Marie woke up to a pounding in her head like she had never experienced before. The pain was interspersed with occasional starbursts of light exploding inside her skull. Slowly, ever so gradually, the lights reduced in frequency and the pounding in intensity. She opened her eyes, cautiously allowing the sunlight to filter in through the slits her eyelids made. She was lying on the hard ground, numerous small stones piercing her consciousness as the pain in her head made way for the pain in her back and buttocks.
“Ugh, ouch,” she said, raising herself up on her elbows to get a look around. The first thing she became of was her own naked vulnerability. Next, she heard the tumble of water over rocks. She opened her eyes slightly wider and looked over towards the sound. There was a small stream, certainly less than a few meters wide, over to her left. It looked as if it had once been wider, and now she was lying on the exposed part of a rocky riverbed.
Suddenly, her vision was covered with a black frame with green text.
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Welcome to Elysareth, Traveller!
You are unnamed.
You are aligned with the forces of Benevolence.
You have no class.
Quest offered: Find your companions!
The Umpire offers you a quest: Reunite your party. Rewards: 25 XP per companion found.
Quest offered: Discover the Arborea!
The Umpire offers you a quest: learn about the race of the Arborea. Rewards: variable, depending on the amount of knowledge gained.
Quest offered: Get dressed!
The Umpire offers you a quest: Wear clothing of at least terrible quality covering at least 30% of your body. Rewards: variable.
Accept or decline each quest now.
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“Decline Quests” said Marie. The black window and green text disappeared. “Huh, what has happened to me?” said Marie quietly, taking time to adjust to the crazy reality in which someone could project computer text directly into her brain.
Marie swivelled her head around, noting river banks rising vertically up, close by. This stream would turn into a river at least 10 meters wide if it were ever flooded, from bank to bank. The banks on both sides were lined with trees, their branches drooping over the water, providing little shade despite the thing, long leaves dangling from them. She stood up, first twisting and going to one knee, before slowly straightening. She couldn’t see much beyond the banks and the trees, and there was nothing to hear except the gurgling of the water and the chirping of insects and birds. She could see small bushes and shrubs scattered along the banks, their leaves a vibrant green.
Marie felt uneasy. Was she being watched? The hairs on the nape of her neck began tingling. She ducked down, again going to one knee whilst warily surveying the trees and small bushes nearby.
“Who’s there? Is anybody there?” she called out.
“Ugh, sorry miss! I didn’t mean to spy, I swear on Justisar’s Gavel!” came a young woman’s voice from the bushes.
“Who are you? Where am I?” said Marie, turning more fully towards the direction the voice had come from, examining the trees for movement, or for any signs of a person.
“You’re standing in the middle of the Glimmerflow River, of course! And my name is Whisperwillow!”.
“Why are you hiding? Come out so we can talk properly.” said Marie, crossing her arms, drawing herself to her full height, hoping to appear more commanding.
“I’m not hiding! I’m right here, where anyone can see me!” said Whisperwillow.
Marie came closer to the edge of the river’s course, and clambered out, onto the grassy bank. She walked gingerly behind the nearest tree, avoiding anything that looked like it might be a rock with sharp edges. She completed her circuit of the tree, finding nothing. She was now back at the river bank where she’d set out.
“You’ve walked all the way around me! I’m right here!” said Whisperwillow.
Marie did a double-take, her eyebrows shooting up.
“Are you… are you a talking tree?” she asked, incredulity creeping into her voice, giving it a rising tone.
“Well, I suppose I might look a little bit like a tree. I don’t think I am an actual tree, though – trees don’t talk, do they? But I can talk. Therefore, I’m not a tree!” reasoned Whisperwillow.
“O…K…. I’ve never met a talking tree before,” said Marie, “This is very strange.”
“Where is this talking tree you keep mentioning?” said Whisperwillow, “That would be strange. This conversation is strange.”
“So you’re not a tree, but you look like one to me. You can talk, so like you said, you can’t be a tree. So, what, may I ask, are you?” asked Marie.
“Well, I’m an Arborean, of course. I look after the forests around here, you know, I make sure they’re healthy, and I capture and horribly torture anyone who tries to chop them down with an axe!” said Whisperwillow.
“Wait, what? You horribly torture people?” said Marie, taking a step or two back from the talking tree.
“Haha, Gotcha!” said Whisperwillow. “It’s always so easy to mess around with you Benevolents, you’re all sweetness and naivety, ha ha!” laughed Whisperwillow.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
This was getting to be too much for Marie. Awakening to a pounding headache, naked on the rocky ground, then being accosted by someone laying practical jokes on her mind, then being laughed at by a talking not-tree. Marie sat down, closed her eyes, and began practicing her yoga techniques. Marie was greeted by another window.
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Quest update: quest progression!
Congratulations, you have learned about the Arboreans.
Rewards: 25 XP
You have discovered the race of the Arboreans. Learn more to receive additional rewards.
This quest is ongoing.
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“Argh! How do I get rid of these messages?” said Marie.
“What messages do you mean? I don’t have any messages.” Said Whisperwillow.
“I can’t see anything else! It says ‘Quest update, quest progression!”.
“Oh WOW you have quests? You must be really special, I mean, like a LOT special!” said Whisperwillow excitedly. “I’ve never heard of anyone receiving quests from the system!”
“How do I get rid of this message?” asked Marie.
“Well, have you tried thinking the words ‘Dismiss system messages’ at your interface?”
“Oh, thank you, thank you so much, that really helped!” said Marie, as the system message window was dismissed. “What is this thing and why does it keep showing me messages?”
“I’m honestly surprised you don’t know. Everyone knows how to use the system interface, everyone grew up with one. Wait, where did you grow up, and how come you have quests?”
“I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, but I’ve lived in London since I was 11. No-one I’ve ever heard of has a system interface in their head.” said Marie.
“I’ve never heard of those places? Are they here on Eldaros? Or are they somewhere else? You’re really strange, you know. Wondering around here naked, with your fancy quests, but you don’t even know the first thing about your system interface. It’s really weird.”
“I’m weird? You’re a freaking talking tree!” shouted Marie.
Marie glared at Whisperwillow. Whisperwillow remained silent. Marie considered what to say next, and how to proceed. Getting into a shouting match with a tree wasn’t doing her any good.
“Whisperwillow, I’d like to say sorry for shouting at you. I am confused and scared, but you’ve been nothing but kind to me. Thank you for that.” she said. Whisperwillow remained silent. “I think I need some help. I don’t know where I am. I don’t know how I got here. I am frightened. I need a friend, and you’re the only person I know.”
“Yeah yeah, don’t lay it on too thick.” said Whisperwillow. “For some reason, you can’t see it, but I’m also a Benevolent. I’ve been taught to help people selflessly, even though I sometimes get carried away with torturing them. OK, just messing with you, calm down! Why don’t you let me lift you up into my boughs, where you can make yourself comfortable? I’ll tell you all I know about us Arboreans, and I’ll see if I can make you something to wear before night falls.”
Whisperwillow appeared to bend forward, branches gathering together in front of Marie, intertwining and forming a seat with a high back.
“OK, thank you, I’d like that.” Said Marie, settling herself into the seat. Whisperwillow lifted her high into her crown, where an alcove of branches had already been formed, just large enough for Marie. Marie stepped across from her lift and into the alcove, making herself comfortable.
“We Arboreans are the oldest people on Elysareth. My seed-mother told me this story, which has been passed down from seed-mother to seed-daughter for aeons, since the Arboreans settled Elysareth.
“It is not recorded how we arrived on Elysareth. Some speculate that our seedlings were stolen from an ancestral homeland and brought here as captives. Others claim that Arboreans migrated here as a group, the last surviving hope of a race doomed to extinction from war and disease. Yet others say that Arboreans evolved here as natives of Elysareth.
“Whatever our pre-history is, it is recorded that the first and greatest ancestor of all Arboreans was named Verdanthos. Verdanthos found the world in turmoil. A great battle was being waged by Gods who walked the Earth. The names of the Gods are not recorded, but it is known that each God was the head of a great pantheon of lesser demigods. Verdanthos was forced to fight for the forces of Benevolence, despite his misgivings. He was afraid of a world which lacked free-will, where every sentient being would have limited choice, corralled down a path to fit the desires and needs of one dominant ideology.
“His error was in not choosing the winning side. Malevolence won that war. Verdanthos and all Arboreans were enslaved. We were shackled and many were murdered. Those of us remaining, only 60 individuals left, were scattered across the four continents. Since then, we’ve led our lives in isolation. I fear that many of my siblings have gone mad or been slain since those times. I don’t know how many of us remain in the world.”
“Oh, that’s such a sad story,” said Marie. “Would you want to meet other Arboreans if you could?”
“It is my greatest desire to meet my kin, and perhaps one day even experience the joy of producing my own seedlings and seeding the world with a new generation.” said Whisperwillow.
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Quest update: quest progression!
Congratulations, you have learned about the Arboreans.
Rewards: 75 XP
Whisperwillow has told you her story about the history of the Arboreans. Gather more information from other sources to learn the truth.
This quest is ongoing.
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Level Up!
Congratulations, you have reached level 1!
If new boons are available, you may review these in your character sheet.
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