Two beautiful young girls were sitting by tall shadow of golden apple tree while waiting orders of their higher-ups and whispering quietly to each other.
"Are the rumours really true? Is this why everyone else left?" One of the girls asked curiously.
"That's what happened but… Yes… Maybe… We don't need to learn all details" the other girl answered uncertainly.
"Ashe, I don't understand anything. Why are you talking like that? You were with her in same room for a year! I'll ask directly to Clan Leader if you don't want to. Hmph!" The young girl couldn't wait any more for her friend's uncertain claims and stood up.
"Caitlyn, wait. Yes, all true. Miss Natsume's legs show symptoms of healing" Ashe followed Caitlyn in panic and stopped her.
"Yes finally an hope! Then what's the problem? Why everyone in such a mood?" Caitlyn's left eyebrow rose and looked at Ashe with questioning eyes.
"It's complicated! I don't know how to tell properly, Cait."
"I know your white haired witchy family cultivates a weird cold power which also isolates your people from others. But still there must be enough words in your repertoire to explain any problem" Caitlyn looked Ashe with a scornful face.
"Grrr! Cait! Alright. Listen. Yes, Lady Rikka is recovering her legs she even once said she felt a tickle!"
"That's amazing!"
"That was a year ago too. But a strange rumor also began same time. An envoy of a strong power from another continent arrived here and dominated countless guilds and clans. Later even our main clan joined them"
"What?! Why we have no idea about this?!"
"Because Leader Xiao retired." Ashe looked into eyes of Cait who stunned. Then she continued. "Shaman Union decided to leave this continent with everyone following that foreign envoy of the immortal, but Leader Chen chose to stay here until his wife recovered. So he disbanded and all soldiers went to help their families on the way."
"Disb- Disband… Why- Why alliance decided to leave? This mean, other continent has power to pressure other creatures." Cait was murmuring in shock.
"You're right. Humans no more have to live on knife-edge. And looks like That Immortal wants all high level shamans help to create 'a heaven'. So he invited all groups to join him or…" Ashe looked down with a dark face.
"What?! They threatened us like that? And how they can believe if that immortal thing is real? Why they believe to that envoy of it?!"
"Because… Even the envoy was stronger than everyone." Ashe's words once more stunned Cait.
"Alliance Leader has to be a Heavenly Shaman. You mean, another God Level Shaman appeared?! And is he just working as envoy of that immortal??" Cait's mouth took shape of O and was not able to close.
"No."
"Are u joking with me?!"
These young and beautiful girls were gifted to Xiao Chen from various guilds in his union and became part of his harem. The Union Leader had no interest in this shamanic tradition. But meaning of a rejection of gifts could be count as same as his rejection of good intentions of those respectful shaman families.
That's why even though he accepted these girls, he did not treat them as his wives even for a day; but trained them as Rikka's special servants. Dozens of young and beautiful ladies were living together. They knew and understood the situation of Union Leader Xiao Chen and his wife better than anyone else. They respected this couple's stance against society, and in time they approached and accepted each other as if they were sisters.
"Ashe, I hate you."
"That's politics! As if I can understand." She rolled her eyes. "But I heard some rumors though"
"Tell all or I'm not talking with you anymore!"
"I told you I don't know how to say. According to rumors, the envoy was a young woman no older than twenty and that was her real age. She showed a strange symbol appearing on her forehead while using her powers. She said, with those tattoos, even a commoner can have God Level Shaman powers with some restrictions. At neighbour continent, now everyone has this kind of tattoo. Even at their newborns!"
"…" Caitlyn couldn't talk for a long while. "I understand Leader Xiao's decision. Since he decided to wait here as Lady Rikka's personal guards we have to stay too. We can also travel next continent later. Actually all you said were good news. Then why I see Leader Xiao angry or upset every night?"
"Shaman Alliance preparing to strike us before leaving this continent."
"…"
"They say The Last Leader of Shaman Alliance is actually a soul shaman. And at his level, it is difficult to find a strong soul but easy to control creatures. Looks like our tree can help him to get closer to God Level… So maybe he think to achieve God Shaman Level with either controlling or consuming soul of this tree before appearing in front of The Immortal… So his power-up can be good bargain chip at there; also a huge help for all humanity, that's why other alliance groups support this idea even though they knew Leader Xiao's decision." Ashe murmured with an unhappy face.
Caitlyn sighed then looked up to mighty tree in front of her. "I hope Lady can walk again before that stupid war. No need to think. I'll guard Lady till this tree fall. At worst, we can just run away with her"
"See. I told you we don't need to know all details. Our decision will not change." Ashe said with flicked her finger on Cait's forehead and walked back to sleep for more.
"Ouch. Ashe, wait." Cait yelled.
"What-"
Caitlyn left a kiss on Ashe's lips.
"I will reward you tonight generously" said Caitlyn and walked away.
These young and beautiful girls shared the same fate and, of course, sometimes, their relationship would beyond those of sisterhood…
Caitlyn with a satisfied expression on her face and Ashe who followed her with a red face, hadn't noticed the little tree root that had listened their conservation for a long time under their feets.
Marwa was becoming more and more powerful. He gained complete control of the apple tree and was able to orientate its parts as he desired. Another feature he discovered was that he could watch and listen everywhere with even only using one of his roots.
Watching people was more fun than watching animals and plants, and it was also helping him to reclaim his memories.
"Hmm, Shaman Alliance…" The Shaman Alliance represented shamans, the greatest power of the human race. The human race was not the most dominant or strongest creature on this continent and they were just trying to survive. It was unlogical for all humans to gather at same place because it was dangerous everywhere. If one point where people gathered was under attack, they had to flee to another safe point. The human race dispersed into seven big groups and established unions in these regions.
When Marwa as a self-grown genius who reached Godly Stage, the Shaman Alliance constantly bothered him to defeat all irresistible creatures. He had zero happy memories for this organization.
Marwa grumbled: "If humans are here, then ruin not too far behind."