"Do tell, what yearning beckons you to partake in the waters flowing from the Tree of Knowledge?" Broin gently asked Alicia.

"If you please, I want to find out the whereabouts of the children who are predicted to change the fate of the world," replied the Crimsonmane girl. "I must find them first before the darkness does."

A slow nod from Broin. "Oh, I understand, I understand. If it is entwined with the might of shadows, then it surely heralds a momentous prophecy. Pray tell, who foretold such an augury, and what does the prophecy entail?"

"Um..., it's a prophecy about the Six Children written by Nostradame."

Broin's foot stomping instantly stopped. His stare at Alicia was a puzzled look. Just as tension was running rampant between the two of them, the elder suddenly broke it with a hearty laugh.

"I don't usually fall for youth jokes these days. Yet I must confess, that was a right hilarious one, Lady Alicia!"

Now Alicia was the one with the puzzled face, shaking her head. The elder's mien switched again.

"So you're not pulling my leg then?"

The girl shook her head once more as she handed him the pocketbook "Fractions of Light, One Darkness" with an open page—the page that showed the divination in question. Broin read it as he continued on his way.

"This symbol! It's similar to Ygaldin's crest!" Broin exclaimed as he pointed to the crest dedicated to Alicia on the page. "I haven't seen it anywhere but in the olden caves where elves used to worship the gods!"

"Wait, are you sure? Orb branded me with that symbol when it chose me." Alicia opened her glove and showed Broin the Arcane's sweet smacker. With that symbol alone, the druid elder forgot all doubts about the prophecy. Nostradame was not having a laugh this time. The old man was energised and galloping in top form—even though his staff still had to sustain his body.

"Tis a common practice for us to be incensed when one seeks enlightenment from the Tree of Knowledge regarding the scribblings of spurious seers akin to Nostradame. In such instances, we'd waste no time in transforming them into sacrificial offerings...!"

Alicia swallowed as she heard the old man's morbid statement.

“And that was only a jest. I don’t believe you fall for it!” Broin chortled again, then continued, "But if Ygaldin were to speak to a buffoonish clairvoyant like himself, verily it would signify an urgent crisis! Come, quicken your pace, young lady!" Broin took the girl's hand again and trotted toward the giant tree.

Even though they acted like they were racing, their speed remained. It was just the elder druid who was suddenly in his prime, puffing up his body to appear different. Alicia smiled at the old man's behaviour, and then her trademark curiosity followed. "You keep telling the name Ygaldin. May I ask who Ygaldin is? I've never heard of it in Vanir Pantheon."

"Indeed, you have not," Broin replied. "Ygaldin is the Ancient Vanir’s God of Light. We believe he is the one who endowed the Tree of Knowledge with pure Arcane—similar to your god. Of course, the fundamental difference is that Ygaldin is not 'abstract'. No offense, my lady."

"Ah, none taken. So the pure Arcane centred on the former Tree of Knowledge was Ygaldin's gift?"

"Correct! Vanir is one of the nations that was fortunate enough to be the source of Arcane. This sacred tree was not only called the Tree of Knowledge, but it was also once the Tree of the Universe!"

"What happened, then?"

"It was said that when Njorn, Frō, and Fruowa were long gone, Wotan appeared from nothing. Our kind thought he had disappeared along with the Ans when Zortorv unleashed his genocide. But no. He was the only survivor, and he wanted his tribe back. So he snuck into the Universal Tree and stole knowledge from it. Greed was Wotan’s utter nature, so he couldn't get enough of drinking the water of knowledge. He hid in the roots of the tree and impaled his head with its thick fibers, stealing all the secrets of the world for himself!"

Before they knew it, they were right in front of the Tree of Knowledge. Broin waved to some squirrels that were sitting on a branch. The squirrels did not wave back, remaining with their never-ending sniffles. Before her, Alicia could see a spring flowing from the tree roots back to its other side, forming a circular flow path.

Vanir's history was still coursing from the elder's mouth. "When he connected with the tree, Khaos that dwelled in Wotan's body infiltrated the Tree of the Universe’s living tissue like venom. Khaos and Arcane kept tearing each other until the sacred tree became sick, its leaves fell, and its branches became brittle. And when the Sacred Tree could no longer bear the struggle within, it died. The Arcane fled. The impure gained the knowledge he desired and disappeared from the fury of the Vanir who pursued him, never to be seen again!"

One of the members of the Edda Order came with a jug and a glass plated with sapphire. He handed the jug to Broin as he caught a small stream of water entering the vessel.

As the elder druid filled the jug, Alicia asked again. "If the Tree of the Universe is dead, then how can it come back to life?"

Broin responded to the girl's question. "When the Tree of the Universe died, that's when Vanir was at its most vulnerable. Many of the elders of that era prayed to Ygaldin to come, but there was no answer. Mass panic spread and Vanir almost collapsed into pieces. Instead of the God of Light, Ohher, the God of the Forest, answered their cries. He visited Vanir and revived the Tree of the Universe—making it as leafy and mighty as ever. The Tree of the Universe again flowed the waters of knowledge, but it did not regain its Arcane might. Generation after generation, we delivered Arcane from other countries to be planted into this tree, but the Divine Arcane refused to enter. The luminescence of the Arcane was no longer as beautiful and impressive as our own, as if Ygaldin's presence was no longer there. And since then, Ygaldin has never again appeared in any sign. Only Ohher and the gods guarded Vanir. So many of the people forgot about Ygaldin and surrendered to the gods who were always there for them. Only some of our generation, the Edda Order, still hope for Ygaldin's arrival, and our faith is not in vain. Your Arcane source differs from the others...," Broin looked at the white sphere swirling within Orb. "Your Arcane is... alive."

What the elder Broin said was correct indeed. The Orb chirped melodiously in their midst. Of course, this startled the druids, since the orb had not made a single sound before.

"Orb said it would share its blessings with everyone one day, when it's all over," Alicia explained to them.

Broin smiled to hear it. He said to the singing orb, "Of course, you and Miss Alicia will. Now, we don't need Arcane in our tree. We only need Arcane to reconcile humans with the universe. Stop the wars and chaos that plague this world."

Broin, his weathered hands cradling the filled jug, poured the essence into a delicate glass, which he gently offered to Alicia. "This is for you, child."

Alicia accepted the glass carefully. "So, I just need to drink it?"

"Speak your desire, then gulp it down. You'll be connected to the Tree of Knowledge that extends even the thinnest fibers of its roots to all corners of the earth."

The water of knowledge shimmered innocuously in the vessel before her. Its colour held no secrets, and no suspicious scent lingered in the air. This was just... water.

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With unwavering resolve, Alicia steeled herself, body and soul united in purpose. She voiced her request.

"I want to find out the five children foretold in the book 'Fractions of Light, One Darkness' written by Nostradame. Reveal to me any fragments of insight, any tendrils of knowledge pertaining to the Child of Water, the Child of Earth, the Child of Fire, the Child of Wind, and the Child of Darkness!"

Moment of Truth. Alicia's soft, pink lips hovered millimetres above the rim of the clay cup, on the precipice of communion. Yet, before the water could moisten her lips, Alicia immediately rejected herself.

"Let me guess; the Tree of Knowledge doesnae give me the full details of each child, does it?"

Broin laughed. "Good question! The Tree of Knowledge only gives answers that it feels are enough for a glass of water. That's how it's always worked. And you can't drink too much, for it will poison you. Unless you want to plug its roots into your brain—the Tree of Knowledge might reveal everything to you."

"If I ever stay alive after that... no, thank you for the offer."

Alicia raised the cup to her lips once more. The water of knowledge cascaded into her being. The water did not leave any taste. Nonetheless, the girl's heart beat faster as she wondered what would happen to her after this. She should have sought counsel from the mages before imbibing the liquid. Well, never mind. She just needed to wait for what happened next.

One second. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. Three minutes. The cup slipped from Alicia's grasp. Gently finding solace upon a bed of moss, miraculously preserved. Alicia did not budge her limbs an inch. She was as stiff as a coral stone. Her pupils dilated, eclipsing her crimson irises. A new perception unfolded, revealing a world in which the druids and the Tree of Knowledge melded into a single plane, bending forward in unison. And then, with a jolt, Alicia experienced an overwhelming sensation of being propelled at the speed of light.

Within her vision, there were no discernible figures. Only an endless tapestry of thousands of thin lines streaking past her, a symphony of motion in a realm untethered by conventional bounds.

Before she knew it, all those ever-stretched countless lines vanished. Alicia found herself in the heart of a snowstorm. A swirling tempest of icy winds and blinding white. Her mind harked back to the breathtaking vista of Himinbjörg, a scene now eclipsed by the frigid reality surrounding her.

Undeterred by the biting cold, Alicia kept forging ahead the footprints on the frost-laden ground. When the snow began to burrow into her thighs, her gaze fell upon a giant ice floe in the mist. The colossal hunk, tinged with hues of sombre black and green, shaped like javelin stacks that seemed to jut toward the girl's face. But the frozen monolith was not the only thing that intrigued her. Within its depths, rows upon rows of figures stood in an ethereal slumber—at least in Alicia's notion. Almost all of them towered, bulky in frame. Animal fur warmed them from head to toe. There was no need for Alicia to guess, for when she saw their striking fur hats from afar—ushanka and papakha—she knew she was looking at the stalwart warriors bearing the ancient blood of titans in their veins.

The Giants of Magavostok!

Out of hundreds of people—perhaps thousands, in fact—a "human" being exuded a blue gleam among the rest, shorter than those of the giant descendants.

The prophetic child with the first extraordinary magic power was right across the continent!

Alicia still wanted to come closer. But alas, she was yanked back into the Infinite Lane and ended up in a village, consumed by fire. She was struck speechless as she stood witness to the charred remnants of life.

The scorched corpses, witness to the unforgiving wrath of fire.

What a terrible revelation, Tree of Knowledge, what a terrible revelation!

At the heart of the scene, the flag of the sun symbol, proudly waving as the emblem of the Federation of Lojitengara, stood as a stark contrast to the devastation.

And there, before this emblem of hope, Alicia encountered another giant.

Correction, not a mere giant. A giant beast. A monstrous behemoth clad in armour and cloth. Whose claws were dripping with fresh blood.

As if knowing there was yet living prey to be claimed, the monster turned and found a wild horse—Alicia Crimsonmane herself! In a moment of revelation, the creature, once perceived as a bear, shed its disguise as the flames unveiled its true form. Its fur bore distinctive strip markings. Its eyes were bulged with an unhinged ferocity. A long, serrated tail was reminiscent of a draconic creature.

Alicia stood face-to-face with the Child of Earth, incarnated in the guise of a psychopathic tiger.

The lass had made up her mind. This was the right time for the Infinite Lane to pull her back because the undefined monster hastened its two legs while roaring aloud!

The wish was granted; the Tree of Knowledge whisked Alicia away to somewhere else. She found herself standing atop a flat-roofed pyramid, gazing down upon a city that appeared as black statues beneath a canopy of obsidian sky—another disturbing vision. Alicia's heart sank when she heard an echoing weep. It was not a human cry, but the sound was an overflowing sorrow. Her attention was then drawn to a sinuous form slithering across the heavens—what she perceived as a xiu, a dragon native to the Mu continent. A burst of fire erupted from the dragon's maw, casting an ephemeral glow upon the night. Within the fiery illumination, a figure took shape, transforming the darkened night into a mournful day. The radiance was blinding, its intensity so fierce that it consumed the very city it bathed in its sorrowful brilliance!

The sightseeing is over. Time to move on to another location, Alicia thought. As she drifted along the swift current of dimensional sewers, Alicia saw someone else there. The figure's features were not clear from a distance, especially since he was swaying irregularly in the middle of the dimensional path. The Child of Wind had, of course, travelled to various dimensions—including the one he was in now. Unfortunately, the way he fared through the Inifinite Lane was rather erratic. To make matters worse, he hurtled toward Alicia with great velocity and crashed hard into her! Alicia went straight off course, tumbling headlong into a field swaying of reeds.

Alicia awoke. She wanted to curse the reckless man, but she was the only one in the middle of a lovely natural portrait. Surrounding her, the reeds swayed in a golden symphony. Their vibrant hues were amplified by the caress of sunbeams that transformed the sky into a resplendent canvas of radiant gold. Alicia looked back and found the foot of the mountain that framed this exquisite meadow.

She recognised this land. She had seen it on the telemedia and in the newspapers. The foot of the mountain belonged to Mount Olympus, and its field was Elysium, the sanctuary garden of the land of Eretopeion, part of the Eternal Empire! A paradise on earth, this was one of the destinations that Alicia would have dreamed of if only the entire world had not wanted to kill her, forcing her to hide in an alienated village.

Silence draped over the scene; an eerie tranquillity that seeped into Alicia's bones. Alicia could stand there forever and that would be enough. But as long as she was alive, she should never attain the peace she wanted.

Abruptly, the sky darkened. The tall grasses withered and turned black. The blessing of the sun turned into a catastrophic eclipse. The golden rays faded, replaced by a revolting purple luminescence.

Alicia and Khaos locked eyes again!

Khaos drew nearer. Dread filled Alicia's heart—could it be that the Primordial Opposition sought to extinguish the girl wielding the Divine Grace, using the falling moon as its instrument of annihilation? And while this was happening, Alicia failed to discern the figure believed to embody the Child of Darkness. Had Khaos incarnated into the child in question, how she would not have been surprised!

Lunacy gripped the lunar, and so did the sudden hurricane. Alicia ran, calling for the Tree of Knowledge to take her home. There was no answer. The earth grew darker as the moon's enormous surface neared the ground. It kissed the earth, crushing Alicia's being and the entire realm!

The lass gasped and fell. A crowd came to greet her. She observed the faces—apparently the druids and wizards of the Magisterium. She breathed a sigh of relief, for all of it—for the umpteenth time—was a dream too real.

"Speak, Alicia! Do you hear us?" Broin shook her body.

"I-I... Aye... I do. I'm alright."

"So, the Tree of Knowledge showed you anything?"

"I dinnae ken if this is good or bad news... The closest child of all is in the neighbouring country..."

"Good and bad news, neighbouring countries... Let me guess. Magavostok," Haddock surmised.

"Aye, Sir Grand Magus."

An uproar happened in the Vanir Botanical Garden. All the druids there were already showing signs of consternation. This first news alone made the "Save the World" task very hard to accomplish.

Alicia continued, "Then the tree took me to the land Lojitengara Federation. I saw... a giant tiger? Aye, I'm sure it was a giant tiger with golden armour! And for the third..."

Before Alicia could mention the location of the third child, a foreign chorus of shouts rang out.

"May we all be gods!"

Broin turned around. "What in the earth—"

An explosion occurred. []