Under The Oak Tree Chapter 19 Novels & Stories

“It’s time to come.” They obeyed without hesitation. They didn’t know it yet, but they were already dead. I led them across the estate grounds toward the garden, the scent of moss and damp bark mingling in the cold air. The tree stood before us, a massive old oak tree, lush, thick with green leaves, its heavy branches stretching toward the sky like grasping fingers. “You need to help me with the tree,” I said. Conrad frowned. “What tree?” “This one,” I replied smoothly, stepping around its wide base. “Velan wants it moved to please his father-in-law.”

“Stay still, everyone.” “What is it?” Eve noticed her sudden stop and asked. “I saw something on that tree.” Diana pointed out the uneven, massive old oak tree. “What did you see?"Inquired Eve. “Someone,” she said, seeing the figure, little more than a smudge, wobbling in the distance. She snuffed Eve’s lamp and brightened the area. “What the hell is that?” Impossible. She thought. The bloodbath was all but impassable on a fine day, but with the little old lamp on her hand, to venture across them during such intemperance was madness. But still, the shadow plodded, bowed, and was resolute. Shoving itself into the wind as if into a challenging lover.

The forest surged forward, the bronze trees growing over the fractures, their roots drinking in the spilled ink and blood of our final negotiation. The First Forest The chapter concluded with the planting of the seed. Mia brought the glowing wooden star-stone to the spot where the phantom had stood. Xander and I knelt together, our hands covered in the rich, dark soil of the New Wild, and we pushed the seed deep into the earth.

The time I was wasting. Evans was still out there. I straightened and stepped over the unconscious outlaws, looking around. I noticed it then. A tree. In the center of the clearing, there was a single, enormous oak. The wood underneath was scarred with something that made my stomach turn, and its bark was split. Blood. Not merely splashed. Not merely smeared. **Sculpted.** Three sharp, deep phrases that seemed to have been sunk like inhuman claws into the wood.

The man said weakly as he held out his hand. As everyone minus Jill reached out their hands to help him a smile creeped up on his face and Jill knowing something bad would happen and couldn’t stop it in time so she grabbed his hand as well and, in a flash, they were gone. The box itself that Jill was worried about had also disappeared and in a sudden flash of lightning the great infamous oak tree of Oaken Hills was struck.

Suddenly, they were all healed. Meanwhile in a different scene, The other faceless figure, the one who had ventured into the forest, moved with a quiet determination through the dense undergrowth. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, but the air was heavy with a sense of foreboding. The figure walked with a strong sense of determination towards a specific tree, an ancient oak bearing strange orange fruit. He reached out and gently placed his moon chain against the trunk of the tree. The forest floor trembled. The surrounding trees seemed to sway in unison, as if acknowledging a powerful presence of the moon chain.

MAXINE We made our way to the old oak tree near the lake. The moon was hanging low in the sky. It cast a pale glow on the water. I could see the massive oak tree in the distance, its branches twisting like fingers. This was where it was all going to end. We reached the base of the tree. The ground beneath our feet is uneven and covered in fallen leaves. Mr. Grayson pulled out the scroll from the small box containing the last piece. He brought the other pieces from his bag one after the other.

Rowan said, pointing through the trees. Kael rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "We stay together." Nobody argued. We followed the sound. The forest changed as we walked. The pines gave way to older trees. Their branches spread so wide that the sunlight barely reached the ground. The air smelled of wildflowers. Then... I saw it. An oak tree. Its trunk split into two before reaching the branches. The same tree from my mother's drawing. "The orchard," Elias whispered. No one moved.

They needed to keep moving, to find ways to get out of the area. Anna guided Luna through the forested area until they reached a tiny clearing. Their movements were muted by a thick layer of fallen leaves beneath their feet. Luna couldn't ignore the feeling that they were being watched, but she knew Anna would keep them safe. A large, gnarled oak stood in the center of the clearing, shimmering in the moonlight. Anna approached the tree and spoke inaudibly beneath her breath. The trunk of the tree suddenly broke open, revealing a hidden corridor.

Chapter 9: A Dweller Named Sprout Cory had incited the Omniscient Oak Tree to provide its tenth answer in the last thousand years and every creature of the jungle seemed to instinctively know this. The moment the burning five-word message had appeared etched into the bark, the jungle sprang to life. Wild cats growled, birds squeaked, the leaves of every nearby tree rustled. The air grew inexplicably warmer. Cory felt flushed. She was drained but deliriously happy. Even though she could not fully make sense of her answer, she had done it. She had asked the right question.