Mad God – Reborn

It was just before dawn as Ren was leaning against the marble railing on the balcony, watching the giant tree, glowing with a golden light. Ariana was unable to sleep, so she accompanied her Master, walking up to her and handing over a cup of coffee.

“I see that you also took a liking to it, eh?” Ren smiled, taking a sip as Ariana did the same, mirroring her Master’s exact movements. The only difference was that her eyes were filled with large, dark circles.

“I hate it being here…” She moaned quietly. “I don’t know how Shaman can sleep so tightly… and snore like a devil.”

“Because he is satisfied. He could swear at them, right into their faces and live. This was a victory for him, hehe...”

“Good for him…” Ariana said, taking another sip, then raising her eyebrows because she could see Ren’s body suddenly shake. “Master?”

“Incredible…” Ren murmured as she closed her eyes, ‘looking’ at the tree, but Ariana saw nothing out of the ordinary. “He advanced.”

“What?” Ariana blinked, comprehending her words yet not at the same time.

“He came to a new understanding. He comprehended something about himself or about the world. The end result is the same; he just took another step forward.”

“How do you know, Master?” She looked at the tree, then back to Ren, still not feeling anything out of the ordinary.

“Even though I wouldn’t be able to put up a fight, it does not mean I would not try.” She giggled, winking at Ariana. “So I was monitoring everything and felt the subtle change. It was an instant, but I felt it.”

“Remarkable.”

It was not only Ariana’s voice but a different, mixed one that joined in, making it seem like three people said it at once. In the next moment, from high above them, Catherine’s body drifted downwards, by now not connected to the tree as it was moving freely.

“Congratulations.” Ren nodded after emptying her cup, placing it on the balcony’s railing.

“Thank you.” She replied, her eyes turning towards Ariana, who gulped but tried to stay calm and collected. She straightened her back, ready for anything. “Also, thank you,” Allfather repeated, surprising Ariana.

“Thank… me?” She blinked her eyes rapidly, turning towards Ren, then back to the body of Catherine.

“Yes, I was long in a debate with myself, even if I tried not to acknowledge it. You pushed me to face it and reach a conclusion. Now I have come to understand more about myself, the world, and the things living in it. Sometimes we need to hear what we don’t want to hear.” Allfather said peacefully.

“N-no problem… I think?” Ariana answered, with confusion in her eyes.

“I made a decision.” The ents’ leader continued. “I’ll release Catherine and all the rest of the human souls under my roots. They served their punishment. It is time. They can pass on.”

“Oh?” Ren raised an eyebrow as she leaned backward, crossing her arms. “You are decisive, I see. Did you tell the rest?”

“No. It is my own choice, and I won’t force the rest to follow in my steps. If they don’t want to do it, that is their decision. Also… I’ll look into some things, I promise.” He added, looking back over Ren's shoulders, watching the figure of Shaman. The old chimp immediately woke up when Allfather arrived and was watching from inside, ready to ambush him if needed. Even if it would mean death.

“I want to thank you for it in his name.” Ren agreed, and Ariana clearly shook as she suddenly felt Catherine’s emotions rumble after hearing the Allfather’s decision.

She was a prisoner in her own body, bound to this undead existence. At first she went mad; it lasted for hundreds of years before she came to herself once again. It was followed by a state of nihilism, and after that a few decades of hope, begging and groveling before Allfather’s mind. Then came centuries of praying to every God she knew about. Now, hearing that she would be released took her by surprise. Such emotions were never before felt by Ariana as the ones she picked up on now. They radiated out of Catherine’s body like the sun’s rays on a hot, summer day, even making Allfather release a soft sigh. It was filled with relief, so intense that tears formed in the corners of Ariana’s eyes.

“I was wrong. I apologize.” Allfather said to Ren, but he did not explain why. Yet Ren just cupped her hands, bowing a little towards Allfather.

“I respect those who can say these words. If I said anything that was out of line, I also apologize, Demigod of the Ents.”

“Call me Allfather.” He said as he returned her cupped hands, mimicking her stance. Then, taking a deep breath and forming a seal with Catherine’s hands, he continued. “Goodbye, Queen Catherine. You were punished because of what your house did, but now, it is over.” Allfather spoke, letting his words be heard by everyone.

Catherine could say nothing; her soul just wept. Even Ren could feel it, as a golden colored fruit appeared from the chest of her body, landing in the palm of hers. Catherine’s soul was already gestating within it, quickly losing her memories and being purified, yet it did not dissipate but instead fused with the golden fruit itself. At the same time, above them, on the giant true body of Allfather, hundreds of thousands of similar fruits appeared. The unexpected event quickly sent a sea of rumbling around the forest as trees awoke to it. They started talking among themselves, immediately knowing what was going on. Some quickly followed suit, bearing their own golden fruits, but there were still many who did not.

“What are these?” Ren asked, looking up, then back to the one in Allfather’s hands who still used the body of Catherine to move around and communicate with Ren.

“It has no name.” He shook his head. “But if you need to call it something, let it be called Soul Seed.”

“What does it do?” Came the question from between Ariana’s lips.

“That depends. It houses a soul; it does not matter if it is a demon’s or a human’s; it sustains it. You could consume it, and it would strengthen your own.”

“It could…?” Ren froze, immediately thinking of Leinor, who was also watching it intently but for a completely different reason. The thought of getting fed others’ souls and robbing them of reincarnation disgusted him greatly, yet his wife was already thinking about asking for it and eating it on the spot. Ren’s thoughts and feelings were once again completely focused on bringing Leinor back, ignoring the cost it would require.

“Yes,” Allfather said, watching her closely as the light in Ren’s eyes turned, fluctuating at every passing second. “Or you could plant it, and an ent is going to be born, making the soul reincarnate into one of us. The third option is to break it and let the soul go free, and let nature take its course.” He explained, giving it into Ren’s hands, watching her, waiting for her decision, clearly using this as a test.

“Ren…” Leinor spoke up inside her mind. “I already told you how I feel about this!”

“I… know…” She answered, still… Her fingers held it even stronger now.

“She suffered enough… REN!” Leinor raised her voice as Ren brought it closer to her face. “Ren… listen! You need to learn to let go. Don’t do it. We are going to find a different way!”

“...” In the end, she stopped her hands, and after a long silence, her fingers cracked the surface of the Soul Seed, breaking it into hundreds of small pieces. It did not fall to the ground but transformed into specks of light, rising into the sky and disappearing quickly. “Fuck it…” She whispered under her breath, letting out a deep, somewhat painful sigh, and closing her eyes.

Ariana had already stepped behind her Master, gently hugging her, feeling the disturbed thoughts, while Catherine’s old body just smiled a little. Up in the sky, the countless seeds also cracked, welcoming the dawn with chiming sounds, and a shower of light painted an otherworldly, beautiful picture for those who witnessed it.

“One day, they are going to be reborn,” Allfather said as he looked up to the sky, watching the rising sun’s rays shine through his leaves. “Let nature decide their fate.”

“Yeah…” Ren nodded as she opened her eyes and took another deep breath, but suddenly her pouch trembled. “Shit! I forgot!” She exclaimed, but it was too late. It just popped with a loud burst and Harimau’s intact body ‘jumped’ out, knocking both them and Allfather off their feet.

“Ugh… my buttocks!” Ariana moaned, rubbing it as she was standing up and helping her Master to her feet. Allfather, still in Catherine’s body, was stuck under the heavy body of the Tiger King.

“What… is… this?” Allfather groaned, trying to lift it, but that body was not strong enough to do so. It was then that Shaman slowly walked forward, laughing with a satisfied smirk on his face, watching Allfather struggle under it.

“Oh yeah… it is something I need your help with.” Ren giggled. “There is something we need to talk about. I think you would want to know about it, too…” She reached down, helping Allfather climb out from under it.

…

….

…..

It was early morning, and Tylvana stood in the old villa where Harimau lived, wearing a long robe that covered her disfigured body. Since the death of her friends and her own injury, most of the skin was already healed, but she would never be the same. Her body was filled with patches of her old armor, like some kind of disease, looking hideous in others’ eyes. Her arms, which she had forcefully transformed in the last fight, could no longer revert, and now they were part human-looking, part animalistic, and partly metallic as they ended in an unretractable, sharp, and deadly claw. She was unable to grab anything well anymore.

“Can’t sleep?” Sengge walked up to her.

“I slept enough.” She said, shaking her head, yet it was evident it was only half a truth. “How’s the meeting coming along?”

“Rough. There are some really thick-headed ones amongst us. But it will work. I’ll make it work. You should join us! You are one of the new leaders of the forming council.”

“My look is not something others take too well. I’ll pass, thanks.” She shook her head.

“They just need to adjust a little.”

“You also know that is not true.” Tylvana smiled a little, looking up at him. “I was thinking. After everything is done, I’ll leave.”

“To where?” Sengge asked, surprised by her words.

“Up north. We need sentries to keep an eye out for the dwarfs. I’ll do it myself.”

“You don’t need to exile yourself, you know.”

“But I want to do that. I… want it.” She said, shaking her head, silencing Sengge. “If I miss the forest, I can come back.” She added after a little pause. “I may miss the trees one day.”

“Of course you can! Take some of these golden fruits with you. They have a surprising effect on the body.” Sengge said, pointing at the trees before the villa. "It helps, believe me."

“Really?” She asked as she raised her eyebrows, watching the orchard that was Harimau’s own.

They knew about it for a long time, and they knew it was the reason he placed his “capital” here. At the start, he traded the fruits for the dwarfs' inventions, before finally starting to deport living demons. Nobody questioned why he grew these things or what he did with them, at least, not right into his own face... But everyone knew that eating the golden fruits helped a troubled mind.

“Yeah. He squandered these." Sengge muttered, "They are immensely helpful, especially when we draw down our own tribulations and help us survive them easily. It could also help you ease the pain you may feel. Both in body and spirit.”

“Then I may try it…” Tylvana nodded.

“I’m planning to store them, use them as rewards amongst our people, and not trade them away in carts. Damned idiot…” Sengge said as he shook his head, drawing a smile onto Tylvana’s face. "We need to raise a new generation, and these will make sure that they can survive."

“You are going to be a good leader.” She said, looking up at him.

“I hope you are right.” Sengge smiled, patting her shoulder. “If not, you can always come back and take my place.”

“A lot of others would not like that!” Tylvana chuckled, watching the golden orchard, not knowing that what they were looking at was something filled with gestating souls.