The Nature Stanza

We were walking in silence, for a long time we didn’t see any more monsters or hear the voice of the forest.

“Hey, Helia Vivarium, I want to try something, would you like to help?”

She didn’t answer, but started to pay attention to me. I created a small Void Bubble, and we both looked at it.

“Doesn’t it look like it’s draining the air around it?”

We both remained silent and we could hear this faint sound of air from the bubble.

“It doesn’t do this normally?” she asked.

“No, it just absorbs Stanzas.”

I moved the bubble closer to Helia Vivaium and one of the fireflies flew too close and was pulled by my power.

“What does this mean?”

“I think this entire place is the Stanza of someone, like Markus Terracota’s house-chariot, but way bigger.”

Passing my bubbles through the trees we saw that weren’t pulled, so at least the scenery was true, but all the other effects were not magic, but a Stanza’s.

“That is incredible, right? And a Stanza that keeps active all the time, even creating creatures like that. How powerful is this person?” I pondered, but Helia Vivarium was still lost in her thought. “Want to talk about something?”

She stopped, like she was trying to understand everything that was happening.

“He makes me remember Kutzko. He had the Earth Stanza, but the two of them are very alike. Rude, but with a focus on protecting others. Worth might not notice, but he is becoming a hero in his own right.”

“And what about you? You decided to defeat the Green Demon, right?”

“Yes, but that was for revenge, not for protection. Growth is part of the Nature Stanza, but it is not all of it, so how could he be so focused on that?”

While she was talking, I remembered the words of the Nature Stanza.

Life starts with a seed

Small and full of potential

Water and love all that it needs.

Being human, plant or even animal.

Full of nutrients, it grows bigger and stronger

The maturity comes with more responsibility

And the competition for survival gets tougher

But the trunk of the tree remains full of vitality.

Suddenly, life starts to wither

And no hope can be found

A final cold shiver

underground.

“Maybe you need to interpret the words more deeply? Find a hidden meaning there.” I asked.

“I don’t want to admit that Worth was right…” she said when more creatures came from the forest.

The same kind as before, but this time we fought in synchrony. Helia Vivairum summoned the saplings that grew to fight alongside us. I avoided hitting her creatures with my Void Bubbles, making they dance around her muscular creatures and just absorbing our enemies.

“We are a good duo!” I said and strangely, Helia Vivarium smiled at me.

“I can’t deny that.”

We kept going deeper and deeper and this time, the huge gorilla-saplings kept around us like bodyguards.

“They are lasting more than before,” I commented.

“Well… there is no reason for their lives to be shortened. They will still not last forever, but we can keep them around for longer,” she answered while petting one of the creatures.

I was happy for her, but that was not all. I felt something inside me, something that I couldn’t describe, but that felt important. And at that moment, we heard it again.

Who are you?

This time, however, I didn’t get angry even if I still had no answer. More fireflies came to Helia Vivarium, this time circling her with more intensity. For my surprise some even approached me. A group of green ones, a couple of yellow and blue ones and even an orange one. They didn’t get as close as the ones around Helia Vivarium, but it felt like maybe I was on the right track.

You are connected.

The voice continued for the first time saying something different.

“Oh, that is a problem,” my sister said.

“You don’t like being connected with me?” I was almost crying.

“That is not it, but if being connected with your pair is essential for the trial, I don’t think Worth will make it. Being connected with you… is not that bad.”

With our synchrony so strong we faced every monster that showed up and could go to the heart of the jungle, where the fireflies left us and it was almost pitch black.

“That is crazy, it looks like it’s night,” I complained

“That is nature for you. Capable of the worst disaster and most incredible miracles.”

Very good, you might approach my oasis.

The voice came accompanied by a light that opened a clearing in the dark forest. Inside it was bright under the sun, with creatures from all shapes and sizes all around a crystalline lake. There were giant rodents, antlered cats, some hurricane frogs, a chicken with a neck as long as giraffe’s and a bunch more.

Sitting on a rock was an old man with long wavy hair and a calm expression on his face. By his side we could see Hiyoku and Nikolay. As soon as she saw us, she pointed at me and showed me a big grin.

“I knew you would pass the trial, but you weren’t as fast as us. I said I was the greatest Hero of them all!”

“Hero apprentice,” corrected Nikolay.

“I never doubted it,” I said and once again it didn’t seem to be the right words for Hiyoku. I mean, I knew she was great, what was the problem?

The old man raised a wooden staff, drawing attention to him, without losing his warm smile anytime.

“Join us, Nina and Helia.”

“How did you know our name?” asked Helia Vivarium.

“I know everything that happens in my oasis.”

“So, question, this oasis is your signature?” I asked very curiously.

“You are very insightful, Nina. Yes, this forest exists without me, but the entire trial is a part of my Stanza.”

“This entire thing? But isn’t the oasis always… there?” Hiyoku asked impressed.

He nodded.

“I’ve never seen a signature that powerful, and I know all Eight Paladins personally,” commented Nikolay.

“Well, now that we are reunited here let me introduce myself, I’m Sénan, the protector of Deep Green, although I spend most of my time here.”

“Wait, what you mean? What about the others?” I asked worried about my friends.

“They are fine, but unfortunately, they were not ready for the trial. They were still missing the connection that you have.”

I could not believe that they would fail. They deserved this much more than I did, but then again, the presence of Helia Vivarium was essential.

“I don’t want to be rude, but what was the meaning of this trial? I don’t feel particularly stronger after that,” asked Hiyoku.

“So, you entered the Oasis Trial to get stronger?”

“Of course! Our masters said we should do it.”

“Is that the same for all of you?” he asked.

“Well, I was here mostly to help Hiyoku,” the Prince told him, making the ninja blush.

“I want to be a better Heroine! That is why,” I said confidently.

We turned our heads to Helia Vivarium, the only one who hadn’t answered yet.

“I… am not sure. I guess this was just something to do while waiting for the end…”

“And that is still true?” the old man asked, knowing there was something more.

“I… I… what happened… it shouldn’t… it should be me… Kutzko was stronger and a better hero and…”

The next words were too hard for her to say.

“And?” Sénan continued encouraging her.

“I DON’T WANT TO DIE!” The girl cried and I hugged her. That was clearly hard for her and I did all I could at that moment.

“So, all that was to make another girl to cry?” Hiyoku was still not happy with that.

“My dear, haven’t you learned anything from this journey? Not all powers that exist are about punching harder. Even you were impressed by my Stanza, but it is terrible for a fight. Some forces are more metaphorical than others.”

She wasn’t happy with any of that, but I had to take care of my sister, so I just focused on her while she cried on the floor.