The Last Tree

Chapter thirteen

Brother squid sat Adam down in the arms of his tree. It’s branches cradling him glowing as she heals what brother squid couldn’t. ‘Well done brother squid, I knew you could do it.’ Brother squid hums in contentment. He got all the stones and brought back Adam. ‘Now the stones need trees.’ Saplings floated out of of the forest to meet the stones. Elder sister planted them next to her. Power surged out with life, brother squid could feel the start of growth reach past the sacred forest. ‘Life will flourish now.’

“I can’t believe I’m finally back.” Adam sat against his tree relieved.

‘We’re all glad you’re back.’ Elder sister hummed with happiness.

‘Though next let me know if you’re leaving the forest. Actually take me with you.’ Brother squid patted Adam’s head as he floated past. ‘I have a human form now, I can blend in.’

“What no way! Can I see? Please brother!” Adam pleaded with doe eyes. Suddenly brother squids body changed into his human form and lands on the ground on two feet. “What! How cool is this sister trees!” Adam grabs him in a hug before putting him at arm’s length. “Wait, you look kinda familiar…” he studied brother squid, “like that girl in tree haven city, oh what was her name…”

“Emily.”

“Yeah! Emily, wow crazy, you look just like her only male…” he says in awe. “Why are you more good looking than me?”

“Adam I don’t think I am. I scanned her body to get my human form.” Brother squid rolls his eyes.

“Holy crap you just rolled your eyes! That’s such a human thing! You’ve been around humans!”

“Yes, I’ve been around humans, how else would I have gotten to the emperor and you?” Brother squid shrugged.

“Wait so you met Emily? Um…” Adam squirms uncontrollably. “Does she know… that her… father and brother…”

“Yes she went with me to the capital. Very nice girl, she explained a lot of human stuff to me.” Adam started to frown.

“She was the one who took me to her father and brother to get captured. Do you trust her?”

“Yes, she told me she took you to the guard station thinking that they would let you go.”

“They probably wouldn’t have even if I didn’t have a sliver because I was the emperor’s nephew.” Adam shrugged sitting down. “So what did you learn out there in the world?”

Brother squid went into a long babble about the wonders of bathtubs and how Roscoe, who is the horse they took, fell asleep when he was flying the three of them to each town. Then back to bathtubs because he was so fascinated by them and many other wonderful things that he learned. Suddenly he got a pinched look on his face. “The earth has deteriorated much since your uncle began to destroy the sister trees and collect the stones. I hadn’t realized how bad, I was blinded to the common people’s problems. There was so much dead magic slowly going out. Life magic was disappearing from the world except for here. The people and animals reflected that. Most of them were so skinny, and the only ones that looked healthy were the guards that didn’t care what happened to others.” Brother squid sighs as Adam wraps his arms around him in comfort. “I thought that all humans were bad except you because of your uncle. You are a part of nature so I never have to worry about you. But other humans I became jaded, suspicious of their motives. Emily taught me different, so yes I trust her.”

“Okay, that is enough for me to forgive her. Do you think she is okay?”

“I don’t know, but I hope so. I couldn’t escort her back because of the greed I felt for the stones.” Brother squid lays on the mossy ground letting Adam go as he went. “It’s crazy how fast greed can grow.”