She had come to the Sisters of the Bones young enough that she had no memory of a life lived anywhere else. She knew nothing of her birth family; she had never had visitors here. But when she died, there would be an alcove. There would be a warm red light. And there would be acolytes to speak her name in memory and in blessing. This was a place to belong.
We scrambled up the tangled roots of the Memory Tree. Above, the branches creaked. I climbed careful, wary they’d snap and come falling upon us. There was a weight to them I had not seen before. Though the fruit blooming between grey leaves were palm-small, they seemed to drag the whole tree earthwards. This close, our laughter died away and we stared up, caught in the shadow of the tree. It was Maura who broke the silence, easy as she’d snap a twig.
Roberto Nieto, also known as Syntetyc, has been illustrating landscapes and fantastic environments for more than fifteen years. He loves to create little fantasy stories in each illustration. Each of his illustrations has a little bit of the kind of world he would like to live in, full of natural beauty. He is learning and improving his technique to create more beautiful and detailed works. See more of his art at DeviantArt.
Featuring new cover art: "Valley of the Wind, Nausicaa" by Roberto Nieto. Eleanora of the Bones by Kat Howard. Fruit of the Memory Tree by J.A. Prentice. BCS 314: Eleanora of the Bones by Kat Howard.