Chapter 159 - The Last Prophecy (Patreon)

Another prophecy from their mother? So it was the elders’ mother who was the divinator. Interesting, I wonder how old they are. Wish I could see their status.

As Jiran considered whether or not he wanted to hear this new prophecy, Sil sang softly, “Please, allow me my connection to the song. There are words we do not understand, but we were told you would. Without the connection, their meaning may be lost.”

“Words you don’t understand?” Jiran narrowed his eyes which glowed from within as Mana Omnis scoured her for some hint of why her tone had become so heavy. Finding only calm, smoothly flowing energies within her, Jiran sighed and released her skill. She sang without a moment's hesitation. Her mana connected with her skill, turning her voice into a tormented melody. Each time she rhymed, Jiran experienced a ringing sensation that crept through his skull, leaving behind a pleasant, lulling tingle.

“My precious saplings listen well, a story of the future I will tell. Someday, long from now, when this little valley is covered by great boughs, a sapling will sing her heartwood’s vows. Soon after, a choice will be made. The strength of your convictions revealed, and your debt repaid. A great harmony sung, and many left dead, but this day you must not dread. For he will save you, yes, the very one who will enslave you. All will live, and so answers you must give. A mystery he will ponder, and you will not let him wander. A question answered, unravels a truth most absurd. That is when I require you to sing him my warning most dire.”

The sclera of each of the elders’ eyes began to fill with a dark liquid that rapidly worked its way inward toward their pupils until each of their eyes was an inky black. Jiran squinted, unable to find even the slightest trace of mana causing the phenomenon.

The elders fell into a daze and Sil continued her song, oblivious to Jiran’s observations. Her voice changed to an unnaturally deep rumbling, like a rocky landslide that sent fresh shivers up his spine, “Listen well, child of sight unique. My daughters held transcendence at bay, to deliver my message this day. A millennia ago, I came to this place, torn through space. My world forever gone, it now exists only in this song. The gods found me, and bound me, a fate we both share. In their mad crusade, they did not cease my torment ‘til I was unmade. My soul shattered, its pieces scattered. They took from me without consent, and in my revenge, I did not relent. Long I traveled, restoring that which they unraveled. My power is now waned, yet each of my foes is long slain. At last I rest, alone and suppressed.”

The other elders opened their mouths, and Jiran tensed, thinking they would form another harmony. When they only added a deep hum, his tension eased. The humming reverberated through his aura, every bit a match for the rumbling power within Sil’s voice. Suddenly, the skies darkened as if the shadow of a powerful presence reached across the entire valley. Jiran glanced up, seeing no clouds blocking the sunslight.

He froze as the head of a gargantuan Timberling peaked above the lip of the valley. Her hands gripped the distant wall, each finger larger than the tallest tree in the forest. She stood, her body translucent, her skin and bark seemingly made of compressed shadows. Jiran’s eyes were drawn to hers: Two massive pools of obsidian that sucked at his soul, sending him into a daze. Her mouth opened, and the song continued.

“Not all was lost, seven seeds I saved at great cost. In time, they grew and their own saplings did come, sadly, their fate to succumb. Long have they suffered under their own shade, their fate in the light delayed. I am proud to gaze upon them now, their conviction unbending, and through them, my will is unending. If you cast them aside, into the depths they will slide, and so only to you, their future I entrust, for your rule will be just. If your strengths you provide, their devotion will never subside. Make your choice well, child of sight unique. For a King has come to play, amongst my saplings’ graves you must not stay, or much suffering you will fail to hold at bay.

The massive woman’s expression softened, her voice growing weaker with each word, losing its rumbling edge until it faded to a whisper filled with desperation, “Your destiny is great, but on your path, much pain does await. Face it not alone, as you battle the throne. Bring my children out of their dark night, and by your side, they will forever fight. Individually weak they may be, but together… you will see… the scattered pieces of my soul… are fierce when given fresh soil.”

As the song ended, Jiran was rattled from his trance to find tears streaming down his cheeks. He wiped them away while scanning the lip of the valley, almost hoping for one more glimpse of those penetrating, beautiful pools of obsidian. The huge Timberling was nowhere to be seen. All the previous vibrant strength of the elders rushed out of them as their eyes closed and their muscles turned limp. Jiran’s aura coiled around them as they collapsed, gently laying them on the ground. Their bodies rapidly shriveled until only their heartwoods remained, weakly pulsing with mana. Slowly, and then all at once, the strange darkness covering the valley was sucked into the seven pieces of glowing wood at Jiran’s feet.

The fuck did I just see? That Timberling was their mother, the original? She was huge!! Like giga-huge! Pulled through space? Trapped here and tinkered with by the gods? They tore apart her soul, maybe while trying to integrate her with the system? She was powerful enough to get her revenge on the gods? Then what, she settles down to start a quaint little family of crazy spirit worshipers who she now wants me to look after. Did that really just happen? Yeah, I know what I saw, what I felt. That was definitely real.

Well, obviously I’m going to do it! I was already planning to help them and I don’t mind taking things a few steps further since she asked so nice.

What she said about her soul confirms my thoughts about harmony. It’s got to be a combination skill that directly attacks the soul. That is so awesome. We’ll definitely be experimenting with that straight away. If I can figure out how their joint soul works, I wonder if I'll get a chance to have a real conversation with their mother someday. She called me child of sight unique. If she knows about my unique ability, maybe she knows how to stop the curse.

Should I heed her advice and head back to the empire? She mentioned a king? Is that a Graymin? The Rooks are already pretty strong, and those Bishops I ‘fought’ were way beyond what I can handle. What good could I possibly do against something even stronger? It almost sounded like she wanted me to take the Timberlings with me, they would definitely die if they fought even the weakest Graymin.

Unless…

Could that really work? What if I… Father’s above, is that possible? I would need so much mana. But don’t we have—

Jiran’s thoughts were cut off as Lulu stirred. Her chest constricted and she released a pitiful whimper. He sat beside her in the dead grass—black and wilted from the harmony unleashed directly atop it. One of her hands clutched her chest, the other her head. After another moan, her eyes fluttered open to see Jiran’s gently smiling face.

“How do you feel? I healed all the damage I could see, but I’m not sure where your tap is so I can’t make sure your soul is fine.”

“My… soul?” She sat up slowly, her mouth falling open when she took note of his blood-soaked clothes and the unconscious matrons. Then, it opened even wider when she saw the seven glowing heartwoods. “What happened?” She hummed.

Jiran turned with furrowed brows to look at the distant wall where the mother Timberling had appeared, “The matrons sang a harmony, then they all died,” Lulu wilted beneath his hard glare, even though it wasn’t directed at her. “I rushed back, we both nearly joined them because I dove straight in to save them, not realizing how strong the harmony was. They’re alive, I barely managed to bring back everyone affected. Then, the seven elders showed up and sang me another prophecy.”

Seeing the dumbstruck look on her face, Jiran decided to hold off on telling her about his encounter with the literal mother-of-all-timberlings. “After the elders finished, they collapsed and turned into those,” He tilted his head toward the heartwoods, “I’m glad you woke up, I’m not sure if I need to do anything to preserve them.”

“The elders… sang to you? A-are you sure? They’ve never sung, not once. Even the oldest songs are of the silent mothers, always watching, always loving, but they do not sing. Harmonies are said to have many effects, one of them is hallucinations, is it possible you imagined it?”

“Nope, it definitely happened. So, about their heartwoods, those can be planted, right?”

“Yes! My apologies for not answering your question. They will not transcend without nutrients. The elders are-were special, very powerful. Their heartwoods will require a great many beasts to nurture their growth. Until they are planted, they should not need anything to remain preserved.” She sat up fully and faced him, tucking her feet beneath her butt. She then lowered her forehead to the ground. Tears streamed from her eyes, splashing on the dead grass, “Please forgive me for failing to mention the harmony! We rarely speak of it, and I did not expect the matrons to go so far. I am truly sorry! To think my failure caused you such harm, I do not deser—”

Jiran’s hand landed on top of her head, gently patting her silvery hair, “I forgive you. In the end, I managed to save everyone and I learned a lot. Since you’re going to be singing me a bunch of harmonies later, I’ll let this one slide.”

She jerked upright, her moist eyes wide as saucers as she shook her head, “It is forbidden!”

Jiran’s grin grew so wide it split his face, showing all his teeth as his eyes glowed with excitement, “Yeah, it’s going to be awesome.” He chuckled darkly before his remalon instincts kicked in to quell his emotions. “Ahem, anyway, we have a lot of work to do and probably very little time to do it. We can take a minute if you need it.”

Lulu immediately rose to her feet, only stumbling slightly before catching herself, “Thank you, I will be fine. I never had the honor of meeting the silent mothers, so their loss does not seem real. I… What do you need of me, Jiran.” He nearly reached out and patted her head again when she called him by his name without stuttering for the first time. His pleased smile caused leaves to sprout across her shoulders and head, each a more vibrant shade of vermillion than the last.

Jiran lifted her, the slumbering matrons, and the elders' heartwoods with his aura, ”I had you gather the matrons before, now, we’re going to need all the Timberling. Every last one.”

...

They quickly arrived at the tree line where several hundred Timberlings nervously watched while hiding behind the cover of their ancestral trees. Jiran spoke calmly, mana infusing his voice and spreading it until even the furthest could hear. He leaned on his charisma attribute, feeding it the intent of what he wanted to say and letting it choose his words.

“The Silent Mothers have sung their first and last song. They spoke of a great mother, the first Timberling. The connection you share through your song is her watching you from within your soul. She is a part of you. She sang to me, through the elders. Her voice was so powerful they transcended the moment her song completed.” Jiran lifted the seven heartwoods in the air to slowly spin around him in their darkly glowing splendor, “She sang of her love for each of you, and her pride in your convictions. There was more to her song, but I will only share it when all the Timberling have come together. I ask each of you: gather your people in the deepest part of the forest. A great danger is coming, and if we are to survive, we will need to work together.”

Charisma: +1

When he finished, every single Timberling was transfixed on him and the glowing heartwoods circling above his head. Lulu was no exception, the muscles in her face slack as she gazed up at him with zealous adoration. Jiran snapped his fingers in her face, “Hey, get a grip. You’re a matron now, remember? Get everyone organized. Find some people to take care of the matrons until they wake up.”

“Are you leaving us?” She whispered, fear suddenly dominating her features.

“Yes, but I’ll be back soon. Events spiraled out of my control once before and Mayalyn’s people lost their home. I wasn’t strong enough, people died and suffered. I swore to myself I would never let that happen again,” His hand landed on her shoulder and he gave her a reassuring smile, “I won’t let that happen to your people, or mine. Your mother asked me to look out for all of you, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do, but I really will need everyone's help.”

Lulu clenched her jaw so hard Jiran could hear her teeth creaking in protest. She nodded sharply, refusing to let fresh tears fall as she sang through grit teeth, “I will bring them. We will not fail you.”