55 The Edge

When i woke up the next morning with the sunlight beating on my face, i felt my body was aching all over. Especially my shoulders which were sore from all the weight i put on it.

I kept an hand over my face to hide from the glaring sunlight and blearily remembered sleeping next to Tulga yesterday. I woke up and found her working on a tree few distance away.

She glared at me when i asked about last night. I cleared my thoughts and tried to remember if i did something last night but came up blank. Her scowl deepened looking at my blank face and scolded me that i didn't let her sleep well last night and kept on pawing her breasts.

I was shocked and looked down at my hands. Well these culprits would have definitely did it. I sheepishly smiled at her and apologized. Seeing my genuinely shocked and apologetic face she relented and went to work.

I accompanied her for some time when a runner came for me and told me the old head asked me to work on a tree in the seventh section.I walked behind him to find the Ilphyr tree i have to work on today.

The tree had completely shed its foliage and looked destitute. In fact the entire section looked like a forest from nightmare with its red coloured trunk and bare branches.

The Zukr I had to work on was little smaller then the one we fought and lost last time which was offering me no comfort at all. I settled down near the tree as i was going to be here for a long time. I took the fruits i had in my pockets and finished eating them before placing my hands on its bark.

It was a little disturbing to look at the Zukr in the metaphysical state.It was almost as big as the tree and the Ilphyr tree was thin enough to snap in to two if any pressure is applied. Unlike the previous times i used my gift, I was shocked to see that the slimy tentacle was leeching a portion of the energy i was sending into the tree for itself.

It was constant struggle against the Zukr to send energy into the tree.Slowly, when the Ilphyr tree increased its size, its red shell strengthened reducing the leaching rate and tipping the battle in our favour.

From there it was long arduous process to keep sending energy and to hang on till every one of the thorns of the Zukr were removed one by one and tree started returning to a sembelance of itself. But, I couldn't continue growing the tree any longer as i was getting a bad feeling in my gut.

As soon as i saw that the Zukr vanished without any energy to leech, I stopped activating my energy. When i came to my senses i had a sick feeling in my stomach and bent over to vomit. When i stopped i noticed that the sun has set and sky is turning dark.

I still felt goosebumps on my skin and hunger pangs were pulling my stomach in. I hurriedly took a Phir and ate its seeds. I continued eating whatever i had and once it was over cursed myself for not bringing more.