The Tree of Life (Lost Civilizations: 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Elohim watched. Elohim would no doubt send him aid when the time was right. Joash nodded to himself. It wasn’t time to despair, but to heal, regain his wits and plot against the Nephilim.
    To that end, Joash took more interest in his surroundings. The trees had certainly changed since the swamplands. No longer were they twisted oaks, or the tall beeches of the lowlands. Here pines held sway, just as they had in his vision of Irad’s Journey. But this wasn’t the way to Eden. Eden lay near Arkite Land. Surely, Tarag knew the way to Eden. Why go to such lengths to gain the adamant armor, shield and sword if he didn’t know where the Tree of Life stood?
    “I must learn more about these Nephilim,” Joash told himself. He regarded a squirrel that chattered at him from a nearby branch.
    “Is that why I’ve been captured?” he asked.
    A burly white-haired man, bent under his leather pack, pushed him from behind.
    “Walk,” the servitor said.
    Joash stumbled, but he hardly noticed. His idea staggered him more. Maybe Elohim had allowed him to be captured so he could learn the secrets of Nephilim and First Born. Joash frowned, thinking it through. Why not give him another vision instead? A cold fear fell on him. Who was he to question Elohim? He was a Seraph, a servant of Elohim. Consider Adah, which he often did, finding it impossible to believe she was dead. On Poseidonis Gibborim had once captured her, but Adah had still fought as hard as ever. Then Lod had rescued her. Yes, he would be like her. He would struggle against the enemy until he was dead.
    His resolve, and the hope that something might happen to help him, gave him peace. It lightened his step, and let him watch the animals. Deeper in the woods, a wolf darted behind a tree, with its tail between its legs. It must have sniffed the sabertooths. Even as Joash thought that, the wolf peeked around a pine to watch them.
    O brave wolf, I salute you .
    Later, Joash saw mountain goats on a stony ledge. They bounded from one tiny outcrop of rock to another. What marvelous balance they had.  Farther on he listened to the trill of birds to buoy his flagging spirits, for he found his resolve was not a thing that he could keep at one high level. It rose, dipped only moments later, and then revived an hour after that when he listened to the beauty of birdsongs. Elohim had created the animals and, according to Zillith, He still watched over every small sparrow. Surely, Elohim could watch over a Seraph captured by Nephilim.
    “Joash!” bellowed Mimir.
    Joash saw the towering giant stride toward him. Mimir still wore his chainmail that almost reached to his knees, and clutched his huge axe. He’d taken to carrying a mighty shield on his back, a shield much bigger than Herrek could have used. The giant wore rugged leathers under his mail. What most marked Mimir were his shaggy beard and the cunning dark eyes that knew too much. Lord Uriah’s eyes had been like that.
    Mimir is ancient, Joash realized. Lord Uriah had been over five hundred years old, one of the oldest humans Joash knew. Actually, few people he’d met had been over a hundred. Most people, for one reason or another, never made it past one hundred. But Mimir... he was older than Lord Uriah was. How old? Gaut Windrunner had been eight hundred years old. Surely, Mimir was even older. Could Mimir be over a thousand years old? Joash shook his head. He couldn’t comprehend that. No human had ever lived so long. Humanity’s father, Adam, had lived nine hundred and thirty years. Few people ever approached such a vast age.
    Thinking about Mimir’s age frightened Joash. How could he begin to understand a being like Mimir? Joash decided that he would never try to match wits with the giant, nor lie to him if he could help it. Mimir would understand such things better than he would. Great age could be a great teacher, and those knowing eyes said Mimir had been more than willing to learn what lessons life had to