Searching for the Birch Tree, Day 112 A.F

I raced along the dusty ground, mud clumping off my boots with every hammering footfall. I had to get to Matthew. I had to reach him in time. My breathing soon turned to pants, but I didn't slow, following that tug as if it was my life-line; it was Matthew's. That tug in my gut promised he was in reach. I'd find him soon. That criss-crossing birch would come into view any moment.

"Ayesha!" Enki snatched my arms, nearly knocking his wadded shirt from my grasp. He held on until I stopped running, fixing him with a glare. "Listen to me. It is a trap. The Fool can astral project. He can disappear at will. He can't be in trouble."

I shook my head, furious. "Matthew is my friend. I'm not just going to abandon him. I saved you. Don't make me regret it by trying to stop me." My claws prickled. I'd save Matthew. No one would stand in my way. A flash of Lady Lotus's passion and rage, entirely my own, jolted through me.

A tremor of terror crossed Enki's freckled face, that old fear he once regarded me with ghosting through his eyes. He let go of my arm, stepping back quickly.

Running again, my stomach twisted. Had I just undid all the progress I'd made with the Magician? Could we truly never be friends? I shoved the thought away. Finding Matthew was all that mattered. I could apologize to Enki later, after I knew the Fool was safe.

Arcana Calls rang in my mind, driving me on. With enough focus, I could ignore them, shoving them to the outskirts of my mind, but I invited them in, hoping they'd lead me to Matthew.

-Crazy like a fox!-

-I watch you like a hawk.-

-Where she stops, nobody knows.-

I didn't recognize the last Call, but perhaps the female, alto tone belonged to whoever was pursuing Matthew.

Pushing my legs, faster, faster, I thundered across the land. Enki trailed behind me, heavy breathing audible.

Freki jogged at his side, limping with every step. Until she tripped. With a yelp, the wolf careened to the ground. Enki kneeled beside her. "Looks like a sprain... If we make her keep running, she won't be able to walk back to camp." 

Abandoning the Magician so he could assist our canine companion, I ran on. Finally, there it was: the White Birch, papery bark peeling, branches overlapping in an X.

Matthew sat cross legged beneath the tree, not even looking at the slender female nearby. Why wasn't he astral projecting? Or even running? I recalled his immobility as Scraggly-Beard took us hostage. Oh, Matto... His inactivity was probably my least favorite of the Fool's little quirks. A new burst of speed sent me hurtling towards him.

There was no time to formulate a clever plan--the women was just a few strides from Matthew. I relied on instinct alone. It was becoming far easier to merge with Lady Lotus, allowing her to guide my actions, conduct my abilities. Out of breath, I reached Matthew, not allowing myself a moment of hesitation.

Clenching my teeth, I ran a nail along my palm. My claws effortlessly sliced through my skin, warm, sticky blood pooling in my hand. Without thinking I pressed my hand against the birch tree, leaving a crimson handprint on the wood. Just like that I merged with the tree, my blood bridging the gap quicker than any amount of focus.

Lady Lotus expertly wielded my powers, aware of magic I never knew I possessed. I stepped aside, letting her control me. If I didn't, Matthew would perish. He didn't have time for the slow meditation I employed in order to save Enki. He needed a quick, knowledgeable, powerful Empress like the witch slumbering inside me.

Matthew stared at me in awe as I wiped my blood along the tree, painting its surface red. He smiled as if he could not imagine a better way to spend his afternoon than watching me attempt to save his life.

The wood hummed with vitality, the connection stronger than any I'd ever felt. Between my blood, my desperation, and Lady Lotus's brutal determination, the tree could not help but bend to my will. I held complete and utter mastery over the plant without even needing to focus my mind.

I looked at the attacker, coming face to face with the shimmering image of a wheel surrounded by a number of odd animals. Instantly, I wished I'd disagreed with Cyprian when Gabriel had been explaining the different Tarot Cards; I didn't recognize the women's Tableau. Maybe if we'd let the Archangel continue, I'd know what I was facing.

-WHERE SHE STOPS, NOBODY KNOWS!-

Irritated by my own impudence, I blinked away the Tableau, looking into the face of a tall, pale woman with dark hair. The contrast between her raven locks and almost white skin was stark and unsettling. She must have been eating even less than we were, because her cheeks were so sallow she was practically a living skeleton.

"I don't want trouble," she muttered, but made no show of submission. Her eyes were bloodshot and feral, darting between me and the bundle of fabric in my hand, obviously wondering if I possessed food. She was hungry, and that meant she was desperate.

The girl was a few strides away, steadily drawing nearer until she was well within the reach of the birch branches. My mind was completely linked to the tree. It did as I willed, branch coiling, aiming at the approaching woman. The branch would collide with her and send her sailing, just as that oak upon my first meeting with Gladiator. I was so in tuned with the tree, I felt that because I simply saw my target, I could not miss. As I let out a slow, focused breath the branch sprang forward, snapping with bone-shattering force.

I missed.

My weaponized branch sailed directly over the woman's head. She didn't even duck.

Her eyes narrowed. If she'd been deciding whether or not I was an enemy, I'd just made the decision for her. "I wasn't looking for a fight, but if you insist." She seemed to be without weapons, but I couldn't see what she concealed in her skirt, or what powers she wielded. The hungrier the animal, the sharper the fangs.

My tree branch flashed forwards again. Miss. Recoil. Spring. Miss. Snap. Miss. Miss. Miss. It was as if she had some sort of force field surrounding her. The Arcana crept on.

I removed my hand from the tree. If I couldn't hit her, perhaps I could poison her. The witch, excited for the oncoming fight, promised that retreat was not an option. I, for once, agreed. This woman could follow us. If I threw my bundle of bilberries, she might chase it, giving us a chance to sprint away, but I wouldn't relinquish the prize. I was a hungry animal as well: feral, desperate, bloodthirsty and relentless.

Before I got the chance to try out my deadly claws, a shadow passed overhead. With the thundering of powerful wings, he landed, graceful as a lynx. The Archangel stood to his full height, which, admitably, wasn't much, but his spread wings made up for it, blocking the strange woman from my view. I needed to peer around Judgement's long feathers to see her.

"Retreat, Fortune," Gabriel instructed, his vast wingspan and impassive voice formidable. "We don't need to engage in violence. Back away now."

The girl seemed to shrink in the Angel's dark shadow. She couldn't have been a year older than me, too young to be alone, too young to know such fear, unequipped for the harsh reality of the Game.

She bit her lip, casting a longing gaze towards my supplies. "Best not let me catch one of you alone," she warned before spinning around and sprinting off.

Gabriel kept his wings extended until her retreating figure shrank to a speck, then disappeared altogether. Finally, he lowered his wings and regarded me. His double-take was noticeable, although not surprising. I was a mud sculpture with red hair. "I encountered Fortune a few times while flying with Lotan. She's a scavenger, willing to do just about anything, but not difficult to frighten off. She knows she's hardly capable. I imagine she'll be trailing us for some time now, hoping to gather any scraps."

I nodded, standing stiffly between Judgement and Matthew. The Archangel was still blackmailing us and I certainly didn't trust him enough to turn my back on him. At least not until Enki and Freki reached us, equally filthy.

The Magician scowled at Gabriel, but I silently instructed him to stand down, but keep his guard up.

With Enki watching the Angel, I felt confident enough to kneel beside Matthew. "Hey, Matt, how've you been? Are you okay?"

He tilted his head, blinking slow and deliberate, as if he needed to decide each time his eye slid shut. "Is anyone okay?"

I suppose not. "Are you hurt?"

"Not in this present," he replied. "In one you didn't make it in time and I was hurt. Paravaiz Kismet got lucky one time. But I knew my friend would come for me. It was time for me to join the group. I do not like being alone. But I will be soon."

"No, Matthew." I shook my head, trying to pull him to his feet. "You don't have to be alone anymore."

"He made the decision to be alone in the first place all by himself," Enki grumbled, using his fingers to comb clumps of dirt from Freki's coat.

I shot Enki a glare.

Matthew let me stand him up, though he forced me to lift most of his weight. "I will be alone soon. Not going by water. The Traitor will be alone soon. He'll be alone in water."

I sensed there was no use arguing with the Fool, but that was unacceptable. No matter what he believed, I would keep him safe. Even when I was furious with him, I'd defend Matthew from anyone. He was like a baby brother, self-serving and helpless, but unaware of the difficulty he placed on others.

Gabriel had folded his wings behind him, watching us through an unblinking gaze. Had he been following us?

"What are you doing here?" I questioned. Why had he helped me?

"Isn't it obvious?" He cocked his head with a twitching movement. "I can't hope to rescue Lotan if two out of five Arcana I've gathered to take on the Lovers--especially the Empress--get themselves killed. It won't be easy even with us all at full strength. So, when you didn't return to camp for quite some time, I took it upon myself to track you down."

"Seriously, what is it with this Lotan man?" Enki grunted, already motioning me and Matthew to begin the trek back to camp. "The Lovers have probably finished him off by now anyway."

Gabriel's wings flicked out at the question. "Lotan isn't dead. I know he's alive. He's my best friend. I've been keeping him safe since the Flood, and I'm not going to stop now, consequences be damned. I don't care what it takes. Which means I'm still willing to hand us all over to the twins in exchange for his freedom if you're thinking of backing out."

"We're not." I put a hand on Enki's back, guiding him forward as I led Matthew by the hand. At times I admired the Archangel's loyalty, his unwavering devotion to his friend. But then I remembered that he was actively blackmailing us, and any respect I had for him vanished. Whether we wanted to help or not, we couldn't return to Aphrodisia to rescue a stranger. My fingers tingled at the thought, my eyes drawn to the grisly scar dancing across Enki's chest. I couldn't go back. I wouldn't. And if that meant killing Judgement in his sleep, so be it. It wasn't as if he hadn't made it abundantly clear he'd murder us all if it meant saving his friend.

((Well, that took absolutely forever! But the next one is going to be very long. Not sure if everyone will love what happens next...

Anyway, we met a new character. What do you think of Paravaiz? And now we've got Matthew back. He's got some critical information to divulge in the next chapter. Thank you so much for your patience!))