"Not everyone is strong. That much I know." Orvus thought to himself, as he dismantled the tornadoes trying to form amidst the storm surrounding them. "It is why Kilon, the one who became our beacon of strength, had to endure the wilderness beyond the Link firsthand." his thoughts kept going, as the strain on his power grew. "It is why I was assigned to lead this group. But when I failed to serve as their pillar of strength, Manna had to take over. Now though, when she failed to provide her strength, I had to protect my siblings once more." as he finished his line of thought, he looked at Felemous, tears in the form of sparks erupting from his eyes.
"I'm not weak. I know that, because it is I who came up with this plan, so that we may escape." Orvus now changed his gaze upon those injured, barely holding together at the center where Felemous's light could reach. "My body, however, cannot hold this strain for too long. And there is only so much my brother can do." his face twisted and frowned as he thought of what needs to be done. He couldn't think of any other solution.
Orvus, in terms of abilities, varied the greatest. He was able to cast rays of light from different parts of his body, which could serve as sensory organs, similar to the eyes and skin. He could manipulate other's lights in order to heal them, cast powerful bursts of energy and enhance his mind through the light, speeding up his thinking from seconds, to milliseconds. Much like Kilon and others like him, he could also manipulate the light outside his body to interact with living matter, and, at times, even critters. His malleability in terms of light manipulation, was the greatest.
These facts combined, allowed him to commit the first crime known to the Lightborn: stealing someone's light. By connecting his light from the short distance he was at from the injured ones, one by one, amidst the storm, he fueled himself with the light of his siblings. Some struggled against his will, but their precarious situation, disabled their struggles to mere frowns and growls. With each light stolen, each of them died, his own growing stronger and allowing him to push his body further.
Orvus felt sorrow, sadness, anger as he stole their lights. A Lightborn's light carries the knowledge and experiences those which possessed it had. So, Orvus could feel their intense rage and anger directed at him through their lights, weighing heavily on his mind. However, he couldn't let them drown him in anguish, he had to fulfill his duty, and he was ready to do anything in order to accomplish it, evident by his actions. "Sorry. Brothers, sisters. If not for you, we all could've been swallowed by the storm whole. I bear your lights, even if it destroys my self." he thought to himself. His eyes now lighting up with the overbearing power of his siblings, sixty one in number, allowing him to continue what he had to do.
The storm kept going for a whole sun. By the end, besides the seven Felemous killed due to his distraction, and the twenty one gravely injured which Orvus stole their light from, no one else died. As everyone could finally rest, Felemous let go of their lights, except for the seven that now he had to bear. The Lightborn could now at long last, rest. The storm going forward into the Gargantuan forest.
"We should wait here for a sun and a half. Let the storm pass by so we can then venture inside." Orvus told Felemous, although his brother didn't really listen. "The gravely injured were also killed by the storm, it seems that your light wasn't enough to protect them." Orvus continued, Felemous knowing all to well about that, even though it wasn't the truth. "I will keep watch over Manna and-"
"Can you stop? Just for a moment, I need you to stop." Felemous interrupted, his voice grave and sad, the lights which he bore weighing on his mind. "I know we must take care of our siblings, but I'm too weak right now to do so."
Orvus was obsessive in his behavior. He wanted to do everything in his power to ensure the safety of his siblings. Not only that, the lights which he stole, kept bothering him. It was like a steady pressure on his mind, not letting him rest properly, so he wanted to keep himself active. Those wishes, however, were cut off by Manna, waking up from her deep slumber.
"How long was I asleep?" Manna asked as she sat on her elbow, Orvus and Felemous close to her. "The storm!" she recalled "Where are we?! Where is the storm?! Is everyone-"
"We're mostly fine, sister." Orvus told her as he placed his hand on her shoulder and got to her right side "You should lie down a bit longer, the storm has passed and we can rest a bit." he reassured her, his glow taming down as he started to rest his strained body.
"Mostly. Did some of us die?" Manna asked further, concerned.
"Unfortunately so. The twenty one injured and another seven." Orvus stated with a heavy tone, putting himself in front of her, hand still on her shoulder.
Orvus then explained everything to her. The Lightborn then gathered to mourn the dead through prayer. Burying their bodies afterward in case wild animals were to pass by. Manna, Felemous, Eraanel, Salvete and the others cried for them. All but Orvus. Manna saw that he didn't, or rather couldn't, cry. He stood at the very back, almost looking as if he tried to make himself unknown to all that were there. She approached him, spear in her right hand.
"What is it brother? Do you not wish your siblings a farewell to the Creator?" Manna asked curious, her eyes trying to look for his as he looked down.
"How many have died because of me Manna? Hundreds?" Orvus asked back looking up at her. His eyes cold and tortured.
"Does that mean you can't cry for the few that died? They were still your brothers and sisters. You know that." she said with a frown, her voice trying not to show the pity she felt for him.
"It means that I cannot cry no longer. For I shed all my tears. Let Felemous cry for those who died due to his inaptitude, I will mourn the other twenty one in silence." he told her, his face looking down once again. He didn't want to leave any clue to the fact that he basically killed those other ones with his own hands.
"If that's what you wish, I won't stand here and tell you what to do. You saved the group after all." Manna told him as she placed her hand on his right shoulder. She then returned to the others who were still mourning, helping however she could.
Orvus stood at the back. He watched from some distance his brothers and sisters. He tried to reach with his hand for them, but his feet were held into place by those he killed. It was all in his head, the lights playing with his mind. Even so, he didn't want to resist their will. He wanted to let them consume him. It's only the fact that he had to push forward, see it to the end, so his siblings could be safe, that he couldn't let them do as they wanted with him.
Unknown to him, the lights didn't do anything to him, they weren't trying to drag him or take over. They were simply passing through, again and again, the message of death into him. That is what made his subconscious act against him, in a struggle to make him suffer.
Once the two and a half suns passed, Manna took lead once more as they started walking once again, now refreshed and ready. Although, she noticed that more of her siblings started to talk with Orvus, who seemed like he couldn't be bothered by any of them.
She understood that he saved them, but she wouldn't have thought that they were willing to forgive him after saving them this instance. Especially given that they were in this place because of him. "Maybe they don't feel like they have a choice. They may feel as if my leadership has failed, whereas his succeeded." is what she thought as she took her eyes off of them and looked forward. The trees were now closer than before, only half a sun away from them.
The Gargantuan Forest, to Orvus, was similar to how he saw it when he first arrived on the Frozen Side. Except for the storm, which, as they saw it collide with the forest, got dispersed to, everyone's surprise. The colossal trees acting as a stern, natural impediment, not moved even a bit by the storm, the branches barely shrugging themselves of some leaves. Due to their height, it was expected for these trees to be resilient, however, there was a weird toughness that even the branches had, which didn't allow them to move too much.
"Do you see that, Eraanel?" Manna asked his brother.
"Yes. These "trees" behave oddly. The nature of that which lives, is to move. Be it of it's own accord or not." Eraanel spoke from experience.
"Does that mean that the great waters are alive?" Manna played with him.
"That I do not know. Maybe whatever lives in them, moves them." Eraanel answered earnestly. His sense of humor was pretty bland.
"What I meant was- never mind." she responded a bit defeated, her face disappointed, which Eraanel couldn't see as she was too tall. "Do you think what Orvus said is true about the "forest"?
"Well!" Salvete started, once again, making Manna jump, as she appeared from behind, but not Eraanel.
His light allowed him to sense anything around him through small rays of light emanated constantly from his skin. It is similar to the glow they naturally possess, except it changes the glow into more of a shine of sorts. While he couldn't tell who Salvete was, due to her ability, he knew that it could only be her due to how vague her presence was. His ability, while not the best, was complemented by his wise mind.
"Orvus knew how to deal with the storm thing. And he knows a lot more things." Salvete proudly continued, as if her knowledge was something only she had.
"Well, Salvete." Manna took over the conversation, her tone slightly irritated "What I was asking Eraanel wasn't whether Orvus knows or not, but if it's true."
"Is there a difference? Because I don't see one." Salvete continued, putting her hands in the air as if bored by the conversation, although she wanted to take part of it.
"Yes, there is. Orvus is not always right because he knows things. He can use what he knows to better his judgement, but there are instances where he can unsure of himself." Manna explained, a part of her resonating with the words.
"You didn't forgave him, have you sister?" Salvete said bluntly. She could tell that Manna still had resentment for him.
"Salvete!" Eraanel shouted "Watch your tongue, or Creator be kind to you, for I will beat that nonsense from within you." he threatened, although he knew her abilities wouldn't allow him to even put a finger on her.
"Let's not be hasty with these threats, brother. We both know that if I want, I could always beat you some more when you expect it less." Salvete bit back, her words aiming at a factual truth, while she kept her smug.
"Enough both of you Eraanel and Salvete." Manna pushed her words between them. She first looked at Salvete "To answer you Salvete. I didn't. I still struggle to believe that some of you did." she continued resentful of both his actions and her incapability to forgive him. Then she looked at Eraanel "As for you Eraanel. I spent a great deal of time with Orvus, Salvete's words can't cut anywhere where he didn't." Manna explained with a slight smile.
Salvete let out a laugh then said "That's manna for you brother. I can cut all I want, she is strong enough to endure." her words, this time, pulling at some strings from Manna's heart she didn't know about. Manna's eyes lighting up with anger at her words. Seeing her angry, made Salvete activate her ability and make herself scarce throughout the group.
Eraanel puffed once Manna calmed herself "Pretty scary I must say sister."
"I'm sorry. It's just that, you never know what she might say. And sometimes, she simply says something that cuts straight where it hurts most." Manna explained, sorry for her lack of control.
"It is fine sister." Eraanel let her know, while he took note of Salvete's words and why they might've hurt Manna.
After half a sun, which stretched shorter than before, they finally arrived at the Gargantuan Forest during night time, dawn just around the corner. The colossal trees which they saw ever since before the storm, now stood so tall, that you couldn't see their cloud covered crowns. The trees were spaced pretty far from one another, allowing for large passages through the forest.
Their branches sometimes extended dozens of meters in any direction meters above ground, at least those which they could see, which formed arches and complemented those from other trees. If you were to walk on top of the branches of the trees in a straight line, you could do so without falling once, even though the trunks were spaced meters apart.
The earth below the trees, was free of snow, grass or any plants for that matter. The only other life besides the trees, were these large mushrooms at the bottom of a lot of trees. Which had a thin layer of skin-like matter, through which you could see either a red or blue liquid. At least there, at the forest's edge.
All the Lightborn were analyzing the Gargantuan Forest from it's edge. Orvus used his ability to detect any signs of life, as did many other. Manna kept watch at the very front. If anything was to jump from within the forest at them, she was prepared to take it out, her eyes letting sparks out as she kept her light active at almost full throughput. Felemous was practicing with his light. On his way here, Orvus talked to him and inspired him. He was trying to change the property of his light, into lightning.
This could've been accomplished by imitating the energy nature of the lightning. In essence, a lightning was energy, like the light. So, Orvus told Felemous based on what Felemous experienced during the storm, that if he could imitate the nature and behavior of the lightning, he could recreate it. If successful, a terrific weapon could be created, with which he would protect his siblings.
Eraanel was tasked to watch over Salvete, as she was known to behave a bit wildly when new stuff was around. But he couldn't find her for the light within him. She was already eyeing him from a distance, using her siblings as cover. The others didn't pay her mind, as they were curious themselves of these giant trees.
And so, against Manna's words, she made her way out of the group and approached the forest. Once next to a tree, she looked at it carefully. Although she disobeyed her sister, she wasn't going to put her life in danger.
Her curious nature got the best of her though, as she looked closer at a tree. She noticed that the tree's bark, almost seemed made of separate pieces, glued together. When she placed her hand on it, she couldn't feel anything. Usually, those like her, with a yellow or red hue, could feel life trying to reach for them, for their light. But the tree wasn't, although it was supposed to be made of living matter.
"Maybe Manna was right. Orvus might've not known what he said." Salvete thought to her disappointment. She slid her hand across the bark, which slightly cut at her hand. The old tree sharpened in places by the cruel weather, grabbing a piece of her skin for "itself" so to speak.
She hissed for no reason at it, then turned her back and started to walk towards the group. But, as she started to leave, she heard a small sound. She turned back to look at the tree. "Nothing. Maybe something fell down from above." she thought to herself. Then, again, a small sound. As she let her ears pick it up, she noticed it was coming from the tree. She approached once more, looked at the tree once more. "What could it be." Salvete was trying to figure out in her mind.
Then, as she looked intensively at it, a piece of bark, the length of one of her fingers and the width of her palm, got pushed outwards from within the tree. Salvete sharpened her senses, ready for whatever dread was about to come out of it. The piece of bark then started to go down in small paces, until it revealed the culprit.
It was a bug-like being. Two large, black bulging eyes stood and covered a good part of it's face. It had a small mouth, which she didn't notice as first, as it was shut, with no teeth. It had about ten limbs, five to a side, five to the other, each composed of two pieces, like her own, with a joint between and a round, squishy end. It's body was made of three round, fat portions. It's exoskeleton was green in color with black, spiral patterns on it.
Inside of the tree, where it lived, Salvete could see a cut section of the trunk through which it escaped. Deeper, there was a hollow part through the middle of the tree through which many other small beings like this traveled up and down the tree. The little critter that got out, inspected her with a long look, then snatched the piece of skin just above itself, gulping it and letting out a small burp. Then it simply got inside the tree, covering it's way out.
Salvete didn't know what she just witnessed. She only knew that she wanted to know more. Her face was smiling without her knowing. That was, until she heard the angry voice of Manna from a distance, which signaled her to get back. Unknown to her and her siblings, these small insects, were but the bottom of the food chain in the Gargantuan Forest.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7fp0hYMya
