“Does your kind worship every murderous monster, or just the creepy ones?” Veronika asked. She had half a mind to slap some sense into her moronic partner.

“On God’s island, the earth guardians protect the World Tree’s trunk while the sky guardians protect the origin of the Sacred Fruits. Without them, the World Tree would wither and the world would be destroyed.”

“Then, why are we climbing up there if there are bat monsters protecting the place?” asked Alric.

“You will see,” answered the elf. Suddenly, a tiny palm smacked the back of his head.

“Talk properly, a-hole. Your religion is senseless enough without you speaking in riddles.”

Nym looked genuinely offended by his partner’s outburst. It was every elf’s dream to visit the sacred tree. These foreigners had the honor to join him, yet they did nothing but complain.

“How shallow,” he muttered while shaking his head. “The guardians will not strike those seeking enlightenment, so long as they prove themselves worthy.” Fortunately, after seeing Veronika was still confused and irritated, the elf decided to be more specific. “The sky guardians live on top of the World Tree’s canopy. So long as we stay at the bottom, the divine beings will not bother us.”

‘Finally, something useful,’ Alric sighed in relief. After a bit of thinking, he translated his words. “The bat birds live on top of the World Tree and kill everything in sight. But, we’ll be safe so long as we hide within the leaves and don’t make much noise. Am I correct?”

“Yes, the great guardians will not…”

“Great,” Alric interrupted. “So, let’s wait until nightfall and make our way up.” The youth had many other questions he wanted to ask, but he was too tired to wrack his brain anymore. Rachel had already fallen asleep in his arms, so he figured it wouldn’t hurt do the same.

When the sun finally set, Alric slowly opened his eyes. Rachel and Finn were leaning on him while he was leaning on someone else. Just like he was holding his friends, a larger pair of hands was embracing him in return. He knew the giant’s intentions were amicable, but his hair still stood on end.

“Ook, everybody wake up. We have to go.” While lightly shaking his friends, he removed Nym’s arms and unsuccessfully tried to get some distance.

Suddenly, a muffled shriek was heard from above his head before Veronika flew down with her cheeks red. It looked like the pixies had also fallen asleep in each others’ arms, much to the dismay of one of them.

“It is time,” the elf confirmed after taking a peek outside. Darkness did not impair his vision in the slightest, and he could see further than even the pixies.

“Follow our commands and we’ll keep you safe,” said Timofey. “You humans aren’t made for survival.”

It was a grim assessment that did not bode well for this tournament. During the climb, Finn lost his balance a couple of times, but was fortunately pushed back by the pixie’s magic. He still looked depressed, though the view during the day had restored some color to the boy’s face.

By midnight, the group had reached the top. The stamina they had built during the past year paid off in spades.

“Congratulations,” smiled Nym. “You have all proven yourselves worthy of the World Tree’s blessing.”

“Will I turn into a worm?” Veronika chuckled while tapping him with her elbow.

At the top of the trunk, eight large branches spread out in every direction, creating an almost flat platform in the middle the size of a mid-sized room. Above their heads, the canopy was so thick that no creature could hope to see through it. The orange vines were also dangling around them blocking their view from all sides. As long as they did not get greedy, it seemed like they’d be safe here indefinitely.

“Someone should still keep watch while we recover our strength,” said Rachel. “Finn, you should get some sleep.”

The boy didn’t listen to her. In fact, he did not even look at her. Instead, his eyes were staring at a certain branch. If one paid attention, some 20 feet away from their position, shrouded tiny vines and leaves, a human sized crystal was floating in midair.