Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 50

Looking down on the fortress of Jorvik, provided there wasn’t a Sleeper Tree in the way, you would see a circle, divided into quadrants. The circle was define by earth and grass. Likely, from a random walk from outside coming in, you would think it was just a hill that needed to be climb; only when you arrived at the top you would be looking into a small city, and likely dying of from the wounds of a dozen arrows before you even realized you were dead. One medium size Sleeper Tree rose from the north of the fortress, and its canopy shielded the whole of the compound, as if someone had planted a Boa Tree and attached a roof. They emerged from the gate into directed lights, which left them blind to the room they were in. Shen and TL had VR of the room, a temple with a single gate. There was a roof supported by iconic pillars. The entire temple was solid granite.

Shen was unprepared for the cold that hit his face. “Fuck, it’s cold.”

“I will get you proper clothing at my home,” Arne assured him. “You might fit in my son’s clothes.”

“Or your daughters,” Erico said.

Arne laughed.

Someone said: “I recognize that laugh. Arne? Come forwards into the light.”

Arne walked forwards, boldly greeting the group of warriors that had gathered. He boldly collected the hovering scout-orb.

“Not afraid of a child’s toy, are you?”

While they were talking, Torny noticed Shen. He was pale, as if he had seen a ghost. She noticed TL attending to him, mystified by what she assumed was silent communication.

“What?” Torny asked. “The cold is that bad?”

“I feel like I have been here before,” Shen said. He and TL silently agreed that he should share openly, wanting to affirm his vision. Specifically, it reminded him of the place where a character in a story, Emmitt Sheehan, had experienced his transpersonal evolution, and finally joined with Solarchariot- the emergence of TL. He had thrown the Torch into the ocean, had second thoughts, dived in, drowned, and the raised by TL, a fiery, watery Phoenix. “It reminds me of the Faroe Islands. Almost all this island is elevated away from the sea. There is lake and a water fall that falls into the sea. There is one place, low and flush with the sea, with a circular compound like this, but bigger, and ships are there, some in the making. Between here and there are a number of villages, grass covered roofs,” Shen said. He wondered if ‘Sheehan’ and ‘Shen’ were related, or just coincident.

Arne, the guard, and an elderly woman drew closer, listening to Shen. They brought lights, born on the staffs of sleeper trees, balancing out the light around the gate. Shen had a sudden flash of anger, and gripped TL’s arm. Rock and Abby positioned themselves as if there might be a fight.

“We’re going home, now,” Shen said.

“How have we offended you?” Arne asked.

“Wrong question,” the elderly woman said. “What did you see?”

Shen met her eyes. “Your ships are constructed out of Sleeper Trees,” Shen said. “I cannot associate with people that kill these trees.”

“So, you can’t see everything,” the elderly woman said. She seemed pleased by this information. “You’re human.”

“Friend, Shen,” Arne said. “No one here would drop a Sleeper Tree. Not even the dragons will burn a Sleeper. This canopy has likely saved us from having to go war with the Sky People. Yes, our ships are made from Sleepers. Neither dragon nor levitation will attack a ship made from this wood. Only humans will do that. And few can take us on with good outcomes. We only use trees that were felled by nature, not man. Killing a sleeper in any realm we have visited is punishable by death. That said, all people cherish the wood from this tree. It holds value higher than gold.” Arne offered Shen the orb. “No one here will stop you from leaving, if you so choose, but I ask you to trust me. I will not betray your trust.”

Shen let go of TL’s arm. His hands were shaking. TL took the orb, pocketed it in her bag. “I am sorry. I don’t know why I am so shaken.”

“Because no one has taught you how to see,” the elderly woman said. “You are getting bits of pieces and making assumption and you are afraid. To divine the truth of something, you must not just see the now of it, you must track the entire world line of it. Even better if you can understand all the vectors of it, and the influencers of it, from before it’s cradle even emerged. Few can do that much, but it is truly necessary if you are to discern the greater truth of it. Nothing is what it seems on the surface.”

“I am frequently afraid. And angry,” Shen admitted.

“Then stop wrestling with God,” the elderly woman said.

“Who doesn’t wrestle with God?” Shen asked. “If you’re breathing, you’re engaging in a conversation with God… Forgive my tone. I am sorry for being so rude to a people who have invited me into their homes, their hearts.”

“This is reciprocity,” Arne reminded him.

Shen smiled faintly, wiped his tears.

“I like you,” the elderly woman came. “Walk with me.”

The party moved with him.

“No,” the elderly woman said. “Just this man.” She smiled at TL. “I promise, I won’t abuse him. Much.”

“He’s all yours,” TL said.

Shen and TL exchanged a look. Arne laughed.

निर्मित

Her name was Ili, and she was the eldest of the elderly, and a recognized Shamanka. She led him to the Tree. There was a gathering of stones describing a circle, the center of which held a fire pit. The tree itself was huge. Stone steps led up to a door. They entered the tree. She touched amber that was embedded in the wood and her home was suddenly illuminated. Every shade of amber was represented. Deep ruby reds. Yellows. Oranges. Swirls. There was even a green amber stone. There were stairs winding up to another room. This room had the door, two windows to either side of the door, bench seating that went mostly around the room, interrupted only by the stairs, and hearth that was not flame, but a pile of illuminated amber. This room was a mere bubble in the tree. The tree, the room, the amber, was alive- one with the tree.

“Before you ask, the answer is no; no human cut into this tree,” Ili said. “Only a tree spirit can open the heart of a tree to human. This tree called me. When I am gone, it will call another. That has been the way of it for time immoral. Sit, child.”

Shen sat where he was instructed to sit.

“Now, lie down,” Ili said.

Shen frowned, but complied. She sat down by him, lotus pose. He was between the hearth of glowing Amber and her. She leaned into him and laid an ear to his chest. She pushed on his knees.

“Knees down,” Ili said. “Relax. I am not going to rape you.”

“I wasn’t thinking…”