“Bregan was an ancient village from the northwest,” Euna spoke over the melody of the strings. “The people there lived openly and equally under the guidance of the village elders and the chief. However, the village was not wealthy and the villagers had to undergo constant hardship to ensure all survived. But through their commitment to one another, the village would always manage to pull through.
One day a wild woman appeared from the woods and entered the village. The villagers were naturally wary of this woman and wished to know from where she came. The woman only answered that she had come from the hollows. Euna’s music turned to one that evoked suspicion. The tempo slowed and accentuated the sharp notes that set the listener at unease.”
Valentin had realized that he had closed his eyes to picture the story in his mind. When he opened his eyes he noticed that most of the other diners were looking at one guest with an intense stare. This guest supped away at his course without so much as an acknowledgement of the spectators. He swished his bread at the bottom of the bowl and extracted the last few morsels of the soup from the bowl.
“Lovely.” The Steward said. “I am ready for the next.”
White fish, roasted vegetables, pork sausages, and many other small courses passed into the room and down Valentin’s throat. It was not often that he was able to sample such a variety of flavors and he was enjoying the rare occasion.
During the transitory periods of the courses, Euna would pause her speaking and play the set music instead, preventing the room from forgetting the emotions of the scene before them. Valentin watched as Euna wove in slight alterations to the tune. A change of finger placement here, a shortened strum there. Anything that could prevent the music from turning stale in the audience’s ears.
“While the villagers had been initially suspicious of the woman from the hollows, a shepherd named Olann reminded the villagers that many of them had at one point been an outsider to the village and was welcomed all the same. To prove his commitment to that ideal, he offered his own hut as shelter for this woman. When he asked her name she said she had none. Olann decided to call her Holly as she had come from the hollows.
Over the cycles, Holly became a welcome member of the village, but she never moved out of Olann’s hut and into her own.”
The music once again changed to one of warmth. Notes hung in the air like lovers in an embrace, refusing to let go. Warm notes of affection froze into a different, longer embrace. Somehow, a forlorn sound hung almost prophetically within the melody, subtly directing the story into its next act.
“Famine struck the village and a few had already died of starvation. The fields had not been producing and the animals were thin. The Chief and the Elders were at a loss as to how to spare their people and hope had begun to fade. But that was when Holly stepped forward and talked about a spring from the woods that had been purified by the spirits that would save their fields.
This came with a caveat. You had to first show reverence to the massive tree in the island at the center of the spring. It was said that the great spirits resided within the tree and disrespecting them would cause the water to lose its power. They also could only take a bucket full and spread it all over the fields.
Without any other option but to follow Holly’s advice, the Chief followed her into the woods, prayed before the tree, and carried a meager bucket of water back to the village. He sprinkled a handful of water over every farm in the village and begged the spirits to spare the people.”
Joy returned to the room. Soft notes mixed in with a sound that reminded Valentin of a brook, of small sprouts breaking through the soil.
“When the village awoke the next morning, their fields were full of grain and vegetables. The harvest was abundant and the people thanked the tree. The villagers would go to the spring and pray to the tree for all manner of things. They painted the tree on their homes and now followed the God Tree. Holly was elevated to High Priestess of Bregan and the village built a larger home for her and Olann.
When planting season returned, the Chief asked Holly if the God Tree would allow them to take a bucket of water even if there was no famine. Holly was unsure but there was no harm in trying as the worst that would happen is the spring water would turn into regular water once it left the forest.
They returned with a bucket and sprinkled the spring water on the fields and they discovered that it did work. The fields were dense with grain and their animals were fat. Every cycle the people went into the woods and returned with the spring water and the people stopped going hungry. In fact they began to eat better than the wealthiest of warlords. Unfortunately for the people of Bregan, their reputation of bounty was about to reach the ears of one of those dangerous warlords.
A warlord named Catha ruled over a demesne that had been experiencing drought and the people there had been enduring extreme hardship. One day a traveler arrived in Catha’s fortress and spoke of the rumors of this village described as the “Garden of the Spirits”. Catha felt anger that there was a land prospering while theirs suffered and felt entitled to own it themselves. Catha gathered their warriors and marched on Bregan.”
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Ominous intentions screeched off the strings and bells jingled in a rhythmic stomp.
“The warriors of Catha descended upon Bregan. The sight of their full fields and plump livestock enraged the hungry warriors. But it wasn’t until the warriors saw food rotting off the side of the road that they were fully consumed by bloodlust. People were starving at home, their ribs piercing the skin and exposing the bone to the light of day; their animals were already eaten for survival and no relief in sight. But Bregan possessed abundance that laughed in the face of suffering and none of it had shared to the point that food spoiled in the fields and on the trees.”
A chaotic tune rang through with notes unpleasant to the ear interspersed throughout. Weapons clashed through the unsettling pace of the tune.
“The warriors fought without mercy and cut down the villagers. The Chieftain begged Holly to run to the God Tree and pray for their survival. Holly looked for Olann before fleeing but he was not to be found. She had no choice but to hope he was alright and ran to the tree.
In the spring before the God Tree, Holly pleaded with the tree to save the village. The tree did not stir. The water did not change. The village continued to die. A symphony of despair descends upon Holly and everyone watching. Shouts echo from the tree line, the warriors are approaching deep into the heart of the grove.
Holly runs to the tree and crawls inside it to hide. Catha walks to the spring with their entire force behind them. Inside the firm grasp of the warlord was Olann. Holly begged the tree to save Olann and to punish the invaders.
‘Oh mighty and giving God Tree, listen to my entreaty. Before us stand my greatest love and a kind soul threatened by jealous brutes. Spare his life and destroy those that do not respect your power. Name your desire and I will make it possible as long as you do this for me.’”
The sound of wooden plates clattering together lifted Valentin from his visions. Valentin received his next plate and understood that it was the final course. Sweet bread and fig preserves. Valentin silently chewed his meal and resisted the urge to topple over. His body only now told him that he was at his limit. He felt pangs of guilt at his fullness as he listened to this story of hunger and struggle, almost as if he were insulting these people.
He glanced to his side to see that Vincent and Jeanne were holding hands. Whatever conversation they needed to have seemed to be postponed as they watched the performer instead of each other. Valentin did not want to worry about these things and turned his attention towards the aggressive strings that signaled the climax.
“Olann, held at sword point, told Catha that this was the source of Bregan’s prosperity and that the God Tree and the great spirits within were the key to their bliss. To the shock of the shepherd, fruit that he had never seen before had bloomed on the normally barren branches of the tree.
Catha and their soldiers, starved, made their way towards the tree with Olann in tow. Catha asked Olann about the fruit but Olann said that he had never seen it before. Holly was close enough to her love to see that his face was searching in a panic for her. He had not seen her in the village and hoped that she was praying to the tree. But he did not see her. Holly wished that she could spring forth from the trunk and reassure him but she did not want to endanger either of them further.
Catha took a fruit from the tree and made Olann eat it to see if it was safe. Strings of suspense imprisoned everyone. Olann bit and chewed and swallowed the mysterious fruit and was perfectly fine. Catha watched him intently for countless minutes but Olann’s condition did not change. Finally Catha felt satisfied with what they had seen and took a fruit off the tree. The rest of their warriors greedily and wolfishly ate from the tree. They smiled at each other and said how divine the fruit tasted.
A warrior toppled to the ground. Their comrades checked on them only to discover the fighter and died. Another fell over and another. Catha commanded Olann to say what he had done to them but Olann only gave a look of confusion. With that, Catha died, and there were no more invaders.”
Valentin briefly looked onto the remaining fruit on his plate and decided against finishing them. He attempted to convince himself he was already no longer hungry.
“Olann awaited his death but it never came. He called for Holly but there was no answer. He ran towards the village to see if she had remained there. Holly called for Olann to come back but she made no sound. She found that she had begun to fuse with the God Tree. She had offered anything, and the spirits that dwelled within desired her flesh. Understanding the will of the tree, Holly made one final reach towards Olann but succumbed to the spirits.
No relief awaited Olann within the village. Many villagers had died but as long as they had the tree, they felt as though they could rebuild. Olann went from house to house until the entire village searched for Holly. But she was not there.
The village made their way to the spring to ask the God Tree for a bucket of water to help the fields that had been damaged. The God Tree that they had known was gone and had transformed into something else. The trunk and branches twisted and contorted so that the God Tree now resembled a skeletal woman. It was then Olann fell to his knees with the realization of what had befallen Holly. He told the Chief to take no more water from this spring but the Chief and the villagers admonished Olann and told him that he just was heartbroken and would agree with them once he had finished grieving.
The villagers returned with the bucket and spread it over their fields and when they awoke the next morning they discovered that everything had died. The plants had withered and the animals that had eaten the crops had dropped dead with their mouths foamed. Bregan had to be abandoned.
Hundreds of years later, Bregan was rebuilt directly in front of the God Tree and a temple was built by the druids. But it was no longer called the God Tree, it was now the Death Mother Tree. Only those that are the purest of heart can safely eat the fruit and will become the leader of the temple.”
A slow and deliberate tune drew the room away from the scene and back towards dinner. Euna bowed and the performance was complete.