No matter what he did, he could not erase those green eyes from his memory. They were obviously not his but he couldn't deny the relationship. Those rich, green irises sported darker streaks of green, giving the unknown owner an air of deep maturity, vastly unlike his lighter shades.

Then there was the tree he once was—or rather, the tree he possessed. This colossal rouge tree...it was definitely this tree when it was far smaller. Tai, now seated on the chair in the quiet library, returned to the floor and traced his fingers along the wood veins.

Thrums of life pulsed against his fingertips. It was not quite like a heartbeat, yet it signified this tree possessing vitality.

"Hello there," he whispered softly. The thrums became a little livelier, adopting a rhythm to respond to him. It was talking to him. Interestingly enough, he could understand.

'Turan?'

Tai's heart twisted in pain."No, I'm not Turan." Turan must have been the name of that thumbling he saw. He knew how much that thumbling meant to this tree. However, this tree was at least a millennia old. Turan was long dead.

The tree still communicated with him, convinced he was Turan. He tries to dissuade it, to tell it he was Tai, and he was only twelve years old, but the tree refused to give up. He couldn't blame it. Turan was the only one that cared for it.

Nevertheless, even if by some outlandish miracle Turan was born again or some other impossible tale, that thumbling and himself were not the same. He could feel it.

Tai pressed his palm on the surface, and immediately, his soul left his body, and entered the tree. The familiar sensations of not possessing a body slammed into his consciousness, making him disoriented for a moment.

Unlike when he was a humble tree, he wasn't fused with its consciousness, and therefore thinking he was a tree. They were separate. However, he instinctively knew he had the ability to control its growth.

Tentatively, Tai tried to extend a young branch. A crippling pain pierced his soul and shoved him from the tree to his vacant body. He gasped and choked for air as he adjusted to his body. His soul was too weak to handle this tree.

Besides the pain in his soul that had yet to vanish, Tai was excited. This should be the potential Tenma spoke of. Some were common, and some were unique. Seeing he has never heard of this power in another thumbling, his was definitely one of a kind.

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His excitement faded as he remembered Turan. Maybe, his powers weren't that unique. After all, Turan definitely had a special connection with plants too.

Tai decided to give his newfound powers a break and tried to get some rest despite the nagging pain.

When he woke up, he found that he was long past the time when he was to head out into the forest. Tai sprung to his feet and hurried out the library to get ready. At this point, Tenma must be upset.

In ten quick minutes, he had a bath, did some light stretches, prepped his weapon and packed for the journey. Tenma was mounted on the back of Angela, his expression unsightly.

Tai hung his head low and made his way to the back seat.

"Kid, we'll be going to a river today." Tenma's face couldn't be seen.

"Aren't rivers boring?" The river in the kingdom was peaceful, nothing of danger or thrill ever happened in it. Also, rivers were filthy.

"Do not ever mention that disgusting, fake river to me ever again. I'm taking you to a real river."

Tai's interest was piqued.

...

Tai gaped at the absolutely massive torrent of violent, clear water that gushed by. He never knew that river waters were clean. On top of that, this river was wider than the overwhelmingly wide tree barks that used to have him in awe.

"Do you still think this isn't fun, kid?" Tenma's mirthful voice snapped Tai out of his stupor.

Tai's face paled, "What are we doing?"

Tenma chortled. He was definitely drunk off his berry rum. "Think of the craziest thing we can do."

Tai's heart sank. There was no way they were going to swim in that violent river.

Tenma stripped to his under garments and descended the tree. Tai took a deep breath and left his clothes beside Angela, who was relaxing as always, and descended the tree.

Reaching the soft, damp earth, Tai made his way to the rocks that lined the river. He climbed the rock that was covered in miniature grooves, careful to avoid the slippery moss. Eventually he reached Tenma who was at the top.

"Do you swim a lot?" Tenma looked at him.

"Not a lot..."

The most experience Tai had was sneaking into pools at the dead of night. Tenma fished out a rope from who-knows-where and tied one end around his waist.

"Well kid, after this week, I'll be sending you out into the wild to fend for yourself until the inter-village competition. For the rest of this week, you better get used to this rope."

Tenma had never mentioned this to Tai. This sudden news was concerning, yet exciting.

All this time, no animal, big or small, dared to come near Tenma unless it was for the special fruit. He was unnaturally safe during the past month.

Tai wrapped his waist with the rope and tied a secure knot Tenma taught him to make. The only way he would be in danger would be if the rope snapped.

Tai began to carefully climb down the rock to the river. Tenma grabbed his arm with one hand and lifted him up. He held him up with both hands, and before Tai could protest, he threw him.

Tai flailed in the air like a scared chick for a couple meters, then he fell into the water. With great force, his body was pushed downstream. The rope pressed onto his skin and grated his bones.

He forced himself to not inhale. He failed miserably. Water filled his lungs. He tried, and failed to swim for air. At this point, he didn't know the surface from the riverbed.

The rope around his waist dragged him against the current. Eventually he reached the rocky border of the river, where a pair of hands encased him from below the river surface.

Before Tai knew it, he saw the light of day again. He inhaled, and exhaled. Then inhaled again. He now did not like rivers.