..
The wind curled around Ori with a gentle touch while he brushed through the tall grass.
He crossed the rivers near the trees that were covered with beautiful water lilies and other water foilage.
From what Ori could see, the Spirit Tree wasn't far away, only a few more miles.
The Spirit Guardian stopped in his tracks as his gaze met the odd stone structure that was covered in red frabric.
It was the marker of Nibel what he had examined once. After spending some moments in his thoughts...a deep, booming voice reached Ori's mind.
• "ORI..." •
The bluish rays of the Spirit Tree charged up once again. Ori's head lifted up as his eyes were now fixed on the large glowing Tree in the distance.
• " YOU HAVE TO HURRY, MY CHILD. COME TO ME AND YOU SHALL KNOW..." •
The spirit didn't hesitate to move quickly and headed over to the Hollow Grove, the place where the Spirit Tree resided.
Ori knew it must be something highly important if the Spirit Tree should call him to come over quickly.
He avoided all the enemies he encountered in the past. Soon, Ori reached his Destination.
Watching his own kind dancing and running around in joy made him perplexed.
Nothing unusual was going on there, everything looked normal as always. The place was filled with light and happiness...as usual.
Ori wondered why the Spirit Tree called him so desperately. The white creature looked around, analyzing every inch of this place while he moved forward slowly.
Meanwhile, some spirits crossed Ori's path, joyfully laughing as they hopped around.
• " Ori! " •
A familiar voice exclaimed through the sky.
Ori looked up as he recognized the call from above, and watched as a small, blue and white orb of light made its way down to him.
It was Sein, who left from the Spirit Tree's source of light.
" Sein! It's nice to see you again! "
He smiled shortly.
" But I need to talk to you. It's important! "
Ori stated in a bluish orb hovered around Ori before floating up a path to the back of the Spirit Tree.
• " This way! " •
Sein left a faint trail of light for Ori to follow. He followed her the other side of the Spirit Tree, where a hidden place deep within the roots resided.
The place was dark and only small crystals lit the way. At the center of the roots was a little glowing pool of crystal clear water.
The place was just as important as the Spirit Tree's light, as it kept the Spirit Tree alive by providing water. Ori was amazed at the sight of the secret place.
"Wow! I didn't know the Spirit Tree had a secret place!"
The creature of the forest smiled. Sein stopped and floated around above the pool's surface.
• " Yes. This place was secretly built by the Spirit Tree himself for very important news. No one else besides me and the Spirit Tree knows about this location. No one can hear our business down here as it could fall into the wrong ears." •
She explained.
Ori listened while walking closer to the pool.
"So ... in that case, I bet there's something really important for what the Spirit Tree had called me by. What is it? "
Ori asked rather confused. He wondered what it could be.
Sein kept being silent for a short time.
• "The darkness..." •
Sein suddenly trailed off and Ori raised an eyebrow.
"The darkness?"
He repeated Sein's words, obviously confused.
• " ...The darkness returns. The Shadow Tale... a dark, foggy and dying place right next to the south side of the Misty Woods. Creatures of darkness live there, such as the so-called Sphinxies...they're as mysterious as the shadows and described to be as a threat towards the light. Encompassing both spirit and demon, sphinxes are light hunters, they curse other beings of light to transform them into a shadow creature like them. And then they take over their territory. That includes the Forest of Nibel and its neighboring territories. " •
Sein explained in a worried tone.
"...Sphinxies?...Tell me more about them!"
The Spirit listened with curiosity.
The bluish orb floated over the middle of the pool and softly touched it with her light.
The contact made the pool's water ripple from the center and outward.
After the slight touch, something showed in water: a sphinx and then more sphinxes. Sein began to explain…
• "Cold, merciless, guileful, loyal to comrades and shrewd is the original character which Sphinxies are known for. Not as intelligent as our kind, still they are still very dangerous to their aggressive behavior, surprise attacks, and their sharp, long claws. Their masks are their typical trademark for the appearance. Each mask has its own marks and shape. The marks of the higher-leveled statements of the Sphinxies can glow. Their glowing white eyes make them be able to see in the darkness perfectly and clear. It is difficult to say if Sphinxies have fur or feathers because they have a veil of dark arua around them, but they do appear to have feathers. Another common thing in Sphinxies are the long neck feathers, and the long, veil-like tail. Even while they appear to be sleek, they are strong and agile. Surprisingly, they can get a fast speed for a short time, but the endurance takes its toll after 500 meters." •
• "The behavior of these creatures are cold and unpredictable. They're obsessed with kidnapping Spirits to make them one of their kind through a special event called the Shadow Ceremony. Their only one target is to destroy the light and to take over every territory they can get, even by force, since they're very sensitive of violence. Even when they're merciless hunters, still they're loyal to their own kind. Sphinxies are social creatures and mostly hunt in groups. They love discovering new places and are very curious when observing new objects around them. Working as a colony, Sphinxies have a 'queen'. She's the origin of all Sphinxies, if she dies...all Sphinxies will die as well." •
• "Sphinxies don't have many special abilities, but they have a lot of experience when it comes to ceremonies. With the help of a special shadow ceremony, they can turn creatures into a shadow creature, to become one of their own. To turn different places into a shadow territory, however, there's a certain spirit needed, who can revive withered plants." •
Ori sat there in amazement. He watched every single second when the pool showed him the Sphinxies.
"Wow...you know a lot about these creatures! But they look...familiar. I swear I've seen them somewhere else before..."
Sein stopped floating around and was now hovering over the pool.
• " Wait...Y-You SAW them!?" •
Sein's shrieked in surprise. Ori shook his head.
"...I-I don't know! A memory about them more like it. In my dreams...or... better said, nightmares. Many times..."
• "Hmm...I'm afraid the prophecy from the Spirit Tree of the darkness is true... " •
She then flew over to the Guardian Spirit.
• "Ori...those dreams you had weren't just...dreams. It's a sign that the darkness will return soon, to eliminate the light and to take over Nibel! If that happens...with the certain spirit on their side...Nibel and the others will fall into the eternal darkness." •
Ori heard Sein's worried voice. His stomach churned with the uncomfortable thought.
"H-how can we stop them!?"
• " ...We can't stop it..." •
Sein simply replied.
" What!? But there MUST be a way! "
Ori resounded, his eyes slightly widened.
• " Where light does exist...there's also darkness. Without darkness...light can't exist. We can't destroy the darkness...but we can at least avert it from spreading out. We have to find the Withered Tree in their territory, which got cursed through the shadows. If we can find a way to restore it, then the darkness will be unable to curse the other creatures and the other territories." •
Sein explained.
" Alright. Wait...you said earlier, those shadow creatures need a certain spirit for cursing other territories, right? In that case ... who is this 'certain spirit?'"
Ori asked. Sein trailed off for a couple seconds, before she flew over to the pool, and slightly touched the water again.
Soon, it showed an image of a female white Guardian Spirit.
• " ...Arya...the Light of Melody. She's agile, elegant, and stealthy. The soft melody she uses maintains Nibel's beautiful side." •
Sein flew around while Ori looked at the image and knelt down in front of it. He was surprised by the sight.
He had never seen a Guardian Spirit like her before, as the most of the Guardians had mostly the same features.
This one, compared with his own kind, had looping ears, twin antennas and the left side of her head was adorned with two raven-colored feathers.
Her expression was sweet and happy.
• "Her light is needed for a successful curse." •
Ori looked up at Sein, worried.
" How!? Why her!? "
• "Arya is the only Guardian Spirit who possesses such an ability. Her melody can revive dried up places under her own will. If they should turn her into a shadow creature, then her ability would have exactly the opposite effect...in her case, her melody would turn lands lifeless." •
Sein was convinced of the consequences which could happening at the moment.
Ori stood up, determined to find Arya and protect her from the darkness before it gets to its final target.
"Where can I find her? We have to protect her otherwise the spirits, other creatures, the forest, and the elements included will be in big trouble!"
Ori's voice showed seriousness, ready to walk outside and to find Arya.
• "That's the point. Since months passed after Kuro's sacrifice...she has been missing. I'm starting to worry about her after the Spirit Tree's failed to call out to Arya." •
She spoke. Ori sighed and looked away, staying quiet for a short time as his eyes stared at the ground.
He soon remembered about the shard he found in the woods. He made it appear through a small flash of white light.
The unknown object floated above his open hand.
" I've found this thing in the woods, the Swallows Nest. Since it looks similar to the shattered Sunstone, maybe it has importance to something as well?"
Ori asked. Sein flew back to Ori, observing the object with precaution.
• "Hmm...Yes, yes indeed. It's a piece of the Scarabera, a special and very rare gemstone useful for certain ceremonies. It is also said that they have the ability to let you show the past for a short time! " •
Sein stated.
"You mean...that shattered piece can show you where it came from and went through?"
Ori asked.
• "Yes it can! Maybe it's an important hint for the prophecy. Who knows? We should try it out and let's see what happens!" •
Sein flew around Ori, and pulled the shattered piece of the white Scarabera along with herself back to the pool.
• " I think, a soft touch of this gemstone on the water surface should do it! " •
She then let the Scarabera slightly touch the water's surface.
The waves moved gently, and soon, the surface began to glow. It was about to show Ori and Sein the flashback of the magical stone...
... next Chapter!
