Survive As The Brute's Wife-Chapter 166: The Tree of Life

Arioch looked at the emptiness around him. Oddly, the nothingness around him soothed him. With the chill wind that cut through his skin, he didn’t even find the need to light a fire, although it would bring him safety. In this darkness, he felt like he need not pretend anymore. He can be himself, with himself—fearless and contemplative.

He has done a lot of wrongs in his life. Trusting Alexandra is the primary one. But this time is an eye-opener for him. he was thankful he got this second chance. He could see her for who she is only now.

All the deceit and all the drama she enacted just to get the throne for Maximillian.. he will never forgive her.

He looked at the sky. There were many stars as there was no light around. At the distance, he saw something dark rising. That should be rain clouds, he thought. He blew and mist escaped his mouth. It hurt, his heart.

He thought he might be using her for his purposes. When he saw her always fighting with Maximillian and being loud around him, he thought that she does not get along with him. When she acted docile with him, listening to his every word, he thought that she is really in love with him. But that was not the case. She was using him.

But now he has a chance to get back at her.

Even now, he still doesn’t trust her. But he is crippled, just like in his last life. His only trustworthy person has left him. No, he was sent away from him. His everything is stolen and now he is here, in the dark, alone.

He rubbed his hand and held tightly the vial he was still hanging on his neck. This is where he held Morfan and Morfan will never return as he was dead. He wondered if he could connect with the Dark Mage using this spell. Both Morfan and the Dark Mage have dark attributes and it made him wonder if this spell could summon the Dark Mage.

If the Dark Mage is looking for him, he might try and get through any possible ways. He hoped he could make the connection.

Closing his eyes, he said the spell he would chant to summon the Dark Mage. There was no response and so he repeated the chants again and again. He has the whole night for himself and he decided to try his best to bring back the Dark Mage.

As he repeated the spell, he felt the surroundings getting warmer and through his closed eyes, he could see something glowing red. It appeared that the rocks were melting and thought that glow, rose a dark mist.

As he looked closer at the dark mist, there was a sudden movement as if the mist was converging in the center. As he was observing closer, he came across two glowing golden eyes. He was shocked, but he looked closer. AS he looked at the eyes, he slowly started to feel dizzy. There was some attraction in those eyes that made him stare at it.

*Caw Caw*

The sound of a raven made him snap. He opened his eyes and he couldn’t breathe as he was buried in the sand. He sprang up from the ground and started coughing. Patting himself, he tried to get rid of the sand all over him. It took a lot of time for his coughing to stop and for him to compose himself.

He looked around. He didn’t know how long he was unconscious and it looked like a sand storm had passed around him.

<Did someone try to kill me? Was it Alexandra?>

He was shocked. He was sure he didn’t fall asleep. And so, it must have been some spell that bound him and made him unconscious. It made a wave of fear wash over him.

He opened the leather flask he had and drank the water. His heart was still beating erratically. He looked around. He heard a raven.

"Is that you?" he screamed. He knew the Dark Mage was the one who loved using the ravens. He used to communicate with the ravens. He must have been the one who sent him the raven to help him.

He ran around. At a little distance, there was a small dune and the raven was sitting on top of it. In that dark moonless night, only its form was visible and its glowing red eyes made him relax.

"Is that you?" he asked.

The raven looked at him and flew away. Like a blinded horse, Arioch followed the raven without thinking about anything else.

After crossing the dune and passing through what seemed to be the wilderness he was some time ago, he came across a small dune. The raven sat over the dune and started to croak.

"Is there something there?" Arioch got closer to the dune. The raven stepped aside and Arioch dug through the sand. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He paused when he came across something that resembled skin. He carefully removed the sand around to find a dead horse. In the sand storm, the horse must have died. The raven was still croaking and he looked closely. There was a dead man under the horse.

Aricoh recognized the clothes the man was wearing. The only ones who would wear these rough-textured clothes would be the rats living in the tunnel.

"Why are you here?" he mumbled, as he tried to figure out if he remembered his face. But he didn’t.

He checked the pockets of the dead man and the token he was hoding was the ones he provided for his messengers.

<So he is a messenger? Did he want to find me? Or are they conspiring against me..?>

Arioch started to search the pockets. And in the bag that was filled up with sand, he found a sealed letter.

<What does it say?>

There was no light and Arioch couldn’t read. He tried to find out some firewood so that he could start a fire, but there was nothing around him.

He used the matchstick he had to create light and hurriedly opened the letter.

’Maximus’ forces are moving towards Samah Arav. The barbarians are preparing for battle.’

That was the message written in the old paper. Arioch gritted his teeth and crunched the paper in his fist.

<So is that woman sending news to him? She said she will not use the beasts for my sake, but she is using them to send messages to that man? She is still cheating on me?>

-----

Alexandra looked at the tree in front of her.

"Don’t step closer," Iorhael stopped Alexandra. "Your father asked me to bring you here," he said, holding his chest. He looked uncomfortable to be here.

"You can get your hidden memories here." Iorhael turned. "I cannot handle this place. This place is not meant for elves."

"You’re leaving?" she asked and he nodded.

Alexandra let out a sigh. She didn’t know what she should do here. But she didn’t want to leave. She didn’t stop Iorhael as he disappeared into the dark tunnel.

Alexandra turned and stared at the tree. "You are the beginning, and the holder of all life, aren’t you?" she whispered. She felt an overwhelming sense of reverence and she knelt in front of the tree.

"What should I do?" she asked, looking above. She wanted to get closer to the tree, to touch the glowing little balls of light, but she couldn’t move further in. She felt like she is forbidden to get closer.

"Tell me what I should do..." she said, pressing her forehead on the ground.

Through her closed eyes, she saw brightness, and she opened her eyes. She was not where she was a moment ago. Her feet were above the ground and there was nothing around. Everything around her looked empty, dark, and she smelled the scent of burning remains.

[Where is this smell coming from?]

Before she could discern where she is, she saw a bright light flashing around that lit the darkness, making it appear white.

*Bang*

A loud noise followed, that resembled the sound of thunder. More than a thunder, she thought it was the sound of someone speaking.

She watched as the nothingness around changing form. Slowly everything changed and many bright stars accumulated to form galaxies and they spread around.

And in the centre of everything was... The tree of light.

She was yanked from that place and she saw her father. There was a beautiful woman near him and they were laughing and chatting.

[That is not my mother... That is Calantar...]

Calantar was pointing at the things and her father moved them around. After watching them work together for some time, Alexandra realized what she is witnessing.

She is witnessing the creation.

But she still didn’t know who spoke that words that created the universe. It certainly was not the tree and it was not her father and Calantar.

[Who was it?]

She was not left to think for long as she was yanked to another place. She held her abdomen that churned.

But she held her breath and looked to her front. What she saw, mesmerized her.