Fly Until You See The Light

Forest - Chapter 10

The Children cross the bridge of creatures of Light with calm and a little fear, especially the little girl, who did not expect something like this in a remote and dark place like the Hidden Forest.

Sometimes, the Jellyfishes make funny, calm noises, as if they are appreciating their purpose as a bridge.

A jump, a small flight and, finally, the feet touch the rough and cold ground of the very short road towards the temple.

«It is beautiful!» Sentinekka whispers, breathlessly. Such a large structure was certainly more beautiful once.

She can't recognize what material it is made of. Maybe clay bricks? Or stone? She doesn't really know, it's beauty leaves her wondering a lot.

The temple is already open, it may be that some Child entered before them.

In fact, the door to the Elder's temple is almost always open. Many go to see her and bring her gifts. He wonders why...

He knows that many love the Elder, but Teth is not the type of person who seems to socialize.

Sentinekka and Ojtaro enter the Hidden Forest temple and then end up inside a sort of small sanctuary with a flooded floor and small towers that are not too high.

Then, on top of one of those, there is the only - and not at all different from the others - stone of Teth.

«Ready to see the Elder? » the boy asks his adventure companion, nudging her arm with his elbow.

«Mh mh» she answers, kinda nervous.

«First of all I want to warn you: if she treats you roughly, it's normal. You only have to worry if she seems warm and kind and anything that doesn't resemble her realm. Am I clear?» Ojtaro tells her, holding her shoulder to prevent her from leaving without listening to his words.

«Clear». Sentinekka smiles and willingly lets herself be accompanied in front of the statue.

She lights the white candles and kneels before it, waiting for the Darkness to come. Ojtaro does not sit with her, but leans against a wall ahead until the end. 

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The thing that an Elder lives in some kind of run-down garden scares her. How is this possible...? She doesn't know, but she would love to find out.

A little further away, she sees a large person sitting on an anvil. Here she is, it's her. The Elder of the Forest slowly turns and, with a lightning leap, arrives in front of her. In her hand she has a broken crystal, some kind of magical device or similar.

The woman and the girl look at each other for a few moments until Sentinekka takes out her white candle, which is supposed to represent some of her Light, apparently...

... And the other snatches the object from her hand.

Sentinekka remains calm and smiles. She has nothing to worry about, then: Ojtaro knows best, and he was definitely right about everything he said.

If the deity treats her like this, it means that everything is normal.

The Elder handles the Light with care until it disappears inside the shattered crystal, which is repaired thanks to the heat of the candle.

Then, she stares at Sentinekka with cold eyes. «Thank you» she says, remaining as cold as the rain of her realm.

«No problem» the child responds, happily. «I'm glad I could help you, whatever happened to your jewel».

The first looks down on her for a while, analyzes her as if she were a too successful experiment, and transforms the diamond into something strange.

Sentinekka cannot know the strangeness of this thing, but we can. The Elder doesn't throw her diamond into the sky as if she were sending it to NASA, then...? That's weird.

That something that the Elder creates is a pendant. A silvery jewel with small shades of Light, of her own Light that she herself gave to the Elder. It represents the same diamond that the mother of the Forest had in her hands before.

«It's not every day that I give a special gift to someone. Take it and leave. Come back whenever you want, as everyone does, but don't say anything about this to anyone except the person who accompanied you here. As for that person, hurt them and you will pay for it» the deity commands her, as she was a true ruler.

Sentinekka nods gratefully, thanks her superior with kindness and respect, and everything disappears before her.

One thing is certain: she will keep that promise. She will never hurt her guide.