The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 187: Promise

"Oakia! Oakia! Look what I found!"

Oakia turned around at the sound of her younger sister’s voice.

Mabel’s exuberance infected her - Oakia felt her spirit soar in her sibling’s presence. Coming to a sudden stop in front of her, Mabel beamed as she presented her catch, a gorgeous white lily difficult to find in this part of the forest.

"Good job."

Oakia praised her.

Mabel giggled happily, catching her breath.

A soft smile graced the older Dryad’s countenance.

Gently, Oakia extended a vine and brushed aside the debris which clung to Mabel’s beautiful face. The younger Dryad had shed her Spirit form, opting to appear more like a human.

Doubtless, Mother had instructed her to remain careful in these trying times.

With the rumours of the First Tree losing a sizable chunk of its near-infinite vitality, the forest was in a state of upheaval. The Elves were having a hard time managing the chaos.

....The fact of the matter was that the forest was not as safe as it once was, which saddened Oakia.

Recently, an ominous report had even come out of Willow’s Birch, revealing a truly disturbing tale. Oakia sighed and shook off her despondent thoughts, suppressing the itch in her rindish heart to help protect her home and the First Tree.

"You’re thinking of her again."

Mabel pouted.

Oakia snapped out of her daze.

She glanced questioningly in the direction of her little sister.

"...I have no idea what you mean."

"Liar! You’re obviously thinking of that Guardian who visited our village a few days ago!"

The younger Dryad puffed out her human cheeks.

Oakia bent down a little, her Spirit form casting a dark shadow over Mabel’s head.

"What makes you think that? I belong here with you and Mom."

The little girl’s expression drooped like a wilted flower. The smile on Oakia’s face must not have been convincing enough.

The older Dryad inwardly cursed.

"Please don’t leave."

Mabel’s stunning jade-green eyes welled with tears.

Oakia’s heart cracked.

Children really were too perceptive for their own good.

"I won’t."

She wrapped her little sibling in a warm hug.

"Promise?"

Oakia hesitated for a fraction of a heartbeat.

"...I promise."

***

The world turned stranger with each passing day.

As time passed, less and less birds chirped their melodious song, less and less trees swayed, and less and less plants bloomed. At first, Oakia believed the loss of vitality from the First Tree would just be a temporary problem. It had always gone through periods of slumber, naturally replenishing its great reserves.

But, this time...

This time appeared to be different.

It was as if someone had poisoned it. Oakia couldn’t imagine the First Tree without its boundless vitality - it was the source of all their livelihoods.

What would happen to them if it suddenly dried out?

For a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, it was a very daunting thought.

The itch inside Oakia grew stronger.

Eventually, she could not refuse its call.

The breaking point came when the Dryad accidentally overheard a heated conversion between the village elders, each of them worried about the change in the forest and the First Tree and what it signified.

Oakia had to do something. She couldn’t just sit still.

And so, after hours and hours of painstaking deliberation, she came to the decision to accept the Guardian’s offer. Veiled by the darkness of the night, Oakia gathered her meagre belongings and set off, every leaf within her screaming to look back.

However, the Dryad knew that if she did that, she would never be able leave.

So, she did not look back.

As sap trickled down Oakia’s rindish frame, she ventured out into the world, leaving all that she knew and cherished behind.

***

After abruptly leaving home, Oakia followed the Guardian’s instructions and soon, she found herself accepted into the Order of Preservation as an Acolyte. The days were rough.

A constant homesickness and fear plagued her.

She often wondered what Mother thought.

Was she ashamed? Furious? Heartbroken?

And Mabel.

...Sweet, innocent Mabel.

Oakia’s heart tore anew every time she recalled the promise they had made. As a result of this, she did not focus as much on her duties and training. Her peers ostracised her while the older Guardians did not have time to pay attention to a distracted waste like her.

Spirits knew they had their own issues to deal with.

All the while, in the background, the world turned stranger and stranger.

And then, one day, out of nowhere, they appeared.

Beings so vile they corrupted Arkanis just through their mere existence. The Elvish, Dryad and Centaur civilisation swiftly fell into ruin. Terror flooded Oakia - she desperately wished to journey home and find out whether her Mother and Mabel were still alive.

However, deep inside, she knew the odds of that were very slim. They had most likely succumbed to the vileness of the Defilement or ceased to exist. With no chance to mourn, Oakia gave it her all to become a Guardian.

Eventually, she succeeded.

However, by then, precious few of her kind still remained.

Through a mixture of good fortune and remarkable resolve, Oakia fended off countless Defiled, careful not to become infected herself. After some time, she learned of the existence of the Sanctuary of Everlast and led the rest of her weakened forces - remnants of the Order of Preservation and a few stragglers - to it.

Years passed, but it soon became apparent that the Defiled were on the hunt for the last remaining sapling of the First Tree. With that knowledge, Oakia knew it was no longer safe within the Sanctuary - both for her and its inhabitants.

And so, she made the difficult decision to enter into hiding.

That was when she first stumbled across Mabel, or rather, the vile simulacrum who now inhabited her sister’s once beautiful shell, tarnishing its pure and sprightly image.

Oakia had long accepted that those she held dear must have perished. But, to see them defiled like this... it was unbearable to witness.

Furthermore, the guilt she carried from all those years ago, haunted her, like a dark spectre; a never-ending curse.

Now, here she was...

Face-to-face with her own kin and sap.

"You broke our promise, Oakia."

The rustle of Mable’s voice penetrated her mind like a harrowing hiss.

"You were the reason Mother died."

The last living Dryad trembled, a ripple travelling through her Spirit form.

She swiftly composed herself, though.

"Yes, I did. And yes, I was."

The surrounding forest responded to her emotions, weeping for her.

"Where is it? Where is that sapling?"

"...You’ll never find it."

A snarl lined Oakia’s features.

Mabel merely laughed, stepping out of the wilting brush.

"Oh, Oakia. How foolish you are. Do you really hope to prevent ’their’ will from coming to pass?"

The peerless pioneer remained silent.

A heartbeat later, her presence exploded outwards, brimming with immense vitality.

However, the vile simulacrum remained unfazed.

Studying the tainted features of her sister for the final time, Oakia smiled. It was a smile of profound sorrow, etched across the contours of her vines.

’...Forgive me, Mabel. I’ll be departing first.’

Fifty one years after the Great Collision, Oakia Bloom, the peerless pioneer, drew her final "breath". 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Her storied life had finally come to an end.