The treants sauntered over to the table where Inza and I sat, the bounty that they carried in woven baskets not even rocking with their care. When they got close to us, I was rather shocked to see their arms grow out to great lengths to reach up to the table that they wouldn’t normally be able to reach, allowing them to place the two baskets on the table in front of us.

Inza reached down to affectionately pat the flowery heads of the treants. “Thank you so much friends, I will be sure to play with you later once our guest has settled in a little.” 

Settled in? Does she intend for me to stay here for a time?

“Further discussion can be had once we have had our fill. Please, help yourself.” Inza gestured toward the basket that had been placed in front of me, and then turned her attention to the one that was in front of her.

I hesitantly picked out a fruit similar to the one that I had been given previously. I sunk my teeth into its orange flesh. The same delicious sweetness as before filled my senses. My stomach growled, eager for me to dive into the rest of the bounty offered to me. 

After finishing the first fruit, I was shocked to find that the next thing I tried was just as alarmingly tasty. And the next after that. Every single thing, down to the roots, nuts, and berries, was filled with overflowing flavor. Some were sweet like the first fruit. Some were pleasantly sour. Some were more savory than the finest meats. There were even a few peppers whose spice could only be matched by the rich undertones that came with it. 

Every single morsel offered to me was beyond flavorful. I couldn’t have imagined anything to be able to match the natural growth that this forest had to offer. I far too quickly found the bottom of the basket greeting me. My stomach was full, but I couldn’t help but want another serving.

Inza, having finished before me, watched me while resting her head on her palm. She had an amused grin on her face, like she was seeing a newborn crawl for the first time.

“I had forgotten how nice it was to share a meal with someone who found such joy in the food to be found here. It is a little special. Anything harvested in this forest will be leagues beyond what can be grown anywhere elsewhere in the world. Both in flavor and in nutrients, nothing can compete.” Inza handed me a cloth to wipe my hands and face, which had become sticky from the meal I found too engaging to care about being tidy with.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize how much of a mess I made of myself. I had never had anything like those before.” I was embarrassed at my lack of tact, eating so ravenously that I had dirtied myself such.

“It is to be expected. You will grow used to it with time. Now, stand up.” Inza rose from her chair and offered her hand to me.

“I don’t think I can, I could hardly sit up in the hammock earlier. I doubt my legs could support me.” I looked down, shamed by my own weakness. 

“Please, try for me.” Inza emphasized her words by stroking the back of my head. 

She has been so kind to me. I suppose I owe her an effort if she asks so sincerely. I took her outstretched hand and attempted to put my legs under me. I was so distracted by other things up to now, that I didn’t realize how much energy there was in my body now. My legs easily rose to the occasion and I stood in front of Inza, looking up at her as she seemed to be more than a whole head taller than me. 

“There, I knew you could do it. Don’t you feel much better now?” Inza drew me into a hug, squashing my face into her chest. “The plants in this forest are special. Not simply tasty, but infused with mana. Mana can be used for many things. In the case of the plants of this forest, eating food that is full of mana can accelerate natural healing and rejuvinate one that is exhausted. The fact that this mana also enhances the flavor is a happy side effect.” 

Inza released me from her arms and stepped back, seeing that I was finding it a bit difficult to breathe stuck between her breasts. I took a breath and steadied myself. Now that she explained it outright, I realized she was certainly right. I felt lighter and full of energy. Glancing down, I saw that not a single bruise remained on my body. I was so used to the sight at this point that seeing my skin clear of injury filled me with a most unusual feeling.

Inza must have seen the swirl of emotions in me by the complicated expression on my face. “You have made a decision that has changed your life significantly, and will change the life of everyone in this world eventually. There will be some strong emotions that will come along with this. Take your time to process things as they come. We will have a few days here to get you acclimated to your new path.”

I looked back up at Inza. “What do I do now?” 

“For now, let us take a walk.” Inza smiled calmly at me and guided me away from the table that we had sat at. We walked to the entrance of another hallway and started down it. 

“While you are here, I will be able to teach you some things to better prepare you for your journey. I can teach you the fundamentals of mana, as well as many of its more basic applications. I can teach you what I know in the school of healing magic, as well as the art of nature magic.” 

We turned a corner and I could see a light from the end of this corridor. It was brighter than the light that had filtered through the skylight in the dining hall. This must lead outside.

As my eyes adjusted from the dim glow to the strong gleam, I saw that we were not outside at all. This new room glowed under the light of a giant crystal that made up almost the entire ceiling. 

Under its dazzling light was a pool of water, different from the one I had been in before. This room had remarkably few plants in it, feeling far removed from the rest that I had seen. The vines and stems halted right at the entrance.

The walls were carved stone. Hundreds of panels with hundreds of different designs lined the room. Some that were closer to me seemed like they depicted battles. Others depicted some kind of ceremony. There were even some which showed as two lovers laid with one another.

The center of the room had a small pool of water in it, surrounded by statues of robed figures. The water, though illuminated by the crystal above it, seemed to emit a sparkle as well. 

“This place is in the center of the forest. It contains the most concentrated source of mana that I know to exist.” She gestured to the crystal above us. I could feel what she meant. Though my knowledge of mana was lacking, I could feel the presence of the crystal radiating out and through me. 

My knees threatened to buckle under me, my body not used to being subjected to such an onslaught of raw mana. Inza noticed my shaky posture and released my hand, opting instead to wrapping her arm around my side to lend me support. 

“It can be an intense experience for one that has not learned to harness their own mana properly. This chamber will allow you to learn some of the past of this world.” She guided me slowly to the edge of the water. “This place was not always a forest. Some ages ago, it was a shrine. Long before that, it was a castle.” Inza knelt down with me to sit down. Our feet slipped into the water.

“Before any civilization had ever made a home here, however, this was still a place of power. The natural flow of mana throughout the world begins and ends here. When a new life comes into being, the first trickle of mana that sparked it came from here. When a life comes to an end, the last dreg of mana flows back whence it came.” I looked at Inza, her stare cast far away as if lost in memories long past.

“When the first people found this place, it quickly turned into a place of worship. A kingdom was built around it, but a distant nation felt that it wasn’t fair that one kingdom should hold power over the cycle of life and death. War broke out, a princess was trapped in crumbling ruins, the cycle decided that it needed a guardian, and the rest is history.” Inza flatly delivered what sounded like only the bare minimum of a far more grand tale. 

“Long story short, the power that flows through here is important. I have been watching over this site for quite a while now, making sure no harm came to it and that nobody was able to abuse it.” Her long cast gaze spoke of considerable loneliness. 

I leaned over and hugged her from the side, in part due to the fact that I wanted to try to comfort her. She appeared to harbor much pain. 

The other part was that my body was growing numb, and it was difficult to sit up on my own now.

Inza looked down at me and smiled. “You have a truly kind heart, one which I have not seen the likes of in a long time.” Inza stroked my hair with her free hand again. 

She had been tasked with such an unreasonable solitude, and yet she still held devotion and compassion for others so highly. Inza’s strength was spectacular. I sniffed back a sob as a tear rolled down my cheek.

“Don’t shed tears on my account. My duty is mine alone. I choose to stay on this path, the same as you have chosen yours.” Inza separated us and held me firmly, looking into my eyes as she spoke. “The time has almost come for you to take your next step onto the path that leads to the salvation of this world.”

She guided my eyes down to the pool of water. “This place is a place that governs birth and death. I know of a ritual that one can use to be forced through the cycle, causing the soul to be refreshed and renewed. As you are now, your mana has stagnated from lack of use. You could surely learn to use it and grow from here, but it would take far too long. If we do this, your stagnation can be removed. It will be replaced with a clean slate. Like a child, whose mind is keen to learn and grow, so too will your soul be easily made malleable again.” 

Inza’s words were strange. I could only barely grasp the things that she said. “Does that mean I will die?” This was the only conclusion that I reached from thinking about what Inza had said.

“In a sense, yes. Your soul will briefly leave your body, being put through the cycle of life and death. With my intervention, it will return to the vessel that it just left. You will retain all that you know now, and your body will remain unchanged. Your soul will be washed clean, made anew, but all will be the same... from your perspective.” Her words seemed to hold something back. Her eyes faltered, not able to keep locked with mine for just a moment.

“From my perspective? What do you mean by that?” I furrowed my brow, not sure if she would reveal what she seemed unwilling to say.

Inza looked uncomfortable, drawing into herself as she continued. “Well, whether we think about it or not, our souls are a part of us. A similar process caused me to become the eternal guardian of the cycle. Of course, you won’t have the same longevity, so it will be a much more human experience for you. That said, when a soul enters the cycle from death and returns, it has an effect on how others perceive it.” She paused a moment for thought.

“When an old man dies and is reborn as an infant, even if his wife were to see the infant she would never see that it was the soul of her deceased husband. In this case, he of course will not remember his life as an old man. He would only know growing up as he was now.” 

What she said now made sense. If you saw a baby, there’s no way you would know who they would have been in a past life. “What does that have to do with what you proposed to me?” I inquired of Inza.

“A soul that has gone through the veil to start a new life will cause a stir in the souls of those that they were close to. Many people will instinctively feel that someone has died long before they believe it to be true. When your soul passes through, it will cause those who know you to feel that you have died. Even should they see you again, they would not recognize you, though your face will be the same. This is a natural mechanism of the soul to prevent harm to the cycle of life. Death is a natural occurrence, and bastardizing it by being able to track down the new body housing a soul you loved would throw the whole world into turmoil.” Inza gestured broadly with this last statement, then sighed. 

“Well, there are some nicer aspects at least. Two souls deeply connected, once they both pass through, may find each other again and rekindle the bond that they felt in their previous lives. Neither would know, but both of their souls would instinctively yearn for each other.”

She paused now, giving me time for thought. The realization set in on me that those near to me would never see me as myself again. Betty, Edgar, Lorn, and even Lormus. Those few that were dear to me would only ever see me as a stranger. My own son would never see me as his own mother. 

A dark look fell over my face, and I sank down into Inza’s side. I couldn’t hold myself upright anymore anyway.

“I know, it is a deep price to pay for what must be done. I too paid that price long ago. Though, in my case, those who knew me have long since passed on. I would not ask this of you unless I thought there was no other option.” She grabbed my hand and held it tightly.

“Of course, we would have to give you a new name. It would cause a lot of trouble if you kept your present name as you ventured forth. That said, your name was not one that saw a lot of use. Only a handful even knew it. For a fresh start, a name that will help you solidify your goals would be nice. I have a good one in mind, should you choose to take it.” 

Most people knew me only as ‘The Hero’s Wife’ or something similar. Thinking back on it, I couldn’t even remember the last time Lorn referred to me by name. The only people I could think of that even called me by name in the past few years were Betty and Edgar.

Malora.

Maybe it would be best to leave that name behind. It carried much pain with it. If I were to start fresh and work hard for a grand goal, I would need to be far greater than ‘The Hero’s Wife’ or even Malora. I would need to embrace a whole new self as someone that had the strength to stand for what was important to them. 

For the sake of my son, who would learn to grow up without his mother, I stared into the pool of water taking in it’s sparkling surface. I knew what I had to do from here.