39

Ari watched as the leaf with George on it disappeared into the Veil. She began looking among the many leaves and branchs and noticed a brilliant wax like vine growing up the and through the tree. The flowers that appeared to spring from this vine was some Ari had never seen before. The colors ranged from purples to blues, and even a few pink she saw. It held 9 petals on the outer rim, and a center which looked like the teeth of a venus fly trap was a darker color than the outer petals. In the center of each sat 3 green like stamens, and on top of them making a cross section sat three darker green styles. They were marviouse to look at. It appeared that this vine traveled up through many of the branchs, except for the Zombie branch below.
There were not many flowers total though from what she could see in the sea of greens, and yellows, maybe nine?
"They are beautiful aren't they?" a gentle totally femine voice said from behind Ari. She spun in suprise and got low expecting an attack. She had not heard this intruder and did not know friend or foe.
Standing before Ari was a tall slender woman, with unearthly beauty. Her long black hair framed her brown tanned skin. A top her head sat a vulture crown with the uraeus cobra and solar disk between two horns. Her large brown eyes seemed to see everything around her. Black eye make up outline her eyes making them even larger than Ari could think was possible. A flicker of gold caught Ari's attention and she looked to the woman's chest to see that a multitude of golden beads and chains adorn her chest, but covered not her breast. The chains seemed to be connected intrincantly to a sheer linen skirt which covered from her naval to her ankles. Even though there was fabric to cover the woman Ari could still see her curvatrue of her legs underneither.
Ari took a nother quick glance over at the woman who had not moved since she had turned around. Her hands were open palm to show she had no weapons.
"Who are you?" Ari asked straightening up. The woman folded her hands infront of her and smiled delicatly. "I am Iusaaset, Goddess of the Tree of Life."
Ari felt foolish she had never heard of this goddess, nor had she ever thought she'd find her self in one's presence till her judgement day.
As if reading her mind Iusasset continued, "It is not your day. I have come to show you your path Ari."
"My parents told me I had to go back." she said dumbly.
"Yes, and you will." her eyes flickered to the branch Ari had been studying. She reached out with her hand and the tree bent to her will. the leaves and twigs moved to her hand without so much as a word from her. Ari watched as a single leaf, intertwined with a stunning blue flower sat nestled together. "I believe this was what you seek." Ari stepped forward still unsure if she wanted to trust this person. She stole a glance and saw written on the emerald green leaf Mika was written. A waxy vine and blue flower wrapped around so that they appeared as one. On the petal written in a dark blue- Ari. Her heart did a flip just seeing this so simple of a symble.
"Yes my dear your colors are deep and rich. You BOTH have much time." the goddes reassured her.
"But how do I get back to him?" Ari watched as the goddess released the branch and it fell perfectly back in place with the others.
"I will take you to the door, but first I want you to see something." she spoke as if she was a mother speaking to a small child who was asking for sweets but was told to wait till after a meal. "Do you see your vine Ari?"
"Yes ma'am I do." *yep I'm not a hethan if I am gonna talk to a goddess I might as well reme,ber my manners.* Ari thought.
Iusaaset hide a small laugh behind her delicate mannicured hand, "And this goddess thanks you."
Ari blushed. "This vine is not just *your* bloodline. These are the others who are there to help humans." Ari watched as the vine climbed up into the tree canopy.
"How many are there?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"Not many, but the right number." she answered.
"Okay? How do I find them?" Ari pressed.
"Some have not yet been born, but for those who have you will need to travel to the other lands. Meet other creatures to gather the guardians."
"Will they have the gift like me?"
"Some will yes, others will have their own gifts. But to save the humans from dying away the guardians must learn to work together. Some have yet to learn their gifts, and others have been using theirs for many years now. You can teach one another, build and be effective."
"What happens if the humans die?" Ari didn't like the idea of this but what was really on the line here? Without warning the great tree groaned and lurched forward. Lusaaset laid her hand on this great trunk and shushed it still.
"What was that?!" Ari asked paniced.
"It is not a thought that we can afford to allow to happen Ari. Humans are critical to the life of all. Without them the vampires, werewolves, wendigo, faries, elves, skinwalkers, demons, and many, many more does not exsist. When all of these are gone the Tree of Life it self will be gone."
"Then what do we do? We are not cattle?!" Ari said a bit louder than she had intented but the goddess's face never showed an ounce of disrespect.
"No my sweet child, you are not cattle. You are the breath of life on the earth. You are like plants that dress the earth. Beautiful, and strong. But with all things there is a balance. There can not be too many, nor can there be too little. There once was a time when there were far too many on mother earth." her eyes looked sadden as she placd her hand once more on the great trunk.
"It was then that we intervened and brought humans back to their basics."
"You did this?!" Ari gasped in horror.
"Which time?" Iusaaset said plainly.
"The bombs? You did the bombs?! And there was others?!" Ari was almost in histerics now.
"Not I, and not bombs." she corrected. "There was a great flood the first time. It got the numbers back to were it needed to be. Unfortuantly it also took out many of the guardians. We warned the next time would be by fire. Humans became ignorrant again and forgot the warnings. Mother Earth strained under their *technology*" she spat the word. The only time Ari saw disguest on her perfect face. "The gods and goddess who watch over their people, who govern over their panetheons desided it was time to trim back some. Aris and Atum along with several other sun gods came together and created a solar storm. the first few waves hit the satilites that floated around the earth. Every one of them returned to the ground as balls of fire. The systems those satilites helped to control went dark- or no logner worked for the humans. Then the second wave of the solar flares hit the earth and caused massive chaos. Misfires of nuclear bombs were set off, and all of the electronic devices were fried from the solar flare. Humans were forced to rely on their wit once more."
"You gods toyed with us?" Ari's dislliuson of good gods now appeared nothing more than humans as pons.
"No we saved you. We saved everyone. If we had allowed this path to continue mother earth would've died and everything-everyone would've died with her. Inconviencing the humans and pruning their numbers down was what was needed child." Ari just stood there completly stunned. She had never once in a million years thought the gods would be so cold. So uncaring.
"But are we?" Lusaaset asked. Ari thought long and hard. She felt it was wrong that the gods and goddess just felt that humans needed a smack down from their glory over the planet but would it matter to argue this with her? I mean truly would it? She finally settled on what she thought was the best question to ask,
"Will this happen again?"
The goddess's eyes looked sad once more. "Yes, if the numbers rise and begin to choke the others away it will need to be done again."
"Are we there again?" Ari was terrified of this answer. Did she really want the goddess to answer her?
With a gentle voice Ari got the answer, "No sweet child. At this time no, but only if the human's numbers do not drop below a certain percentage, nor do they rise and begin to destroy the planet again. She is still healing, this purge was not kind to her as the flood was."
With a graceful turn the goddess began to walk a long a thick branch and peered over her shoulder once,"Come child you have somewhere to be."