Lith sighed and focused Abyssal Grasp on the golden leaf. It was splendid, majestic, and also just a lump of energy like the rest of the Sapling’s life force. ’I must follow Valtak’s teachings and use the Dread Flames as feelers. If the World Tree is right, I should find some difference between knowledge and emotions.’ Lith shifted his focus from the breathing technique to the Dread Flames, using Solus’ Sage Staff to enhance his mental acuity. The silvery flames enveloped the golden leaf and once Lith was certain they caused no harm, he sent them deeper. Most of the golden energy was just that, energy. By traversing it with the Dread Flames, Lith glimpsed upon spells, their inventors, and their insane agendas and methods. Witnessing the horrors that perfecting a single Forbidden Spell required was unsettling even for him so Lith didn’t dwell on it. He kept searching until he spotted a black swirling current moving below the leaf’s surface. The Dread Flames chased it for a while, spreading through the rest of the golden leaf until the black current had nowhere to run. The moment the silver fire touched the blackness, Lith felt a great agony, a burning ambition, and a creeping madness. Everything the World Tree had felt and thought during their final moments was there, compressed and distilled into its rawest and purest form. It was small but it had the power of an obsession. ’If I let it grow or touch me, even I wouldn’t be safe from it.’ Lith launched the Dread Flames against the blackness burning it upon contact. The blackness fought back, dodged, and tried to escape. Yet every bit burned was lost forever and there was just a drop of the Tree’s consciousness. Without the black current, the golden leaf stopped trying to produce new roots and let itself be plucked out effortlessly. Lith enveloped the golden leaf in a sphere of silvery flames and brought it outside. The fragment of the World Tree’s knowledge was as big as a needle but as resplendent as a star. It spun on itself for a while until it pointed in the direction of the nearest fragment. "Hello, friend." The World Sapling sounded serene but also confused. "Who are you and what are you doing on my doorstep? Is he a friend of yours, Dir?" "You don’t know?" The Sovereign was flabbergasted. "Esor, what’s the last thing you remember?" "I remember our game of chess. The one you won, for a change. Then you received more spicy pictures for your collect-" "That was two weeks ago!" The Sovereign cut the Sapling short. Find exclusive stories on empire "Two weeks ago? That doesn’t sound right." Esor spread their consciousness to the rest of the city, discovering there was a hole of fourteen days in their memory. "Okay, I’m lost. Can someone please tell me what in Mogar’s name happened to me?" A quick mind link from the Redcap brought the Sapling up to speed. "It seems you succeeded, Verhen. You took the fragment away from me. All of it. The good news is I don’t remember anything of whatever secret of yours I knew. The even better news is that I don’t have to be a World Tree. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 "Take that shit away from me, please." "You don’t want to be a World Tree?" Lith echoed in surprise. "Oh, yeah. A lifetime of isolation with the whole Mogar hunting for my wood and wishing to steal knowledge even I am too scared of using. How can I say no to such an alluring offer?" The Sapling replied. "When you put it that way, it sounds sad." Aalejah said. "It doesn’t sound sad. It is sad." Esor replied. "Why do you think so many Trees go nuts? As a sign of my gratitude, you are my honored guests now and forever. As long as you don’t bring that thing back to me, Verhen. "Once you complete the essence of the World Tree, if you will bother doing it, keep it away from me. Okay?" "Okay." Lith chuckled. "You are a funny guy." "Don’t be so surprised. Many beasts find me charming. After all, we are distantly related. I’m part wolf, you know? "Is that even possible?" Feela looked at the Sapling and then at the Sovereign who shrugged in confusion. "Of course. Can’t you tell from the bark?" The World Sapling laughed. "Gods, I’ve waited centuries for this joke and you guys walked into it." Lith laughed as well, more from surprise than for the joke itself. "We’d better go now." He said. "I don’t know how many of these I need to find yet." "Do you need my help, little brother?" Xenagrosh asked. "I need all of you." Lith pointed at Aalejah, Lotho, and Feela. "I don’t know how the other Saplings will react and I might need reinforcements. Feel free to send Tezka away but keep him on standby." "Why are you sending him away?" Solus asked. "This could have been a trap because the Sapling called me here. Now I’m going to take them by surprise. There can’t be a trap and I hold the initiative." Lith replied. "On top of that, moving with an army and the Suneater is bound to make the Saplings think I’m the bad guy. "If we are lucky, we’ll solve this without conflict. Esor proved that having to deal with a fragment of the World Tree isn’t easy. Others might want to get rid of it just like them and they just don’t know how." "Right." Lotho nodded. "Esor knew because that was part of the knowledge they inherited. No two Saplings should have access to the same information." "Exactly." Feela couldn’t avert her gaze from the luminous spark in Lith’s hand. "It means we won’t have to face someone wielding perfected Forbidden Magic again." "Or who knows *our* secrets." Lith put emphasis on the word, a delicate threat that would stop the Council representatives from spreading annoying rumors. "We got lucky. This is one of the most dangerous fragments if not the most dangerous." Lith tried and failed to store the fragment in the pocket dimension so he closed his fist around it tp avoid drawing attention. "Thanks for your help, Verhen." Dir extended his hand and the Tiamat shook it. "I’ll keep my lips sealed if you keep yours." "About w-" A solid nudge in the ribs stopped Solus in her tracks. "You have a deal, Sovereign." Lith said. "Sorry, Dir. I didn’t mean to embarrass you." Esor said. "I was still all shaken up. You know that I’m usually as silent as a tree, right?" "Is Eseor always like that?" Lotho was flabbergasted at the Sapling’s antics. "No, usually they are much worse. Esor is just warming up." The Sovereign sighed. "Let me accompany you outside." On their way back, the whole city had gone back to normal. Plant folk and Fae had lost any trace of hostility and sent flirty looks to every member of the group. "Thank you for your help, brothers and sisters." Feela addressed the Emperor Beasts sieging Esor. "The crisis is resolved and there shouldn’t be a need for your help anymore. You are free to go but please, keep your amulets at hand."