Ori and the decayed land

Chapter 8: Arriving at the Luma pools

The three appeared at the spirit well in the Wellspring glades with light shining onto nearby objects as well as gaining the attention of a male gorlek with one of his eyes covered and a pickaxe in one hand and a lantern in another hand. "Ah. The spirits return. Ori and Sein, right?" he spoke before he saw Seir floating next to the spirits. Ori and Sein looked towards the gorlek, who was taken back by the presence of Seir "Yes, we are Ori and Sein, how do you know our names? And I see that you noticed Seir, we're on a quest to restore the light of Niwen." Ori replied to the gorlek. The gorlek turned his attention back to the spirits "Oh I know your names thanks to Mokk. After he took you two to Kwolok, he returned and told me about you two and your names. So, I began work on a hut for you two soon after he told me about your presences." he replied to Ori.

"That saves asking. Thanks...uh..." Sein didn't know the gorlek's name "Oh. I didn't introduce myself. My name is Grom, a gorlek builder. I promised the Moki that I would provide refuge from the decay here." Grom introduced himself before he did a follow motion with one of his free arms. "I'll take you to the hut I built for you three." Grom kindly said before the three began to follow him towards the hut. They reached the hut a few minutes later.

Ori, Sein, and seir looked at the hut, it looked like the other huts in the village, the hut had a sign on it just like the others it read 'Ori and Sein' on it "wow... I don't know how to repay you, Grom." Ori said to Grom while still looking at the hut. Grom faced Ori "You don't need to repay me. I just want everyone in the glades to feel welcomed and have a place to stay." he replied as the three went to the huts entrance.

"Again, thank you, Grom." Sein thanked him a second time "Always a pleasure to help a spirit. I Hope you three get rest." Grom replied to Sein before giving the trio a farewell wave and headed to his hut for the night. Ori then opened the door to the hut and the three entered.

Once the three entered they saw how spacious it was. There were two beds made of straw. A table with some chairs and a basket with some fruit in it. "Grom really tried to make this as homey as possible." Ori said looking around "Grom likes to make sure that everyone feels at home when he makes huts for the inhabitants." Seir explained "I can see that. It feels like a home away from home." Ori replied as Sein agreed with a nod.

Ori looked at the two beds "There's two beds. Me and Sein could take one while Seir takes the other." Ori spoke as he thought with a paw on his chin "That should work." Sein spoke. Ori and Sein chose their bed while Seir floated to the other one. Ori and Sein laid down on the bed while Seir floated down on the other bed before her light dimmed slightly. Ori noticed that Seir's light dimmed "Hey, Sein? Seir's light just dimmed. Does it mean something?" Ori quietly asked Sein which made her look at her sister "Don't worry, Ori. Her light dimmed because she's begun to sleep." Sein quietly replied.

Ori and Sein soon got comfortable on the bed "Ah. There we go. Much more comfortable." Ori spoke "Agreed. Good night, Ori." Sein spoke while a yawn escaped her mouth "Night, Sein." Ori replied as both spirits shared a short kiss before closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Ori opened his eyes and found himself in the dream realm. "Back here?" Ori spoke as he looked around to see there was darkness where he found himself in. Ori felt an odd sense of familiarity with it until he knew where he was "I'm back in Mouldwood depths...great..." Ori said sarcastically. He soon saw a light in the darkness quickly approaching.

Ori squinted his eyes to see it was a spirit running through the darkness, but not just any spirit, it was Lora.

She was running with visible fear and terror with slight yellow tears falling down her cheeks while holding her right arm as there was a bit of sickly yellow venom coming from her arm. Ori knew what happened "This is before I freed Mora from the decay..." he spoke with realisation as he watched Lora reach to where he was.

Ori saw Lora fall to the ground on her paws and knees with tears in her eyes. Ori tried to place a paw on Lora's shoulder only for his paw to go right through her. Ori heard Lora soon speak "I feel my light beginning to fade... My strength is faltering... I never got to confess to Orin that... I... loved..." then she went silent as she drew her last breath and dropped to the ground before her body flashed into a bright light, leaving nothing but a sprout in her place. Ori's surroundings soon went dark as Ori woke up.

Ori immediately sat up, wide eyed from what he heard "Lora...loved...me..." Ori thought as he began to tear up slightly. He felt something break within him, though he didn't know what it was. Ori looked out a window and saw that it was still a bit dark, but some light could be seen on the horizon "I suppose the sun is just starting to rise." Ori thought as he wiped his tears away. He got up without waking Sein and proceeded to head to the table and sat on a chair while grabbing a piece of fruit from the basket and began to carefully eat it so he wouldn't get his fur stained.

Ori successfully ate the fruit without staining his fur "Hey. I managed to keep my fur clean." Ori quietly said with a grin.

Ori still thought about what he heard Lora say in her final moments "I didn't know she felt that way... It makes her death  much more saddening..." Ori thought as his ears drooped and feeling his chest begin to hurt.

A few hours passed as the light of the sun entered the hut. Ori ended up falling back to sleep in the chair as he had his head on the table.

Sein began to awaken as she opened her eyes "Is it morning already?" she asked herself as she stretched. She imminently noticed Ori wasn't on the bed "Did Ori already wake up?" she asked herself again before seeing him asleep at the table "Or he could be there." She spoke once more before walking up to Ori.

Sein noticed that there was one fruit missing from the basket "Ah. He got a midnight snack. That's why he's at the table." she said. Ori began to move slightly as the sunlight landed on him "Did I fall back to sleep at the table?" he asked himself as he stretched. Ori soon saw that Sein was next to him "Oh morning, Sein." he greeted "Good morning, Ori. Why were you asleep at the table?" Sein asked after greeting back "I woke up as the sun just started to rise. I felt a little hungry, so I got a fruit and I managed to keep my fur clean this time. But I guess I ended up falling back to sleep at the table." Ori replied.

"Every time you wake up extremely early means you had some type of vision." Sein pointed out "Well, it wasn't a vision, but more like a memory of spirits past." Ori spoke which made Sein curious. "What was it about?" she asked "Well, it took place in Mouldwood. I was at the location where we found Lora's ancestral tree. I saw Lora approach where her tree would be located. There was yellow venom on her right arm. She then fell on her paws and knees once she approached the location. She soon said 'I feel my light beginning to fade... My strength is faltering... I never got to confess to Orin that... I... loved...' then she went silent and dropped to the ground before her body flashed into a bright light, leaving nothing but her ancestral tree's sprout..." Ori explained to Sein with every detail.

Sein was surprised "Lora loved you? Why didn't she confess it back when you were still Orin?" Sein asked "I don't know why. Maybe she was scared that I would reject her?" Ori shrugged.

Seir's light brightened as she awoke and began to float up into the air "Good morning you two." Seir greeted which caught the attention of Ori and Sein "Morning." both spirits said in unison. Seir began to float towards the two spirits "Did you two sleep well?" Seir asked "I did, but I found Ori asleep with his head on the table." Sein spoke which made Ori have a sheepish look. "That's beside the point. We need to focus on acquiring the rest of the wisps. We still need the strength of the forest, the memory of the forest, and the heart of the forest. So, we have three locations we can go to: Luma pools. Baur's reach. And Windswept wastes which should be passed the Silent woods." Ori said with Sein and Seir agreeing "Ori's right. But where do we go next?" Sein asked "How about Luma pools? It is a beautiful part of Niwen." Seir suggested.

Ori and Sein thought for a moment "Sounds like a plan to me." Ori replied to Seir with Sein nodding in agreement "Then it is settled. We shall go to Luma pools and acquire my strength." Seir said. And with that, the three left their hut and made their way to Luma pools.

Around 30 to 40 Minutes passed as the trio made it to Luma pools "Wow... you weren't joking when you said that it was a beautiful part of Niwen." Sein spoke "Well, we shouldn't get side tracked now. We have a wisp to find." Ori soon said with the two sisters agreeing. They began to head deeper into Luma pools soon after.