Though the night was pitch black and deathly silent, it would not remain so for very long. The Everseason Tree began to radiate glowing particulates, slowly and gently filling the night sky with its luminescence. Eventually the light intensified into a beam of light shooting straight up and piercing the Heavens with a thunderous roar that resonated across the Four Corners.

The Call had been sent and all were to answer; the ritual has begun.

Silence reigned for a little while before it was replaced by the sounding of different horns echoing across the land as each tribe warned every other tribe near them that they were all being summoned. Before long every tribe would gather from all around and meet at the Everseason Tree. A thick fog could be seen emerging from all around as the different tribes closed in on the place where all four corners of the world meet. As they drew closer the clouds of dust being displaced by the marching of thousands of feet seemed less like an animal encroaching as the the light of hundreds of different lanterns pierced through veil and revealed individual shapes.

Eventually a circle of people gathered around the Everseason Tree.

Though under any other circumstance blood and battle would have surely ensued, there were no one looked at each other, no one acknowledged anyone else, all were entirely focused on the presence of the Tree.

Everyone looked different. They wore different attire that denoted their tribes. They all wore armour and held weapons of all variety. The chiefs of each tribe stepped forward, made obvious by the large ornate masks they were wearing. Each one faced the Tree and greeted it by bowing with raised arms. They turned towards their tribes and gave a signal. Every one knelt down and started removing all weapons and protective gear, most remaining either entirely naked or barely clothed at all.

With the exception of the chiefs, everyone now looked the same, barely clothed and sitting on their knees. During the ritual they were all equal, they were alive and only there for the Tree and the dead.

The chiefs stomped the ground to signal the tribes to present the offerings. From each of the many tribes four individuals stood up together, carrying a dead body on very plain plank held on their shoulders. They walked from further back in the circle to putting the body closer to the tree, somewhat in front of the chiefs.

The four individuals who put down the body walk up to the thick roots of the Everseason Tree visible above the ground and started digging with their hands. They would dig until their fingertips started to bleed, then dug some more. The dirt and their blood mixed to make the dirt muddy and thick and nasty. The next set of four walked up to relieve them, and then continued to dig themselves. Once everyone had dug until their hands bled, and the soils was reddened, the last one would drag the bodies into the hole left between the now visible roots. When everyone had retaken their place in the circle the chiefs walked forward towards the body, then shovelling the soggy red dirt on over the body, completely covering the bodies now waiting between the roots.

The chiefs rejoined the ranks and took their positions once more, standing in front of their tribes. Everyone bowed their head towards the Everseason Tree and a deep silence hung. Simultaneously each chief belted a deep howl towards the tree before slamming their staffs into the ground which caused a rattling noise similar to rain to wash over the area. The noises all around became deafening and as they bounced back and forth, reinforcing each other, creating the simulated sound of a storm in progress.

In perfect unison the chiefs started chanting:

“We are called here by the Tree!

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We in turn call upon the Veiled One!”

“The Veiled One.” everyone in the circle repeated.

“We have offered the flesh of our heroes.

Above the roots they waited,

Under the roots they lie,

Beyond the roots they go.”

The entire present population started chanting continuously:

“Above the roots, Under the roots, Beyond the roots.”

The Everseason Tree responded to the chanting and the ground began to rumble. Small particulates of light began rising from the muddy roots and the air became heavy with the smell of metal.

“Above the roots, Under the roots, Beyond the roots.” The chanting continued as the circle swayed back and forth.

The cracks in the bark of the Everseason Tree was now visibly glowing while blood slowly filled said cracks as it crept up along, changing the white timbre of the light into a dark crimson. The blood moved upwards with a purpose, it was heading toward the thickest branches, where four buds were awaiting their annual nourishment to finally begin to bloom.

Slowly the buds opened as the dark glowing crimson liquid was absorbed greedily. The flowers opened rather quickly, the silvery petals unfurling into a five pointed star with at the base of each petal a small drop of blood is gathering before sliding up along its length, drawing a red line up to the tip of the petal. A beam of light shot directly out of each of the blooming buds flying directly into each of the corners of the world.

It wasn’t long before a new light illuminated the sky from straight above. The light was small but powerful and seemingly free falling straight down, hurtling at the Everseason Tree. As the light fell from the sky the chanting changed.

“The Veiled One!” The circle repeated over and over again.

As the light got close enough to blind everyone surrounding the tree, the flowers withered and started growing their fruit. Slowly the small buds began enlarging and growing the features of a skull. The beginnings of a jaw, the concave where eyes would have been, the lines along the skull were all beginning to become visible.

“The Veiled One!” The chanting continued.

The falling light hit the ground but it made no sound, caused no tremors in the ground, made no impact at all.

The light died down, revealing a strange white being that was alike everyone surrounding the tree, yet also entirely different. It was revealed to be standing, entirely still, until the light and heat from its descent faded entirely. An audible swoosh released from the standing body before it started moving towards the Everseason Tree, slowly, awkwardly and with mechanical deliberate motion. The fruits had now developed entirely, looking like coloured fruit going through a wide range of emotions. Sadness, anger, pain, terror, horror, depression. A wide variety of negative emotions painted the faces of the fruits, the crimson light beaming out of every crevice.

“Above the roots, Under the roots, Beyond the roots.” The chanting returned.

The white being walked up to the tree, walking towards the nearest fruit before tilting its massive head to look at the fruit. It looked like an environmental suit, all white with many mechanical bits and pieces to it, though none of them seemed to be working. The helmet that served as the head of the creature had a large and opaque visor where one would have expected a face. It was carrying a metal case in one of its hands, which it raised up to its chest and opened. From the case it grabbed what seemed like a long pair of sheering scissors before throwing the case carelessly to the ground beside it, landing open and upright. It grabbed the arms of the sheers in each hand, and without a moments hesitation pointed them towards the first fruit it desired and cut the air. While the sheers never even got close to the fruit, the stem that held the fruit in place got cut by some invisible force. The fruit fell quickly to the ground and began to scream uncontrollably. Without skipping a beat and without acknowledging the screaming fruit the mechanical body walked over to the fruit and picked it up. It grabbed it with both hands and raised it up to its helmet. The visor on the helmet spontaneously slid open with a deep sigh to reveal there was nothing at all inside the helmet that served as a face. The suit turned the fruit around and with significant force rammed it into the helmet until the skull fruit had taken the position a head would have.

The screaming of the fruit continued while the entire white suited body of the Veiled One moved uncontrollably and thrashed around. Every part of the Veiled One as well as the fruit that now served as it’s head began to glow.

“The Veiled One!” The chiefs shouted.

“Above the roots, Under the roots, Beyond the roots!” The circle chanted.

The light of the fruit and veiled one exploded and blinded everyone. The first story of the night was about to begin…