The grand day arrived for the Zephyr's crew. Their voyage to Niwen was almost done. That early morning, Sein was the first to spot land on the horizon. The crew still had to be awakened. The closest one to her was Franz sleeping in the crow's nest. Sein flies up to the nest and bird-people are truly curious, preferring to sleep in high places and at open skies.

"Uh… ahoy matey. Time to wake."

Franz is quick to wake up when stirred with such curious words and soft blue light. "Oh, oh, hi there, Sein! I see a wisp wanna be a pirate today? Arrgh!"

"Isn't the usual way to wake up on a ship?" Sein asks, laughing softly. She didn't want to appear too tense because Niwen was now close.

"On a sea ship, maybe, aye! But on an airship – heh, there's the lovely dovely wake-up kiss, the wake-up elbow, and then there's the alarm."

Franz smiles mischievously and apparently, there is an alarm button on the nest next to him.

"You wouldn't wake up the others like that… would you?"

"Don't worry, it's our morning ritual. Ario is the one who loves it the most! Says it helps him get sharp faster."

"Ah, I see." Sein was uncertain about that, but if that was something normal among the crew, she decided to roll along.

Franz slams the button and a fire alarm blasts off. Sein definitely realized that's not a good way to wake up mortals. This definitely will startle them into a bad mood right in the morning.

"I'm gonna count to three and someone shows up. One, two, thre–" An arrow pierces the crow's nest, deadly close to the mischievous bird. "See? Sharp as ever!" Then Franz directs himself to the archer below. "And, oi! You slime licker, how dare you damage my nest. Again!?"

"Your screams are a good sound to wake up to. Now turn off the alarm unless you want a fire to spread real soon." Ario stepped out onto the airship deck. Looking sleepy and annoyed. Rightly so.

"Ya don't appreciate my innovative ways to wake the comrades! Next time I'm gonna–" Another arrow is fired to interrupt the pesky quito. "Ya wanna go? Now I'm furious!"

Franz leaps from the nest like a bird of prey. Swooping down at Ario with impeccable precision. The archer is unamused and simply steps out of the way as Franz squishes his face on the deck.

"Ouch," Sein commented.

"You coward. Face… me," Franz said, disoriented. "My wrath will come. Someday."

Well, at least it worked. Everyone should be awake. "Hello there. Hope that wasn't too stressful." Sein tried apologizing.

"Good morning, Sein. This dork is good at waking us up, indeed. Just using the wrong methods. I just am not much of an early person."

"I can see that. I might not look for mortal lessons with him in the future." Sein shined a little bit, giggling.

"A wise choice. I must remember to uninstall that button he has up there."

"Morning!" Layla and Daruk reveal themselves. Both yawning and stretching.

"Let me guess, another of Franz's pranks?" Daruk sees the bird stunned on the floor.

Ario nods and Layla lets a little laugh escape her. "Buckle up, guys. We have arrived."

Everyone shifts to more immediate plans as they gather on the ship's deck forwardmost edge. Things weren't going to be easy. The crew immediately reminded themselves where they were heading and why. They become more serious as they stand beside Sein.

"This is Niwen. Land of Bravery. Home of my sister, Seir." Sein said as the landmass was far but visible on the horizon.

"Seems like it," Ario said, peering through a spyglass. "And apparently, Niwen's shores are stormy."

"Hope we are not late." Layla's preoccupied nature showed.

"Huh? All I see is clear skies!" Franz said, confused until Ario gave him the spyglass to see for himself.

Niwen was in sight far in the horizon but oddly the area around Niwen was unnaturally under a heavy storm. Looking at it the crew could only guess the strange phenomenon. But Sein knew exactly what caused that storm. The captain assumed to give a few orders to the crew.

"Can't we just go around the storm?" Franz suggested.

"We are not overflying Niwen to search for a landing point, so we are landing on its shores."

"But what about the view info we could gather from above?" Franz asks something Ario did put into consideration but he has already decided.

"Would be good, but we can't try our luck to see if Seir smites the ship or not. She is not as friendly as other wisps."

"Aye then. I'll grab a good drink and head to the helm."

Layla and Daruk move to assume different positions to aid the airship in flying faster and with less energy consumption. Franz doms the helm, keeping the ship well steered towards their objective.

Sein remained in worrying silence and Ario felt like trying to cheer her up a bit. "Are you okay, Sein? It's rare to see you this anxious. Ori did pull that from you, I see?"

Sein shines a little bit. "It is quite strange being so far away from my soulbind, Ario. Yet I could not afford to stay behind. I hope Yali forgives me for this."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Yali had forgiven me for destroying almost all his properties when I was a child. Why wouldn't he forgive you?"

"Come now, this is different," Sein said.

"Different scales. Same person." Ario cleverly replied and Sein felt comforted. Ario was right, the Spirit Tree of Nibel is not under any threats and Yali is awakened and energized for days. Sein would trust her soulbind and focus on the new landscape ahead.

Sein giggled softly, feeling better. "Prepare the ship to cross that storm. I will protect it from harm."

"Are you sure? Won't it drain too much of your energy? Though I imagine we can't get around it, can we?"

"That is not a natural storm. It is Seir's elemental power. It surrounds the entirety of Niwen. A storm barrier." Sein explained just by looking at it.

"So Niwen's frontier is currently blocked. Now I am getting anxious too. You think it has been there for a long time?"

"I cannot tell, but I pray that it is recent. Regardless of the barrier, we will force our way in, and that will unfortunately warn Seir of our presence. What I hoped to be a silent cruise, will become a turbulent one. Prepare for the worst."

"Understood. But try not to overdo yourself. And also, I want you to stay hidden while we scour the land for Ori and Ku."

"Keep me hidden? Seir will know my presence when we cross the barrier. It won't make a difference."

Ario creates an item through the drawing of light to then solidify it. It was like a small helmet fit for a wisp. A weird hat with lots of peripherals and buttons. "Ta-da. I call it the Wisp Furtive Hat 3000. It will cloak you from possible detection. It should work like masking your scent but to your light energy."

Sein was unamused and slightly puzzled. "What a terrible name. How my sister's influence has impacted you, huh."

Ario spent long years in Kainar, the land of ingenuity. Sein should have expected such a thing. Of course, Seil's machination and will to build gadgets would spread to those in there. Sein had to ask. "Is it safe?"

"That's the good part!" Ario said, smiling. "It is a very early prototype that I made overnight and I did not have the time to test nor adjust things. This equipment was modeled for you to use and who knows what happens. As long as it doesn't explode I see it as a win."

"You are making me wear a hat… that has a chance to explode…" Sein did not like the idea at first, but something else compelled her to like it for the simplest of reasons. She shined brightly and excitedly. "I will wear a hat! Give me that!"

Ario could only rejoice. Sein was a very interesting godlike being. Always eager to try what the world has to offer. Ario placed the helmet-like device on Sein that fitted like a glove. Thank the Light it fits! It was extremely light to not hinder her flight and now Ario just had to calibrate something while Sein was excited, barely staying still.

"The way it works is whenever you use your powers, a meter will try to conceal the energy and make it invisible to be detected. As long as you don't exceed that meter, it will keep you hidden. Probably." The last word was some of the greatest humor qualities that Kainar had to offer. If there is no danger, where is the fun?

"And how much can this equipment withstand?" Sein asked.

"About 250 thousand KaiHeartz"

"Which means?" Sein was not used to the metrics of Kainar.

"A lot honestly. To calibrate the power of a wisp, obviously, I used the very potency that a spirit tree radiates. Which is close to 600 thousand KaiHeartz. So a wisp should scale to a similar potency like what? Around 500 or 515 KaiHeartz per second at their peak. Since you are slightly hindered, your powers naturally lower. If you consider an old theory from the kainari catalogs, we can understand that we do not perceive the true capabilities of a true and natural fount of energy like a spirit tree." Ario rambled on and on explaining so many things that Sein became so bored.

"Okay. I don't understand and don't care. Let's get this done with."

"Fair enough." Ario could agree that explaining that much wasn't necessary. But seeing an annoyed Sein was a treat.

They were close to Niwen and the first violent gusts of wind hit them. The stability of the ship began to shift and would only get worse as they approached. Franz stood firm on the steering wheel, not allowing it to spin away. Daruk falls close to Ario and Sein.

"All systems are operational. I took the liberty to tie the sails again, captain. How are we going to…" Daruk sees Sein wearing the weird hat and tries not to laugh. The sight was a funny one. "Cool hat, Sein."

"Thank you!" She sparkled with joy.

"Good job, Daruk. Sein will get us through." Ario replied and thunder lighted the darkened skies. Layla soon arrives and says nothing about the hat, yet stares at Sein holding back the wish to play around. That was not the time.

"Get ready! Franz, lower us to the shore, use our propulsors at will! We must try to find a place to land safely and as fast as possible. Sein, on your mark!"

The storm barrier was before them and Sein wasn't that cheery anymore. She focused and her light shone much brighter. A sphere of blue flames surges small close to Sein and with a final trigger, this sphere expands greatly and quickly surrounding the airship, protecting it from the storm.

The crew watched amazed. What a show of blue lights. Thanks to that, things should get smooth and Ario checked the equipment, rejoicing in breaking success! It keeps up with the energy released.

"A storm barrier… My sister, what has come of you?" Sein said quietly in observation as they went through it. This is an extreme method to protect a forest, yet Sein doubted if it was meant to protect. Sein could fear the worst, but it wasn't even close to comparison when they saw more clearly the true damage the land suffered.

As they descended, their altitude still allowed them to see much. Especially the most devastating vision Sein could expect to witness. A spirit tree violated. The Spirit Willow was severely damaged and defiled by Decay. Left abandoned for how long one knows. Large portions of the land were destroyed, and so much more damage could be seen. How did things end like this? Sein became restless in her mind. Disturbed to the core.

The crew had no words. They were equally aware that it was one horrible thing to see. This place is in shambles. Ori and Ku fell here?

They completely breach the barrier and the storm stops harassing the airship. Things become more manageable for the navigator. Sein dismisses the shield. She is tense and unplayful. Sadly she won't be in a good mood for a while.

The airship hovers closer to ground level and landing mechanisms are triggered. A few hooking claws appear under the hull to grip the earth and make it stable. Soon the ship had landed safely and the mission had begun. Ario jumped down to the marsh, the crew closely following.

"So what's the plan?" Franz asked.

The place was quiet with a dragonfly zooming about. Nothing abnormal to see so far. Ario went forward to share brief instructions. "We will move together trying to avoid dangers to the best of our abilities. I know this will be difficult, but we need to get into this with our heads high. Remember that the Light of Peace is with us but Sein can only accompany me or Layla due to her need. This goes without saying, we aren't here to fight, but in the worst cases, prepare yourselves."

"I prefer to spread out." Layla voted. "Even if we are on unfamiliar ground. I feel this will help us cover more places for the search."

"High risk, high reward. But I must deny it, Layla. We can't operate like this." Ario unfortunately couldn't support the idea. "Mind that we do not have any communication and bright signs might not be a good idea."

"I… I need to…" Sein said with slight difficulty. "There is a chaotic imbalance here."

"Sein, everything alright?"

Daruk gazed around, listening to the winds. They are uncalm and alarming but also bring information. Layla wondered worriedly where Ori and Ku would be while Franz was scared to even leave the ship. Just further ahead the crew found themselves on a marsh. Large trees scattered and small streams of water ran around.

"I need to investigate the stain of Decay. Its presence here is beyond anything I have ever seen."

"Be calm. We can do this in time. Let us focus on finding Ori and Ku first." Ario said, grasping the scarf Yali gave him like a gesture of gathering courage. "Let's not allow the stress to drag us down."

"Dad, stay with Sein. I will sprint deeper into this marsh to try to find clues about them." Layla suggested clearly tense.

Ario took a few good seconds. Quite amused by how Layla decided to call him for a change. "It's rare to hear you calling me like that," he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we will find them, but let's stick together."

"I- I know. But I will be going ahead. Good luck." Layla said, gleaming a little smile and using her ignition and blast off deeper into the marsh.

Ario kept looking in the direction Layla went. "This girl," He sighed. "Though, I wish I could hear her calling me like that more often."

"Speaking of which, I think I never heard her calling you father before," Sein said curiously.

Ario knows that Layla has this shift when she is very apprehensive. He knew why, but he decided to leave it be. "That would be nice, but I don't mind. She will always be my daughter, independent of what she calls me."

Sein found it endearing, but a heartache struck her soon after. It's not every day a guardian spirit can be a parent without the burden of becoming a spirit tree. A relationship so common and natural among mortals, yet something that costs so much upon a spirit's life.

Ario then turned to more pressing matters. "Alright, Sein, you're with me. What can you sense around us."

Sein shines lightly, refocusing. "I feel too many decayed presences around us. It stretches for miles to the east. Not only that, but I do not feel a single ancestral tree, nothing related to spirits. Ori is not close to us, but he is definitely here."

"Let us investigate to the east," Ario suggested. "Franz, you stay with Daruk and head north for any clues."

"Oh yeah, just as usual. Come on big guy!" Franz said, tapping the yeti's large arm. But Daruk is focused on something else.

"Captain, the winds here are raging. I fear we have company."

Ario then could hear it. The rustle on the trees. Several heavy footsteps and shouts approached quickly. By Seil's light, they are already upon us. Ario sighed. Of course, it won't be easy.

"We do have company. And I doubt it is a warm one." Ario announced, "Do not kill unless they are plagued by Decay."

"How are we going to hide the Zephyr?" Franz asked a good question. "Our position is already busted."

Ario didn't have an immediate answer, but perhaps he could paint something to camouflage the airship. It would take some time, which they had none right now. It was clear that things had to be improvised. There was no more time for planning and nothing they could have done about the storm barrier. Daruk proposed a solution, "Captain, leave the protection of the Zephyr to me. I will stay behind to enable the search to begin without delays. Go, find Ori and Ku."

The rumbles were coming closer and closer. Ario did not like this option, not because he doubted Daruk's abilities, but because it's difficult to leave a crewmate behind before incoming conflict. It was also the only option available.

"I do not sense Seir nearby nor guardian spirits. She is not among them." Sein shared. And if that's the case, Ario trusted his comrade and replied positively.

"Understood. Be careful."

Daruk nodded as Ario and Sein ran off east to investigate the heavy stain of Decay. The goal is still to find the siblings, independent of how Niwen's state looks like. With that settled, Daruk faced the incoming mass that roared and grunted. Franz was shaking on Daruk's side. Scared as usual in the face of opponents.

"Hey, Franz, you might want to wait on the ship."

And such words were like music to the bird. "A-aye! Absolutely! Don't even say it twice!" And funnily Franz glided away to hiding. Now Daruk was ready, he stretched and listened to the winds. They blow harshly around, a sign of incoming hostility.

The band of warriors arrive and are surprised to see the large flying vessel that is the Zephyr filling their view. Bantsa and the others grunt before the vessel, it does not belong in Niwen.

"I want that thing pillaged and then destroyed. The invaders must be around!"

"Uh, excuse me." Daruk pulled attention. "This airship is not yours to sack and pillage. My captain would not appreciate such an outcome."

Bantsa finally saw the jotun with a face of both disdain and curiosity. They study the gorilla-looking yeti. "You! You don't belong here!"

"I certainly don't, but I happen to be–" Daruk is forced to pay attention as Bantsa felled a tree and hurled its sturdy trunk at him. The large piece of wood whirled in the air and once upon him, Daruk calmly applied enough force to halt the tree trunk and place it aside.

"Such disrespect towards life," Daruk said annoyed. The many warriors gasped at such masterful movement and angered Bantsa. "I was saying that I am guarding this airship while my comrades search for our lost. Are you interested in helping us, noble leader?"

Daruk speaks calmly and politely despite the brutish reception, but with a touch of furious sarcasm on the noble leader's part. Bantsa spat on the earth, showing clear anger through his clenched jaw, furrowed brows, and intense eye contact.

"Pardon me, but I appear to have stressed you somehow. How can I help you then?"

"Dying, you invader scum." Bantsa charged in, swinging the staff with merely half of his total strength. Daruk again takes the defensive, blocking the first, second, third, and the many blows that follow. After this assault Bantsa took distance, acknowledging that Daruk was barely damaged. He gives the jotun some credit.

"Tsk. From what tribe are you from?!" Bantsa questioned seeing that Daruk shared feats of a primate as well.

"I belong to no tribe," Daruk responded.

Bantsa took a moment, processing such words before breaking into laughter "Then you are an exile!" Bantsa snorted. Being exiled was naturally the worst punishment one would want. All tribesmen have a role in being helpful in service to the tribe, whatever important or meaningless it may be. Seeing a strong-looking one such as Daruk was the apex of humiliation. The warriors around follow along to laugh at Daruk.

"How poor of you!" Bantsa soon stopped laughing and approached with staff in hand, slamming his chest to appear imposing. "No exiled will cower to our forest! You and your lackeys are all sentenced to execution for invading this land!"

Daruk listened to the chieftain bolster like he was the strongest present. The most cocky. The winds blew, telling Daruk much about this individual. The more Daruk heard, the more Daruk yearned to beat him up.

"All of you, search for the other invaders and slay them. This one is mine!" Bantsa dismissed the many warriors who began to scatter, threatening to make Daruk's desired wish to find Ori and Ku harder. Bantsa would not have this luxury.

Daruk hummed, and Bantsa mocked the act scornfully. Yet Bantsa did not know the meaning behind the humming melody. The winds began to howl all around, getting the area to be much more turbulent. Icy gales attacked and slashed at the warriors who tried to understand what was happening. They fail to comprehend the wind's behavior but do understand they get colder and colder by the second.

Bantsa noticed the shift among the warriors. "What are you all doing? Move out!" And his eyes widened as they began to freeze all around. The humming melody brought the very winds of the northern glaciers to assault and steal all warmth from their bodies. They became still and soon started to freeze helplessly.

"No… No! What is happening!? This is ice?" Bantsa moved to the closest freezing warrior and upon getting close a slash of the icy wind forced him to retreat his hand. And then, Bantsa notices that it is all Daruk's doing. The jotun was perfectly fine and finished humming.

"What have you done?!"

"It appears we have a misunderstanding," Daruk said, cracking his knuckles, voice strengthening. "I was never exiled from my old home. I punished them all for disrespect and attempting to murder the spirit that became my captain. There is a clear difference in my reason to leave."

"You command this wind?! You disrespected your tribe! How do you possess such power?!"

The winds blow whispering secrets about Bantsa. Daruk had no regard for explaining how he earned the power of the element of frost from Seid, making it all more infuriating for the Hui chieftain. Instead, Daruk listened attentively to what the winds wanted to tell. Bantsa became impatient. Under such stress, he leaped forward with staff raised.

"No wind will protect you from me!" Bantsa swung down with full force at Daruk, a slam powerful enough that shockwaves traveled all around, causing the earth to tremble. But it didn't go as planned. Daruk effortlessly held back the attack, with no aid from the winds. Just normal strength.

"Impossible!" Bantsa watched incredulously. None had matched the chieftain's strength before. And without ceremony, Daruk pulled Bantsa closer and landed a fierce punch right in his face, sending the silvery chieftain flying away a few meters. In utter disbelief, Bantsa covered his face with one hand, suffering the pain of the punch, soon standing back up.

"How dare you," Bantsa growled. "I am the few remaining forces that protect this place!"

Daruk just breathed in deeply, then exhaled in a rumbling grunt. "The winds tell me much… and although you appear to be a cool guy and all, I cannot ignore a few things."

Bantsa roared, giving no regard for what Daruk had to say, and mustered the large totem to strike. Bantsa rushed forward yelling, determined to eradicate the enemy. "Die, outsider!"

And yet again, Daruk resists the attack with one shielding arm. This time not as easily as before but wielding the same result. Daruk huffed angrily and knocked Bantsa away by returning the weight of the totem at him. That moment Bantsa was haunted by Meena's words. Indeed Bantsa had found an opponent of his size, or even greater.

"You are just as vile as the jotuns of my village were. You practiced unfair judgment on the innocent. Killed as you see fit using the name of Seir as your shield. You ignored the pleas of the people. And worst of all…" Daruk frowned, slamming his fists together. "You threatened my captain's nephew!"

Daruk roared and moved in on Bantsa who struggled still to accept the reality. Without reaction, the Hui chieftain is hit again with full force, getting sent away rolling. Daruk chased after him, not giving him a single breach for Bantsa to breathe. This time the chieftain reacted as Daruk approached. He hugged the largest nearby tree in the marsh and flexed his muscles with all his might to break and lift the trunk. A loud crack forces Daruk to be cautious as Bantsa lets go of the huge tree, allowing it to roll towards Daruk, confident that this will be undeniable proof of his superior strength.

The huge rolling tree was thrown with too much force. Daruk quickly analyzed, there is no stopping it by normal means. Dodging it would threaten the Zephyr right behind him. Daruk had to deal with it head-on. Humming to the winds, gusts gathered around Daruk's form as protection as he went full speed straight at the trunk and collided against it. The trunk is split in two as Daruk powered through it, the splinters of the tree's wood flying everywhere. Bantsa could barely react properly as the abominable yeti came in furiously and grabbed him by the neck, getting hoisted above the ground without effort. Bantsa had lost the battle and fighting Daruk's grip proved to be too difficult for the shaken chieftain.

"You have done far too much for your own sake, chieftain Bantsa. You denied your tribesmen their freedom to create soldiers against their will! Your heartless leadership ends here."

Chilling winds bite around Bantsa who shivers helplessly. Instincts kicked in to fight the threat and fear dominated his mind, desperate to find a solution to escape this fate. "Wait! Don't kill me! I just strived to be more powerful with the Light. I made my people stronger as was our honorful duty!"

"That's the problem. You abandoned your tribe's honor for power and all that strength was used for what!?" Daruk questioned harshly. "To crush the weak as you name lowborn? To impose your superiority on others? For self-entitled glory!?"

And Bantsa remained in guilty silence, proving the point.

"No mere chastises will be enough. The glacial winds of Altum will decide your punishment."

Quickly Bantsa felt his body freezing under the ruthless wind blowing. He could not free himself and with every second the cold took hold, expelling all warmth. Bantsa was propelled to frustrated anger, as negotiating or pleading for mercy did not help. His limbs began to freeze rapidly and it hurt so much. "You will pay for this! Seir will have your head! Yours and of those miscreants that ran away!"

Yet using cursing words did not help Bantsa in any way, but worsened the punishment. Soon Bantsa was encased in crystalline ice. A prison that completely froze his body, leaving only the head unfrozen as an exception. Daruk let go now that the penitence could begin.

"Use this opportunity to think of what you have done. And perhaps, the ice melts once you discover warmth in your frozen heart." Daruk finished, leaving the imprisoned chieftain to wail alone in the cold.

Once back to the Zephyr, Franz left hiding. "Heya. E-e-everything right over here?" Franz asked, shaking slightly.

"Come on, Franz. How are you so scared when you weren't even fighting?"

"It's he-he-hecking cold, mate! I blame these winds of yours!"

Daruk understood now, making an oops face and relaxing. "Oh, dear. Pardon me. The winds will eventually calm down, you can take a bit of sunlight to warm up."

"A-aye. Gonna do that, thanks." Franz dropped from the ship and sat in the sunlight. "How bad was the guy this time? You must be really angry to use all this ice."

"The winds told me about this one." Daruk could hear Bantsa still cursing in the distance. "The trial of the wisp of love will seek to understand the one judged. If they lack love in their actions, words, and personality, the winds become harsher. To a point one will be frozen there until their death or until they rediscover themselves for the good."

"Ouch. Seid may be the incarnation of love but heck dude that's cold." Franz commented. "No pun intended."

"That's the way love swings sometimes. If you only take without giving anything in return, only the cold will remain. In many forms and ways, this is a lesson that aids us to seek what really brings us warmth in the face of a harsh winter."

Daruk hummed, bringing the blowing winds close. "I must deliver a message to Layla. Ori might be closer than we imagine."

Franz perks listening to that. "Really!? Oh, thank the light. Hope those fluffs are well. I'm gonna beat up somebody if something happens to them."

"However, I do not know about Ku. In either case, if Ori is here, so must she. Luckily, miss Layla is on the right track to find our little spirit friend," Daruk said and hummed for the winds to gust away in the direction Layla went.

On the run, the message is delivered to her. Layla stops to listen to the winds, familiarized

that it is Daruk's doing. The way the winds whisper also brings forth the jotun's words. Layla paid close attention and returned to run with renewed vigor knowing she was on the right track to find one of them.

"Hold strong, Ori. I am coming!" She went even faster, the path of the marsh becoming much more green and lively, up to a point, Layla had to pull the brake on her speed as she came to a gate of what seemed the entrance of a village.

"By Seil…" She said overlooking the Wellspring Glades. The weather could be sunny that morning, but a tense atmosphere loomed over the residents like each one had a rainy cloud above their heads. They all appeared to be recovering from something, helping one another. Many were struggling to move like they were paralyzed and many younglings cried loudly. Layla slowly walked in, taking a deep breath. Soon the people of the glades noticed her.

The many mokis all stare without much excitement. Didn't matter if it was a new spirit in the village. Tuley and Motay gave Layla attention.

Tuley, the beaver gardener began, "My eyes don't deceive me? Another spirit comes to visit us."

"This wasn't in Kwolok's prophecy." Mokis behind said and repeated.

"Uh- welcome to our village. We apologize, but as you may see, we are in a difficult moment. How can we help you?"

Layla stammered, "Ah, I… I-I am searching for a guardian spirit like me, named Ori. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Conversations and gossip were engaged around as Layla began to talk. They were not scared but looked so hurt. Like something just happened in this village. Everyone looked sad and depressed in their own way.

"We have met the spirit, Ori." Motay, the chameleon replied. "I have been observing him for a while. He was here just recently and suddenly vanished. I am hopeful that he has gone to the Luma Pools, climbing up the river."

That was enough information for Layla, but seeing all these people so demoralized was devastating. "Thank you for the help. But what happened here?"

"Nothing much, lady," Tuley answered, unwilling to bother a stranger with their problems. "We are just tired. Our protector has left for quite some time and hasn't returned yet. Ori probably took charge to help, but we don't really know if things will become better."

They were suffering, and Layla could see that vegetation was slowly beginning to die out there. Withering along with their morale. The spirit tree of this forest had been defiled, Layla remembered this place close to succumbing. Layla quickly asked herself what she should do. Her plan was to just pick up Ori and Ku and leave. And similarly to Ori, Layla wouldn't feel right leaving these people like this.

And an idea quickly struck her. "Excuse me for my manners, but do you have a big cauldron and ingredients that I could use?"

Tuley and Motay appeared confused. "What for?" they asked.

"In my home, the best remedy to physical or mental weariness is to share a warm and delicious meal with everyone. You happen to be waiting for some friends right? I will bring them all back along with Ori, so we can cook something special. So wait for me, okay?"

Motay and Tuley considered, perhaps a good meal could give the village a reason to smile again? it wouldn't hurt to try. Layla's idea sparked them into action. "Understood, miss…"

"Layla. Be right back!" She presented herself and ran off.

"What an intriguing occasion," Tuley reflected. "A second guardian spirit? Fascinating!"

"Oh wish I could observe her. Study. Scribble all over my notes! But I liked her idea." Motay finds pots to make some noise. "Let us prepare everything. I can't wait for her – no, for their return."

With that settled, it was time to prepare a banquet. "Come on, everyone! Let's not allow the storm to beat us!" Motay made loud noises with pots to draw attention.

And the sorrowful silence began losing ground. The mokis began showing enthusiasm, and all became interested in this new spirit that visited them. Interested in the promised meal and what role she will play.