Chapter 7: Hers

Akuji was perplexed. It has been a few hours since the child her arms have woken up but they have not spoken a word. They allowed her to carry them further away from their home, the village. She asked them what they wanted to eat but they did not speak; they only looked at her innocently. She can see a hint of confusion but a large amount of admiration filled their beautiful purple eyes. Even when she had her crow deliver an apple to those tiny hands, they did not speak. They gave the crow happy nods then nibbled on the apple.

They are a few hills away from the village, too far for a child to run back before nightfall but close enough for her to bring them back. Even though she expected to turn the child into her follower but she didn't expect it to be so easy.

Rehna stared into her back then said, “You should take the child back to the village. You are far from parent material.”

“I did not ask for your opinion.” She responded, smoothly. She looked at the child her arms. “Are you girl?” The child shrugged, confused. “Okay, you don’t know. Do you want to stay with me?” They nodded their head. “Alright.”

The nomad looked appalled at the lack of respect given to her. Akuji could see grass growing in front of her, ready to strike then receded back to their normal height.

She sighed then muttered, “I’m not trying to treat you badly but this decision it between me, the village and the child. The village does not care if they stay or leave and I want them with me but I won’t force them. Considering they haven’t jumped out of my arms hours ago tells you what they think.”

The child stared at her then pointed at the ground. She bent down to let them go, prepared for them to run away, only for them to stretch then grab her hand.

She stood up and stared at the tiny appendage. She shifted her attention to the night sky then back to the child. “I know you recently awoke but we should rest.” Then she withdrew herself from the child, troubled minded.

She whistled at her crow, a sound that tells him to find food. He cawed proudly flew into a nearby forest. The child froze as all their attention went to watch the beautiful black blur, allowing Akuji to expand the distance between them until she disappeared into the forest.

The demigod watched from some underbrush as her child looked for her for a moment then sat down, facing the forest. She stayed there for a moment then snuck off to find her own prey. She strode through the forest, daring anything to attack her. She huffed when she noticed a black wolf bowing to her presents rather than attack her.

She glanced at an ancient tree then observed their majesty. Even in the cover of darkness, she sees the trees were far into the sky. She couldn’t see the trees’ top as they were hidden by other trees; trees that can never reach untold height. Those trees were covered in a million branches and each branch has thousands of leaves. The vitality on these trees must be unprecedented.

She hesitated before placing her hand on one of the ancient trees. Her tattoo glowed, providing the only light in the darkness as she looked up and said, “I am Akuji. Please give me your strength Gaea and Athena. I know I have hurt one of you people and I will not hurt them again. I need your energy.”

The trees shook and hummed a deep song. The song vibrated through the wind until every tree joined the powerful yet haunting song. The tree she was touching started to vibrate to the song, creaking and moaning to its power. She backed away, startled by the tree come alive. The bark where her hand laid peeled back and revealed a beautiful smooth wood.

The trees around her hummed louder as the wood twisted into her face, reflecting her fear and every fault. It was her tree at that moment; a tree that shown every possibility in her life. It called to her, It was her. A flash of memory entered her mind.

A bar with the thumping heart.

She collapsed before the tree in a gaze. The bar she laid on and understood before her journey started was this tree. It wasn't a part of it. All of the trees was that bar and her heart laid in it...

She looked up at the tree; her flaming red hair flowed in the breeze contrasting with the blue hue of the moonlight and her fear ran through her blood. What happened to the tree? What will happen to her?

The song quieted to a buzz and the forest went into slumber. The bark on the tree grew back, leaving a permanent image of her face warped and trapped. Trapped in the unknown. Her tattoo glow faded and she was left staring at herself. Not the face in the tree but the tree itself.

“Am I the only one? Will others be plagued to this lifelike am?” She asked the tree. She eyes searched for signs but there was nothing for her to see. “Will there be other demigods?”

She stayed in the forest, not moving from her place near her tree. The moonlight stayed on her form,

Beckoning her to move but she couldn’t. There were too many thoughts and emotions running through her mind. She was startled out her thoughts by a soft touch. She looked at her side and recognized those beautiful purple eyes. She pulled the child in her arms and nuzzled their clumped hair, trying to hide her.

“A-aku-k-k-j-i…” The child tried to say her name but lost courage and whispered strange sounds. They buried their head in her shoulder and wrapped their arms around her neck.

She smiled at the child then looked grimly at the trees. “Crow, eat some matter and magic I stored to multiply. Three of your children will watch this one.”

The spirit crow looked at her then cawed softly. It hopped to her swan tattoo and tapped its beak against. It broke her skin and it drank her blood, softly cawing in pleasure. She felt a horrible burn in her heart and shoulder but kept quiet to not startle her child. The pain lasted a brief moment then it disappeared as if it never existed.

The crow shimmer out of existence for a moment, its smoke like body was flowing like raging waters. The smoke combined then imploded into a purple mist with a symbol of a heart in the middle. Seeing that symbol only led to one thought.

She already hates her future.