Arcana of Life
I remember staring down at the ground, tracing my fingers along the little bits of metal that I had shook from the dirt after excavating my latest murder of an ant empire. It blubbered up in some spots, but the whole thing was an extravagant interweaving of tunnels, sharing the same sporadic veiny-like twistings similar to a root system or in my case lightning- lightning.
I drudged the hulking chunk of metal up from the Early, turning it upside to to inspect my downward tree and then chuckled to myself as I marveled over it, tracing my fingers along it as the cool metal reminded me of how hot the arcs of electricity felt coursing through my body. If only the scar remained... Then it wouldn't be a distant memory.
"Johnathan," a voice called out behind me, catching my attention as I turned to look at her.
Gods, she was breathtaking. I smiled sheepishly at the woman I called 'wife' and smirked at her, putting my thumbs in my pockets shyly as I left the statue standing - unsupported - by my side. "Martha."
"When are you coming inside?"
"For dinner?"
"Well yes, that- hun... but there's also a storm brewing and I've heard once you get struck by lightning once-"
"Yeah, I know. Prone to it happening again. Funny how that works," I answered, kicking a little dirt hole up from before my shoe before casting her a sideways glance. "I was just-"
"Torturing the wildlife?" she smirked at me.
"A little," I admitted playfully.
"Well, at this rate, you're going to draw in more heat with all them damn silver trees, Johnathan. I don't know what you keep them... What for at least."
"My own little superstition, Martha. My own..." my gaze returned to the field of silvery statues that intricately decorated the yard out yonder past the fence "superstition."