a/n: to those who reviewed, many thanks. Youk now, it would really be a short time before I say goodbye to this story. So please enjoy this chapter. To those who were sending me e-mails, I AM NOT ON HIATUS. I just don't feel like updating every now and then, especially when I know that it is a crucial time.
This chapter is absolutely dedicated to my dear Angel, who was there to be by my side along the way. Also to my dear reviewers and my best friend, Din-din, I hope you'll get well soon.
CHAPTER 22: TREE-KY QUESTIONS
As James placed the berry near his mouth, a petal fell on top of James' head. He looked up and saw hundreds of lilies falling like rain on top of him. The woman also looked up. One lily slowly fell down and James caught it, instantly releasing his grip on the berry.
"Remember what you are here for," Argua's voice reminded.
James looked at the woman. "I'm sorry but I think I resent your offer," he said, picking up the berry from the ground and giving it back to her.
The
woman took the berry and it disappeared on her hand. "You have
great love, young man," she said, smiling sweetly. "And my voice
will always be yours." The woman walked away and picked up a red
flower with a pearl in the middle. She gave it to him. "This is the
Anela. It never dies, it never disappears. Take care of it. It
pleases anyone it sees, it lifts the heart of anyone who takes the
fragrance of it. It gives peace to an unending battle. It may have a
use for you."
James took the flower and the woman disappeared.
At that moment, Argua, as a butterfly, returned. "Sometimes, I
think I'm not really impressed with you."
"Sometimes I think you have no use," James said sardonically. They returned to the trail and walked, I mean, Argua floated and James walked.
They entered a small cave, still following the trail of vines. However, the ground shook when they heard a roar.
"What is that?" James asked Argua. She merely shrugged and motioned him to move faster before that creature leaps up to them.
James nodded and followed her orders. Nevertheless, the roar they have heard earlier sounded nearer and nearer everytime they took a step. Just then, they found themselves in the center of the cave, in front of a monster.
The creature has the body of a human but it also has three pairs of eyes and two pairs of arms. Aside from that, the creature looked frightening.
"What are you doing inside my lair?" the monster asked.
James gulped. "We were just… walking along," he said while backing out.
Argua slowly followed him and said, "Aren't you going to continue?"
"Do you want me to die?" James asked.
"Do you want my dear mistress to die?" Argua asked. "Do it! Fight him if you need to!"
James looked at the nymph as though she's out of her mind. "Are you crazy?"
"I'm not, but you are," she said seriously. "He'll ask you to fight him anyway."
The monster turned back to James. "Are you willing to fight me just to be able to pass this cave?" he asked arrogantly. "If you win, you can pass. If you lose, you'll die (of course)."
"Deal," James said, taking out his wand.
"I think I have to help you," Argua whispered. She became a smoke that enveloped James' wand.
"I thought you won't think about helping," James said.
"Shut up," his wand hissed. "Just toss me around and you'll die as I return to my original form," Argua threatened.
"Whatever you say," James said. "Reducto!" he shouted at the monster. The creature was hit by his wand that also emitted green sparks. The creature hit the cave's wall, causing an earthquake.
"You insolent…" the monster started. He conjured a ball of fire and threw it to James, who ducked the attack.
James continued hitting curses and the monster kept on throwing balls of fire and the gigantic things around his cave-home.
James pointed his wand at the monster's eye and performed the Conjuctivus curse. The monster squirmed in pain. "You'll pay for this!" he shouted, picking up random things and throwing it at James.
Argua started to whisper again. "You're fighting an unending battle here, dear," she whispered in a wheezy voice.
"Be optimistic. You're scaring me," James said.
A large log came zooming at James' way. "Look out!" Argua shouted.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" James shouted, levitating the log and using his wand to backfire the log to the monster. The monster caught the log and was thrown backward, causing another earthquake.
James, busy balancing himself through the earthquake, did not see another log flying towards his way. Argua, seeing it, erupted out of the wand and became a smoke shield. It repelled the log. "I told you, we're fighting an unending battle here," she said.
After Argua's words, James remembered something. "It gives peace to an unending battle," the voice of the woman echoed in his mind.
James took the flower from his pocket. Even though it was inside his pocket, it was still fresh and beautiful. Argua, because of the use of her power, became a nymph once again. "Hey, that is the Anela. Who gave that to you?"
"No time to explain. How do we use this?" James asked for instructions, holding the flower like a sword.
"Leave it to me," Argua said. She took the flower and threw it up. "Ive neshda asshenti!" she shouted.
The flower burst and became a smoke with an intoxicating fragrance. Even James became calm with the fragrance. With that fragrance, the monster slowly sat down and fell asleep.
"Isn't he cute?" Argua asked James.
The ground shook as the monster snored. "I could have said that he was peaceful when sleeping. I think I'm wrong."
Argua chuckled and led him to the next trail of leaves and vines.
They walked almost three miles of silence. Then they arrived at a large tree with leaves of different colors.
"Any of those leaves could be a key to Dalin's place," Argua whispered. "We have to find Aiffel."
James looked around. Seeing no one, he called out, "Aiffel? Aiffel! Where are you?"
Just then, James felt that there was a moving tree around him. The tree slowly faced him. It was not a tree but an old man with hair of leaves and twigs and skin as rough as a bark. "He looks like Moody," he muttered.
"What do you need, stranger?" the old man asked.
Argua answered for him. "Aiffel, we need to have one of the leaves in the Tree of Life," she requested. "Can you help us?"
"Lady of the Water, I could have followed your orders if not because of the stranger," Aiffel said politely, bowing low at the sight of Argua.
"Why?" Argua asked.
"Because he is a dayo," Aiffel explained.
"Dayo? What is that?" James asked.
"A stranger from the other world," Argua answered. She turned once again to Aiffel. "What can he do?"
"Answer my riddle.
Only he should do that. Not you, not anyone else. Only him," Aiffel
said. "If you can answer this riddle, young man, then you deserve
to pick one leaf. If not, you will be a tree if you don't leave at
once."
James nodded. "Game!" he answered in determination.
"It can make you become water that she drinks. The land where she stands. The air she breathes and the fire that makes her warm," Aiffel said. "You only have three tries before the last leaf of that tree falls."
James looked at Argua quizzically, who merely shrugged. James sat down for a moment, scanning his mind for an answer. Absentmindedly, he blurted out the first answer that popped inside his mind. "Mother?"
Aiffel shook his head. "You only have two chances." The old man pointed his staff to the tree that looked like a fast forward version of an autumn tree, its leaves falling constantly.
James thought for a while, but then, his impatience got over him. He told the old man his second answer. The man merely shook his head. Argua started shooting innocent insects with her hand. Obviously, she was bored.
"Only one answer left," James said in anger, punching a tree trunk. "I should answer this riddle for Lily."
"It can make you become water that she drinks. The land where she stands. The air she breathes and the fire that makes her warm," James thought about the riddle for so long.
"Do you have the answer to the question?" Aiffel asked. Only a dozen leaves were left on the tree-timer.
James nodded after an hour, when only five leaves were left. "Is it life?"
Aiffel stood at the spot, looking at James. He looked at Argua and shook his head slowly. "That is not the answer."
James looked crestfallen. "What would happen now?" he asked, tears falling from his eyes.
"I'm afraid you have to go," Aiffel said in a pitying voice. "You will be a tree if you do not."
James sat down on top of a log and said. "I failed, Aiffel. I'd rather stay here than to see Lily suffer because of my foolishness." He sighed and looked at the ground. Argua approached him and patted him for comfort.
Aiffel was about to go. "I cannot do anything for you, young man. If you stay, you'll be a tree. I'm telling you now."
"I won't leave. I'd rather die than return there, knowing that I cannot do anything anymore," James said stubbornly.
"If that is your wish," Aiffel said, waving his staff. James closed his eyes, waiting for the blow.
a/n: poor James! Now, what would happen to Lily? Would she be a giant popsicle forever? To know immediately, please give me some inspirational reviews. Flames accepted because I know that that is counted as a review…
I also hope that some of you could go to my other story, Miss Match. I am not really recommending you to got FCSL because that is under heavy construction (I might even delete and re-post it as a new story if 75 of the story gets ruined with the editing).
