Chapter 32

“While we call the year 1000 the Guardian's first Appearance, it is not technically his first. You see, he did Appear once before, just after the creation of the world, to face Ignis in an epic duel. But we have only one record reporting this event, and it is likely he was not even an eye witness.”

Faith in the Guardian by Grand Arboler Norman Thicket, year 4021

Broadcast

Marissa Brown had a peculiar day at work—which is saying something for being an accountant.

Her coworkers didn’t get along today. Passive aggression led to heated arguments that led to shouting that led to a broken keyboard that led to Marlo being sent home early. Marissa mostly stayed out of the debates, even though she felt like she had a lot to say. It was about the usual, of course: the lumber debate.

The new law had passed just a day ago. Marissa was furious. And she wasn’t even an Arboler. As a Secular since birth, she didn’t believe in the Guardian of Magic, but she strongly believed in protecting the rights and freedom of any group. What was being done to the Arbolers was awful and unjust.

That’s partly why Kimberly Groves was her best friend.

Marissa expected to find Kimberly at the house, wallowing in self-pity about how it was all her fault the Arbolers lost the debate. To her surprise, Kimberly wasn’t home.

With a shrug, and a push on her glasses, Marissa went about her business cleaning up the kitchen and preparing herself some noodles with a light sauce. With a few command words, she switched on the news as she cooked.

A male news reporter wearing a heavy coat spoke into a microphone. Behind him were hundreds of protesters, marching round Capital Grove with signs and chants, enduring the cold breeze and falling snow. Most of them congregated near the damaged section of the wall.

“As you can see,” the reporter said, “Arbolers within the Grove have already begun setting up metal slabs to temporarily fill the gap in the wall that had been viciously destroyed just last night by a mob of Seculars. A troop of Enforcers stands guard to keep the protesters from entering. While this may look like a situation that has cooled down, the fact that hundreds of new protesters are arriving every hour shows that things may actually be heating up.”

Where’s the salt?

Marissa busied herself with her cooking. It served as a pleasant distraction. A distraction is what I need, she thought. Something to take my mind off the constant worries of the world.

As she cooked, she stole glances at the monitor. It showed several aerial views of Capital Grove shot by a camera drone. Protesters, indeed, surrounded the entire sanctuary—which was astonishing. The Grove was nearly one square mile of land. It would take thousands of people to surround it.

The news went back to two reporters talking at a desk about the recent events that transpired, leading to this point. The lumber debate. Oliver Kapur’s disappearance. The shooting. The bomb. They then discussed what changes the nation may expect to see now with the new law allowing lumber.

Marissa jumped at the sound of sizzling water. It fizzed out of the pot with the noodles in it and ran along the stove. She quickly moved the pot, turned down the heat, and cleaned up the mess. And took a long sigh.

Who am I kidding? she thought. How can I think about anything else with everything that’s going on? It’s too important. It’s too—

She turned to the monitor. She heard Kimberly’s name.

A female reporter pressed her hand to her ear. “We’ve received word from Casey at the Capital Grove that Branch Leader Kimberly Groves wishes to make a statement to the public. We take you there, now. Casey?”

The feed cut to the scene with the gap in the wall and the protesters marching around it. Instead of Casey holding the microphone, Kimberly held it, looking directly at the camera.

Marissa’s posture went rigid. She turned off the stove and glued herself to the monitor.

Kimberly looked battered. Her coat hood hung over her head. Her bangs were wet from the snow. Her injury from the bomb—a cut with several stitches just above her eyebrow—stood out.

But her expression was confident. An almost visible light, pure and white, flooded out of her eyes.

“I have a message I need to share,” Kimberly said into the microphone, her voice slow and emphatic. “A message of hope and responsibility. A message for Arbolers, Seculars, Salverians, Forids, Barklians, Donians, Kilukians, Verencians… all the people of Merith.

“Today will be a historical day. A day that will be remembered for generations. A day where faith will be faith no longer because it will be transformed into a perfect knowledge. A day where scientific theories will be debunked because solid, undisputable proof will be provided. A day where truth will reign, and deception will be no more. A day where Arboler and Secular will put aside their hate—their enmity one toward another—and will be unified in humility and love.”

Kimberly paused, taking a glance back at the protesters. Fortunately, none of them seemed to recognize her. Marissa didn’t breathe as she watched, hanging onto every word.

“It will also be a day of great bravery. The courage of many will be tested, as will their faith. I have a daring mission to give to all those who believe in the Guardian. Be you Ascendist, Reborn, Followers of Life, or even a Secular who is friendly to our cause, this responsibility falls upon your shoulders. We will need all your help, wherever you are, today.

“What I am asking all of you to do may be considered… illegal. It already is in Verence and now Salveria. Forid and Barkley are not far behind. Although the laws of mankind are often good, the laws of Life must always come first. And although the number of believers may be few, we must not let that be a reason to give up and let Ignis, the true enemy, burn us to the ground.

“Here is my request, my exhortation: protect the trees. Protect them with bravery and do so in a nonviolent manner. It’s as easy as this. Find a tree. Stand by it. And don’t move. No matter what.”

Marissa’s heart sunk to her gut. “Oh, Kim,” she said aloud. “What are you doing?”

✽✽✽

Kimberly brushed a snowflake off her eyelash, striving to maintain her concentration on the camera drone in front of her. Controlling the drone was a bearded man staring down at a screen in his hands. Another man in a suit, the reporter named Casey, stood beside the camera. When Kimberly first began her speech, he looked flustered that she hadn’t allowed him to introduce her to the viewers, but now he paled over, staring at her with wide eyes.

“Some of you may be met with peace or indifference,” Kimberly said. “Some of you may be met with anger and violence. If the latter is the case. Be brave. Do. Not. Move.

“You may ask, why now? What makes today so special?”

Kimberly paused to gather her courage. What she was about to say scared her half to death. What will people think of me? she thought. Not just the Seculars—they already think I’m crazy. But the Arbolers… they might consider me blasphemous. Will anyone even believe me? She recalled what she heard from the Tree of Life earlier. A voice. Soft but clear. I must tell them.

“I’ll tell you why. Tonight… the Guardian of Magic will Appear.”

She swallowed.

“The Tree of Life told me so.”

She didn’t smirk. She didn’t twitch. She didn’t blink. Kimberly Groves looked completely honest as she spoke. The cameraman slowly looked up from his screen and gaped at her.

“I understand this may be hard for many of you to believe,” she said. “Some of you may wonder why Life would choose to treespeak with me—a woman—before treespeaking with the Grand Arboler. Honestly, I don’t know why, but I swear to you that She did. She said, ‘My Guardian comes tonight,’ and it must be true.

“What this means is that the time has come for the Guardian himself to help us protect the sacred trees. Mankind has reached a greedy and ripened state where he must step in with power and magic to cut down those who threaten the way of Life. What we must do is join him! Stand beside him in the noble cause of guarding the trees—the very limbs of Life! And if we do so… he will save us! There is nothing to fear!

“To those of you who live in Magen City, I call on you to come to the Capital Grove with me. Defend the trees with me. Stand near Life with me. Welcome the Guardian with me with boundless joy when he comes. I’ll be here, waiting for you… and waiting for him.”

✽✽✽

Kimberly handed the microphone to someone off screen, pulled her hood lower over her eyes, gave the camera one last confident smile, and then turned around and walked toward the Capital Grove. The camera followed her as she walked by the protesters, her head lowered, and an Enforcer let her enter the Grove.

The camera then turned to Casey, a well-dressed reporter who stood speechless, the microphone hovering below his chin. “Tha… wel… my…” He coughed and recomposed himself. “A truly unexpected and bizarre speech from Kimberly Groves. I don’t… really know…”

An awkward silence.

“Back to you Amber.”

The feed cut to the two reporters, a man and a woman sitting at a desk, also silent. They stared up at the camera, just as speechless as Casey.

Marissa turned off the monitor and let out a deep breath. She raised her hands over her head, trying to believe she saw what she just saw. “Did my best friend just prophesy the fourth Appearance of the Guardian of Magic?” she asked aloud.

What was she thinking? Marissa thought. Is she high on something? Was she forced to give that speech by some radical Arboler? Has she developed a mental illness, hearing voices now? Why would the Tree of Life suddenly talk to Kimberly Groves today after being silent for… forever?

Should I go?

I don’t even believe in the Guardian of Magic or the Tree of Life. I don’t believe in treespeech. I’ve never criticized Kim for her beliefs and she’s never pressed her beliefs on me.

Until now.

Marissa groaned, removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes. After a moment, she turned her stove back on.