The wind howled as Argolaith, Kaelred, and Malakar stepped out of the cavernous mountain, leaving behind the unsettling presence of Malakar’s lich contact.
The sky stretched wide above them, the world expansive, untamed.
But something felt different now.
A weight had settled upon them—not from exhaustion, but from the revelation that still lingered in their minds.
The Five Trees.
Each person had their own Five Trees that called to them.
A force woven into their very souls, guiding them toward something far greater than themselves.
Argolaith clenched his fists, feeling the pull even more now than ever before.
Before, he had thought it was merely a journey for power.
Now, it was something else entirely.
A question of his very existence.
They descended the rocky terrain, their movements steady but their thoughts racing.
Kaelred broke the silence first.
"So… everyone has their own Five Trees?"
Malakar nodded, his cloak billowing slightly in the wind. "Correct. No two people share the same Five Trees. Even if they are close, even if they journey together, their destinations will always be different."
Argolaith’s brow furrowed. "Then how do we find them?"
Malakar smirked. "You listen."
Kaelred gave him a flat stare. "Oh, that’s helpful."
Malakar chuckled. "I’m serious. Your Five Trees are tied to your soul. The more you grow, the more you understand yourself, the stronger the pull will become."
Argolaith looked down at his hands. He could feel it.
That pull had been there since the beginning.
A constant force in the back of his mind, leading him forward.
But now, it felt clearer.
Like a path he had always walked but never truly noticed.
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Kaelred sighed. "So what you’re saying is that our Five Trees could be anywhere."
Malakar nodded. "Exactly. Some might be close. Some might be on the other side of the world. It’s different for everyone."
Kaelred ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "Great. That makes this whole thing even more complicated."
Argolaith grinned. "You didn’t think this would be easy, did you?"
Kaelred scowled. "No, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be impossible."
Malakar shrugged. "Nothing worth having is ever easy."
As they continued walking, the terrain shifted beneath them.
What had once been rock and dust gave way to dense forests and rolling hills.
A world untouched by civilization.
Argolaith stopped for a moment, closing his eyes.
He could feel it.
A pull.
Not just any pull—a direction.
It wasn’t clear, but it was there.
Calling him.
Kaelred looked over. "You feel it too, don’t you?"
Argolaith nodded. "Yeah."
Kaelred frowned, closing his eyes. "…I feel it, but mine is different."
Malakar chuckled. "Of course it is. Your Five Trees aren’t in the same place."
Kaelred muttered under his breath. "Figures."
Argolaith opened his eyes, staring ahead. "Then we follow where they lead."
Kaelred sighed. "And if they lead us in different directions?"
Argolaith exhaled. "Then we cross that bridge when we get there."
For now, their paths were still aligned.
For now, they moved forward—together.
And with every step, the call of the Five Trees only grew stronger.
The journey continued beneath the fading twilight, the sky bleeding into deep purples and blues as the three figures pressed forward through the untamed land.
The path ahead was uncertain, but the pull of their Five Trees was constant—guiding them, whispering their names through the rustling of the wind and the hum of the earth beneath their feet.
Argolaith, ever curious, turned to Malakar. "You’ve been through this journey before, haven’t you?"
Malakar grinned. "Indeed, I have."
Kaelred adjusted his pack, glancing at the lich with skepticism. "Then tell us—what were your Five Trees like?"
Malakar hummed, his skeletal fingers tapping against his arm.
"A question with merit," he admitted. "Very well. My Five Trees… they were unlike any others I had ever seen before or since."
Argolaith and Kaelred both focused on him, eager to hear more.
"Were they big or small?" Argolaith asked.
Malakar chuckled, his deep, hollow voice carrying a strange nostalgia.
"Each one was unique in its own way."
"The first tree I found," Malakar began, his voice quieter now, "was black as night, its bark etched with silver veins. It did not grow in a forest but atop a mountain—standing alone, untouched by time."
Kaelred furrowed his brows. "What kind of tree was it?"
Malakar tilted his head, his glowing eyes dimming slightly in memory.
"A tree of shadows. Its leaves absorbed the very light around it, making it nearly invisible in the night. When the wind blew, it whispered forgotten names. It was… alive in a way that most things are not."
Argolaith shivered slightly at the description. "That sounds unsettling."
Malakar smirked. "It was. But it was also… comforting. As if it had always been waiting for me."
Malakar’s expression grew thoughtful as he continued.
"The second tree was the opposite of the first. White as bone, its bark smooth as polished marble. It stood in the heart of an ancient ruin, its roots breaking through the stone as if reclaiming what had been lost."
Kaelred rubbed his chin. "Did it glow?"
Malakar nodded. "It did. It pulsed with light, like a beacon. Unlike the first, which sought to hide, this one sought to be seen."
"The third tree," Malakar said, "was neither black nor white, but a twisting storm of color. Its branches wove together like a living tapestry, shifting and changing with every passing moment."
Argolaith raised an eyebrow. "A tree that changes?"
Malakar nodded. "It reflected all possibilities. All choices. A tree of transformation."
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Malakar chuckled darkly. "That I would never be bound to a single fate."
Malakar’s tone became almost wistful as he spoke of the last two trees.
"The fourth tree was ancient—far older than the others. It stood in a desert where nothing should have survived, yet its roots ran deep beneath the sands. Its branches bore no leaves, but instead, shimmering crystals that sang in the wind."
Argolaith and Kaelred listened in captivated silence.
"And the fifth?" Kaelred asked.
Malakar smiled, a strange, unreadable expression. "The fifth tree was unlike all the rest. I found it not in the wild, but in a place beyond time. It was the last piece of my puzzle… the final key to my magic."
After a long pause, Argolaith asked, "Did they all call to you at once, or one at a time?"
Malakar glanced at him, his gaze unreadable. "All at once."
Kaelred looked startled. "All five at the same time?"
Malakar nodded. "Yes. It was overwhelming at first. Like a great chorus of voices, all speaking different truths."
Argolaith frowned, trying to imagine it. "Then how did you know where to go?"
Malakar chuckled. "You learn to listen. The pull is always there, but when you pay attention, you realize some calls are stronger than others in the moment. The Five Trees do not expect you to find them all at once. They wait. Until you are ready."
As the night deepened, the three continued their journey through the quiet wilderness.
Each step brought Argolaith and Kaelred closer to understanding their own Five Trees.
Even if they didn’t know where they were yet-
They knew they were out there, waiting.
Malakar’s voice echoed in the night air.
"The journey to one’s Five Trees is not just a path through the world. It is a path through oneself. Each tree is a reflection of who you are, who you have been, and who you will become."
Argolaith exhaled slowly. He was ready to find them.
But first, they had a long road ahead.
And whatever lay at the end of it…
Would change everything.