Chapter 29: The Last Fruit

Miko:

I rubbed my shins with fury, a failed attempt to push the pain out of the bone. It did offer some relief or at least a distraction, but then the pain in my head throbbed in my eyes, forcing me down to my backside. My thumb and middle finger squeezed against the side of my skull near my eyesockets in an attempt to recover my vision. A few moments later, I was able to sit up and take in my surroundings. I was surprised the crashing fall didn’t knock me out, so this was much preferred. Although, the nap would have been much appreciated.

A pouch in my bag comfortably held the apple like with the rest of my belongings as I slung the pack over me. This place didn’t change, the green veins still flowing to their point despite the fruit being plucked. I had half expected a rumbling earthquake to shake the tree from the roots, but nothing had occurred or changed. The apple most likely regrows if not eaten after a certain amount of time as a precaution if a fruit ever accidentally comes loose from natural occurrences.

Despite the pain in my legs from the jump and previous practices, the walk back to the trunk was enjoyable. Every day I got to walk on my own was a reminder of how far I had come. No more piggybacks on Maleki’s back needed; I can get around just fine by myself. The growth spurt I experienced in my time here would probably make carrying me more difficult anyhow. Making it to the stairs, I turned right to proceed further down the steps and walked until I found the other colored vein. After climbing down the steps and passing another branch, I found the violet vein humming with life and streaming forward, guiding me to another colossal limb. This limb was similar in size, stretching out far into the distance like the rest, but there was a subtle difference in the shape. There was perfect symmetry in the way it grew. Sub-branches coiled back onto the limb and underneath at odd intervals, creating a coiling effect. Every ten feet, a twig grew on the left side; another ten feet and a twig would grow on the right. The very middle of the branch was cut inward a step, revealing the inside layer of the tree and providing a soft walking area to the end.

Advancing through the perfectly manicured walkway, I arrived at a fork in the path where the veins split into two directions. The left side branched off, arching upwards; the right side arching down about seven feet. You could walk up and down them with their degree of curvature, so I took the left side, stepping down and being more careful as the width of the branch had diminished significantly. Twenty feet ahead, the branch began to shrink and cone upwards like a tentacle. The top side also did this, meeting the bottom wooden tentacle at a center point, where a violet fruit lay in the middle.

How would I get up there? It was approximately seven feet up, which was a jumpable height for me, but a slight arc over the side of the void prevented me from snatching the fruit and falling to safety. Sliding down was possible if I approached from the top, but grabbing motions would be complicated with one arm. Shimmying up the bottom with two legs would be safer, but holding on while getting the fruit would be hard. I can’t throw anything, so the second idea will have to work. There’s no real way to test it either, so I’ll just have to go for it!

I placed my hand against the bark of the wooden spike, preparing myself mentally for the movements, and then an idea popped into my head. Maleki strapped us together by our belts by tying them around us during the climb, which assisted in holding us together in the event I slipped. What if I used mine to assist me in shimmying up? That would allow me to effectively grab the fruit more safely. During the climb, I was able to confidently switch the part of my body that stopped working, so I would go to sleep today with the idea of both my arms working and try again in the morning. I found a comfortable spot to rest that was safe from sliding or drifting over the edge in my sleep; waking up while falling to my death was not on my agenda.

Laying flat on my spine, I looked to the sky, which was mostly blocked by the upper crown of the tree’s large leafy branches. Enough light peered between the leaves to see almost everything around, but the thick leaves and branches prevented me from seeing the moons. Maleki always liked to look at them and talk about the fictional environments they hosted. He would go on and on about the terrain, the hypothetical creatures, and the events that happened up there. Banter with him was what I found myself missing the most. Those conversations we had, even if they were silly or about nothing, still meant a lot to me.

The tree swayed as I slept, and I awoke to a whistling sound that passed through the twigs and leaves. Time was difficult to track here, where ever here even is. The old maps don’t even include The Garden or any of its features. Likely because no one had ever been here and returned or made it back with enough knowledge or memory of where they were and what they had seen. I wasn’t sure how long I had slept, but I did dream. The details escaped me so quickly after I woke, but glimpses of images scanned through my mind; a quick summary of what I felt or saw was all that remained. I stood up with one leg, finding my balance quickly.

Stretching my hands wide, I undid my belt, pulling it through the loops until it drooped loosely in my right hand. No point in packing up if I die, so I left all my belongings strewn about. Walking over to the apple’s cage, a flick of my right wrist wrapped the entire belt length around the circumference of the wooden finger-like protuberance. I bounced back and forth between my heel and bridge as I prepped mentally for the motions I had planned. Finding a position on the tree with my foot, I stepped up as high as possible and placed my foot sideways against the bark. I pulled hard against the belt and held myself by arching my back. To move forward, I would have to slide the belt and my hands up the bark while releasing enough tension to prevent it from getting caught in the chips in the rigid outer layer. My first attempt was admittedly rough. The timing was challenging to track, and to be fair, I am hanging over thousands of feet of dead air. There’s a slight chance I could hit another branch during the fall, but at this height, that would kill me, too. A few more awkward tries and I had the motion down. I slid my foot up the arc a couple of inches, and at the same time, I pulled the belt up slightly. A small accomplishment, but progress nonetheless. This repeated until my hands were close enough to the purple veins to feel the vibrations causing the hum to be heard. Up this close, it felt more like a thumping, like that of a heart.

What would happen to this colossal tree when all the fruit was plucked? What would happen to The Garden without the tree? No time to worry about that. I took the excess length of my belt and passed it over to my left hand. Now clutching the leather belt with one hand, my entire body was supported by my left leg and left hand. My free hand found the whole of the apple, gripping it entirely in my hand tightly. The thumping was strongest here in its violet core. I ripped it from the tree’s grasp and brought my right hand close to my chest. The base of the branch was just a few feet away, and with my newfound confidence in jumping, I pushed hard off the wooden tentacle, unleashing the excess length of the belt I had gripped in my left hand. To protect the apple, I fell on the side of my foot, transferring the bulk of the force built up all onto my rear, which hit the branch’s tough bark with a firm thud. Not too bad…

After a few moments, the tree didn’t groan or recoil in anger from what I had done. The last two apples in the tree had been plucked and removed from its’ grasp. No creatures came to the tree’s rescue, nor did beasts arrive to swat me away. All those months I spent trying to get my body capable of movement had culminated at this moment. My plans, although primitive, had been successful. Now I have to get to the ground, get to Maleki, and finish this.

With one good leg, I hobbled over to my bedspread and collected all my belongings. The violet apple hummed sweetly as I placed it next to the lime green apple in my bag’s inside pouch. I wasn’t tired; this place prevented that feeling, so it was difficult to sleep in the first place. I would have to hobble around like this for a while until enough time passed for sleep to be possible, and then I could try and wake with two working legs. Where to go next? Should I try and climb down the colossal tree? That feels much harder than the initial climb for several reasons. If I have to, I will, but for now, I want to visit Ananke again.

My limp made the walk to the top of the trunk much slower. Once I reached the steps, I had to incorporate both my arms into the movement like an animal. One less leg made the total climb up the steps take almost twice as long. I reached the top and found the platform empty — she wasn’t waiting for me like before. “Ananke?” I yelled out, hoping to avoid scaring or surprising her. It was silent up here. Her chairs were tucked into the table, the tea set stacked neatly and untouched. Hobbling to her hut, I gave an audible signal that I was walking around with my voice and obviously loud steps.

Peering into her hut, nothing of interest was seen. She did not live lavishly; even her bed was made of flowers blooming on the tree and leaves curling at the edges. There was no sign of recent activity here, so I walked the perimeter of the top trunk, hoping to see a hint of where she was. Then my eye caught a glance of her — she was perched on top of a malformed bulk of wooden mass at the northwest side of the platform. The steps up the malformation weren’t ideal, so my arms did most of the work, pulling myself up fifteen feet with a few extravagant maneuvers that were necessary with only one leg. She was turned away from me, looking out into the infinite greens of The Garden below. I sat a few feet to the side of her with a deep puff of my chest. Our legs dangled in the air, which spiked my heart rate as my fear of heights sunk in. Looking out into the distance wasn’t as bad, so I avoided looking directly down. From this angle, I could see the mountain and sea we crossed to get here. Mors Interitus was so far away, making it seem small, but I knew from experience that that was false. “If I knew back on the farm what it was going to take to get here, I might not have ever tried in the first place.

Her head was rested in her left hand, maintaining her stare into the depths below. “None would blame you, dear boy.” She spoke slowly and solemnly.

“All of this, the view out in front of us — It’s not worth it, but it is beautiful. I have seen very little in my life, but this is surely the only place like it on the whole planet.”

“I thought that too at first. When it was all we knew, there was still an appreciation for The Garden. Before the curse, Khronos and I traveled all around, finding new places and naming new things. You’ll find many places in this world filled with just as much beauty.”

“Do you miss it then? Being out in the world. It has changed a lot, ya know? There are a lot of people past that mountain.” I pointed into the distance to clarify where I meant.

She sighed loudly, her emotion front and center on her face. “The worst part is, I have burdened Khronos to travel the world alone. He always comes to visit me when The Garden allows him and tells me of the places he has seen or how they have changed. I have learned much of your world through stories and small items he is permitted to bring in.”

“We have much in common, then. Back on the farm, I had only met a few people throughout my time there. Everything I learned was from a book or secondhand through tales and stories. Even since then, I have only truly met a few more people; A carriage driver and you and your husband. There were others we passed by or had short conversations with, but they were all rather meaningless. I guess I’m saying I know how you feel.”

She looked at me for the first time since the conversation started, “You are free to wander, no?”

I laughed. “You saw the shape I was in before, right? Moving about was not a luxury I possessed.”

She chuckled, jesting back at me, “You could have crawled around? I would crawl if it relinquished me from this prison.” Her mood shifted back.

“I am familiar with prisons, well, the figurative kind. My own body was a jail for a time. It took a change of perspective for me to change that. Perhaps you need a change of perspective?”

“I have lived a long time, boy. Many perspectives have come and gone, yet I am still here.”

“You have Khronos, though.”

She smiled, the thought of him bringing her back to life a little. “Yes, I do, but he has changed a lot too. This tree knows the power he holds over me, and it tends to control our interactions as a penalty or motivation.”

“He cannot simply come up here and visit you? He is a primordial. What prevents someone with such strength from doing what they please?”

“Hah! Khronos is no rule bender, never has been. That is sure to never change. For every individual he brings to The Garden, in failure or success, he is permitted time with me.”

“Oh, so why isn’t he here right now?” I asked.

“You have not yet failed nor succeeded.” She responded honestly. “Speaking of — you are here now and carrying the remaining fruits. What shall you do next?”

She gets straight to the point and tends to ask all the questions you don’t necessarily want to answer. Grandmother had that same pesky talent….” Not sure yet. I wanted to come here first, finalize my thoughts, and apologize.”

“Apologize?” She asked, confused.

“Well, yes...my brother would have slapped me silly for how I acted earlier.” I paused, thinking of Maleki while I rubbed my head — a likely area he would have struck me. ‘You would like him. You might not have changed his mind if he was up here, but he’s a better person than I am.”

She smiled, accepting my apology with a nod. “Your brother is many things, but he is not you. Don’t get obfuscated by his light, and let yours dim. He is not here right now because of his own choices, but you are due to your own.”

My head drooped, denying her kind words. “I’m here in the first place because of him. He carried and dragged me to the very end. This wouldn’t be possible without his efforts.”

She demanded me with her words this time, “Did he climb up this forsakenly tall tree and have the courage to pluck the fruit?” I didn’t respond, her question being rhetorical. “No, you alone did that. You both made it this far because you worked together; at some points, one of you carried the weight for the other. Right now, he is down there, and you — you are up here doing what needs to be done.” She winked at me while mimicking my statement from our last conversation, a successful attempt to un-sour the mood

She was encouraging me. That wasn’t owed to me, and yet she was being nice. I was about to steal from The Garden, and this ancient primordial was giving me words of endearment. Odd… “Thanks, Ananke. I guess I needed another change in perspective.” There was silence for a moment before I broke through it. “How does Khronos visit you? Does he climb the tree each time?”

No, the tree-” She cut herself off, catching her words before they formed a complete sentence.

“The tree, what?” I asked.

“I have already said too much.” She said.

She had indeed. “So, the tree can bring him here?” I asked. She did not respond, moving her head back to the center, away from my eyes. “I’ll bargain with the tree then. Ask it to take me to the bottom.”

“You’ll bargain?” She laughed hysterically. “What do you have to offer to a colossal tree in your mortal form?” Her laughs flickered slowly, letting the moment carry on longer than needed.

I thought about it, and again, she had pointed out something I had not prepared for. The only items I had to offer I had to have to heal Maleki. Our previous conversation trickled into my mind, and I went back through everything she explained about The Garden and this tree, her contact with it. What contract could I make? The thoughts settled with me until an idea formed. “I won’t need to bargain. Last time we spoke, you said this tree was conscious to some extent.”

“Yes, it wields a heart and mind of its own.”

“This tree is like us, imprisoned and cursed. Its heart has been fractured since the first fruits were stolen. I don’t need to convince the tree — it will help me all on its own.”

She smirked, trying to hide her eye roll. “Your logic is flawed, but you might have a point. If the tree helps you, that will be its own doing. Although, it would not be unfair to say your idea is akin to someone asking a person they intend to attack for a weapon prior to their immediate attack.”

“You think this tree will give me a weapon too?” I stated in a dumbfounded tone, blinking quickly. She almost took me seriously, cutting herself off before replying.

I raised my hands in defeat at the joke. “There’s no need to get into the details. Let’s hope the tree sees my plan differently.” I said, standing up and pushing against the edge with my palms. One big breath of fresh air, and I took in this sight for hopefully the last time.

“Where are you headed?” She asked.

“I have a few more things to do. How will I beckon the tree when I’m ready?”

“The colossal tree is everywhere. Speak to it directly as you would to me.” She said plainly.

With much on my mind, I left this place for a second time, mumbling aloud, “Thanks again, Ananke. See ya around.”