Act One: Materia Prima - Chapter 6

The man strolled back down the path to the pond. His thoughts were no longer revolving around the darkness. The voice had said that he would not find his desired end. Not in this world. This prison of his own mind. It would be pointless to think about the shadow of oneself.

He would play along. Find Hrain. Get to know the girls. Learn about this strange place. Understand himself through the obstacles in his path. How to escape from the green hills and the darkness alike.

His mind was suddenly drawn to an unpleasant feeling. Someone was watching him. Following him. Eyes raking over his body. He had reached the highest point of the hill. The one that blocked the view from the house to the pond. Did not let on. Acted like he had found something in the grass. Bent over. Whirled around in his upward movement.

He could see strands of brown hair disappearing. Hiding behind the woven wooden things. Right at the edge of the garden. Maybe the shy one. Scild. The one he scared with his fainting spell. He should let her be. Not frighten her even more.

He turned back to his path. Down the hill. Felt the sensation of being pursued once again. Not so unpleasant anymore. The pond came into view. His destination.

Close to the small body of water laid something. Hrain’s wool bag. In the grass. He looked around for Hrain. Picked up the bag. There was no sign of her. Any traces as to where she had gone? He examined the surroundings.

Caught up in his task. He did not notice his earlier pursuer approaching. Thought he had found something. A trail in the grass. It probably was nothing. But all he had. It led to the west. According to Hrain’s directions.

“Has the curious cat gone missing again?”

He was caught by surprise. His eyes searching for the source of the voice. She sat upon one of the woven wooden things. On the path up to the house. Small. Smaller then Hrain. Maybe twelve. Neither shy nor scared. Probably not Scild. There should be a fifth girl. He did not remember her name.

“Well, has the big bad stranger been left speechless? Maybe you are in need of some help in your hunt for Hrain?”

He regained his composure. His smile was back. This time knowing. It would put that little girl in her place. He approached her. Asked for her name.

“Is this grimace supposed to impress me? How about you tell me your name first?”

She tried to keep control of the conversation. Still a little girl. He laughed. Said she could continue to call him the big bad stranger. That he would call her the tiny cheeky stranger. She pouted.

“Not like I care. But I guarantee you won't find Hrain without my instructions. I will just sit here and wait. When you change your mind, you have to tell me your name first.”

He turned his back on her. Sighed a little exaggeratedly. Shook his head in amusement. Went back to his trail. A journey to the west it was. He noticed how the girl followed him at a safe distance. She did not try to hide anymore.

He took a few more steps. Noticed the surroundings in front of him changing noticeably. Looked back. Unsure and unsettled. The girl was still there. Smiled at him. Knowing. Put him in his place.

He turned to the path ahead. What had changed? The green was gone. The flowers too. Gray grass. Charred tree stumps scarred the hills. The wind carried embers through the air. The far-away mist now complemented by pervasive thin smoke. He faltered. Looked back. Once again. Told her his name. The one he knew. Put on a pleading face. Flattered her. Told the girl he needed her help. Easy work. Her smile became triumphant.

“Phew, really took you a while. I think I'll take pity on you and show how to tread through the gray parts. At the very least, I owe that much to Hrain. You can call me Falsk. I’ll be your savior.”

She caught up with him and walked around the man in circles. Looked at him with exaggerated skepticism. Raised eyebrow. Hand on her chin. He almost felt a sense of amusement rising within him. She was kind of adorable.

“Well, you'll manage. Look at the burned trees. How much space lies in between them.”

He did as Falsk told him. It was like the stumps followed straight lines in different angles from his point of view. The space in between each one carefully calculated. He told her what he saw.

“At least you noticed that. Follow the line in the center. Take a good look at every single one of the trees. Search for a triangle symbol. Drawn with chalk. If you find one with it, move one row to the right. At the next one with the symbol, move two rows to the left. Afterwards three to the right and so on. After you have moved nine rows to the right, start again at one, but this time move to the left first. Eventually you’ll should reach Hrain and the sanctuary this way.”

He was confused. Understood what she had said. Struggled with the question of why. And how. He asked Falsk how this could lead him anywhere.

“Hey, do whatever you want. But I tried to help. See you later at the feast.”

She left for the green. He stood there for a while. Surveyed the landscape. Weighed his options. Came to a conclusion. That the girls did not lie to him yet. Perhaps they were something like a guiding principle in this dreamscape.

He followed Falsk instructions. Moved along the first row. The eighteenth stump was marked. One row to the right. He moved on. Without knowing if and when he would reach his destination.

-

Seconds passed. Minutes passed. Hours passed.

-

Time had to work differently here. No day. No night. Only the mist-clouded horizon. Enclosing the gray parts. As Falsk had called this place. Tree stumps. Far too many to count at this point. Symbols. Triangles. Far too many to count at this point too.

He felt heat. Did not sweat. Wanted to. To reduce his body temperature. But there was no release.

Something changed before the man’s eyes. Once again. This time? A crater the size of an ancient Greek theater. He hurried over. Down in the pit a big tent rose up. Leathery roof. Dark gray. Countless triangles scribbled on it. Chalk white. Smoke hole on top. The poles wooden. Black like the charred stumps. A warm orange light emanated from it.

He descended the gentle slope. Felt a fire burning inside his chest. Hotter and hotter. Several entrances were cut into the sides of the tent. He approached the closest one. Heard the crackling sound of burning wood. Entered the sanctuary of triangles.