Making peace to build our future

Our bodies move in quick succession across a wide, green field. I lunge at Kenji, but he’s too fast — his arm pushes me aside without effort, and in an instant he’s behind me, striking with the back of his hand and flinging me several metres. I hit the ground; my vision blurs for a moment and my breath whistles out. As I come to, I notice a hallewe bending over me — a sheep with an almost human face. The creature studies me, tilts its head, and bleats. I push myself up and reach out to stroke its cheek. The moment I stop, it curls against me like a pup seeking affection. It butts me gently a couple of times, then licks my face with its rough tongue, tickling me.

Kenji approaches, his face unreadable. «You did excellent work, Nero-san. Take a break while I shepherd them back to the pen.»

«O-okay, thank you.» I pant. I watch him walk away with the hallewe at his side, gathering the flock and leading them to the enclosure.

I put a hand in my pouch and pull out the seed Akanke gave me. «I wonder how it works.» I murmur. «Maybe I should’ve asked her.» The seed slips from my fingers and falls to the ground. I reach to pick it up, but it sinks into the soil. The ground trembles faintly; I scramble to my feet and step back.

Before me a huge carnivorous plant grows — pitcher-shaped, as tall as I am and twice as wide, red and green. In an instant it lunges toward me. I try to get away, but weariness makes me stagger and the plant reaches me, swallowing me whole. A strange gas issues from its depths, and sleep takes me.

Before me a huge carnivorous plant grows — pitcher-shaped, as tall as I am and twice as wide, red and green. In an instant it lunges toward me. I try to get away, but weariness makes me stagger and the plant reaches me, swallowing me whole. A strange gas issues from its depths, and sleep takes me.

Lentamente apre gli occhi. «Hi, Søren. How are you?»

«All right, and you?» I ask, disoriented by the situation.

«Not bad. I see you figured out how the seed works.»

«To be honest, I didn’t — it fell and a plant ate me.»

«Don’t worry, that’s normal.» She brushes it off with a casual gesture. «After you tell the seed who you want to speak to, you place it on a patch of earth large enough to host it and it will grow by itself,» “Just as Lili guessed.” «then the plant swallows you and buries itself underground to keep you safe.»

«Convenient.»

«Thanks, I made it.»

«Ah, well done. And after the conversation finishes, how does it work?»

«You must throw yourself into the fire, and once you wake, you take hold of the pistil’s ovary, open it, and take the seeds.»

«And if I don’t take them?»

«Nothing happens — the plant will spit you out and then die, but you won’t have the seeds to reuse it.»

«I’ll have to remember that.» I murmur. «Listen, I wanted to ask you a couple more things.»

«Go on.»

«Do you know any magic that can instantly cremate a body?»

«I know a symbol you can apply to an object, but not the kind of instant cremation you mean — it’s complicated and takes time. Why do you ask?»

“I can’t tell her Lili asked me.” «Because I plan to go to war against Goran, and I wanted to know if you’d be willing to help.»

She turns, folding her arms. «I don’t know…»

«I know I’m asking a lot. I’m not asking you to fight — only to lend your magic so we can minimize casualties.»

She falls silent. «I… I don’t know. I’m still worried about my brother.»

«Do it for your brother. Free him from the curse he put on himself.»

She gives me a fleeting, melancholy look. «If I get entangled in this war — and Goran would surely kill me for that — he would never forgive himself.»

«Akenke,» I grab her shoulder, spin her around and slap her. She clutches her cheek, visibly confused. «Stop it. You’re acting like your brother. As long as you set limits and do nothing to fix things, he’ll keep suffering.»

A sad smile slips across her face. «You’re right. Sorry.» She reaches out and strokes my head. «You’ve changed a lot since you left the hut. Peace has cleared your mind.»

«Yeah… Don’t worry about your brother. I’ll make him come back to you, even if I have to kick his arse.»

«Hmph, I’m counting on you. Keep me informed.» she says as she steps into the fire. «See you!» she calls, vanishing in a flare of flame.

I follow her example and wake inside the plant. I open the pistil’s ovary and take a handful of seeds. The plant spits me out. I get up a little dazed, but without hesitation I plant another seed, calling names: «Omid, Vlahar, Thyra and Dakarai.» The plant swallows me and I find myself in the same earthen chamber as before. I lean against a wall, arms crossed, waiting for them to arrive.

Vlahar is the first to appear; he waves with a grin. «Ah! Hi! I see the plant ate you too.»

«Don’t worry, you’re not dead.»

«Ahah! Funny. What are we doing here?» No sooner does he ask than Omid joins us. «AAh! Hi, boss!» he greets, waving again. «Relax, we’re not dead.» he says, hand on his chest.

«Good — dying swallowed by a plant would be embarrassing.» He turns to me and spreads his arms. «Oh, we meet again. Søren, have you thought about what I told you?»

«Yes. I had plenty of time.»

Another mound forms, bigger than the others — it must be Thyra. «What’s happening? Where am I?!» she cries, alarmed.

«Relax. It’s a magic plant I’m using to talk with you.» I answer, smiling.

She looks at me with tears in her eyes. «Søren!» she lunges at me, squeezing me in a hug. «Thank God you’re alive!»

I hug her back, one hand on the back of her head. My joints creak in ways I haven’t heard in a while. «Yes… I’m glad to see you too…» We stay like that until the last one arrives. I free myself from the embrace. «Sorry — later, okay?» I murmur.

«Uuuuuuhhh,» Dakarai groans, already exhausted. «I thought it wouldn’t work if you didn’t want to see the sender.»

«It usually doesn’t,» I reply, «but your sister isn’t involved here — it was me.»

«I don’t care who did it; I’m leaving.»

I snap, grabbing his wrist and slamming him to the ground, then sit on him. «Sorry, Dakarai, but I can’t afford to lose you.» I look to the others with the fire behind us. «Alright — let’s start the second meeting of the Army for Freedom.»