The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 186: At Long Last

Oakia shot out of her seat, her expression grim.

"How long do we have?"

Gestella hesitated.

"…A couple of minutes, at most."

"Blasted Tulips."

Oakia cursed.

"Clara, go release the prisoners. Gestella, try to delay them with your corpses as much as you can."

The two cloaked figures burst into action, their movements spurred on by the grim urgency of their leader's voice. Celeste, too stunned by the sudden turn of events, remained where she was.

Oakia wavered for the fraction of a heartbeat. Then, she made an instant decision.

"Follow me."

Snapping out of her stupor, Celeste rushed after the peerless leader.

The senescent woman's form blurred, her frame leaving afterimages in her wake. Celeste gritted her teeth and activated every movement Skill she had, struggling to catch up. Only her mana sense alerted her of Oakia's position - and even then, it was almost not enough.

Darting through numerous dirt tunnels, the walls seemed to cave in around Celeste; dread seeping like a malignant poison into her psyche.

Biting her lips, the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign shook her head and made the most of the brief flash of ensuing clarity, her speed increasing further. Eventually, she arrived at the entrance of a secluded cavern, deep into the heart of a complex of underground tunnels.

There, Celeste gasped.

The very air seemed to ripple with life energy.

…Glowing lichen devoured the walls.

With no time to marvel at the curious sight, Celeste ignored it. She sensed Oakia's presence slow up ahead. In the next moment, the young healer rounded a corner and froze mid-step.

Reflected in her jade-green eyes, vitality shimmered like green fireflies in the air.

In the centre of the cavern, she discovered Oakia deftly holding a small sapling, its tiny leaves pulsing with a tremendous amount of life energy. As Celeste's gaze fell upon it, all the breath left her lungs.

She stood, transfixed - as if a river of vines rooted her to the spot.

Eventually, the young woman snapped out of it.

Less than a heartbeat later, the sprightly pioneer strode towards her, a small, wooden trunk in her hands.

"Take this. It's the last remaining sapling. Make sure it doesn't falls into the wrong hands."

Oakia's gaze bore down on Celeste, as heavy as a mountain.

The latter hesitated, anxiety clearly plastered across her face.

"Why are you entrusting me with this?"

"Because you're the only one I believe can keep it safe. If nothing else, I trust your absurd potential. Now, we don't have much time. I need you to promise me something. I don't care what you do, never, ever, allow this sapling to fall into enemy hands. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes."

Clearly overwhelmed, Celeste could only accept.

"Good."

Oakia nodded, satisfied.

"Now, go. Lead the rest of the captives away from here."

Celeste's right hand, which clutched the wooden trunk, trembled.

In the next moment, countless vines burst from the dirt floor, gently yet firmly guiding her towards the exit. Throwing one last glance towards Oakia - who had suddenly transformed into a creature of vine, bark and leaves -, Celeste bit her lips.

'…Farewell, Oakia Bloom. It was an honour.'

***

Oakia burst out from her hideout.

Instantly, she sensed a mountain of tension gripping the forest. A deathly silence permeated its verdant expanse; as as if the entirety of Nature's Grove held its breath.

The sprightly Dryad knew this was merely a prelude.

…A precursor to the chaos that would doubtless unfold.

Adjusting her rindish armour, the vines composing Oakia's face rippled, displaying an apprehensive grimace. She had been waiting for this very moment for so long it hardly felt real.

Now that it was finally here… she did not know quite how to feel.

However, soon, her suffering would come to an end, that much Oakia knew.

'When did things go so wrong?'

She wondered idly.

Obviously, the descent of the meteroid had doomed every living organism within Arkanis, whether they survived its immediate aftermath or not. Oakia believed that wasn't the main catalyst of her demise, though. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Instead, she cast her mind to a time before the Great Collision, where nature thrived and Elves upheld its peace.

'Did I seal my fate back then by choosing to become a Guardian…?'

Maybe she should have listened to the nagging of her mother. Maybe she should have just stayed at her family's little grove, tending to the plants and blessing the land, wasting away her days in contentment and peace.

A bitter chuckle soon escaped Oakia, the sound like the rustle of countless leaves.

In the end, she had not been able to fulfill her sacred duty as a Guardian. She had also left her family behind. Worst of all, she had passed on the responsibility of protecting the last remaining sapling of the First Tree to a young girl who had not yet experienced the depths of cruelty this ruined world had to offer.

Still, Oakia sensed something special about her. She could only hope that the young girl could succeed.

However, Oakia of all people knew how slim the odds were.

Not that it really mattered, in the end.

...Oakia would not be alive to find out.

Just then, the sprightly Dryad sensed her underlings approach.

'Run. This is not something you can survive.'

Instinctively, Oakia sensed their sorrow from more than a league away.

Inwardly, the peerless pioneer sighed.

'Help the young girl achieve what I could not.'

With that, the Dryad cut off the connection, a subtle ripple travelling through her viney frame. Shrugging off her emotions, Oakia straightened, rising to her full height.

In response, the surrounding forest rustled, imbued with a flood of vitality as it responded to the her call. With every moment that passed, the approaching miasma seemed to grow thicker, as if it couldn't contain its glee.

As her final reckoning drew near, Oakia gathered her life energy, steadying herself.

"…There's no use lamenting the past. Isn't that right, dear sister?"

Suddenly, a vast, terrible presence engulfed Oakia's surroundings.

The blades of grass, the leaves, the trees… they all shrank back.

Countless jet-black flowers bloomed in the air. Oakia quickly snuffed them out.

Just then, a vile simulacrum laughed, its voice akin to a warbled rustle:

"At long last, Oakia. We meet... again."