Free Ascent of the Aliomenti by Alex Albrinck Page A

about the fruit – and more specifically, if is consumption had been more than ceremonial. He’d been under the impression that the Purge had been sufficient to render him immortal, especially given the visual youthening the process had produced. Those living in the Aliomenti village had believed him to be in his mid-twenties, rather than in his mid-to-late thirties, which had added to his belief. Yet now he wondered. Had the original Purge contained this mysterious fruit? Did the morange and zirple combination merely unleash and build Energy abilities, but fail to confer immortality?
    If they did not, would he be the one to deliver the fruit back to Arthur and Adam, and confer upon the men he’d most like to see dead the gift of immortality?
    Ambrose turned, sensing the approach of Aina and the visitors, and his face turned stony. He did not seem unfriendly, merely one accustomed to the normalcy that defined the life of one who’d lived so long in isolation, with so little change. They’d interrupted his routine by their arrival.
    The new arrivals approached Ambrose and the others. He nodded in greeting, and Aina returned the gesture before stepping aside.
    Ambrose fixed each of them in turn with an intense gaze, as if trying to assess their trustworthiness. The trio, with nothing of ill will to hide, returned gazes of patience to their inquisitor.
    Ambrose stepped back so as to see all of them at once. “You have intruded upon a forest meant for isolation and walled off from intrusion, meant to be impossible for outsiders to enter. Yet here you stand. Upon discovery, one of you was found to have eaten of the special fruit. Explain yourselves.”
    The trio explained glances, and Will spoke. “We had been journeying for some time and spotted the forest. We have few provisions, and thought to check for fruits and nuts and berries for sustenance, and perhaps find shelter for the evening when the winds might chill us. The fruit in question looked edible, and thus we ate.”
    Ambrose shook his head. “How did you manage to enter? The perimeter of this forest is lined with thick brambles and thorn bushes, and yet you enter with nary a scratch on you. How is that possible?”
    Will shrugged. Where we entered, there were no such obstacles.” That was true, of course, though Will didn’t think it wise to mention they’d entered from the sky rather than from the ground.
    Ambrose looked concerned, and turned to those gathered behind him. “We’ll need to perform a perimeter check. It’s possible that some of the plants were damaged in the recent storm and have not yet grown back. We’ll need to ensure those are fixed.”
    Returning his gaze to the trio, Ambrose looked at them. “Though I have no sense that you wish us harm or would do us injury, the fact is that you have trespassed here, and for those who live here, for whom privacy is the greatest desire, and for whom departure from this forest is treason, this is a serious crime indeed. And the fruit is the reason it is such a serious crime. The twin effects are momentous indeed, and we wish to ensure that no one feels the effects without the chance first to consider the consequences, including the mandatory permanent residency. Thus—“
    “Wait,” Will said. “What do you mean, ‘permanent residency’?”
    Ambrose focused his gaze upon Will. “When we vote to allow a specific candidate into this forest and introduce them to our lifestyle, we are certain that they are aware of the consequences of those choices. The fruit renders consumers both immortal and sterile. As the guardians of this powerful formula, we require that any who consume the fruit remain here permanently to aid in its protection, to ensure that the fruit and its incredible power do not spread widely.”
    Will sighed. The man would make a tremendous member of the Aliomenti Elites, certain as he was that such incredible knowledge ought to be limited only to those deemed worthy by a select few.