the tree. As she rounded one side she caught sight of a figure, seemingly engrossed and leaning heavily on the massive trunk, the sight gave her pause. Based on the nature of the trials the sight wasn’t unexpected, but the gasp the stranger breathed was sharp enough for alarm to spark up in the forefront of her thoughts.

It was that concern that drew her closer, her hand in her pocket, tight around her wand as she steeled herself and approached the stranger. “Are you alright? Do you need any help?”

Eleven glanced up, shivering through chilled breaths. A girl he didn't recognize, reaching for what he hoped wasn't a weapon but certainly looked to have that sort of intent. He eyed her warily. The tree had drained much of his magic. But... she seemed more concerned than confrontational, and so he curled his arms around himself for warmth rather than try for one of his swords. Lot of good they would do in shaking hands, anyway.

"Just cold," he confessed, shuddering in place. He was well-dressed for the weather, but somehow the cold had reached through the thick fabrics, and the breath of chill still emanating from the tree itself didn't help matters.

"Are you.. one of A-Anurr's..?"

Eleven looked almost unrecognizable as he removed himself from the tree. And of course said thing got a suspicious glance from the knight. He really wasn't sure the boy should be trying to commune with nature that wasn't from their own world but then again maybe the other's powers would surely protect him and keep him safe.

Feeling the Luminary leaning against him, Hendrik felt himself relax in response. His charge was safe, and now that they were in the same space, the knight could resume his usual protector mode.

"Of course the World Tree could not be here." Though he had no idea what cycle meant unless the Luminary was referring to the branches blossoming with a birth and falling off with a death.

Eleven frowned, fighting through another fit of shivering.

"M-maybe not," he relented, though he still held some hope. "But.. surely, this world is so heavy with- with death because it needs a power like Hers."

Their own world was out of balance in a similar way, with dead souls unable to leave the Void without Yggdrasil to move onto.

"I'd hoped.. maybe.. that was it. Or at least an- an echo of Her power."

Hearing the Luminary speak as if there had been that small glimmer of hope made the knight angry. That anger wouldn't be directed at his charge of course, but for whoever or whatever power that there was here. Eleven had a rough start to his life and he'd done as has been expected of him. He brought the hope and light back to their world so the boy deserved nothing but happiness and rest.

Except he was here. And somehow fate had aligned their destinies once again so that Hendrik could pick back up the role of protector.

"This is not Erdrea. So I would not think anything resembling the World Tree would be here." He wished his words were ones of hope, but that wasn't how he saw this place.

Eleven forced himself to stand on his own power.

"It's not Erdrea," he allowed, "But a power like- like Yggdrasil's must exist somewhere." Surely, though he was beginning to have doubts. If only he knew more of this world's history. "Maybe- maybe it just needs help."

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Lily looked around, checking to see what plants grew nearby that might make for decent material, her hand slipping out of the pocket where her want was to hang relaxed at her side. She could draw quickly if she had to, but she hoped she wouldn't have to.

"I'm not, are you?" Concern crossed her face as she turned his question back on him, the thought of tea abandoned, momentarily. The abrupt and hostile way she'd been handled by the woods-people, and that thing at the bottom of the lake had made her cautious.

"I'm from England, actually," she continued, determined to push past that wave of wariness. "My name is Lily. Did Karsa find you too?"

Eleven relaxed- or would have, if he could stop shivering.

"Um, no. Haltham from the-" Speaking through a rose quartz didn't prove anything, but Karsa, the name of an unfamiliar place..

"Oh," he said with relieved understanding. "You're- you're one of the.. well, us. Refugees?"

"..Goddess," the word came out closer to a curse than a prayer. "T-tea would be nice." Although the walk back to the farmhouse would surely be agonizing without fire magic, at least he could promise his limbs eventual relief.

"And yet you have said it does not have the same cycle." Hendrik replied carefully, looking at the tree itself. "Would every world have such a tree that exists to regulate life on it? Is it that you hope to awaken a power in it such as ours has back in our world?"

He really isn't sure how to help, but he sure wants to try.

"Yes, a refugee! I'm so glad to meet another." Lily's shoulders sagged, relieved to have found someone who seemed to share her plight, before the stranger's shivering made her frown. "You're shaking, are you sure you're alright?" She lifted a hand, fluttering it absently.

"I'll make tea," as though it were the obvious solution. As far as Lily it was at least closer to one than standing around watching him be cold. "What's your name?"

Just as soon as she posed the question she took a few steps back, away from the tree and over to where a cluster of dark green leaves sprouted up out of the ground, remaining within earshot as she shook the dirt from the plant's roots before laying it in her flattened palm.

She retrieved her wand with her other hand, muttering a quick word as she gestured over the plant with it. In an instant the plant transfigured itself into a fluted teacup, its contents steaming inside.

"I've practiced with this plant before," she explained, holding it out for him. "It's a bit weak, but it turns into a nice enough cup if you ask me."

Eleven thought about that a moment, then took a halting step away to head back toward the farmhouse where surely there would be a fire in the hearth.

"Mmn. Maybe, if I could." If he had his power, he wondered if it might be possible.

"This tree doesn't- isn't a cycle, but there must be s-something somewhere that does- or should."

"Ah, I'm- I'm Eleven."

He watched her- Lily- pull up plants and brandish what he thought might be a knife, but- his brows rose, cold momentarily forgotten as he watched the plants twist and morph rather improbably into a heated teacup.

Eleven stared at it, but the promise of a touch of warmth moved his hands before he could think better of it. As it was, he expected the enchantment to fail the moment he touched it. And blessed Goddess, it really was wonderfully hot, seeping delightfully through the stiffness in his hands and slowly spreading.

He shivered and nearly spilled it, the warmth seeming drawing out vestiges of deep cold. Eleven eyed the liquid with some hesitation, but took a sip after a few moments of indecision. Weak as promised, but far more important than the lack of flavor was the rush of warmth cutting through the cold from the inside.

Eleven let out a breath and managed a smile.

"I've never seen magic do this before. Thank you."

He wasn't convinced at all. "So you believe that regardless of time or place, there has to be a life cycle regulated by the trees of the world?" Was that Luminary knowledge? If so Hendrik of course would bow to it.

But to the last he nodded. "If that is indeed the case, I must wonder if there are large repositories of knowledge such as libraries here, like the large one located in Sniflheim."

"You're welcome," Lily looked relieved when Eleven seemed to take well to the tea, and returned the smile. It felt good to do something good, as opposed to just shambling around attempting to piece together what in Merlin's name was happening to her. Helping felt normal, and she was appreciative of how grounding that was.

"I wish it were a nicer cup, had I known I was going to need to make tea out of whatever I could find, I would have practiced a bit more back home, but I'm very glad it's helping." Realizing that was a bit of a minor tangent that likely bore no relevance to Eleven she looked past him and towards the tree again.

"What were you doing with the tree? The trial Karsa spoke of, or were you just very weary?" She had a sneaking suspicion everyone who had been deposited into this mess was probably weary to some degree, but the way Eleven had gasped and now shivered was concerning enough for her to pry further.

Eleven followed her gaze.

"Oh, no. That was- I was, ah.." he searched for the right word between lingering shivers that had at least faded in intensity.

"Talking to it, I guess. I've been trying for days and only just managed to reach its spirit. We didn't speak really, but I understand, now. It.. drained my magic and leeched my warmth in exchange."

"N-not in the Citadel," Eleven said, steps halting and slow as he worked to manage the cold shuddering through his limbs. "I checked. Can't- can't read the language anyway."

It would be a long walk back to the farmhouse. "But I'm sure there must be a force that does. Might not be a tree." Though given his only experience with such things, it was difficult to imagine what else it could be.

"Drained your magic?" Lily had yet to encounter anything that could do that, and hearing that the tree was capable of such a thing made her take a half-step backward.

"Did you learn anything?" Thus far she'd been wading through her own confusion and would never judge anyone for trying to seek out information, however intense the method seemed to her

"Temporarily," he assured, despite not knowing for certain. But the drain felt similar to the after effects of Xie Lian's method of borrowing power rather than.. well, the alternative.

"I learned that while this tree doesn't regulate the cycle of life and death as I'd hoped it might, it's the residual energy of birth and death that I was sensing."

He turned an admiring look back to the tree itself. There was still a part of him filled with deep affection for it.

"Death I understand, but I am curious what it means that birth happens so often around it," he mused absently. "Animals? Or is there some other custom or ceremony..? But I can't imagine this would be a nice place for that."

His eyes dropped to the ground, tracing the carpet of flora. "Or plants..?"

The reassurance did nothing to remove the look of concern on Lily's face, though she didn't pry, resolving to find something to turn into a blanket for Eleven if he kept on shivering. Tea could fix a lot of things, but she wasn't sure if it was going to be enough.

While he spoke her worries after his well-being were replaced by keen curiosity, looking back at the tree again as she listened to him. "All of it? Perhaps? The animals eat the plants and then help new ones to grow, and so on?" Lily crossed her arms over her chest, studying the massive thing as she reached up and idly drummed a finger against her chin.

"It's so tremendous, the roots must spread beneath these woods, don't you think?" Hadn't the groundskeeper at school said something like that about some of the trees in the forest back home? "Perhaps that means it's part of a good deal more, however slightly, than we can see?" She looked down at the ground, her eyes following one of the tree's thick ropey roots studying how far they went.

Eleven brightened, tracing the nearest root as far as the surface allowed with an avid curiosity.

"Yes, that could be."

Yggdrasil after all, had roots spread throughout Erdrea. And it made sense, if this tree's roots were further spread, why that energy might not encompass the whole of the forest.

He drained the rest of his tea for its last vestiges of warmth, then found himself awkwardly holding the empty leaves-turned-teacup without being sure what should be done with it, just as tempted to keep it as see if it could be restored to its former state.

It had helped at least, warming him enough so that his shivers were more manageable things that didn't leave his teeth chattering with the force of them.

"Can I ask.. what kind of magic this is?"

Looking on while he studied the roots Lily cast one more glance back at the tree itself, a little less fearful now, seeing that Eleven had been shaken but seemed to be warming back up, however slightly. Whatever the tree had done to him really wasn't harmful, at least, not as much as she had originally feared it might be.

"It's called transfiguration, you make something into something else. I can't make food, at least not good food, but tea's straightforward enough if you practice it." It wasn't an easy subject to master by any means - as her quest for a good cup of tea would indicate.

"Are you still cold? If you can't make it back to the farm I can build a fire quickly, further away from the tree." Considering its roots, and the way Eleven said it had drained him, she didn't want to accidentally hurt it and make it angry. "Will you tell me what your magic is called, too?"

Eleven considered that, but he'd rather not risk anything close to the tree or its roots.

"No, that's all right. I can make it there now, thanks to you."

He probably shouldn't have left Hendrik, but surely the man knew where to find him by now.

Eleven smiled a little, self-concious. "I don't know if my spells have another name. It's just.. magic, as far as I've heard. I'm not a sage, so I haven't studied it too much. I'd show you if I could, but neither are my abilities terribly unique, as I am now."

Though apparently he could commune with trees that weren't Yggdrasil, so that was something.

Glad to put distance between herself and the tree Lily's arms stayed crossed over her chest, huddling into her clothing for warmth. She had changed some straw into a bulky, itchy sweater that could be worn over the things she'd brought with her, which was definitely helping with the cold. At least, she thought she looked less frozen than Eleven did. A fire would do both of them some good

"Not unique? I've never met anyone who could gather information from a tree like that before." Actually, Lily wasn't sure she knew of anyone who could gather information from a tree at all. "Have you been in this place for a while?"

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I called out

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