Tragedy of Divinity

Chapter 55: The Bullet-Bearing Tree

The journey to the coastal village was filled with the steady rhythm of their footsteps, the breeze carrying the scent of saltwater and the sound of waves crashing gently against the shore. After days of preparation, Quintin, Seraphine, and Lucian arrived at the village just as the sun began to dip low on the horizon. The village itself seemed peaceful enough, nestled between cliffs and the ocean, but the air felt thick with an undercurrent of unease.

As they entered the village, the first person to greet them was the village chef, a stout man with a thick apron and a welcoming smile that hid the anxiety in his eyes.

"Welcome, adventurers!" he called out, wiping his hands on his apron. "We've been expecting you. I'm the chef here—Gustav. I hope you've come prepared for a feast. You'll need it, I suspect."

Lucian exchanged a quick glance with Quintin and Seraphine before speaking. "I'm sure we could use a meal, but we're here to deal with something a little more urgent first. People are disappearing, and we need to know what's going on."

Gustav nodded solemnly, leading them toward the village's central area, a small square with modest stone buildings and a few market stalls. "Of course, of course. I've heard about the disappearances. It's troubling. But before you get too caught up in that, I should show you something that might help."

Lucian's curiosity piqued as Gustav led them toward the edge of the village, where a dense grove of trees stood. As they passed through the trees, Lucian's eyes widened. In the center of the grove was a strange tree, unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was tall, with a thick trunk and vibrant green leaves, but the most surprising thing about it was its fruit—bullets and ammunition, hanging from the branches like ripe fruit ready to be plucked.

Lucian took a step closer, inspecting the tree. "What… is this?"

Gustav chuckled nervously. "It's something we discovered about a year ago. The tree just appeared one day, and at first, we thought it was a blessing from the gods. Bullets, ammunition, and other materials just seem to grow on it. We've been harvesting it ever since, but it's only been a few months since the disappearances began. There might be a connection."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "A tree that grows bullets? That's… not something you see every day."

Without saying much more, Lucian quickly pulled out a small piece of parchment and inked a letter. His handwriting was sharp and deliberate as he penned a message to Alaric, detailing the unusual tree and its peculiar fruit. The message was simple, but the urgency in it was clear.

Once the letter was written, Lucian handed it to a nearby villager who offered to send it to Alaric. "We'll need to wait for his response. I've got a feeling this tree might be a bigger deal than we thought."

Quintin watched the exchange with mild amusement. "That tree really grows bullets, huh? Seems like Alaric's going to have a lot to say about that."

Just as Lucian finished his letter, a loud rumble of hooves echoed in the distance. The village square grew still as everyone turned their heads to see a figure riding horseback toward them at full speed. It was none other than Alaric, his glasses glinting in the setting sun as he approached the village with startling speed.

"I knew it," Lucian muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

Alaric dismounted from his horse with an almost casual grace, adjusting his glasses as he surveyed the strange tree. His gaze flicked from the tree to Lucian, then back to the tree again, a look of both fascination and disbelief in his eyes.

"Well, well," Alaric said, his voice smooth but laced with humor. "A tree that grows bullets. Ammunition doesn't grow on trees, and yet here we are." He paused for a moment, then added, "I guess the 'bullets cost money' line doesn't apply here, does it?"

Lucian shot Alaric a dry look. "I guess not. You seemed pretty eager to get here. Something tells me this tree is more than just a curiosity to you."

Alaric chuckled. "You could say that. I don't usually get excited about something so… unconventional. But a source of unlimited ammunition? That's not something we can overlook." His eyes gleamed with interest. "This changes everything."

The group stood in silence for a moment, absorbing the reality of what was happening. The village's mystery, the disappearances, and now this strange tree—all of it was connected, and Alaric's interest in the tree was more than just curiosity. There was something deeper at play here.

"So, what now?" Seraphine asked, breaking the silence. "We've seen the tree. But what's its purpose? How does it tie into the disappearances?"

Alaric turned his gaze back to the tree, deep in thought. "That's the real question. It's not just a random anomaly. There's a reason why this tree appeared here, and I suspect it's tied to whatever is causing the disappearances. But I need more information before we jump to conclusions."

He turned to Gustav, who was watching from a distance, clearly nervous about the growing attention on the tree. "Gustav, I assume you've been harvesting the bullets from this tree for some time now. Have you noticed anything strange? Anything that could explain the disappearances?"

Gustav shifted uncomfortably. "Well… we've been careful about how much we take. But recently, the tree's been… acting strange. Some of the villagers say they hear whispers coming from the grove at night. And the last few people who disappeared… they were all near the tree when they vanished."

Lucian's eyes narrowed. "Whispers? What kind of whispers?"

Gustav hesitated, looking uneasy. "I… I'm not sure. Some say it sounds like voices, others say it's more like a hum. But whatever it is, it doesn't feel right. That's why I asked for help."

Alaric took in the information, his mind working quickly. "It sounds like the tree is more than just a source of ammunition. It might be some kind of lure—something drawing people in, only to take them away."

Quintin scowled. "That's a hell of a trap."

Alaric nodded. "Exactly. And we're going to need to figure out exactly what's causing it before anyone else vanishes. But for now, we should keep our distance from the tree and keep a close eye on anything unusual happening in the village."

The team set to work, preparing for what would undoubtedly be a difficult investigation. Lucian's thoughts kept circling back to the tree. There was something about it that didn't sit right—something that felt like a warning.

As they made their way back to the village square, Lucian looked up at the sky, the sun just starting to dip below the horizon.

"This village is in for a rough ride," Lucian said, more to himself than anyone else. "But I think we're going to get to the bottom of this."

Seraphine shot him a knowing look. "And when we do, we'll be ready."

With the tree in their sights and the mystery of the village growing ever deeper, the group knew their work was just beginning. But Alaric's presence, and his obsession with the bullet-bearing tree, meant that things were about to get even more complicated than they could have imagined.

And in the distance, the whispers from the grove seemed to grow louder, as if the tree itself was waiting for them to make their next move.