Tree of the Fallen

Reaching outskirts of the city, I was met with light touches of a cool wind. Such wind is only possible in wide open spaces, as it does not have any resistance. The feeling of freedom drove intoxicated me and I wanted to go as far as possible from this city right away.

But freedom usually is accompanied by a question of its uses. There is a plethora of options, and it was necessary to decide in what direction to move.

North - South - West - East. And I do not even know what I might find and where. So it wouldn't suprise me if I get lost along my journey.

I startet to search for some sort of object that stands out against the general background. It will be better if I move along the landmarks, and if anything, I might go back if needed.

Now I stood on the road leading through the hills somewhere out of the city. There was a little river going straight through the city. An abundant number of trees grew along the shore, but the closer they were to river, the more twisted they became. It seemed strange to me.

I turned around and looked again at the opposite side. There, somewhere far away on the hill, could be seen contours of a huge tree, which I noticed even in such darkness. Well, here's the first landmark.

I went towards it, looking around the neighborhood. It looks like a hilly heath. And a very hilly one at that. The earth seemed to have undergone some sort of bombing or global excavation, since several meters deep ravines alternated with hills of the same height.

Out of curiosity, I descended into one of the ravines and decided to examine it. Having descended along the flat side, I went down. It was a fairly long ditch, which, as it extended, became more and more deep. Steep wall interrupted it at the end, occasionally crumbling.

Someone's remains were crunching under my feet.

I looked up and froze. There were not less than 8 meters.

Hmm, but the earth is dead and nothing grows on it.

Going back the same way, I quickly determined the direction I was originally going. It so happened that on my path were several more such holes, which, unlike the previous ones, were more like pits. I was going through a very hilly terrain, and it was extremely tiring to walk in my shoes. Ropes kept digging into my flesh , and the wooden sole was bent under inadequate angles. So I very soon took off my wooden sandals and threw them into the bag, returning to the barefoot state again.

I even thought to dig a cave in one of the hills and live in there, growing pumpkins.

Coming ever closer to the giant snag that I decided to go towards, I felt an increasing sense of satisfaction and delight. It seemed that I have just fulfilled such a small and meaningless mission, but I had so much pleasure from the fact that I MYSELF decided to head there and it was MY OWN choice.

I think my next goal will be to climb on it and look around.

I wonder how long night lasts here?

I thought, once again sinking my leg into the hole, which I did not notice in the darkness.

In front of me I saw a wooden giant, whose dry feet had grown into the ground and pierced it with sprouts for many meters, looking out and again diving into the ground. I'm talking about roots.

Its trunk was a few dozen meters in diameter, and the height ... I looked up. I can not even count it.

And I wanted to climb it?

I walked around it in search of a place where you can start climbing. The nearest thick branch is three meters higher. Well, first you need to get to it. Fortunately, the trunk was not smooth, but in places it was chipped and with old sticks sticking out of it ... rusty handles of swords? Only now I saw that it was not boughs that stuck out, but weapons stuck in it. And there were a lot of them: along the entire height of the trunk, hundreds of such "branches" were stuck.

Hmm, maybe it's something like ribbons and locks from my old world? All the same, it's their culture ...

Jumping up and clinging to the nearest hilt, I hung on it. I swung myself and clinged with my other hand to the next hilt. I pulled myself up, put my foot on the ledge, pulled myself up even higher, and with a little pushing back I grabbed both hands by the wide, curved hilt of the sword without the guard, almost grabbing the blade itself. Although I do not think that it is still as acute, but I didn't trust it .. After hanging on it, I began to look for some kind of support with my feet. Having found it, I tried to reach it.

...

Swinging, I jumped to a couple of meters wide branch and grabbed it. I'm at a height of a few yards, my heart was beating heavily with the strain of muscles and excess adrenaline. If I fall, I certainly will not be killed, but ... but it depends on how I fall. So trying not to think about it, my hands slip, and my feet look for support, hanging in the air. At this rate, it's going to be a long fall .. Turning my pelvis to the left, I kicked my foot against the trunk, increasing resistance. And slowly I began to crawl, moving my body towards the branch.

Once with my whole body on it, I rolled over on my back, breathing heavily.

Hmm, I already have a pretty good view from here, I must climb a few meters higher and that should be enough. But now it will be easier to climb, since the trunk branches further into many branches, making it possible to easily climb them.

Climbing a few meters higher, I found a large hole in the tree. At the very least, I was able to fit there. And it dawned on me that it was possible to spend the night right here. I always dreamed of a house on a tree, but it's even better in a tree!

I decided to weigh all the pros and cons. It's already night, so I have to sleep somewhere, and it's much worse to do so on the ground than here. If they are to look for me, it's a great hideout. It's warm, there's no wind, it's very dark now and it's better to wait until morning.

Yes, I think I'm just very tired, because my body already without my command pushed scattered around me rubbish, which was indistinguishable in the dark and spreaded out a cloak.

The bag was laid under my head and as soon as the head touched it, the last thoughts instantly disappeared from my mind.

***

Deviation

Sun Yi

I woke up lying in the same closed garden of the Dzhau city.

Get drunk and you will be happy for several hours. Get married, and you will be happy for several years. Plant a garden, and you will be happy all your life. But the ancestors did even more; they made a place that even descendants highly appreciate for its properties.

Eight hours of Accomplishment straight down the drain. And all because of some kind of plebeian, who was brought here by someone at night. I'll have to go to the Chamber of Reflection and see what such a sudden interruption cost me.

Eh? Why was I unconscious? And where is his body?

Cold rage mixed with surprise spread over my body. He is either alive and after getting into it my energy gone on his own, or ... was simply a bait, and his corpse was carried away after they attacked me ...

Demoness it!

I must find out, what they wanted to make of it..

I remembered him ... and felt my cheeks went red, and my breathing became more frequent. I wonder how he could withstand so much of my energy, because even girls can not stand the degree of its concentration and saturation.

And in the end .. So lewd .. My heart contracted, and my chest filled with shame, and ..

I hope he died.

***

I woke up in the middle of the night from an eerie roar. It looks like thunder, although there is no sound of rain ...

And as soon as I thought about how strange it was, and about my location during a possible thunderstorm, when suddenly a prolonged cramp clenched my whole body and my mind went blank again.