They weren’t the only ones. A sorceress rode on the back of abiez, and beside her, another sorceress clung to the back of a horned bear. They were racing, seeing who could reach the edge of the treeline first.
There were hundreds of monsters below us, and they didn’t move to attack or harm any fae. The glen appeared peaceful. I understood that the fae in the glen weretrainingthe monsters, and was astonished by the thought. On Earth, all fae sought to do was destroy them.
“This seems unusual,” I stated as I watched a fairy feed abukavacbits of swamp reeds.
Here, monsters and faeries live in peace. They are our pets and devoted partners, and not those we hunt, Milonna said.
It was marvelous to think in that way.
During our flight, it began to rain. Not a downpour, but only a slight drizzle. Miloona waved her hand, and the raindrops suspended in mid-air, appearing like glistening diamonds hovering in space. I flew between the raindrops, marveling at their brilliance as we continued on our journey.
In the middle of the forest was a tree bigger than all the others. I wasn’t even sure it was atree, because whatever kind it was certainly didn’t grow on Earth. It had these winding, twisting branches that extended upward to the sky, and roots that pushed up out of the dirt.
The tree was miles wide and grew to an incomprehensible height. Milonna and I appeared smaller than ants next to even one of its massive roots. The dragons that flew around it were mere honeybees in comparison. I didn’t understand how such a magnificent thing could exist, except Ifeltthe magic pulsing from it even at a distance. It was even stronger than the Crystals of Harmony had been.
There were arches and windows built into the side of the tree. I watched as hundreds of fae flew in and out of the tree like a massive hive, always coming and going.
This is the Tree of all Being. It is where all the fae live, each one who has lived throughout eternity,Milonna told me.The tree grows and grows each year, to make room for everyone who completes the journey into the afterlife. It is where we build our community.
There had to be millions of fae living inside that tree. It was absolutely maddening to think about… yet, made all the sense in the world. Milonna flew inside one of the archways cut into the tree, and I followed her.
We landed in a carpeted hallway. Expensive sconces lined the walls, illuminating the marble sculptures and ornate paintings. It felt like we’d landed in an exclusive museum. Each door that lined the hallway was carved of mahogany, and had a gold plate of the name the room belonged to. It reminded me so much of Arcanea University, and I instantly felt at home.
Fae came and went, laughing and having elated conversations. A couple of them raised a hand in greeting, calling out a welcome to me, the newcomer, while all of them bowed to the goddess beside me. When I peeked inside a doorway, I saw the rooms that the fae had were more like individual houses. There was enough room for everyone, and if there wasn’t, the tree merely expanded to make more.
“Is this where I’ll be staying?” I asked.
Milonna let out a tinkling little laugh.Oh, no. You will have a private suite in my personal palace. It is where all my champions stay, along with their chosen mates.
Ethan. My love. He was the reason my soul had chosen to live and breathe, and he was the reason I was here.
I didn’t blame Ethan. Not one bit. He’d had no control over what he did, and his actions had given my spirit some sense of peace. I could be gloriously happy here, and already was. Everything would be all right.
I only wished that he was here with me right now, though that would be wishing for his death, and I didn’t want that. I wanted him to live a full and happy life on Earth, despite the suffering I knew he had to be in now.
“Can I visit him?” I asked. I knew the dead had been permitted to visit the living, in some circumstances… even if Ethan couldn’t see, hear, or touch me, I wanted to see him, and give his soul some comfort that I was nearby and watching over him.
In time, Milonna replied.There is still much to see.
Milonna led me onward, and I forced myself to put Ethan out of my mind, for the moment. I’d made my choice for Malovia, and to save the fae, I’d had to split Ethan and I up. Mourning our separation in a glorious place like this would be worse than a sin. Our time together had been a gift, one I meant to honor. We would reunite eventually.
Even so, despite the rest my soul felt, a part of me still longed to be with him.
I would count every moment until I was in his arms again.
We flew down a winding staircase that seemed to go on forever. When we finally reached the bottom floor, I looked above me and saw the twisting roots of the tree, tangled like some kind of intricate roof. Sunlight streamed in through the opening of the roots, illuminating long tables fit to seat hundreds of fae. The sound of shifters singing war songs echoed throughout the space, and the spell of ale filled the massive room as tankards clinked together. Along the tables was spread a variety of food; rolls, freshly hunted game, cakes… anything you could want, really. It was a whole feast. I realized I didn’t have any more food allergies and could eat whatever the hell I wanted. I nearly died again of happiness.
Laughter rumbled alongside the drinking songs, and I smiled. This was the great drinking hall of our ancestors that everyone had always told me about. I cast a look around the room for Professor Desmona, but didn’t see her there. Perhaps she was someplace else.
Milonna walked into the center of the tree. I followed her through a massive stone archway, and gaped once I entered the room. Underneath the Tree of All Being was a pool, crystalline in color. A waterfall trickling out of a massive mirror above us splashed into the pool, which held dozens of transparentrusalkathat swam within its depths.
We flew upward to face the mirror. It was circular, with a silver ornate edge. I didn’t see my own reflection within the massive mirror, but instead, a window into another new world. There, I saw the expanse of a massive purple field, with floating palaces made of white stone nestled within the clouds.
This is the entryway into the Great Hunting Fields, the area of the Grounds that are reserved for our greatest warriors and heroes. Most fae are not permitted to enter, but you, my champion, can come and go any time you please,Milonna informed me.Follow me.
Milonna floated through the mirror’s surface, which rippled like water once she touched it. I flew after her, and once I touched the mirror’s reflection, I found my body immersed in some kind of thick liquid. It was viscous, and melded to my body like some sort of gooey substance before I found myself coming out the other side.
The floating palaces were even more magnificent up close. They were linked by bridges, six castles hovering hundreds of feet above ground.
