Hello! Quick note/warning: This is an Ori WoTW fanfiction set within the AU of an existing work on this website. I have permission from the author to post this fan story.
PLEASE: Before reading any of this story, go and read "Breaking Through Stone" by Kinroth, available on both FF and AO3. Not only is it necessary to understand the plot of this one, it is also a very fun read that creates a unique AU for this wonderful game.
For continuity's sake, this story begins during Chapter 26 of Breaking Through Stone.
The only original characters I have created are Veno, Viro, and Liri. All others come from either the base game or Breaking Through Stone. Thanks Kinroth!
There was something very new in the air.
Veno wasn't entirely sure what it was, but the feeling continued to grow day by day. There were new scents on the wind, feelings of rising hope hovering over everyone, and more friendly creatures popping up left and right. Overall, the lighter, happier atmosphere was beginning to affect even him. Veno had been living in the outskirts of the safe haven known as the Wellspring Glades for a long time. However, over the past few weeks, new residents were arriving in droves, with many new huts being built to house them.
This was surely a good thing, right? More people in a nice place like this meant less of them elsewhere.
Now, the land of Niwen beyond the Glades was no wasteland; it boasted of many acres of natural beauty and a collage of different landscapes and climates. However, a force of evil darkness that poisoned and corrupted all life, known as the Decay, had steadily been growing its influence, slowly taking control of the forest. Ever since the untimely death of Niwen's protector, the Spirit Willow, Decay had become much more prevalent, making some places almost inhospitable.
Even so, most of the residents were experiencing an era of peace, and Veno was both proud and grateful to be among them. Yet there was just this feeling of coming change that continued to stir him, refusing to leave him be.
The Moki stepped outside of his small, three-room hut into the early morning sunlight. Like all others of his mammalian, ferret-like kind, he bore a smooth and wavy coat of fur, colored in a swirl of earthy tones. The finer details included a moderately-sized, fluffy tail, as well as bright yellow eyes that showcased the light within.
Moki were relatively small creatures, being larger than the average Spiderling but never dreaming of comparing to a Gorlek. Veno was just an inch or so taller than most. He was also completely missing his left ear; this had no impact on hearing and was the result of a birth defect.
He gazed out across the growing village from a distance. Several Moki were out and about at this early hour, carrying foraged food, goods, or otherwise doing daily tasks while pups ran around in play. Despite Niwen's many dangers and steady decline, it was pleasant to see this joy while it lasted. Those who were the de facto leaders of the Glades Sanctuary had begun construction of a large wooden platform in the north of town, for what purpose he did not know and likely would not ask about.
Veno had chosen to live farther away for a reason. On very few occasions would he enter the proper village, content with this humble abode along the path leading towards Baur's Reach. Simply put, the reason for this was a result of his shyness and a desire to be self-sufficient without bothering others.
"Good morning, Veno!"
Though of course, socializing wasn't unwelcome.
He smiled in response to Liri, a female Moki who also lived way out here and was thus his closest neighbor. Much like himself, she was just the more solitary type who preferred peace and quiet. As two loners who had left behind any desires to find a mate, their relationship remained as close friends.
"Sleep well, Liri?"
"Of course", she replied while passing by, likely headed off to fish, forage, or get some things in town. "No rowdy disruptions in the middle of the night out here."
"Am I that boring?" He joked. She politely laughed and waved before cresting the hill.
Veno sighed warmly, now watching the sky, made possible by the small clearing in the canopy that his house was strategically located under. The clouds looked soft and welcoming, dappled with golden and red colors.
Now inspired by the beauty of nature, he briefly went back inside to grab his things. After all, his small and isolated life could quickly become boring, so he kept a number of hobbies to spend the day.
One of these, which he decided to grab at the moment, was a lute to play and experiment with. He had no formal training, nor proper music compositions, but he did learn a few things from a local and was half decent on the instrument. What he played was conjecture and straight from mind to paws, but it always brought him peace regardless. Veno took a seat on the soft grass outside and simply began to play.
It was without lyrics or a tune, but proved just as enjoyable. As he leisurely strummed along without much thought, the time dripped by, and eventually the sun stood high and proud in the sky above. The village was truly alive and bustling now, and Veno watched with a bittersweet feeling as families spent their time partnering up on work or inventing fun games for the children.
Every now and again, he would long for that community lifestyle, but the desire always was brief and baseless. Someone occasionally taking notice of his art and having a better day because of it was enough to satisfy him. Perhaps if some grand purpose forced the entire village to work together, he might be more involved, but in this time of peace, Veno would take full advantage of his freedoms.
Now feeling introspective and thoughtful, Veno returned his lute to its place inside, and procured his blank canvas and sketch pad.
Music was a secondary activity, but Veno's true passion could be found in artistry. He had established a routine of sketching people or scenarios of particular interest, and if one of these rough outlines proved perfect enough, it would be transcribed into a full painting, colored by paints made from fruit juices and pastes.
An array of these specially chosen paintings lined the walls of his house, a testament to his life's work. Most of the best ones were landscapes, such as the bold mountains of Baur's Reach and the dazzling beauty of the Luma Pools. Others captured wide scenes of the Glades village as it continued to change.
A portrait of an individual was the highest honor he could bestow as an artist, a privilege so far only granted to Liri.
Above all else, he found life to be beautiful. There was simply so much depth in every little thing, meaning and purpose in every fiber, emotion in every color. Thus, he was skilled in realism, adept at capturing the natural world and preserving moments in time.
Today's plan, meanwhile, involved the construction of this strange wooden platform. While he would wait until its completion before starting a painting, sketching the stages of its development proved to be good practice.
Strange...he thought, squinting carefully. Alongside Grom the Gorlek, their resident builder, was a creature he had never seen before. It was dark and round with exceedingly long limbs that it was using to help with the build.
The thin Moki quickly took some rudimentary observations, but found the proportions of his target challenging to master. Veno thus fetched his spyglass for more detail. While it could be seen as creepy to spy on people this way, it was for the sake of artistic integrity and nothing else!
Let's see, bright yellow eyes, toothy smile, strong and agile looking. A bit of mischief in its nature. He found that someone's attitude was crucial to replicating them perfectly in a work of art.
He would have to include this creature along with everyone else helping to build the platform in the final product.
Veno whittled away at his charcoal utensil, filling several pages of the sketchbook, which was par for the course of any new muse. Eventually, the builders decided to take a break, which Veno mirrored by going back inside and enjoying a light snack of seasoned vegetables. Simple, boring almost, but enough to keep him content.
Something still felt off about today, though. He could practically taste that new breath in the air, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary thus far.
Abruptly, the sounds of cheering and excitement echoed throughout the Glades. Bewildered, the loner rushed outside and traced the gazes of the many Moki upwards.
Oh, it was the bird! He had yet to learn of her true name, only having known of her as 'the Shrieker', or simply Shriek. Courtesy of context clues and Liri's news updates, he had learned that this formerly deformed and Decay-ridden predator who once terrorized Niwen was now a helper and even a hero to those in need.
Being a secluded Moki living in the west, he did not know much of her previous terrors in the eastern Silent Woods. However, this miraculous turn-around was still heartwarming, as it improved the outlook for everyone and resulted in this burst of new life.
Maybe this grand self-discovery of hers would become a tale to be documented in a story. Or...it could be drawn.
The bolt of inspiration forced Veno to flip through and find his previous sketches of Shriek. He tore off the page for reference and excitedly prepared a new one before angling his spyglass to observe the owl as she descended. Were those...Moki on her back?
She was ferrying them here, bringing people everywhere to the safety of the Glades. Fascinating! Veno's paw flew across the page, desperate to capture her powerful, intricate anatomy. There was a new sense of gentleness and love within her compared to these old sketches, and it needed to be expressed.
After all, the tough stone once encasing her body was now almost completely gone. That had to count for something.
Shriek landed in an open area amidst the town, lowering her wing to deposit the refugees. Veno was now surging with creativity, his mind running a marathon to keep track of each idea. Poses, concepts, moods, settings, expressions—she could fit anywhere, and such beauty would still make it a masterpiece!
His wrist grew tired, his arm sore, but the Moki still churned through pages of boundless sketches, enraptured by the majestic being. This was his passion.
Ack! Out of pages! This book was now exhausted. Thankfully, he had purchased several from Lupo the mapmaker, who was known for his large supply of paper.
But in the split second he had taken to go grab a new sketchbook, something else happened. A quick survey with his spyglass showed everyone to be looking towards a newcomer.
Another owl? The odds! This one was juvenile, only a few years out of their egg. Veno was about to begin his earnest sketches, but hesitated upon seeing the owlet's panicked expression and the fear rising among the villagers. Bad news?
These new subjects and surprising events were all testing his resolve. Wouldn't it be much easier to produce a masterful painting if he knew of these details and could observe them more closely?
Alas, that would mean existing within that horde of other Moki. People were not problematic for him, most even being friendly, but he had to keep reminding himself of why he didn't want a social lifestyle.
He wanted to be an outsider on his own terms. Communal groups were too flippant and crowded, following the majority and losing a sense of self-identity. His system was working, giving him privacy and not having to worry about being rejected.
Call it selfish, call it fearful, but staying out of things was the best way to feel...free.
Instead, despite the pulling of his heart, Veno continued to watch from afar. The voices were audible, but distant and hard to figure out, so he used more visual clues. Shriek listened to the owlet's distress and was overcome by determination. After a brief debate with some Moki, the majestic indigo-feathered avian took off to the western sky, rustling the trees as she passed overhead. Whatever she was pursuing would be wise to beware her incredible power.
That aside, the scene in town was growing more despondent. Two figures were trying to comfort the owlet, one of them being the long-limbed stranger who was helping Grom, and the other being yet another completely new creature.
What is going on down there?! Where are all of these people coming from? A pang of sadness eased his confusion as he realized the embracing three were part of a family.
He had no business sketching any of this. It was not his right to profit from their sorrow. If he wanted to draw, he had to be involved.
This revelation shook Veno just enough. He placed aside his materials, dealing with a final bout of internal conflict. Even if he did go down there, what difference would it make? Just another weak and faceless Moki in the crowd? What could come of that?
Veno swallowed his anxiety as the villagers now turned to the east, where yet another person was approaching. What more could possibly happen in one day?
He watched on through the spyglass as the salamander that lived in town—what's his name, Moray?—hurried into Sanctuary with two odd looking Moki in his arms. They looked severely wounded, and the troubles just kept piling on.
Okay. I get it, universe. That's enough.
Veno stood, his mind finally made up. He could not keep relying on Liri to be his personal messenger whenever something important happened.
It is high time for this Moki to find out what the heck is going on!
He took those first steps forward—and tripped over his own tail, landing face first in the dirt.
Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
-- --
Everyone was very...emotional.
While observing the many Moki and other residents of the Glades from where he awkwardly hid behind a hut, Veno found it genuinely surprising how sensitive and honest everyone was. The slightest provocation could move someone to tears. Not that he found this problematic, but it also made things a little tense.
Regardless, his theory in coming down here had proved correct, allowing him to learn more in an hour than he had practically ever known. Both Shriek and Kwolok (amphibious guardian of the Inkwater Marsh) had since returned, a little scuffed up from battle but okay.
It was also said that Shriek was finally accepting love and support from her friends rather than wallowing in guilt and self-hatred. On top of that, those two strange mossy Moki had recovered, and were revealed to be Kwolok's 'Guardians', which made little sense to Veno given the toad's great power.
But all of these things paled in comparison to the being known as Ori.
Ori was a glowing, fluffy...thing. Veno had never seen anything like him, and was utterly fascinated. Those hooves, stretchy limbs, long and fuzzy ears, a gentle blue and white glow always surrounding him, it was all just perfect. Veno's drawing paw was itching to work, desperate to capture beauty in its purest form, but sadly, now was perhaps the worst time to be so invasive.
For, when Ori arrived a while ago, he was inconsolable. The other creature with the white face, addressed as Naru, was doing everything in her power to care for him, but something truly scarring had befallen the little one. Veno had watched as those two, along with the builder and the owlet, turned in after the stressful night. The artist was cursing his indecisiveness now, knowing he could have potentially met Ori sooner and been a buffer to the tragedy.
Something needs to change. I'll only miss out on more if I continue to be all shy and worried.
As Veno continued to hide, time still passed. After idly talking with Shriek about the battle's aftermath, Kwolok and his Guardians traveled down the river back to the Marsh. Now it was just Shriek and two Moki that seemed important to her.
Finally, his long-unused courage bubbling up inside, Veno stepped out from his hiding place, drawing pad and pencil in hand. ...No one reacted at all, of course. He blended in perfectly.
But this was still his perfect opportunity. The crowd was thinning, and the trio relaxing in a clear part of town were idly laughing about their conversation while gazing into the starry sky. Veno channeled his limited bravery, and approached Shriek.
"Excuse me." Despite unfamiliarity with talking to people other than Liri, he got the words out and tried to project. Three sets of eyes all turned to him at once, one of which was large and menacing, causing the anxious Moki to clutch his items tightly.
"Hi there," the first Moki said, a male with a friendly but cautious tone. "Did you need something?"
Oh no. I don't have a plan. He had no clue what to say, other than explicitly going 'I'm learning who you are and what's going on so that I can draw you more effectively.' Wouldn't that be weird? Somehow, he managed to stammer out something else.
"N-no? Not quite? I live on the outskirts of town and noticed a lot of commotion today. Um..." Now what, now what, what now?! I thought I would be better at this! "It seems like you three are, uh, pretty important."
Stupid and weird. In his own element, Veno had thought himself to be calm and collected, a rational thinker with an artistic mind. Now though, he probably looked like a blubbering mess.
"I guess you could say that," the other Moki responded with a kind, feminine tone. At least they were all still smiling...? "I'm Mink, that's my brother Monk, and this is our big sis Shriek!"
That was her name, then. Ugh, names, so difficult...wait, sister? No matter.
"Hello. My—my name is Veno."
"Pleased to meet you, Veno," Shriek said, in a powerful voice that rattled his bones, even if there was mirth in her gaze. "Are you a writer?"
He was caught off guard by that, fumbling and nearly dropping his sketchbook. It was such a casual and effortless question, coming from a being of such grace. Here he was barely able to construct a sentence.
"M-me, well, I'm more of an-an artist, really..."
"There's no need to be shy," said Mink—no wait, Monk is the brother. This was maybe a few names too many. "Shriek is very nice. She'd never hurt a hair on any Moki."
"Aw, Monk..." The two of them shared a loving grin, almost teary from this compliment alone. Veno also felt ready to cry, but for a much different reason.
However, his attitude changed when Shriek thrust out her wing to casually scratch an itch. So much detail, the interweaving feathers and shards of stone, so much that his current sketches lacked!
"Shriek, wait!" She paused, bewildered. Veno's confidence was now surging, inflamed by his artistic passion. "May I draw you?"
The owl froze, a surprising amount of blush rising to her face.
"W-who, me?"
"Of course! Just stay right there! Perfect!" He didn't wait for her answer, entering a state of haste as he furiously flipped through pages and made sketches at the speed of light.
A mortified Shriek held still as her siblings giggled at what was frankly an embarrassing pose. Veno's gaze never left her, not once looking down at his paper. "You're an outstanding model! Such a magnificent figure!"
"W-Wha?!"
"Annnd, there! Gorgeous!" He had finally settled upon the perfect sketch. It was almost portrait worthy. Then, his own words caught up to the occasionally eccentric Moki. "O-oh dear. I'm sorry, I've forgotten myself."
"It's quite alright," Mink giggled. "We're actually grateful." Shriek huffed and ruffled her feathers, but did not refute the statement. Maybe being a model was doing something for her self-value.
"S-see, I've always observed subjects from my hut, so I haven't gotten this much detail before. ...Do you think I did okay?" Veno nervously held it out to them, knowing that such a small paper would not do the magnificent owl any justice.
"Woah," the trio said in unison. Was it that bad?
"Veno, that's—that's incredible. It's like I'm looking in a reflection." Shriek's genuine praise startled him. More than anything else had, actually. "I thought with how fast you were going, this would just be some rushed scribbles, not—not a portrait."
"Did you want a portrait? I can do a portrait! It might not look so bad if I add color!" The owl shook her head, creating a gust of wind.
"What I want is for you to not undersell your talent. That's not 'bad', Veno. It's so realistic it's almost scary. Could you imagine how much Spirit Light that one sketch would sell for?"
His art? Good? Well...maybe...
"Can I see?" Monk put forth his paw, and Veno cautiously complied in handing over the sketchbook. This was too much.
Monk flipped through the Shriek pages. Then the Naru pages, and the Gumo pages. Some of Motay, Tuley, Kwolok, almost everybody. In the opinion of the three siblings, each were just as impeccably realistic and well-made. To them, Veno was a complete virtuoso of art, a master of his craft.
The one-eared Moki, on the other hand, was nervously awaiting their judgment. This was exactly why he didn't want to come here, to avoid mocking and being an outcast. They would surely hate it!
"Wow. These—these are—"
"It's finished!"
Everyone turned to see an exhausted Grom collapse into sleep, hammer in hand. A tired, but still awake Gumo chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"I'm surprised we got it done so fast, though I guess time was of the essence." The trio of siblings looked confusedly at him, forcing him to elaborate. "Oh, right! We just finished the platform, Shriek! Come have a gander, we hope you like it."
The owl's eyes lit up in pure joy and gratitude.
"Really?! Let's go, I gotta see it! —Oh, wait, right. Gumo, I'd like to introduce you to—" She turned, only to trail away. Everyone gaped at where a certain one-eared Moki had been standing, with now only the night wind in his place. He was gone without a trace. "…Veno?" There was no response.
"He's just really shy," Monk assured, albeit confused with the used sketch pad still in his possession. "I'm sure he'll stop by again. Let's go check it out, Gumo."
"Well, I suppose."
Elsewhere, hiding behind a tree on the entire other side of the Sanctuary, was a certain hyperventilating artist. Why was that so terrifying? I thought—I've never had these problems before. Meeting people should not have been this difficult. After all, he really wanted to get to know them and avidly express them through art.
His admiration of Shriek had been enough courage for that initial conversation, but...the praise for his artwork...and those two builders showing up out of nowhere! No way he was ready for that!
Something within had simply commanded him to flee. Veno now felt fragile, even woozy from the whole ordeal. So he teetered away back towards his house, grateful for the thinning crowds.
Even so, he wanted to accomplish this. He vowed that next time, it wouldn't be such a disaster.