Chapter 16: Arbour

Chapter 16: Arbour

Jack entered the next room. It was a straight path down the hallway from the first room. Upon entering, a stone slab slid down preventing Jack from returning. It didn’t bother Jack. There was no path back so all he could do was hope that there was an exit somewhere ahead.

The room was shaped similar to the first in that it was a wide circular area. Unlike the first room, there were three gates spaced evenly apart from each other, intersecting the room. In the center of the room was a tree growing out of the stone floor. It was pure white with silver and gold leaves and emanated a soft glow that was the only light that filled the room.

“Congratulations, and welcome,” came a voice from somewhere Jack couldn’t pinpoint.

“Whose there?” Jack asked the, what appeared to be a mostly empty room.

“Who else?” Came the voice again. “I must say, this is a rather strange language you use. Tell me, is the whole language acoustic?”

“Er, yeah,” Jack said. “Mostly… How are you speaking English if you don’t know English? And where are you? I don’t see you.”

“Don’t see me?” the voice came again. “You are looking right at me, or am I wrong and those orbs near the top of your body not used for seeing? They usually are for other species. Do you use something else to perceive? There are some lower orbs on your body. Never saw the use for those, but is that what you use? Strange you would cover them up if that’s the case.”

“What? No,” Jack said immediately covering his crotch, but realizing how futile that was a second later. Whatever it was, physical restriction didn’t seem to impact its vision. “I only see a tree in front of me.”

“That’s me.”

“No,” Jack said flatly.

“Pardon?” the voice, tree, asked. “Sorry, I have just learned your language, simple as it is, but your response doesn’t appear sensical to me.”

“I mean,” Jack said. “You can’t be that tree. Trees cannot speak.” He could feel a headache starting to build as he felt a repeated conversation was about to happen. Would anything just behave normally? What was next? Was his pants or sword going to start speaking as well?

“Of course, we can,” The tree said, and Jack groaned internally. “Granted I have never spoken with any other tree myself as I have been in this room my whole life, but I hardly think that others like me would be incapable of this basic level of communication.”

“Basic my ass,” Jack muttered.

“Are you okay?” the tree asked. “You keep saying non-sensical things.”

“It makes sense,” Jack retorted.

“If you say so.”

“What is this place?” Jack asked, now addressing the tree directly. He wasn’t convinced it was in fact the tree talking to him and not something else pretending to be the tree, but after Jasper the talking toad, a talking tree didn’t seem too impossible.

“This the Keeper’s Trials of course,” the tree responded back. “And congratulation once again, for completing the first of the four initiate trials for candidacy.”

“I saw Keeper’s Trials on the quest prompt,” Jack said. “But what are the Keeper’s Trials?”

“The Keeper’s Trials are a set of trials created by the Rune Keepers of the Akashic Order to find people capable of becoming full members of the Order. The hope is to eventually find individuals able to complete them all and become a possible successor for the Order.”

“So, it’s like a complicated interview for recruiting new members. The Rune Keepers of the Akashic Order, who are they?” Jack asked.

“You don’t know?” The tree asked. “Then why undergo the Trials?”

“It was less choice and more necessity. I was trying to escape a very violent creature and hoping there was an exit this way, ideally, away from the violent creatures.”

“Interesting,” the tree said. “Well, the trials are a way of recruiting new members. This is true but only a small part of it. Ultimately, the hope is to find people compatible to receive their knowledges and legacies, but also able to push the path further and bring the Akashic Order into a new higher realm of power.”

“I must say,” the tree continued. There was a pause as the tree shifted the conversation again. “This language is interesting. Is see there is a body language aspect of it as well?”

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“What? How did you… never mind. Yeah, body language is a thing too, and a tone aspect,” Jack confirmed, he was too busy thinking over what the tree had just told him. “What do you mean? New higher realm of power.”

“I see, I see,” the tree said excitedly. “I want to try that. How does it work?”

“I mean,” Jack said. “You’d need a body capable of motion or at least a face… capable of motion.”

“Hmm,” the tree responded, clearly not liking that answer. “To answer your question, I am not entirely sure. I only have a vague notion. Given to me by my caretaker. Haven’t seen him in a while though… But there are different realms of Cultivation, and where we are at is what they referred to as the Earth level, one of the Mortal Realms in the Cultivation process. The next level is known as the Air level – still a Motal Realm. Some of the members have ascended to the next realm, but there are still realms of power out there that they are still trying to reach. The hope is to find people capable of bringing the Akashic Order into these realms.”

“What would stop a person from taking everything after completing the Trials without benefiting the Order?” Jack asked.

“The contract of course,” the tree said, the leaves rustled as it spoke.

“What was that?”

“I tried something called a wink, I think,” the tree said. “Was it not the same?”

“Ah, no. At least not how we do it. How do you know about winking, but not what it is?”

“How do you do it? And while the System is supplying information about your language as I continue to interact with you, understanding is not always explained well.”

“Like…” Jack said demonstrating a wink for the tree. “That.”

“Hmm,” the tree said in thought.

“What is your name?” Jack asked.

“Name?”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “My name is Jack. It is like a word that refers to you by. Something that distinguish you from other… talking trees. I don’t want to keep calling you tree or talking tree in my head.”

“That is accurate,” the tree said. “Why can’t that be my name?”

“Er, no,” Jack said. “Your name cannot be talking tree. That’s just, just no.”

“Hmm, what should it be then?” the tree asked.

“Why not think on it?”

“Alright, I think I will.”

“Okay, good,” Jack said. “What were you saying about a contract?”

“Oh, right,” the tree said. “Normally to be granted access to the Trials, the initiate would need to create a binding system contract with the Rune Keepers of the Akashic Order. This would bind the initiate and the Order together and breaking the contract would be impossible.”

“What would happen If a person entered the Trials without creating a contract?” Jack asked. “Like how I entered.”

“Hmm, are you sure there are no Keepers left?” the tree asked.

“No, I’m not,” Jack said. “This place at least seems fairly forgotten and abandoned.”

“That is strange,” the tree said.

“I’m as sure as I can be,” Jack said. “I only appeared in the middle of this jungle close to a maybe little over a weeks ago. Unless… These Keepers aren’t a bunch of very large, four-armed, bipedal creature with three eyes, are they?”

“Heavens no,” the tree responded. “Most of Keepers look more like you. Except taller, stronger and with an air of dignity about them.”

“Good to know,” Jack said, ignoring the offhand insult. “So, what happens then?”

“Arbour,” the tree said.

“Arbour?” Jack repeated, confused by the response.

“Yes Arbour,” the tree confirmed. “That will be my name. Is it not good?”

“Arbour is a fine name,” Jack said. “Good choice.”

Arbour’s branches shook at Jack’s comment. “Right,” said Jack. “I don’t suppose there is a tree language that I can learn as easy as you learned English?”

“Yes, there is a tome in one of the ground libraries that can teach you the language,” Arbour said.

“Ground library?”

“There are several in fact,” Arbour continued. “They contained some of the collected knowledge of the Akashic Order.”

“I see,” Jack said, getting excited. He has been so lost since entering this world. Jack was desperate for anything that might help him make sense of this new reality. A library might be just what he needed. “Do you happen to know where it is or if there is anything required to enter it?”

“In the city of Kharzast,” Arbour answered. “You will need at least Candidate access to gain entry. I am certain that the restrictions will remain. Regardless if the Order still exist or not.”

Jack deflated. “Candidate level access is part of the reward for completing the Trials, but will I even be able to get it if there are no members to make a contract with?”

“But there is still a member, right here in fact.”

“Wait,” Jack said. “You are a member?”

“Technically yes,” Arbour said.

“So, I can form a contract with you?”

“If you are able to complete the remaining three trials within the time limit,” Arbour said. “Then yes. I can complete the contract with you to make you a preliminary member of the Order.”

“Preliminary?”

“There are further steps that must be done to become a full member,” Arbour explained. “But it will give you some access to different areas.”

“Well,” Jack said. “That’s something. Guess I should finish those trials then. Is there anything you can tell me about the remaining three.”

“Yes,” Arbour said. “That is my role in this trial. To provide guidance and rest for the one undertaking. The remaining three trials are the Trial of Perseverance located through the door on the other side of me. The Trial of Reason is located through the door to the right of you. And the last trial is the Trial of Determination. Each will reward you with a new skill or a skill upgrade if you already have a similar skill. Upon completing a trial, you will return to me where you can rest and prepare for the next trial. You can choose any order to complete them, but they must all be completed within the time limit provided by the System.”

“Any Recommendations?”

“I would probably start with the Trial of Reason,” Arbour said. “Among the three, it is the least dangerous.”

“But not completely safe,” Jack sighed. “Alright, I’ll start with that one. Thanks.”

Arbour didn’t say anything, but he thought he noticed the silver, gold leaves shine a little brighter. Jack took a moment to confirm his Health and Mana were good and proceeded to the door for the Trial of Reason. It opened as he approached and closed behind him as he passed through the entryway.