Creation: The Primordial Era (Creation Series, Book 2)

Light Along The Prairie

Oracion's POV

"And what am I supposed to say about that?" I ask her.

She doesn't respond, instead hopping over the river and to the other side of the flourished green. She crouches down, fiddling with the grotto's hedge walls, "You had to go North right? I'll lead you as far as I can, but once we reach a certain place...I'm going to have to go a different way, that good enough for you?" She advises,

I nod my head in approval, bowing slightly for her to lead the way first.

"Bit of a gentleman, are we?" She grins before crawling through, not giving me anytime to snapback with a statement.

Twigs, branches and stones fill the newly formed holes in my clothes and honestly makes me question what don't I have touching my skin at this point.

After some silence between us, I hear her sort of scowl in annoyance at something. "Please don't be night." She whispers to herself like some sort of prayer. "Please. I need more time." She begs.

"You okay?" I exhale, hoping she hears it from this awkward position.

"Does it sound like I'm okay?" She snaps, gradually managing to stand up as we come to the exit of the grotto.

"Shit." She complains, "I wasted too much time, way too much time." She stares back at me, making me feel a little guilt ridden.

"Sorry." I admit but she shakes her head, not wanting to hear that clearly.

"Don't be, it's my own fault and honestly you were worth it...but I don't usually like to move through the night." She states, continuing on to walk despite her own words.

"How come?" I follow behind her, slightly tilting my body to try and look at her face from above after she doesn't respond.

"I'm sure even your keen eye noticed this, Oracion. But your world in the Veil isn't the same as the one out here." She explains.

"I've come to understand this" I confirm, internally smiling a bit at the memory of the fish.

"Come night, there's a celebration that living things are able to hold, a parade...a ritual."

"Lik-" I retract my current step, almost bumping into a crystallised blue orb that gently fell from the sky above.

"It's a Will-o, Pop it." Mousai suggests.

"You sure?"

She sighs, walking up to it and squeezing it till it pops in front of my face. A sudden noise fills the space, something that fills me with joy or even happiness. One that I'd remember like second nature. It was Freya, laughing.

I pause briefly, trying to process it before grabbing another one and popping it just as she did. This time it's Ira's laugh. And another for Requis. "We all hear different things, but it's always a positive...always a falsehood." She finishes, abruptly turning to face back in our destination's direction.

More and more orbs form from above us but she smacks them away in distaste, clearly not taking to them lightly. "So why is this happening?" I ask her.

"We're by a sentient village of life, one that can both recognise and support this Moonlit Festival. They're called the Noisi, they won't particularly understand what you're saying but they respond well to emotion." She advises as we make our way down a steep hill, eventually spotting the opening where the trees stop at the edge of the forest.

"And how exactly do things support this Festival?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Bring he-" She interrupts herself. "The Moon a gift, sing it a song, bring it a sacrifice or some sort of offering. In exchange you get Will-o's to fall along your land, bringing joy and blah blah blah." She waves her hand in an exaggerated motion.