Roots | ONC 2024

XVI : Take

Umirin treks back to the pulley by himself, his mind stirred up with thought. He still finds it hard to fathom what happened to his poor Shani.

He knows he should cast these thoughts away, focus on the heist ahead of him, but he simply cannot let go of it. How his darling suffered.

After much convincing, on both his part and the Elders joining him, Shani had agreed to let Umirin do the heart heist alone, while he stayed behind to keep the body of the fawn fresh.

Umirin wonders if this new ability he has, his new appearance, will revert back to what they were if the Soulbiters' plan works. He doesn't care much either way, but he does wonder.

He wonders what will happen in general, should this plan work. He cannot imagine resurrecting a God would come to pass with no side effects.

Come what may, in his opinion. They've all come too far by now to hesitate.

His trek is long and winding, but Umirin finds it easy enough to navigate his way back, pausing within the concealment of the nearby trees when he gets close to the pulley tree, eyeing it from his spot.

Shanirin had told him he'd set a fire of some kind before escaping, so Umirin presumes he must be more careful than usual. He's still incredibly stricken by the fact Shani would go so far to avenge him, yet incredibly swooned. Oh, his love.

He studies the area before him closer, refocusing himself. He only has one chance to do this well, he mustn't squander it.

There is a trap set before the entrance to the tree trunk, he notes, after taking in a patch of displaced foliage sitting spread out in front. They'd done well blending it in, but Umirin's mentor had done better teaching him to spot such traps.

He presumes it is a net snare.

He needs to find another way in, then, though he imagines heavy guard has been spread out everywhere now to keep watch for Shani returning so he may be arrested.

That will make things somewhat difficult, but Umirin thinks a diversion of some kind to draw most of them to one given spot should resolve that problem for him. He walks around the edge of the shadowed treeline, eyes raised up to look at the settlement above his head, casting a shadow over the trees and land below it. He cannot see much through the safety nets, but he can indeed spot guardsmen milling across the bridges from where he stands.

He shall have to activate the net snare to draw them all toward the pulley, he's certain a bell of some kind will sound once the trap launches, and then make his way up and hopefully get into the temple without being seen.

Now, how to get up there. The safety nets are a major hindrance, covering everything over. Useful as they are, when one is below them, they are a barrier. And sawing his way through them after his diversion is set will take too much time.

He might have to locate the hole in the net Shani used to escape, though that is a risk given it may have been repaired by now.

Still, it is his best and fastest option. He walks along the settlement's outer outline to locate where the soil stores are. Well, used to be, considering Shani burned the building down. Once he reaches the spot, looking up from below to ascertain if he's judged correctly, Umirin must pause.

There is a massive blackened hole reaching down the tree trunk, through the net, nothing but a jagged, charred stump sticking up. It's coated in soot and ash, still slightly smoking. Half the span of the safety net below it is eaten away into nothing but black, chewed up edges.

It resembles a massive, open wound on the settlement.

Umirin can hardly believe his eyes. Shani had truly not held back.