I followed Azoth down the street. He hadn't said a word since I started to follow him.

Most of the buildings seemed in fairly good nick, slowly getting worse and worse, surprisingly, as we journeyed further into the city. His daughter, who I now know by the name Zanea (pronounced Za-ni-ah, not Zane-ah), had stayed behind to continue harvesting that tree for figs.

"Isis, do you know what's going on here?" I whispered, but though they may not have heard what I said, the zebras lining the streets jumped at the mere sound.

'Shhh silly boy. Do not speak aloud when addressing only me. Otherwise they will think of you as stark raving mad.'

"Right, got it." And a baby started crying, great.  
'Oops. Right, got it.'

“sigh, just make sure not to do that again. Honestly, you have to show some sense."

'Yeah, I know. Anyway, what is with this place? All these Zebras are just lining the streets. Looking at an oddity I could understand, but they aren't even looking at me. THEY ARE KNEELING BEFORE ME. Why am I such a big deal?' I was descending into that pleading and whiny head-voice that was becoming all too common for me.

'I planned this long ago, you are, to put it lightly, expected.'

'Well, I guess that explains something. Let me guess, you won't tell me because I'm about to find out?'

'Why yes, it is good you realized that sooner rather than later. Do not think this means much for your general intelligence however.'

'You really don't have to keep calling me stupid you know. You get more flies with honey than vinegar as they say.'

'I don't remember ever calling you stupid, less intelligent than myself, and many others perhaps. But by human standards you are not, I merely want you to surpass you're previous limitations. So that you may better carry out my will.'

'How comforting.'

Azoth stopped and turned to face me, he strained his neck and looked up from where he was only a few meters in front of me.

"Great Tree, here is the temple." The poor fellow was trembling, probably at the thought of me responding again.

He turned and pointed at the temple, rather effectively for someone who only has one digit per limb, but the object was very large, and very close. I had been staring down the whole time we had been walking, not wanting to crush anyone dashing across the streets.

Its magnificence was just as great, if not greater, at a close proximity. That same marble pyramid glowed with the brilliance of the early afternoon light, reflecting directly off that side onto me.

More delicious light.

But looking up, up to the top that seemed to be nearly thirty times taller than myself and almost three hundred times the height of most zebras I saw, I saw there was a missing stone on the point, a very large missing stone.

'It doesn't seem like the sort of pyramid to be without a tip. Something must have happened to it.'

Azoth was starting to collapse from anxiety. I decided to oblige him.

I walked precariously up the staircase he had indicated, it is rather difficult using steps built for small equines when your legs are the size of, or rather are tree trunks.

The doorway was barely large enough for me to fit through, however massive it was.

'I think I lost some leaves back there, that was a tight fit'

"Azoth, why are you staying there? Guide me to where I am wanted."

"Oh no, great one. The likes of me may not enter the temple outside of offerings. Please, go on, the priestesses will lead you to the elders."

"Suit yourself."

I continued into the building, a vast hall seeming to take up the whole space inside. Yet there were still doorways lining it, with the one at the very end being the only one with a door.

Within each doorway, and at the end one at each side, stood a female zebra. Each one wearing many gold bands around their legs, necks, tails, even their ears. A single red cloth adorned each of their backs, flowing down to the ground, typical priestess getup.

I only noticed that they had moved by the time I was nearly a third of the way to the great door at the hall's end. They had encircled me but were, like so many of the townspeople outside, bowing. It was only the speed that was intimidating.

"Welcome, you are expected." They spoke as one.

'Woah, that's creepy.'

Then they, moving as they had spoken, turned to the great door. By the way, it is made of smooth gold, no carvings, no visible seam, just a solid block of, given this place's grandeur, solid gold.

"Please, open the door." The priestesses implored.

'Isis, what do I do?'

'As they say. They will not lead you astray.'

'Right then, what do I do to open the door then?'

'What do you think? It's a massive door, push.'

'Oh, right. Off I go then.'

'You've been standing still for a minute, it's about time.'

"Great one, please, is something the matter?"

"No, no. Let's get this door open."

I stepped forward and those around me parted to make way. I walked straight up to the door and tried to crack my knuckles in preparation, the motion was carried out but I suppose that wood doesn’t hold air pockets to be able to make the sound. Then, slightly disappointed, I pushed, it was much higher than the entrance way and my hands reached only half of the way up it as I pushed. It did not budge.

"Nnng." I tried pushing with my shoulder and heard a slight screech. I decided that there was only one course of action to get this door open.

'Matsimela, don't try that!'

I had turned and walked half way back to the entrance, the priestess/ guards were getting tense, obviously thinking that I was going to leave. Then I turned.

"CHAAARRRGGE!" I ran, as fast as I could was really only a fraction of what comparatively I could as a human, at the door.

You would think slamming into a solid metal door would hurt. It didn't hurt me. I think my shoulder nearly snapped off, and many of my branches bent to near that point as well, but I felt no unpleasantness.

CRASH

The doors split apart as I rammed into it, I probably even left a dent.

'Never do that again stupid child, your impatience nearly cost you a limb! If you just pushed for a little while longer the door would have given way.'

'Yeah, yeah. But these elders seemed to be a little urgent with wanting to see me, Azoth was pretty persistent for a frightened farmer. Woah...'

I looked about the room I had crashed into.

It was a dark room, lit only by a single tiny window high above and a single flame on the furthest wall. In the center stood four zebras, two male and two female. They stood in a semicircle around a small tree supporting a stone orb, which was also surrounded by a full circle of indecipherable images, their faces shrouded by worn hooded cloaks of red and a grey that may have once been black. The only things that otherwise adorned them were single gold bands around each of their right fore-hooves.

These were the elders, backlit by the single flame at the room's end, the only things apart from solid walls that basked in that fiery glow.

But that orb, supported by that young, small and most likely dead tree. It basked in the true light of the sun, through the window high up in the room. It looked as if the missing block had once been where that 'window' now is, with the sun almost directly overhead light shone down upon said tree.

"Welcome to our hall one of young mind and ancient body." The room echoed with the united voices of the elders, pitches melding into a single voice that would have sent shivers down my spine if I had one.

Their heads turned to look at the priestesses behind me.

"Leave us, return to your posts. None may disturb us."

Sheer wisdom and control emanated throughout the room itself as they spoke the words, still with the ever so slight disconnection between the words I heard and the protruding mouths which I saw.

'Ask me of that later, this is of great importance.'

'Urgh, fine. But you better...'

'Shhh, pay attention'

The door that I had used all of my strength as well as a decent amount of momentum was shut behind me with a whirr of machinery. The two sides still met, but bulged in the centre of my earlier impact.

"Turn and face us, for there is much to tell and little time."

I felt a pull on my mind, if I had wanted to turn away it would probably have been impossible.

"We know of your predicament, of your coming from another world, of the one that sent you even. Events have been set in motion that you can not yet comprehend, but for now we have a task for you."

"Hold on, I don't understa..." They didn't flinch from my voice at all, even though I was trying to make it sound more menacing.

"Is that not what we just told you?"

'Isis, what is going on? How do these Zebra know so much.'

'Simply let them tell you, their story is not yet complete.'

"Yes." I answered in as childish and begrudging tone I could manage.

"I have been told that you have more to say, just get on with it."

"Good, good, he has started to accept the Goddess."

"I am still here you know."

"We are quite aware of your presence, but let us now begin the tale."

They started humming a tune, a soothing tune. Something familiar, but I had never heard it before. Their voices seemed to cease being voices, and the music played in my head.

A light began to shine around the small tree, the circle around it with hieroglyphs. They were what told the story.

Long ago, this island was created as a haven for believers. We were separated from our kin by great distance, and powerful magic.

The land was plentiful, and the great forests were tended by several of their own. This one was many, and they were the Sycamores. These most bountiful of all the trees walked between the three great forests. They gave their fruit for us to eat, and tended all trees as they did their own kin.

In the north they tended the Mangroves, which gave us our water. They took that water and grew our many crops, the lesser plants that were needed not only for more food but for tools and shelter. The Central forest was made of their old, and their young. A nursery and a place for those too weak for work to sit and compile a history.

Far to the west was the forest of wood. Here the trees grew fast and with strong wood. It was a graveyard for these majestic and tall creatures. Once of a great age, only one believer in ten generations would see one leave for this place.

To see the many dead trees was a sad sight, a forest of death and each husk aged millennia upon millennia but never seeming to rot. In honour of them, even though they would not allow us to build it without them, we constructed a great temple upon the place where the concealing stone, a grand gem of gleaming but transparent amber, had been placed and had it set as the point of our construction.

As time passed we believers lost most of our faith, and took for granted the paradise in which we lived. Our assisters grew weaker with each generation as our faith waned further, we did not see them as they travelled in greater and greater numbers, younger and younger ages, to their graveyard in the west.

Finally, the last of their old ones, the last who knew of better times, came to us and pleaded. On that day the elders were formed.

We teach each generation of the past, and are replaced each generation with the wisest and most learned four. Upon the death of the last Ent to walk these lands in the memory of a hundred generations we were given one final task, to prepare and to wait.

Out of his trunk was fashioned a young tree, which held a stone that in turn held a second gem granted by our Goddess.

Those other Ents that remained changed themselves so that we would forever have their help. They took on the properties of their still brethren from the northern forest and stood round our lake and staring forever into its depths and at what was there.

Our preparation was to weave our magic into the young tree, and we have long done so. What we were to wait for was the return of the Ents. No longer needed to help us with our daily lives, the new Ents were to serve our Goddess, their Goddess. The first of these new Ents would be of another world entirely, and is to be given the second gem along with the tree carved from its ancestors.

The strange story ended, the pictures in my mind stopped, and both the lights and sounds coming from those around me ceased.

“You hear our ancient prophecy, and are one with it. Draw forth the fashioned sapling and your first task shall be told unto you.” The Zebra Elders once again seemed to issue an undeniable command, and that command was, as before, what I had intended to do anyway.

I reached forward towards the tiny tree, the whole trunk not much longer than the area that my two hands took up while grasping it. The three small branches and stone held within them could be fit easily within merely the palm of my wooden appendage.

Holding the trunk with both my hands I readied to ease it from the small patch of earth surrounded by the hieroglyphic mural in turn surrounded by the simple marble block floor. I released a miniscule fraction of my apparent strength into withdrawing it from where it stood.

…Nothing happened.

I tried again, this time with double the effort as before.

…It stood ever in place.

Now I was angry. This damn tiny tree wasn’t going to hold me back, not when I actually had decent upper body strength for the first time in my…existence.

With as much force as I could muster from the ever-awkward position of bending down to a low object while standing, I yanked it free. Well… half way free.

Before me stood no longer a simple pedestal for a stone, but the beginnings of a magnificent and massive wooden sword.

The stone was now a pommel, the trunk now a sufficiently sized grip with the roots acting as a very small cross-guard. Continuing down from the tree, which only made up the hilt, solid wood made a blade that would be difficult to describe if I didn’t know something to liken it to almost perfectly. But let us just get it out of the ground first, shall we? I exerted myself once again to pull it all of the way out.

Yes, it was just as I had thought. It had a blade that could be described exactly in only three words, five if you aren’t quite as deep in nerd culture as me. Those words were; The…Buster…Sword. Single edge, the point off to the opposite side, how else could it be described?

My goddess given gift was a weapon. A magic, wooden Buster Sword, probably even tougher than my own body.

“This…is…awesome.” I stated in my state of awe, showing my appreciation to all of existence for this amazing gift.

“We are glad that it is to your liking, but we have a personal favor to ask of you. This is separate from the task you must complete for The Goddess”

“Umm, sure?”

‘Is this alright Isis, I mean, shouldn’t they just give me your task and send me on my way?’

’Yes, it is fine. They will not ask anything that they have not earned in their loyalty.’

“We thank you kindly chosen one. We ask only to suggest a name for your sword.”

“Oh, ok then. What is the suggestion?”

“The name of the Ent from whom the wood was taken. We find that one that would give both their life and body to her cause is worthy of being immortalized into the weapon of our people’s mortal savior.”

“Actually, that does sound like a good idea. What was his name?”

“His name, known now and passed down only by we elders, not even told in the stories of our people. His name was Thi, it means…”

“I know what it means.” I thought of the significance of that name. I knew it meant giving in the ancient language of my country. Whoever it was that bore that name truly lived up to it, even after death.

Then I thought of a really awesome thing to say, right in the style of the situation.

“This was part of his body, and so shall continue by his name. This blade is now named Thi, and though I may never meet him he will be a trusted ally in my mission.”

‘*Squee* This is so awesome.’

“Oh, what is my mission by the way?”

‘Drat, that sounded so much better in my head.’

“Strange creatures foreign to our lands came to this city. They stole many precious things from us, including both the gems given to us by the Goddess, and many of our more able bodied. The priestesses made the folly of protecting us instead of the gems. Please, retrieve both your own second gift and the pinnacle of our temple. The longer the pinnacle is missing from its place, the more likely it is that more invaders will come here.”

“Well then, I accept and will be on my way.”

“Thank you, we expected nothing less of the chosen hero. But tonight is not the time for such things.”

‘Tonight?’ I looked towards that hole in the ‘ceiling’ and saw that indeed the sun had set, though I would have considered it more mid-evening than truly night.

“Instead, let us celebrate your coming in the city hexagon.”

“No, sorry. Parties are not my scene.”

“As you wish, instead please stay here and rest.” The elders made a shrill whistle that would have put any small annoying bird to shame and the Great & Gargantuan Golden Gate (do you like the name I came up with?) Opened once more.

“Have our guest be given a mound of earth in which to root this night. For tomorrow he journeys to the west.”

“Yes elders, please enjoy yourselves in the hexagon.” One of the younger priestesses guarding the G&3G answered them, and then proceeded to run off to one of the side rooms of the first hall.

I waited for a few minutes and the poor girl, I don’t know whether filly or mare applies to zebras, came out again, dragging a massive sack over five times her size. The poor thing looked exhausted as she trudged across the floor, so I decided to lend my assistance.

“Excuse me, but would you mind if I took that for you?”

In surprise her grip on the sack loosened and the piece she had been holding it from dropped from her mouth.

“What! No! I mean, no, please. I cannot leave such a trivial task to someone as important as you. Please, allow me to take this into the elder hall for you.”

“I’m afraid I insist.“ As she reached back to grab the sack in her mouth I reached down and scooped up both the priestess and the sack at once using just my left hand, the one not holding Thi. It felt no heavier than lifting say a single light-novel book from when I was human.

“Aaah, no! Please, you should not be doing this!”

“Ha, hahaha. No trouble at all. I think it would be quite within my duty to help anyone I can.” I walked back into the main room

Since she was so flustered I decided to set her down. As well as asking her a question, something that always sounds awesome as long as the asker is much larger than the subject.

“What is your name little one?”

“Wha…ah…um. My, my name is Syzya.” Then she curtsied once before dashing out of the room.

‘I really must be terrifying.’

The sack she had carried was what I assumed contained my nice supply of earth. So I lifted it up once again, this time by the wrong end.

Dirt spilled everywhere, and continued to spill. Over the hieroglyphs, and over the entire central area of the room. There was considerably more earth in the bag then could reasonably be held if physics was being taken into the equation.

Finally what appeared to be the last of the granules fell from where they had been held, and what was left was one large, but most certainly not large enough, sack and one precarious mound of soil covering a large area.

I felt a dull nibbling in my branches, my bats seemed to have substituted hunting for foraging, eating my figs instead of bugs.

Laying both Thi and the sack upon the floor where I stood I quickly ascended the mound. It partially collapsed, so I stumbled a little, but then it seemed to be stable. I put my roots into the earth and morphed to my regular tree form, and it felt as if that was some fine quality dirt. My night long ‘sleep’ cycle began. It felt more like sudden unconsciousness than a drift into sleep.