The Event

8- The hermit

I was stunned by how fast it had happened. A moment she was here with me, talking. Then she was in flames, and the next momment she was gone in an blast! How unpredictable was she when feeling upset? I guess that after all, maybe I should beware of her, like the message had told me.

"El? Are you here? El?"

I wondered what was the force field that stopped the explosion around her? Was it of her making or was it someone else that was trying to protect me? What is going on here? No, it doesn't make any sense, it's all just crazy. If I had superpowers, I'd probably feel like setting a thing or two on fire, me too.

In truth, beyond the fact that she had scared the hell out of me, I could somehow understand how frustrating it must be for her... To have the ability to manifest anything, but not what she really craved for, because true love just cannot be created out of nothing... It must be given freely by another free being. She is kept here like a bird in a cage, why? Can't she leave by herself? I wonder how I would react if I was in the same situation?

"El! Where are you?

-She will be kept in isolation until she calms herself down, said a deep voice nearby. It was a new voice I had never heard before.

I turned around but saw no one.

-Here, said the voice.

On the trunk of a large tree, there was a big serene face carved by the hand of no artisan. It's eyes seemed to look straight at me.

-Hi? I said, unsure of how to react.

-Please excuse me. The big lips of the serene wood face moved. I did not want to bother you. The Council asked me to protect you.

-Is it you that stopped the explosion?

-Yes.

-Why do you have the appearance of a tree?

-I don't appreciate much movement. Trees are, in your world, the beings that I feel the most similar to. You apreciate trees too Lily. You know what I mean.

-Who are you?

-I am one of those that Elysia calls her brothers. I entered this ship while the Horizon was into a far away solar system, where my spirit was dwelling with those of my kind. It was my home there, I cannot tell you the name of my world, its name is more a scent than a word, but it is a scent that means home, for those who live there.

"I was a being similar to a tree in that world. Somehow my spirit came here. Its a fertile ground for spirits here... Would you like to see what the trees of my world looked like?

-Yes of course!"

Suddenly a small patch of forest transformed into a strange landscape of purple, blue and green. There were still some structures similar to trees, except their "trunks" were purple and soft, and the "leaves" looked more like long and light floating strands of seaweeds of blue and green. The whole ensemble was completely alien looking but in a peaceful way.

The carved face, now on a purple trunk, explained that on his planet no being could ever move, in a material way.

"All beings move within the spirit. All beings are connected continuously. Each being is a cell of the great forest. In the forests of my world and even of yours, yes, there is so much immaterial movement that you cannot see, all around and inside. My forest world holds a highly evolved civilization, living in perfect harmony. Yet for human eyes it would look like a primitive jungle. Humans do not see. Humans do not hear. Humans do not speak to the spirit inside.

-I understand what you mean.

-I know. You are of the rare humans having tree allies.

-What do you mean tree allies?