----Page 21----
The light from the Chronicle burst outward, washing the forest in a wave of green radiance. The ground trembled, trees swayed, and from within the heart of the light, a shape began to form.
Roots and vines twisted together, spiraling upward until a figure emerged from their glow.
She stood tall and graceful, her long yellow-green hair flowing like sunlight through leaves.
Her eyes remained closed, yet it felt as if the entire forest saw through her. Her wooden staff glowed with faint light, carved from the sacred wood of the Ancient Elder Tree the Tree of Everlife.
A tree whose location had long been lost to history.
The air changed.
The battle stopped.
Even the wind dared not breathe.
Nivara was the first to kneel. She placed her crimson fan upon the ground and bowed her head.
"Verdant Queen…" she whispered.
"The lifeblood of the Everwood walks among us once more."
At her gesture, everyone followed. Arin, Lysera, Rynveil, Tauren even King Aven and Prince Raga knelt in reverence. The Birdmen spread their wings flat against the ground, their eyes filled with awe.
Then the forest itself seemed to bow. Leaves drooped, vines lowered, and the soft hum of life fell into a deep, resonant stillness.
Merith opened her mouth, and her voice flowed like a calm stream.
"Rise not before me, children of the forest. It is not I who demands this reverence, but the life that dwells within you all."
But none dared move.
Above, the last of the trolls roared, still thrashing in confusion. Merith turned her head toward them, her expression unchanged serene and certain.
Her staff glowed brighter, and in an instant, massive vines erupted from the soil, curling around the trolls like serpents of living wood.
They bound their arms and legs, lifted them from the ground, and tightened until even the fiercest of them could not move.
The sight left us all frozen.
Those creatures had shattered trees and crushed warriors yet now they hung helpless in the grip of a gentle woman who hadn't even opened her eyes.
The battle ended in a single breath.
The forest went silent.
I swallowed hard. So this is the Verdant Maiden… the Queen of all life.
The green light around her pulsed softly as she lowered her staff.
Nivara lifted her head slightly, eyes glistening.
"Queen Merith, guardian of roots and song, the forest has awaited you."
Merith's lips curved in a faint smile.
"Nivara of Flame, bearer of the Empress's fan. You honor me. The fire within you still burns with purpose."
Then her voice turned, gentle but commanding.
"Lysera, daughter of frost, whose heart preserves what time seeks to wither. And Rynveil, keeper of the Runes, whose will tempers strength with restraint. You too have not forgotten the vows of the Pageborn."
The three exchanged looks of awe and humility.
Nivara bowed once more.
"Your grace, we serve as you once did, though our strength alone no longer sustains the balance."
Merith inclined her head, her hair shimmering like woven spring leaves.
"Then the Chronicle has sung, and the young one has called."
Her face turned toward me. Though her eyes were still closed, I felt the weight of her gaze settle deep within me.
"Ah…" she said softly.
"The young wielder of the Chronicle of Origin. The forest whispered of your coming."
I felt my breath catch. She knows me.
She smiled gently.
"You stand in the shadow of those who came before, and yet, you hold the light of what is to come. Tell me, young one, what help shall I offer?"
Her words carried warmth yet behind them was a sense of timeless authority.
I bowed my head, my hands trembling slightly as I spoke.
"Merith, I seek your aid. There is one in the Birdmen tribe who suffers from an incurable illness. Her life hangs by a thread."
"Go on, young one," she said, her tone tender.
"With all due respect, my Queen… please save her."
I lowered myself until my forehead almost touched the earth. I didn't know if this was how one should address a being like her, but somehow it felt right.
Merith's smile softened.
"Rise, young one. Your plea carries sincerity. The forest has already heard your heart."
At her words, King Aven signaled his guards.
"Bring my daughter," he said, voice shaking with both urgency and hope.
Moments later, Raga returned from the inner chambers of the village, carrying the Princess in his arms.
Her body was frail and wrapped in silken white, her golden-blue feathers dulled to gray. Even the air within the chamber seemed to have grown still and heavy, a stark contrast to the vibrant life outside.
When they laid her gently before Merith, even the wind stilled.
The Princess's skin was pale, her breathing shallow. Faint dark veins traced across her arms and neck, pulsing weakly like poison spreading beneath glass.
Raga's voice quivered.
"We tried everything. No magic, no prayer could heal her."
King Aven knelt beside his daughter, his feathers trembling.
"Please, great Queen, have mercy."
Merith knelt slowly beside the girl. Her staff's light dimmed to a soft glow as she brushed her hand above the Princess's forehead without touching her.
"This child's soul is burdened," she murmured.
"Not by death, but by imbalance. The flow of life within her has been severed. The Everlife cries for her, yet cannot reach her."
She raised her staff, and the ground answered. Roots rose and circled the girl, glowing faintly with emerald light. Petals and motes of light drifted through the air, as if the entire forest had begun to breathe with her.
Merith's voice was calm and steady, filled with both command and grace.
"O roots that cradle the world, O breath of life that feeds the leaf and beast alike, return what was taken. Let her heart sing once more."
The vines pulsed with light. Green warmth washed over the clearing. The Princess's chest lifted in a slow, deep breath.
The gray veins faded. Color returned to her feathers, first faintly, then brilliantly golden and azure once again.
A gasp rippled through the gathered Birdmen.
King Aven reached forward, tears in his eyes.
"My child… you live."
The Princess's eyes fluttered open, blue and bright as the morning sky.
"Father…? Raga…? What… happened?"
Raga bowed his head, his voice breaking.
"You're safe now, Sister."
The forest erupted in song. Birds took flight, petals swirled, and faint laughter echoed from the spirits above. Yet, beneath the joy, I could sense a tremor in the earth, a subtle disharmony that sent a shiver down my spine.
All around us, the Birdmen bowed again. They laid their wings upon the earth, not out of fear, but in reverence. Every creature, every whisper of the wild, honored the Queen who had restored life itself.
Merith stood, her expression calm and radiant.
"Life restored. Harmony renewed."
I stared at her, breath caught in my chest. She saved her… She truly brought her back.
My heart felt heavy not with sadness, but with awe. This was power beyond anything I could ever understand.
Merith turned to Nivara, Lysera, and Rynveil.
"My fellow Pageborn, the song of creation still lingers within you. Guard it well, for the time of silence nears."
The three bowed deeply.
Then her head turned toward me again.
"And you, young one," she said with a serene smile.
"The Chronicle answers because you called. The roots listen because your heart was true."
Her words lingered, warm and heavy with meaning.
Until the forest itself whispered her name, and the spirits and ancient wisps sang in harmony to honor it.
Soft echoes and melodies, so soothing and calm, drifted through the trees.
Everyone Birdmen, Pageborn, and travelers alike knelt as one before the Verdant Queen.
And in that moment, beneath the light of the Everlife, I finally understood what it meant to be part of this world.
Not just to exist within it, but to be seen by it.
Merith.
The name itself was a prayer.
The air still shimmered with the soft light of the healing.
The vines that had once bound the trolls loosened, now retreating back into the ground. Even the captured beasts lowered their heads, subdued not by fear but by the quiet weight of peace that filled the clearing.
Merith turned toward the bound trolls, her voice calm yet absolute.
"Return to the roots from which you strayed. Let your anger sleep, and your hunger fade."
The vines pulsed once, then dissolved into drifting motes of green. The trolls slumped to the earth, unconscious but unharmed.
I could feel the living energy hum through the air, through the soil, through the leaves as though the entire forest exhaled in relief.
Merith stood still, staff in hand, her eyes still closed. Yet somehow, I knew she saw everything the trembling branches, the glistening dew, the emotions of everyone around her.
She doesn't need sight, I thought, awe filling my chest. She is sight. The forest itself watches through her.
Nivara approached and bowed deeply once more.
"Your grace, your presence restores not only the child but the spirit of this land. We are honored to stand beneath your light."
Merith inclined her head.
"And I am honored that you still walk your chosen paths, Nivara of Flame. The balance has wavered since my slumber. Yet here you stand, proof that the forest has not forgotten its guardians."
Rynveil stepped forward, his tone solemn.
"But even your return means the balance is threatened, does it not? What could stir you from your eternal rest?"
The air shifted. The gentle warmth grew heavy with something else sorrow.
Merith lowered her head slightly.
"There is a stirring beyond the green. The flow of life falters. The ancient roots whisper of a growing void… something that hungers for creation itself."
Her words settled like a chill wind down my spine. I glanced at Arin, and saw a flicker of fear in her eyes, mirroring my own unease.
Lysera frowned.
"The blight?"
Merith's expression remained serene, but her voice held weight.
"Older. Deeper. A silence that existed before song. It feeds on despair, on places where hope no longer blooms."
I felt my hands tighten at my sides. So this is what the Chronicle was warning us about.
She turned slightly toward me.
"The Chronicle of Origin has called to many through the ages, yet few have answered. You, young one, heard its cry and stepped into its path. That alone marks you as chosen."
Her words felt both comforting and terrifying.
"Why me?" I asked softly before I could stop myself.
"I'm not… I'm not like the others. I'm not a Pageborn. I don't have the blood of legends."
For the first time, Merith's lips curved in a faint, almost motherly smile.
"Power does not come from blood, young one. It comes from the will to listen to hear the world's voice when others turn away. That is what the Chronicle saw in you."
Her staff glowed faintly, and I felt warmth bloom in my chest, spreading like roots beneath the skin.
"Do not fear what you do not yet understand. In time, the Chronicle will reveal itself to you as it did to those who came before."
She stepped closer, and though her eyes remained closed, I could feel her gaze like sunlight through clouds.
"The bond between you and the forest is fragile yet pure. Guard it well. Darkness seeks to unravel such threads first."
Her words echoed deep inside me. Darkness… unravel…
Before I could speak again, Arin took a cautious step forward. Her eyes were wide, shimmering with awe and curiosity.
"Your Majesty," she said quietly, "you said the balance falters. Does that mean… this isn't over?"
Merith turned her head toward her voice.
"No, child. The healing of one life does not mend the wound of the world. But it reminds the forest that hope still lives."
Arin nodded slowly, lowering her gaze.
"Hope…"
The word lingered between us like a fragile light.
Merith turned once more toward King Aven, who still held his daughter close.
"Cherish this gift, King of Avariel," she said softly.
"Her life now belongs not to sorrow, but to the breath of all things."
King Aven bowed deeply, tears streaking his feathers.
"We are forever in your debt, my Queen."
Merith shook her head gently.
"Debt is for men. Gratitude is for hearts. Let her live well, and that will be enough."
She turned back to me one final time.
"The path ahead will test you, young one. The Chronicle will call again. When it does, listen."
I nodded, unable to find words. Her presence filled me with both calm and resolve.
The forest fell silent again. The light around Merith shimmered softly, her eyes warm with understanding.
The vines that once bound the trolls began to loosen, releasing the creatures without harm. They collapsed, subdued but alive their rage cleansed by the same life that now flowed through the clearing.
Merith turned to face us once more. The air seemed to part for her as she moved, each step leaving tiny blossoms where her feet touched the ground.
"Young ones," she said gently, her voice echoing like wind through the canopy.
"Balance has been restored to this land. The forest breathes once more."
Her gaze softened as it settled on me.
"But my presence here cannot linger. The pulse of the world trembles when a Pageborn stays too long beyond her root."
I swallowed, lowering my head in respect.
"You mean… you must return to the Chronicle."
Merith nodded, her smile serene.
"Yes. Yet, before I go…"
She lifted her hand, and from her palm bloomed a single radiant seed emerald and gold, pulsing with soft light. It hovered between us, gently drifting into my open hands.
"This is a seed of the Ancient Tree of Everlife," she said.
"Its roots once touched the heart of creation itself. Should the world darken, should corruption spread across the land, plant it… and it will restore what was lost."
I looked down at it the light was so pure, it almost hurt to see.
"You trust me with this?"
Merith smiled, the corners of her eyes shimmering with faint tears.
"The forest trusts you, young one.
And so do I."
Then, from her shoulder, a soft glow separated a tiny wisp, bright and warm, fluttering around me before resting upon my arm.
"This familiar will serve as my voice," Merith said.
"When you call, it will answer, and I shall hear your words from within the Chronicle's realm."
The wisp's light flickered, as though nodding in greeting.
I bowed low, pressing a hand to my chest.
"I… I'll protect it with everything I have. Thank you, Queen Merith."
She reached forward, brushing her fingers gently across my brow.
"You already have, young one."
Her form began to dissolve, threads of light weaving upward like vines returning to the heavens. The flowers around her opened in full bloom, and for a moment, the entire clearing seemed to breathe as one.
Then, in a single radiant flash, she was gone.
Only the faint scent of blossoms and the soft hum of life remained and the glowing seed, warm in my palm.
I stood there in silence, feeling the heartbeat of the forest steady and strong once more.
The weight of the seed in my hand felt immense, far heavier than its size suggested. It was a promise, a responsibility, and a burden all at once.
Arin stepped beside me, her gaze fixed on the spot where Merith had vanished.
"What do we do now?" she asked softly, her voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.
I looked down at the seed, then up at the familiar resting on my arm.
"We guard the roots," I said, my voice firm despite the tremor in my heart.
"We prepare for what's to come."
Merith, Verdant Queen of Life… I will not fail you.