Mouse stared at the door in silence. He looked at the engravings along its walls, and stared at the door again. "So, can you destroy it? Or at least prevent the door from ever being opened?" Mouse shrugged his shoulders at the man, and signed at him. "At least I'll give it a try... If I can't do it now, I'll be able to do it in the future."
"Let him try husband... He looked at the woman standing next to him and nodded. "Yes... I remember many years we've tried to destroy it, and a young tree shadow comes to us saying he can, by just looking at the door once."
"If it can be done, than our mission is complete, and we no longer have to always be here protecting it." Mouse smiled and nodded, signing. "Tree shadow... What's that?"
"Hahaha... Husband has said too much already... You'll see when it is time for your trial... Don't worry we'll take you there... I'm sure he's being waiting for a long time in his little tree house." Mouse looked at them in confusion. "No more... Door first, and than we'll take you... Until than, leave him to himself... He knows what he is doing."
"Fine... Son... Its time for some training... You let a little tree shadow beat you... Not acceptable."
"Father... I didn't... You told him how to beat me... I call that cheating... He cheated mother... He cheated."
"Doesn't matter... What he says is law... Off you go, and learn from him... If we're able to leave this place, than we need to be ready for fighting at anytime."
"Fine... Mouse... Next time we fight I'm going to not even give you a chance to fight back." Mouse looked at the brother, smiling at him. He waved and turned looking back at the large golden door in front of him. He sat down in front of it and closed his eyes.
"Finally, you're here." He looked up at Tofana and hugged her. "This door... Any ideas how we can either destroy it or prevent it from being opened?"
"We have many things that we can try..." Mouse shook his head. "Brute force doesn't work... I'm sure they've tried that many times, also I'm sure they have a similar ability to what the monk can do as well, yet it still stands."
"The problem is Mouse, the moment that door is gone, the thing behind it is free... We can't allow that." He nodded. "So the best option is to try and prevent it from ever been open..." Mouse smiled. "A giant tree, with its roots preventing it from being opened?" He felt Tofana's arms around his neck. "That could work, but there's still the problem of freeing whatever is inside..." Mouse frowned. "While that door is there, whatever inside is trapped, and can't escape."
"That's correct..." Mouse scratched his head, and looked around the underground space he was in. "Are you ignoring me Mouse?" He smiled at Tofana, and shook his head. "No... I'm not ignoring you at all... Just thinking." He watched as she put her hands on her hips and pouted at him. "What are you thinking about? I know its not about me." Mouse nodded sheepishly. "Yes... Sorry about that... I just want to do this so that, I can finally do your mission, and not worry that in the future these doors won't be open."
"Such a serious man... I like that about you Mouse... Come walk around the space and look at the engravings... If there's a way to destroy it, it'll be on the walls around here." Mouse nodded and opened his eyes, looking over the engravings again. "There's nothing on this side..."
"How about the side that has the map of Athlos..." Mouse walked over to the other wall and stared at the map on the other wall. "It does look like a map, but also it isn't..." He sat in front of it. "Tofana what does it look like to you?"
"It looks like a face... Sort of, but it also doesn't..." Mouse nodded and stood up looking around it in detail. "Mouse... Stop what's that?" He looked at what Tofana pointed at in his mind and ran his fingers over the engraving. "Do you think this is the answer?"
"It has to be... It makes sense, if you think about it... Trap the thing inside, and than use its own energy to provide sustenance to it until it fades from running out of energy." Mouse smiled and looked at the door, placing his hands on it.
"Mouse... What are you doing? You better not be trying to open the door?" Mouse shook his head and looked at the mother signing. "I know what to do... I also know I can do it, but the effects of what I do, will take time to bear fruit."
"You and your fruit... Why are all tree shadows like that anyway?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "You're certain it will work?" Mouse nodded, signing. "We're going to use it as food... Drain it from the inside, so than the door will break open on its own because there's nothing on the inside anymore." He saw her nod. "That sounds like a good plan... I leave it to you to finish than... My husband has grown tired of this place, and he really needs to see the world."
Mouse nodded and put his hands back on the door, closing his eyes. He looked around in his world with Tofana. "I should be able to form it here?"
"There's no other place for it to grow..." Mouse nodded at Tofana's words and started to create the image of a tree seed in his mind. "Make sure it needs the energy of what's inside for it to grow, and also spreads in the area... Turning this place into a paradise." Mouse smiled and nodded. "It'll be a nice change from a desert."
"They'll get a nice surprise as well, once they've seen the work you did." Mouse nodded as he felt a seed come into being in his hand. He looked down at the large seed. "Since its here with us, how to send it out to where I am?"
"I thought you already knew that?" Mouse shook his head at Tofana. "Its easy open your eyes and look at your hands... Call it to where you are." Mouse looked at her in confusion. "Doesn't matter if you don't understand me... Just do what I said... Call it to you." Mouse looked at Tofana. "Fine... I'll give it a go." He opened his eyes and looked at his hand.
"Speak with your heart idiot... Stop staring at your hand, and call it." Mouse nodded. "Come seed... I want to plant you around a nutritious food source." He watched as the seed he had made in his world began to show in his hand. He smiled and looked at the large seed. "You look hungry... Well, I have the perfect source of food for you... Its behind these doors... Off you go... Go find it, and grow into a beautiful paradise."
He watched in surprise as the seed rolled off his hand and landed in the sand. "Mouse whats that?" He looked up at the Mother, signing. "That's the solution to our problem here."
"Its just a seed... How does that solve our problem." Mouse waved his finger at her. "Watch what it does... Its hungry."
"What in the blasted hells is that? Its moving on its own." Mouse nodded, signing at her. "I told you its hungry... Just watch what it does." He sat near the door and pointed at the seed. He watched it with a smile as it rolled towards the door. "It can smell its food..."
"How can it get through the door at at size." Mouse smiled and pointed, as he watched the seed start to bury itself into the rock beneath the door. He turned and walked away from the door and sat leaning against the engraved wall looking towards the door.
"BOOOMMMM!"
He watched as the door started to shake. He turned as the family stood near him. "It sounds angry..." Mouse shook his head, signing. "Not angry... Whatever is behind that door is scared of the seed. Its going to feed off whatever is in there, until there's nothing left."
Mouse lowered his head and let out a long breath. "What was that for Mouse?" He looked up at the father, signing. "I found a way that I can complete the mission of the previous tree shadow, who failed."
"I see... So she was the one to help you understand whats going on?" He nodded. "See, I told you mother, he's a cheater... He's got someone helping him."
"No son... That isn't cheating... She chose him to complete the mission because she knew he could do it... She has excellent foresight."
"BOOOOMMM!"
"Looks like it wants to escape through the door on its own."
"Mouse... I've never seen it at this way before... This is a first for me, in a very long time... Isn't it wife?"
Mouse looked at them signing. "That's why you never annoy a shadow... You never know what they can put in your bed while your sleeping."
"That sounds like a threat the old tree shadow we know would say... Instead he would say, he'd put it in your tea." Mouse looked at them with a smile, signing. "My black shadow teacher taught me how to enjoy the perfect cup of tea."
"Its still a part of their culture husband... I do hope they have the tea I enjoyed... You know the one with the wine mixed in with it?" Mouse smiled at the woman. "I know that tea... You have the wine, and I have the means to make the tea."
"Yayyy... Tea wine... Happy dance time." He watched as the woman started to dance around in happiness. He looked at the man in confusion. "Don't worry... The last time she had that, she was quite young, and had strange tastes in wine, and in people."
"Boomm."
Mouse looked at the door with a smiled on his face. He turned to the family, signing. "Its done... The seed has started to feed on whatever is in there."
"So its done?" Mouse nodded. "Our role here is finished?" Mouse nodded again. "We can finally leave this place?" Mouse looked at the family, and nodded at them with an annoyed looked on his face. "Stop asking... I can feel it growing rapidly, its done."
"BOOOMMM!"
"CRRACKKK!"
Mouse stood and watched as a thick root cracked through the door, and stabbed the ground burrowing into the ground. Mouse turned and looked at the shocked family. "See... Your mission is over."
"Mouse... What do you call that plant?" Mouse shook his head. "Its not a plant... Its a tree... A special mother tree... A tree that brings disaster to those that cause Athlos harm."
"Mother where do we go now? We don't have to be here anymore?" Mouse looked at the family with a smile on his face. "You can join us fight the taint..."
"That's not our fight... We've fought like that before, and now we've been around for some time... However, if Athlos is in danger we'll be there fighting by your side."
Mouse nodded, and touched his head as it felt like it was struck by lightning.
"Mouse... Are you fine?" Mouse rolled on the ground in silent pain, with his hands on his head. "We need to go to the tree shadow... His trial has come upon him... Pick him up son... We need to travel to the old man... He'll know what they do."
"I'll look after him, he'll get to the old man in one piece."
"Husband, what will you do now, since our mission is finally over?"
"I don't know... I think a holiday, or look at a nice view for a while... Staring at sand and gold walls, can be rather tiring."
"I agree husband... Now lets go see the old man... He'll be surprised to see you, especially after all these long years."