We were descending... through the clouds I wanted to catch up with her and get revenge. Visibility was extremely low and I tried to fly at low speed. I had to find a place to land. The navigation instruments showed that I was at an altitude of 500 meters and I switched the position of the engines to vertical. Throwing out the landing gear we landed in thick fog and it was overcast outside the cockpit. The engine gradually began to slow down and soon the turbo fans went completely silent.
- We gotta go. Let's go.
Lir followed me, and we began to move carefully along the ground. The ground was rocky, the ground was gray. It wasn't dirty or dusty. Rather the opposite... it was clean, but still gray. It was as if that color had been inherited from the beginning. Grass was rare, it was dry and lifeless. Its gray color was not characteristic of the season or the fire. This natural phenomenon surprised me greatly and at the same time alarmed me. Even though I was wearing thermal underwear, I could see Lir's ears pricked up and arms crossed. He was very cold, but he didn't even ask for me to warm him up. I called out to him with my hand and he ran up quietly and nuzzled against my leg.
Soon the fog began to clear and a large silhouette began to appear in the distance. Then another, and another, and another. They looked like huge cobblestones. As time went on, more and more details began to come into focus, making the picture clearer and clearer. It was like your 3D scene that gradually drew out, where more and more details appeared each time. And soon the cobblestones began to look not like cobblestones or chunks of rock, but like corpses. Huge dark gray skeletons that seemed to have frozen in an instant before realizing their fate.
- Slake, look at this. They're owls.
- Hmm, indeed. Owls. Almost like the one we just saw. What could kill them like that? And they all died at the same time?
- I daresay it was something natural. I've never known any creature to cause such destruction.
- Looks like we're gonna have to look for her here.
- Why don't we get out of here?
- No way. We just landed here.
- Maybe there's a better place here? A normal forest?
- It's not certain that there's a normal forest on this island. What if it's not an island, but a whole continent? I'll just waste fuel and we'll stay here forever!
- You're right... But...
- What? You think there's a chance?
- Yeah...
- It'd be easier for me to kill that owl.
- Slake, I've never doubted you, but right now you'd better quiet your pride. The unknown can hold many surprises for the unprepared mind.
- You talk like you know more than I do. We're both strangers here, but I got some tricks up my sleeve. Shotgun and rockets.
Lir was silent. He raised his hand slightly, finger outstretched, as if he were going to object, but he said nothing.
He silently walked forward, and I began to follow him. The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. It was as if the plants were creating a path for us and we were taking advantage of it. At some point the color of the plants began to change. It went from lifeless gray to tones of green and yellow. The forest began to resemble the one I had seen on the first island. We began to go deeper into the forest and I prepared my shotgun. My hearing was sharpening and I kept my eyes on Lir, but I didn't look away until I turned around and saw something big coming toward my face. I didn't even have time to think and realize my hollow, but it slammed into me, and I fell backwards from the impact.
-... How weird he looks!
- That's okay, it'll be funnier to watch him.
- Do you think he's awake?
- Doesn't look like it. He took a good beating, he'll be asleep for a long time. You better go.
- I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here. What if he wakes up?
- I told you, he won't wake up.
I started to get up. My head was splitting, my ears were buzzing, and my strength was too low... But I clenched my teeth and raised myself up on my elbows and then on my feet, and I was amazed... There were many of them. Dozens, if not hundreds of spirits stared at me, surrounding me on all sides. There was anticipation in their eyes, as if I were going to be someone's fodder or a puppet for a huge audience.
- What the fuck?
I asked the question casually, but they heard it. There were shouts of joy everywhere. "He's awake, he's awake!" "Look, look, look!" It was quite ghastly and vile to watch. There was a certain shame, though I still didn't understand what was going on.
Suddenly the crowd subsided, golden particles began to hover in the air, the atmosphere was filled with something magical...
- Who are you?
This voice sounded so loud and shrill that I was at a loss for words and answered nothing out of confusion. But I gathered a little resolve and was able to answer:
- And who are you?
She grinned a little, not taking me seriously.
- How stubborn and headstrong. I am a goddess. For the whole world and the whole world! And you, like everyone else, belong to me.
- Oh, my God, that's ridiculous. Woman, you have delusions of grandeur or how can I comment on this? Let's not make up nonsense, but rather discuss all issues in a civilized and cultured manner.
Suddenly a stream of light appeared in front of my face, gathering into one dense shape and it flung me away, dropping me to the ground.
- What insolence! How dare you speak like that. I won't tolerate rudeness and insolence from your mouth!
My back no longer felt okay, my composure had faded a bit, but I continued to maintain my confidence and self-esteem.
- Lady, why don't we stop with the manhandling? We haven't even met yet, and you're already getting handsy. And I still don't know who you are. A spirit, or that balloon under the leaves, or am I hallucinating?
The stream began to gather into a single form and, after accelerating to the right speed, materialized into a huge golden-haired spirit. She had shining armor and elegant wings on her back. Her body contours were perfectly emphasized by her clothes. Everyone around looked at her, admiring her beauty, but to me it wasn't beautiful.
- You leave me no choice, you insolent bastard. I'm going to gut you like a rag! And I'll do it in person. You hurt my ego and I'll show you how it feels to be humiliated by your goddess. Remember, mortal, you have the honor of being killed by me!
I wasn't happy about this situation. She had such a high opinion of herself that she was getting more and more turned on by her thoughts, each time resenting her own stupid conclusions. A nasty trait in a woman's character. She came closer and closer to me, in her hand was an unimaginably huge sword that was dragging its end along the ground. She started to swing it, I started to back away, but behind me her henchmen were already standing. I began to panic, instead of the surrounding voices and footsteps of this woman in my head felt only the rhythm of my heart and the sound of rapid and nervous breathing. Blood began to pulsate in my nerves, I began to suffocate from the abundance of oxygen, my head was spinning, from the brightness of her dospev I began to see bright white highlights and spots, and my pupils seemed to want to run upwards, beyond my eyes, as if suddenly... silence and darkness.
Gradually the excitement passed and I began to calm my breathing.
- Am I... dead?
I asked this question to check something, as if to put it as a rhetorical question, but a second later I heard someone's voice in the darkness.
- Not yet.
He grinned and started walking around me, but I could only hear his footsteps. The feeling of slight fear, confusion, and uncertainty never left me. I felt like she was one split second away from chopping me in two halves, and death had come for me or I was in purgatory.
- Where am I?
- Oh, you want to know where you are? I call this place Opportunity Field, but you can call it Harmony Exodus.
- What an unusual title...
- Yeah, it may be weird, but it captures the essence of this place. You're here to change the outcome of your destiny, and I'm here to help you do it.
- And who are you
A mysterious voice began to approach me.
- I think I'll look more familiar to you this way.
A spirit appeared before me, a little unlike any I had met before. It was small, like Lyr, but without the shapes of the tail and ears. Without the huge muscles as with the spirits of this island.
- You're not like the others. Who are you?
- They call me a ray of light that came on the wings of night. They called me that. But without exaggeration... My name is Ori.
The word immediately burrowed into my brain, as if he didn't want me to forget about it. So short, like many, but so original...
- Well, look around, make yourself comfortable, you're my guest after all.
A chair materialized smoothly behind me. I sat down in it instinctively. It felt like a normal leather chair.
- I'm a second away from death, and you're suggesting I relax and... drink tea?
- Time flows slowly here. That's because your mind works several dozen times faster. I put the chair here so that you would calm down and listen to me carefully. This will determine your fate later on. Whether you can handle it is up to you. But don't worry, I'll do my best to help you.
- How are you going to help me?
- Well, you see, I can control the minds of everyone on this island. Learned it from Seir, but it doesn't matter. I can use it to help you fight back. But it's all about your will and your thoughts. As soon as I detect the slightest hint of movement, I will help your body make it with perfect precision and even more power.
- This all sounds cool, but how will it look in practice?
- In practice, you say...
Ori froze and, assuming a pensive look, slowly dissolved with the chair. A small set of cubes and walls appeared around me. The master of the dimension appeared along with them.
- The first thing you must realize is that trusting me does not absolve you of your responsibility. Put your best effort into thought and action. When I realize that you want to do something, I will help you. I'll see it and communicate it to you through the connection of harmony of outcomes. So, let's practice. Take this blade.
A beautiful flaming blade of blue hues appeared in my hand. Despite the fire, I felt no heat from it, only a deadening grip with it.
- Get into a fighting stance and close your body with your blade at chin levels
I obeyed his command.
- Great, now lunge forward, piercing the imaginary enemy. Try to quickly visualize the enemy in front of you and lunge forward, chopping the enemy.
I started to do the movement, trying not to hesitate and to do everything sharply. I realized that it would come out badly and ridiculously, but my hands as if completed all the movements for me. It turned out to be surprisingly beautiful and effective.
- I think you've roughly figured out how it works. Now make a dash to the side, using your hand as an aid to movement and the crinkle to protect you from the blow.
I jerked my arm sharply away from the air, catching my feet on the ground and bouncing to the side. My blade covered my face, and I even felt something hit the blade, but it didn't hit me in time.
- Excellent! Try it a couple more times and we can move back to reality. We'll deal with the rest of the combat later.
The next couple of attempts were only the best of the previous one. I felt that connection, trying to do everything myself, making Ori's job easier. I knew I couldn't do everything, but everything I could do would have to be honed to perfection.
- You're doing great, I think we're going to be successful if you don't run out of steam early. But before I do, I want to say a few words to you.
- And what are those words?
- Don't ask stupid questions, you know exactly what I'm going to say. I'm in your head after all. So ... You men are sometimes ready to spend a whole day in the garage, rather than listen to the brainwashing from his wife. I'm in a similar situation, which is why I created this dimension. The second answer will get you out of this world. If you really want to escape from here, you need to find a ray of light amongst the storm clouds. It is extremely rare, but judging by the current state of the barriers, you should be able to find it.
- Sorry to interrupt, but do I have to run away from here?
- And that, my friend, is a good question. Maybe you should sit alone right now and ponder that question. I'll just tell you one thing: there is no such thing as corruption, banditry, robbery, drunkenness and nepotism in our world. You know those words, don't you?
For a moment, I wondered. He really did a good job of digging into my brain...
- You don't want to break up with me?
- Why not? I'll accept your departure, live here with Seir and keep the land in order.
- Was that sarcasm?
- No, that's not sarcasm.
I still didn't realize how true his speech was. Whether he was trying to talk me out of going home. On one hand I could just pick up and fly away, but on the other... Lir. That's right!
- I have a question for you!
I said it so quickly and unexpectedly that my interlocutor's eyebrows raised and eyes widened.
- Where's my friend?
- Oh, you mean that spirit. Well, look, he's fine now. For now. All Seir did was tell me to convince him to forget about you. And if he doesn't, he'll be brainwashed. Or his head will be chopped off. Or he'll be brainwashed and then beheaded. Either way, it's not gonna be pretty, so you better hurry up.
I fell awkwardly silent.
- So all I have to do is fight her, right?
- Yeah, that's right. You have doubts.
- Yeah, what happens if I kill her?
- You're not gonna kill her. You're just letting her know you're not just another weakling.
- Another one? I'm not the first one here?
- One. I said that because Seir considers all her subjects weak in her eyes. She holds regular training camps and exercises. Her policy is militaristic and authoritarian.
- How do you know all these terms?
- Don't take us for idiots. We have philosophy classes too. We used to... I'm the last one to know about science, not engaged in endless honing of skills.
- Maybe you got that out of my head.
- What am I supposed to get out of it? I'm a lot smarter than you. And as much as you don't want to admit it, I'll have more experience in life.
I squeaked out a squeaky silence, trying not to speak up.
- Okay, now for the final warning. You must not listen to Ceir. Not under any circumstances. She's got a way of messing with your head. Once she sees you as a fighter, her desire to take her on will be commensurate with the size of the Creek.
- Scream? Who are you talking about?
- It doesn't matter. I'll explain later. Now go and show her. You can do it.
At the same time, Ori disappeared from my field of vision, dissolving into his own magical holographic matter. Gradually, the world began to fade away, and the picture took on natural colors. Everything fell into place: the blade, Seir, the crowd, the forest...
A good way to fight was to listen to music. I was ready, my concentration was at an all-time high, my heart pounding and ready to burst from the blood. I was ready, my concentration was at an all-time high, my heart was pounding and ready to burst out from the rush of blood. All right, let's go.
I bounced to the right, struck, she made a block, I struck again, she moved forward, a blow and another blow, I parried and, at the moment when she was a little shocked, hit her in the junction of the golden plates of armor. She lunged towards me again, I fended off the blows, I could feel the rhythm, as if anticipating her actions, closing perfectly against the blows and again after a series of blows I caught her in a mistake and made a strike at the junction of the armor plates. She bounced back, took a fighting stance and began to stare... Aimlessly, but fiercely, as if knowing and suspecting something. Suddenly her eyes began to blink rapidly. I didn't know what she was trying to do, maybe it was another psychological trick she was trying to intimidate me with, but I wasn't afraid of her. I realized that I could repel any of her blows, that I could anticipate any of her attacks, that she couldn't do something unexpected, and then she lunged at me again. I began to parry her attacks even more quickly and clearly. Like a rhythm, our blades were ringing, our movements were fast, our eyes were glittering, again she could not penetrate me, I slowly withdrew, watching her movements and again parried her attacks. As if immersed in a computer game, but it was all real. And at the last moment, when I was a couple steps away from the crowd, I jumped up, dodging her long lunge attack and delivered a sharp, crushing blow to her neck from behind.
She stopped and collapsed without moving. I stood in front of her in a fighting stance and held my blade out to her head. Seir turned and looked at me in horror.
- ONE - ZERO.
- Your eyes. They're glowing. I think I know.
- I know too, Seir. Now let Lir go and no one gets hurt.
- How dare you take his mind to kill me?!
- Shall I repeat the requirements?
- I'm not even talking to you, you fool. You're just a pawn, a tool, a puppet in that bastard's eyes! You can hear me. Why didn't you tell him everything you had to tell him?! Or is getting rid of me your priority?
- Sayre, I'm gonna say this one last time.
- SHUT UP, YOU MORTAL! You've got absorbent cotton in your ears, and you want something from me! He's in your head right now, controlling you, he wants power, and you just want to take advantage.
Seir was right in a way, but... Could Ori take control of this place in this form? He's a tree. Can a tree live without this vessel of light? I think not. On the other hand, you can't be sure of everything. I'll find out. In the meantime, I have to save Lir. Again.
I turned away, still feeling her anger with resentment and walked towards where I thought my friend was being held.
- Wait, you don't even know where you're going. All right, I'll give you your spirit, but I want to-
- That's what I want. I want to hear an answer to the question: "Why all this ridiculous power, why all this shouting, why all this imperialism?
She sighed heavily, looking down at the ground walked over to me and calmly began to speak
- Listen... even if we live with such a policy, but at least look at my people. They are well-fed, warm and cozy, clothed and shoed, all living in prosperity, all of us helping each other, solving social problems together. They love and respect me. We have no money, let alone banks. We are one family, one people, one nation... We are not ashamed to say that we are from Niven, we do not steal from the people, we are not afraid to act decisively! What about you? What about you, exactly? Pathetic, dishonest, bureaucratic cowards! Stealing billions in plain sight, forbidding the people to say what they want, introducing stupid laws that only make life more difficult. And who will respect them? Nobody. It's a familiar picture, huh? Instead of buying another black cart on wheels, they'd better help the spirit! Give the people what they want and you'll be a god to them! What are you doing? You only want one thing, your pocket.
I stood and looked her in the eye. She said it like an orator, but with a smirk and a desire to show my weakness.
- Nothing colors a man like honesty. And all you say is that we are not sitting idly by, that we are fighting together with the people, that you are ready for anything!... As long as they're elected to office. And then what happens? Corruption again... And you will go away with that money, mocking everyone. And the people will starve to death. How about that? This is your reality, mortal. Don't try to justify it.
It seemed to me that Seir was also sitting in my head. She's so well versed in politics and economics... Quite surprising, since I assumed their development remained at the level of the Middle Ages.
- And now you think we're stupid, right?
- You're definitely in my head. Get out of there!
Seir teasingly walked over and poked her finger on my nose with a touch of pride. It didn't hurt at all, but it left an imprint on my soul.
After a couple seconds, Lir was brought in from the crowd. He was still the same kind and sweet fluffy boy they hadn't touched in the slightest. We ran up to each other and hugged each other tightly. He was happy to see me, his sincerity and kindness coming out of his face with all his might. I gently stroked his head while looking at Seir. She was a little surprised, but tried to keep her composure and importance.
- I take it this conversation is over.
She took two steps forward and took Lir by the ear. Running her fingers over his ear, she left a golden trace there. Lir laughed a little at the gesture, but still didn't let go of her embrace.
- You should get out of here if you want to stay dry. Or you can stay with us here, which I'll approve.
Choice without choice? More like morality and ethics. But my desires were greater than hers. I wanted to go home. So why don't I just drop everything and fly away with Face? Not good... Who said it would be good? No one. The choice was hard, but I couldn't stay silent for long.
Hello to everyone who managed to get here. I haven't written for a long time for the reason that I've been trying to write with thoughts rather than what comes to mind. Plus, school has started... In this part I had to remove a few chapters, as they just don't make any sense. I also just decided to move away from the topic of these seven forests. The concept was good, but it didn't get any further than a good start. I applied more good episodic ideas from games and life here than from a single concept. And lastly. The decision of the main character will be up to you.