Fly Until You See The Light

Forest - Chapter 9

Finally, a familiar voice! It's Sentinekka, Ojtaro would recognize among a thousand sounds... Her desperate... Sobs?

Worried, the boy slips into the cave of the Crying Spirit. Everyone calls that place like that.

What he sees frightens him: the cave Spirit is stroking his friend's head in a consolatory way, while she cries with her hands over her eyes as bright as the Prairie's sunlight.

Sentinekka relived the saddest memory of the Forest. He hoped with all his heart that she was waiting for him for that... But she is too curious.

«Hello, Ojtaro» the Spirit says, without looking at him. «Do you know this little girl?».

The boy approaches the two, saddened, and takes the little girl from the arms of the Spirit, who does not rebel and lets him do it. Then, he hugs her as tight as he can.

«This shouldn't have happened» he says to the Spirit, who looks at him in confusion. Ojtaro snorts:«Yes, I know this kid! Why would I hug her if I didn't know her?» he exclaims, cuddling the little girl as if he was a relative.

«Oh sorry. You know how I am» the Spirit justifies herself, looking at the scene with inexpressiveness.

She's been through so many things that she barely shows emotion. A bit idiotic according to Ojtaro, but nothing can change the creature's behavior anyways.

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The two leave the cave after a few minutes of crying and consolation.

Ojtaro wraps his arm around the little girl's neck, while she sniffles a couple of times and dries her eyes with her left hand. With her right hand, she's holding her mask very thightly.

Her eyes are green. That green reminds him of one of the Lights that you can catch in the Prairie when you do the Quests of the Forgotten Ark. That green Light in the Bird Nest...

«You don't know how sorry I am, Sen' ...» Ojtaro whispers, looking at her in a displeased way.

«How did that happen?» Sentinekka asks him, still a little shaken by the situation she experienced. Of course, she didn't expect it.

«I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the coming of Darkness into our world. I would like to know more, but I have no idea...».

Yep, everything has to do with that now. Darkness everywhere. Their world wasn't like this before.

The Children are silent for almost the entire journey, until they reach that platform with a black roof and floor, with bright white candles and their fire and with a strange drawing of geometric shapes in front of them.

«How do we get to the temple?» the little girl asks.

There is nothing that can help them. No bridge. What if they tried to fly? The rain would get them...

Ojtaro smiles in a hopeful and amused way. «Look» he says, staring at the nothing.

The Elder's temple is in front of them, but it is far away and unattainable... Until a group of yellow and transparent Jellyfishes emerges from the water on the ground jumping like crazy.

Sentinekka widens her eyes, surprised and amazed, while Ojtaro smiles smugly. Good thing she's easily distracted. She will immediately forget what happened with the Spirit of the cave.