Chapter 4
It's so unfair!
Why do I, an innocent young woman, have to be turned into a tree!
It's an outrage!
I had nothing to do with the cutting of the trees! I was just here!
Curse that tree! It has no right to turn me into one as well! Curse, curse, curse that stupid holy tree!
I was just accompanying my father and mother here. I did not cut a tree, yet I was turned into one as well. Stupid holy tree. I would swear, but Mother wouldn't approve.
My betrothed is still in Bilbin, while I am stuck here being a tree! He probably is sick with worry over me. He'd better be. The villagers of Bilbin will know of this by now. Why, perhaps even now they are sending people to rescue us! If they aren't…they will regret it.
Still, I should not be a tree! It's all Father and Mother's fault for bringing me here. If they hadn't brought me here, I would still be in Bilbin, happy as ever. Depending on how much time has passed, I even might have been married by now! Curse that tree and whoever's idiotic idea it was to cut down the trees in the first place! Though I must say, if they hadn't cut down the trees, I wouldn't be living as comfortably. Still, Sol and Luna curse that, that idiot tree!
Besides, it's so boring as a tree! Facing one direction—fortunately, I am facing the entrance of Kolima, so even if a tree is blocking my way, I can see if people come to rescue us. If they don't—they will!
They won't abandon us—they won't! Why, my fiancé certainly would not abandon me. He has professed of his undying love for me countless times. Well, this is his time to prove it. Also, if I stay a tree, he won't be able to marry me. Hah! If he actually does love me, he'll have to come rescue me!
It's still boring. If no one comes, I won't be able to curse the tree—attempt to, anyways—forever. No, they will come. I'm sure of it! My love, my best friend, all my other friends will all miss me by now. They'll come, for sure.
This is boring…
A tree can't sleep.
Maybe I can imagine the different ways it can die. Better yet, I can imagine the different ways that I could kill it.
First, I could recruit all the wood cutters to cut it. Nah, that's too boring. I can learn magic and blow up the tree! That would be a brilliant idea, if not for the fact that I can't learn magic. I can look for these things called cannons, which I've read about in books, and blow it up. Hee, little pieces of tree splinters. I can't procure a cannon, however.
Let's see, what else can I do? I can…
I can…
I can—
Oh forget it!
Still, this is boring.
Boring.
Boring…
Booorrrriiiinnnngggg…
This is worse than any boredom I've experienced at home.
This is booooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggg…
Did I just see movement? Yes, there are people here! A blond man (who seems to be the leader), a red-head man, and a blond…boy? Wait, all three are boys! The tallest one might be a man, but barely one. The short one's a midget, fifteen at most.
Shorty's coming over my way, and Tall the Red-head and Leader are following him. Hey, I can hear them talking!
"What's wrong, Isaac?" Tall the Red-Head asks. So Leader is Isaac.
"There's something wrong here. I don't know what, but something," Isaac responds. "Ivan, can you sense something too?" And Shorty's Ivan.
"Yes, I can, Isaac," Ivan says. "There seems to be a sadness here." He studies me. "Is this the village where the inhabitants were turned into trees?" So the world does know about us. "This tree does look remarkably like a person." Hey, I am a person, Shorty!
Ivan approaches me and closes his eyes. Idiot, closing his eyes. If this is our rescue team…it's still unfair for me to be a tree! And you're an idiot, Shorty.
"So, is it a person, Ivan?" Tall asks. Mister, I am not an "it!"
"Yes, it is, Garet," Ivan states. So Red-Head's name is Garet? I will kill you, Garet Red-Head and Ivan the Shorty for referring to me as an "it!" I am not an "it!" Imbecile tree, for making people think I am an "it!" Idiot, imbecile, stupid tree! Isaac's talking again.
"—help them? We don't know what to do. Maybe we have to visit this holy tree—" Stupid tree. "—but we have the fate of the world upon our shoulders—" I should hope not, Isaac the Leader "—and this village can wait." He can't be leaving us, can he? They're our rescuers-to-be.
"Isaac," Garet counters, "the people who operate the bridge are trees. We can't proceed any farther, what with the bridge to Kalay destroyed."
"Garet," Isaac replies, "We can still beat Saturos and Menardi to the Mercury Lighthouse. And then we can rescue Jenna. And Kraden." Isaac started walking to the exit. He's not leaving. No, he's just looking around. Yes, just looking around.
"Alright. If we are going to rescue Jenna and Kraden, we'd better hurry." They're leaving? They're not. Please tell me they're not. Garet and Ivan catch up to Isaac, and all three leave our town.
No!
They can't leave us!
The fate of one village is more important than the fate of this Jenna and this Kraden! He was exaggerating when he said the fate of the world. For sure!
Perhaps they are coming back. Red-head did say that they had to break the curse to proceed onwards. Yes, they will return. And when they return, they will free us.
Until then, I have more boredom to look forward to.
Curse the cursed holy tree!
A/N: The next chapter will be Imil before the lighting of the lighthouse, and after that, Imil afterwards. Can anyone give me a random NPCto do for Imil afterwards? I need what that person says and what he'she thinks when you mind read him/her. For that matter, can someone give me a person for Kolima after the curse and Biblbin after the curse as well? I don't have the game with me right now.