"Ano, the Spirit that died here, was strong and courageous. Listen to his voice, he was able to focus on our Light." –Sein
Ano wished he had reached apprenticeship. He could have been better prepared for such a terrible tragedy. Perhaps, if only the Spirits had received a warning.
Ilo was perched on top of the Spirit Well, looking up at the Spirit Tree. Reem had curled up in a patch of flowers, hiding his face with his tail. Ano stared at the surrounding forests of Nibel.
The rivers had stopped flowing and took on a shadowy purple color. The trees appeared dry as bone. The air was stagnant and the trees' leaves were uncannily still. And from afar Mount Horu bellowed smoke high into the sky, more than it had ever produced before.
"I wonder when Fil will be getting back," Ano said, turning back to the other two Spirits.
Ilo lowered his head solemnly and climbed off the Spirit Well. "It has been more than three days, Ano. The Decay might have been waiting for a chance to crawl into Nibel. I am afraid that Fil might not have made it."
"Ori may have been lost deep within the Spirit Caverns, perhaps to the Sunken Glades," Ano argued. But he grimaced as he did so.
"Perhaps, but in the likely circumstance that Fil has not succeeded in his appointed task, we should move onward towards the Ginso Tree. Reem?" Ilo turned his head to the small Spirit who was currently sniffing the grass.
"Huh?" Reem asked, curling himself in a bit more.
"We are to be moving on shortly. I want you to practice those techniques I showed you earlier," Ilo said. "Ano, do you know the way to Thornfelt Swamp?"
Reem stood up and began fighting an invisible Decay manifestation.
"Kind of," Ano said.
"Good. Draw a map. There should be papers left by the base of the Spirit Tree from previous transcribers. I want us to move out by dawn tomorrow." Ilo ran to the Spirit Tree and began to climb to a higher branch.
Ano did not know what to think. Fil was dead. The three elements had obviously stopped working. Now, Ilo, Captain of the Spirit Guardians, was telling him to raid the deceased transcribers' offices for paper in an attempt to make a splotchy map.
When did things get so bad? Ano thought.
Ano had managed to find a paper and a quill at the previous transcriber headquarters. The headquarters were little alcoves of stone pillars that sat underneath the bounding roots of the Spirit Tree. There were dozens of them, most filled with research scrolls and documents.
Ano was sitting before a slab of stone, using it as a table as he drew his map to the Ginso Tree, when he heard scrolls fall and tumble to the floor. He spun around to find a small Spirit with a scroll draped over his head.
"Sorry," Reem apologized. "Ilo sent me to check on how you're coming with the papers." He continued to timidly remove the scroll and walk over to Ano's side.
"I'm fine. The documentation papers of the current events are over here beneath the table," Ano said, waving to a stack of papers with his tail. "And I'm almost finished with the map." He rested his paw on the paper before him.
"Oh," Reem said, peering over Ano's arm to look at the displayed parchment. "That's the map?"
"Of course it's the map," Ano replied.
"I thought you were just doodling, sorry." Reem lowered his head.
Ano looked at his creation. Honestly, it wasn't much more than a few squiggles and landmarks like spiders, mushrooms, and the Ginso Tree itself. "I know it doesn't look like much. It's still in progress," Ano said.
Reem nodded his head. "Yeah, progress."
"Do you think Ilo will be mad? You'd know. He's your mentor."
"Well, not exactly… I mean, he is! I—I don't know. Are there any other maps?" Reem looked to the other alcoves.
Ano flattened his ears. "I checked already…"
"Guess it'll have to do then," Reem said with a sigh, turning back to the map.
Ano nodded, and started rolling up the scrolls. If only Fil wasn't dead, Ano thought. He was actually a transcriber. But thinking about Fil only encouraged the sorrow resting in Ano's throat. Ano hadn't known Fil for more than an hour, but even then, thinking about a Spirit's light extinguishing… And Ano's friends, his family… They were all gone too.
Ano refused to cry, not in front of Reem, not while Nibel was looking to him for hope. A tear escaped Ano's eye. He wiped it away in a disguised motion while picking the scrolls up and placing them in a stack.
"What did you mean by 'Ilo isn't exactly your mentor'?" Ano asked Reem.
"Oh, well, I mean he is," Reem said, pawing the ground. "But it wasn't really planned."
Ano started walking out of the alcoves. "And what—" Suddenly, Ano's senses became alert, and his sense of Light the most. Something was wrong. Ano shut his eyes tight and focused all his mind on the dots of Light within reach of the Spirit tree.
He could see himself and Reem below the giant well of Light that was the Spirit Tree. If Sein had still been connected to the Spirit Tree, he probably wouldn't be able to distinguish the Lights for Sein overwhelmed them.
He sensed Ilo amongst the fields of Hollow Grove. There were other things near Ilo's light though, and they weren't Light, but its opposite. Like a well of Shadow. Decay, Ano realized. Oh no, no, no!
"We need to get to Ilo immediately!" Ano yelled.
"Why?" Reem asked.
Ano began to sprint. "Decay."
As Ano bounded away from the Spirit Tree, Reem followed close on his tail. The grass swayed underneath their paws as they neared the Spirit Well where they had left Ilo.
Ilo came into sight, crouching atop the Spirit Well for a small advantage of height against five owl-like creatures with four glowing eyes each. Reem stopped in his tracks and let out a little "shriek!" of surprise.
"Stay back!" Ilo commanded, before he tackled one of the creatures to the ground.
The creature evaporated like dust, but then all four of the other owls swooped in on Ilo, pecking him and slapping him furiously. Ilo took two of the creatures out in quick succession, but one clawed him and he rolled to the ground.
Then, descending from the sky, five more birds swooped down to join the fight.
"I'm helping," Ano said to Reem, who was trembling and had curled in on himself so tight that his long ears were the only things higher than the grass.
Ano bolted to join the fight; Reem stayed where he was. Ilo had switched to dodging and evading rather than attacking, already in bad shape. He lay sprawled on the ground by the time Ano joined the fight, though he kept kicking and clawing.
Ano rushed to Ilo and helped him onto his feet while swatting an owl at the same time. It couldn't have been a minute before Ilo and Ano were smacked back into the ground, facing attackers on every side.
Ano, in desperation, shut his eyes and tried to focus. He focused on the Light, his Light. He could feel the well of it in his soul. He never really quite grasped what he did next, but he did something that made his Light click and there was a radiant flash of blue that sent the owls to the ground, dazed and injured.
"Come on!" Ano said, pulling Ilo. "There's too many! We've got to run!"
Ilo nodded and took the lead, sprinting across Hollow grove at an impressive pace. Ano pulled Reem out of the grass as they ran. He could hear the angry calls of the owls echoing behind them as they fled from the Spirit Tree's dwelling to another part of Hollow Grove.
Ano sat down on a log, panting for breath. He could no longer hear the screams of the owls, but he was still hurting. Reem had collapsed as soon as Ano had concluded they were safe and was now lying in a patch of dying flowers, gazing absently up at the sky.
Ilo was the only one of them who appeared energetic. He paced back and forth, moving his mouth, but not uttering a sound.
"What now?" Ano asked, looking to the captain.
"Well, we're not dead, are we?" Ilo chastised, sharply turning his head to Ano and Reem. "The plan is the same as it has always been. We take the Ginso Tree and proceed from there."
Reem looked up. "Do you mean 'the plan is the same as it has always been, except for Fil unable to reach Ori and dying in the Spirit Caverns'?"
"No!" Ilo shouted. "You know perfectly well what I mean. If you're so weak and think this is some sort of pretend-play or a joke, you can go back to the Darkwings and die yourself!"
"I wasn't trying to—" Reem began, standing up but still curled in on himself.
Ano watched as the two Spirits argued. Ilo kept attacking Reem, accusing him of cowardice and disrespect. Reem seemed to fight at first, but within seconds he quieted and sat motionless in the grass, watching Ilo with fear.
"Don't you ever say that again!" Ilo shouted.
Reem nodded.
Ilo sighed and began to pace again, his footsteps replaced by angry stomping. "We don't have a map, but the attack today proves Nibel is growing more infested. The Spirit Tree is blind; we're the only ones alive who could ever restore it now.
"We need to keep moving. It may sound insane, three Spirits shouldering the fate of a whole forest, but we must and we must act now! The longer we wait, the more the Decay spreads and damages our lands.
"So, tonight we'll head to the Ginso Tree. If all goes well, by the end of the week the Element of Waters will be restored and we will begin strengthening ourselves with training for the next task. Ano?"
Ano tilted his head. Did Ilo want agreement?
"What was that you did today, when you fought the Darkwings?"
"I don't know," Ano confessed. "I just focused on my Light and…did it, I guess. It sure was draining."
"Hmm… It was very powerful," Ilo said simply. Then he went back to pacing.
Ano creeped along the creaking wood of the Spider Nest beside Reem, who was shaking violently. Ilo led the way, his Light burning so brightly it made the dark nest look like the sunlight in Hollow Grove
The sounds of spiders' mouths clicking and their feet moving echoed ahead. The walls became more covered in webs and eggs the closer the Spirits moved to the center of the nest. A cave opened before them. The sounds were nearly deafening.
"I'll go first and ask for permission to pass through," Ilo said to Ano and Reem. "When they allow us, get through as fast as possible. Don't do or say anything except walk, and don't bump into any of the spiders or their eggs."
The cave was filled with eggs and housed dozens of spiders. They wove webs in mesmerizing patterns on the walls, clicking in unison as if weaving along to some silent song.
But once they spotted the Spirits, the song stopped. All the spiders in the cave turned their eight eyes on the three, freezing as if made of stone.
"Hello," Ilo addressed them. He bowed. None of the spiders responded. "I am Ilo, Captain of the Spirit Guardians. You may know of me, as I have often asked for permission for my patrols to pass through and assure your lands are free of Decay.
"These others are Reem, my apprentice, and Ano, a powerful Spirit. We have an important mission by the Ginso Tree. As you may have observed, the water is beginning to be polluted and we are going to check it out. All we ask, with honor and reverence, is that you grant us passage through your nest to Thornfelt Swamp so that we can deal with the water."
The spiders were still and silent. Then, as if they had agreed telepathically, all of them lunged at the three simultaneously.
Ano broke into a run, but he was quickly surpassed by Reem, who was bounding off hanging flowers and eggs within the nest corridors. Being so young, Reem was the agilest of the three. He soared through the air with grace, though shaking all the while.
Why are the spiders acting like this? Ano wondered. They had a truce with the Spirits. We live in the same forest!
Ilo had impressively taken out several spiders. The arachnids had bunched together so tightly that hitting them was easy, even if they covered most of the space.
If the spiders are like this, have the Gumon betrayed us too? Ano wondered briefly. We haven't heard from them since the attack… Ano's thoughts were cut short as he was smacked into a wall by a spider.
"Ouch!" Ano exclaimed. At least half a dozen spiders were trying to stab him with their pincers by the time Ano crawled to his feet. Again, he was slapped down.
Think, Ano. He tried to focus. Focus on what? Focus on the fact that if he didn't do something soon, he was going to be eaten? Focus on the fact that Reem and Ilo were too busy trying not to die that they wouldn't notice he was gone?
Focus on the Light, a tiny voice inside Ano said. Just like when you took out those Darkwings.
As Ano felt a pincer clamp onto his leg, he squeezed his eyes shut and focused again on the well of Light inside him. It was harder this time, with all the noise and panic. But then… Flash! The light exploded before him and sent the spiders flying into the pack, and a dozen turned to dust.
Ano sprinted as fast as he could towards the two white dots up ahead. "Let's go!" Ano called to Reem and Ilo as he passed them and turned a corner.
More spiders emerged from the tunnels as the three ran. It seemed for every three taken out (mostly by Ilo) another five burst forth from holes along their way, pincers snapping and stingers humming.
As Ano ran, he felt a burning collide with his back. He dodged just in time before a second ball of acid hit the wall next to him. It was… Decay? How could that be? Were the spiders infected? Ano pulled himself up and looked behind him. Indeed, the spiders that had once been black in color were now a dark, but obvious, purple. How longer till the Decay infested them fully?
Ano heard a scream behind him. Reem had fallen, and the spiders were biting him fiercely, eyes burning with white anger.
Ano sprinted, shoving spiders aside. He held out his hand to Reem. The fearful Spirit latched onto him. The two were surrounded. Ano shut his eyes and focused. He had to push even harder this time, but the flash of Light burst from his well. The surrounding spiders were turned to dust, and the ones a little further away were dazed.
Ilo grabbed Ano and Reem, pulling them through the tunnels. They swung themselves over rocks and slid down tunnels as fast as they could, trying to get away from the tribe of angry spiders.
When Ano, Reem, and Ilo entered a spider free cave, they collapsed, desperate for a rest.
"What…what do we…what do we do now that the…spiders are Decay infested?" Ano asked, panting for breath.
"We rush through the tunnels as fast as possible to Thornfelt Swamp," Ilo said. He was propped against a wall, also breathing heavily. "Turning back would be just as hard as pressing forward…perhaps."
"We're stopping for at least a few minutes, right?" Ano asked, laughing. "That was crazy. What do you think about—"
A large shadow emerged from the wall. Or, many little shadows merging into one clicking, many legged, acid slinging jumble. Dozens upon dozens of spiders crawled into the room until every wall, floor, and ceiling was covered completely and the exit blocked off.
Ilo took a stand beside Ano, furry fists ready to fight. Reem hid behind the two of them.
There's so many! Ano thought desperately. How—My Light!
It was almost impossible to focus now, with the dozens of spiders and the death of all Nibel lying before him. Ano tried to find his way through the noise, but he was so tired, so deprived of energy…
Ano concentrated harder. The Light, focus on your Light, our Light. He looked deep, so deeply inside himself that all he could hear were the waves of Light within echoing off the walls. His inner Light burned like a strong, beautiful candle.
Ano felt the charge. He could do it; he could take out all the spiders. But… You won't come back, Ano, the little voice he had heard earlier whispered. He hesitated. This would mean…death.
Ano had never considered himself brave. He was just Ano, an energetic Spirit who was horrible at making maps. Who, just by chance, had this gift of exploding his Light. But what if it wasn't just by chance, and he had been meant to develop it now, when everyone needed it?
Ano held his Light tightly. He focused. He felt it vibrate and hum. He could hear the singing of all Nibel in time with his Light. In his focus he felt the Light of all the Spirits he had known, of the Spirit Tree, of Sein, and even of the tiny Spirit called Ori. For a brief moment, he saw beyond the present, into the future of a restored Nibel.
No matter how brave Ano had been before, what he did now took more courage than he had ever displayed before. Without another thought, he gave himself to all of Nibel, even as he saw that his deed would be unheralded in the future, for none but the dead would know what he had done.
Ano exploded, his Light gushing with a force and radiance that had not yet been seen of Spirits. His Light mingled with the clouds of dust left from the spiders before choosing a place to rest.
Reem and Ilo left soon after, and their deaths are a different story. But as for Ano, a few days later, a small flower bloomed out of his Light's chosen spot.
"Heed my words, Ori. Remember that true courage is not a strong fist or a bright Light, even though these are needed for a warrior. In my time as Ano, I learned sacrifice, courage, and how to focus on the Light all Spirits share. Focus, Ori on the Light. Focus, and restore Nibel."