Chapter 10: An Unlikely Ally

The path forward was abundant with magical wildlife. Had the situation not been so dire, I might've sat around and admired its mystical beauty. Instead, I was forced to limp and stagger through it, haphazardly leaning against pink and purple mushrooms, dodging through fields of large briars and rosebushes.

All around me were small, narrow holes spreading off in different directions. Offshoots, perhaps, from animals or other wildlife digging into the earth. They were too small for me to even dare wander, but they left many questions rattling around the back of my head.

It might've been the magnitude of it all sending chills down my spine that made me want to stay and admire the scenery, but it was the desire to save Martin that kept me running past it all.

I saw blue mushrooms that glowed and emitted a thin, smoky mist that made my eyes tingle and water if I walked too close. There were little insects that floated around and blinked with dull light just like fireflies.

Though it was underground, every inch of the cave buzzed with life. Tall, dark vines consumed the ceiling, hanging from the countless roots which endured the weight of the earth above. Those vines provided shelter for the small, furry creatures that sprinted across them.

I spotted small, impish faces scurrying amidst the undergrowth in the corner of my vision. They were always there, hiding in the darkness just beyond Shadesplitter's light. They hid beneath mushroom caps, behind small rocks and large boulders, under ferns and towering plants. They hid as if they knew I could see in the dark.

But that was impossible, right?

I gave a stiff, strained chuckle. The visible eyes all simultaneously blinked, slanting to the right in curiosity.

While they were watching me, they hardly seemed hostile. That much I could be certain of. Everything up until this point hadn't given a second thought to attacking me, so why should these small critters have been any different?

Well, luckily for me, they proved themselves utterly harmless. Instead of launching an assault, they decided to walk with me.

If any of the countless sets of eyes scurried off out of sight, they soon returned with more. One pair of eyes became twenty, and that twenty became a sea of bright, beady red eyes that observed my every move, walking alongside me as I ventured into the depths.

Soon, the cavern expanded. It was a slow, gradual process, but before I knew it, I'd crossed some imaginary threshold. The smooth tunnel widened into an enormous, dome-shaped chamber full of life. I spotted the source of running water, a small crack and hole in the roof above that led a steady trickle of water onto the leaves of an enormous fern. The leaves, burdened by the weight that pooled upon them, drooped down and formed a small stream.

I gasped.

Piercing the stone walls were hundreds of roots. Some were thick, others were thin, but all were long and aimed toward the center of the room. They enveloped something I couldn't quite make out, and so my eyes wandered to the liveliest sections.

The same glowing bugs from before danced far above the earthy, moss-covered ground. Those unmistakably ape-like creatures frolicked amidst the undergrowth, chittering and cooing.

For the first time, I spotted other wildlife.

Tortoises with enormous shells shifted around in the tall, wild grasses. There were small amphibians that crawled in and out of the water, shaking themselves dry and foraging for fallen insects. A green, hand-sized lizard shot forth an enormous tongue at one of the bugs, subsequently swallowing it.

Tall plants crowded the outermost edges, fighting for space against the curved stone walls. Seeing them so big without any sunlight raised many questions in me, questions I knew I'd never find the answers to.

At this point, nothing was as it should've been. To verify, I looked around, wondering whether there was any artificial light. I found none, though it wasn't exactly like I'd been expecting to find a great big lightbulb screwed into a fixture in the ceiling.

Unfortunately, I came to the same realization as always: Magic.

Ultimately, magic was the answer to everything. Magic, or some other supernatural force, had brought me here. Magic gave strength to the System, and magic comprised the forces I'd gone through.

I turned around and noticed all the red eyes had stopped moving. They halted, hesitantly loitering at the edge where the tunnel expanded outward. Their eyes glowed with newfound intensity, a fiery, almost obsessive desire ignited in them. I followed their gaze to the middle of the room, where all those roots reached towards.

Amused, I stepped along to get a better view. I couldn't see anything, so I kept walking around, changing my angle until I saw the statue. It was broken, in pieces held together by the roots, which stretched out compassionately, delicately.

At first, I wondered what warranted such longing gazes from the mob of eyes. It was a good statue, there was no doubt. But why? Why did they stare at it with such fervor?

As I studied it more, I came to realize it wasn't an ordinary statue. The stone, which I'd thought was marble, was porous—not exactly something you'd want to deal with when chiseling such fine, regal features. Not truly indicative of high-grade stone, either.

Strangely enough, it reminded me of petrified wood. I shrugged off the thought—who in their right mind would sculpt out of petrified wood? It was hard material, true, but far too brittle and difficult to work without subsequently shattering it.

The roots that arched in from the stone walls all curled together to form a protective knot. Those that did not, or those that managed to penetrate the others, dove deep into the earth beneath the statue. Long, thin saplings sprouted from that very dirt to support the unstable, broken sculpture.

They held up her arms and enveloped her stomach. It was as if the roots had grown offshoots in a desperate attempt to hold the statue together, to reach the small cracks and crevices they otherwise couldn't.

Her likeness was beautiful. Her face, half of which had fallen off, was unmistakably matronly—angelic, even. Roots had grown to replace the other half, one seamless, round mass of bark. It was the same for her curvaceous body, which boasted an ample bosom and plump, round hips.

She wore robes of a modest kind, but even beneath you could tell the sculptor had painfully endured the process of chiseling out hard, robust muscles. Her legs were defined, even her biceps and hands. There was even detailing of callousing visible despite the statue's long years.

It was, without a doubt, a masterpiece, even half-broken and shattered as it was.

When I took a step forward, the little creatures began chittering excitedly. It was a cacophony of thunderous, agonizing cheeps and screams. Then, suddenly they flooded out, filling up the room all at once.

I got my first look at them. They weren't exactly cute, but they were far from ugly. They stood about as high up as my knee, and every one of them bore an uncanny resemblance to vegetation of some kind. Some were round, with stalks like onions, while others resembled great green clouds sauntering toward the sculpture.

And then came a gentle, soothing voice.

"Who are you, child?"

I scanned the room for the speaker, examining everything. The gentle, sloping mounds of earthy substrate scattered across the floor—even the ceiling, though I doubted anyone could ever hide amidst such thick, wild vines.

"The statue." Her voice was strained. I noticed a tinge of frustration in it, buried beneath that gentle, somber tone. "What brings you here?"

"I…what are you?"

"You answer my question with a question." She scoffed. I opened the System and attempted to see just what she was.

WARNING: SYSTEM ERROR. CANNOT DETERMINE ENTITY.

I frowned. What on Earth did that mean? Cannot determine entity?

Unperturbed, the woman wore on with her speech. "Very well. You seem hesitant to answ my question, so I shall answer yours. I am Gaea, Goddess of the Earth. Or, rather, what remains of her."

Warily, I took a step closer. The statue's lips didn't move. Her closed eyes hadn't opened to reveal irises, either. There was nothing that otherwise indicated the statue was the one speaking.

"You are frightened by me?"

"I am." I took a deep breath. She didn't seem dangerous, at least. She wanted to know about me. Curiosity was good. It meant I was interesting enough to not kill on the spot.

"It is always the ones that impart their trust easily who die fastest." The voice's melancholy deepened. "Will you answer my question? I ask you what you are because you do not seem like the ones who have come before. You possess a similar…aura…I shall say, but yours is gentler. So, then: Who are you, and what brings you here?"

"Isaac," I mumbled. "I came here for Martin. Well—no, not really. I mean, I came here—to this Trial, I mean—because…I…well, I found a butterfly, and…."

The longer I listened to myself speak, the more I realized how absolutely insane I sounded. Then again, I was talking with a statue—not exactly something you'd do on the way to work. I wasn't crazy; it's just the things that happened to me were insane.

Right?

"Sit so that you might gather yourself."

Reluctantly, I complied. I found a small, rounded boulder nearby to rest upon, but by the time I felt its cool, hard surface against my body, I realized what I had just done. I stood straight as an arrow, looking around for any possible exits. I couldn't sit around and relax while Martin was in danger.

"Sit."

A long, meandering root snapped out of the ground, twisting as it snaked toward my leg. It latched onto me, wrapping around my thigh, and forced me to assume a sitting position on the rock.

"Sit and speak."

An overwhelming aura flooded out of the statue, filling the room with smothering pressure. For a moment, I thought I saw a shimmering gold light emanating from within the stone. By the time I blinked, however, it was gone.

"There was a butterfly." I took a deep breath and went into a retelling of everything that had happened. The voice did not ask questions, except whenever she wanted clarification on something.

She never outright seemed hostile, but there were times when I mentioned something—something like the pixelated face I saw before arriving here and the High Rank Impurities, for example—where she exuded soul-crushing force. In those fleeting moments, I felt my knees buckle and my legs wobble unsteadily. Thankfully, it always ended as fast as it began.

"Paenten…"

I felt the earth rumble beneath my feet. That alien, unsettling energy dispersed all throughout the room. The leafy creatures all shied away, falling back into shadow and darkness once more. The roots reached out to delicately brush against her stone skin in a futile attempt at consoling her.

"Thank you for speaking the truth."

I nodded. "You don't seem the type to kill me. Plus, you're the only person I've spoken to aside from Martin."

"He is safe."

My body tensed. "How can you tell?"

She chuckled. "I am Gaea, the Goddess of the Earth, and this is my realm. I can feel the essence of all beings within it. Likewise, I can feel Nidhogg, the Shadow King you hunt."

"Nid…hogg?" I blinked. Gaea and Nidhogg…those names sounded…familiar. It felt as if I should've known what they were, or at least heard mention of them, but my mind only drew a blank.

"The mighty pest that gnaws on Yggdrasil's roots." She broke into a fit of frightful coughing and sputtering. When she next spoke, her voice was gentle but strained. It was a hoarse, rasping whisper poised on the verge of dissipating.

"Form a contract with me, child."

I frowned. "What?"

"You are…strange." The voice descended into another sickly fit. "Not exactly human, but not exactly a god, either. The Geas should still work…"

"Hold on," I demanded. "What are you talking about?"

My words fell on deaf ears. She kept talking, muttering nonsensical things about something called the "Forgotten Age."

Then, for no reason at all, she abruptly stopped.

"I'm dying." Before I could so much as contemplate a question, she had pushed on. "But Gods should not die. No, not when they are within the Realm that is the source of their power. But that child, Paenten, came, bringing with him a parasite. It is devouring me whole, Isaac. Yggdrasil is my power."

My eyes widened in horror.

"It is…changing me. I don't want to change. But they have imprisoned me here, in this statue. So, form a contract with me, child. A Geas. The strongest contract. They were the most effective, bindings conjured between gods and mortals. The cost is great. You…do not have to, if that is what you wish."

"I'll do it."

The statue fell silent.

"I was a selfish man." I grit my teeth. "I've always been selfish, but that's not the person I want to be. The contract, whatever it is, I'll sign it with you."

"Contemplate it a little while longer. The Geas has a…restrictive aftermath. There is no telling what it shall impose upon you. Should you ever break it, you'll be as good as dead."

I shook my head. "You're dying, and I need to be stronger. I must kill Nidhogg and save Martin. It all works out, doesn't it?"

"You're the most brash, nonsensical human I've ever met."

I smiled. "I just don't want anyone getting hurt."

For a moment, she was silent again. The next she spoke, however, her voice had an iron resolve.

"I will ask you a series of three questions, then. To the first you must answer yes. Do not answer the second. On the third, sink to your knees and close your eyes. Do not—and I mean, do not, under any circumstances, open your eyes until I speak to you. Begin by placing your hand in mine."

The root released me and sank back into the ground. I watched the earth tremble as it withdrew, then stood and walked over to the statue.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what was to come. A restriction of some kind would be imposed, she said?

Well, it didn't matter.

I wanted to be a better person. If I could save someone, it didn't matter what—or who—they were. Besides…I wasn't doing this entirely out of goodwill. Gaea seemed to know things I didn't, and knowledge was worth more than anything.

When I locked hands with the stone sculpture, Gaea asked the first question.

"Aifir dostien fala vied?"

"Yes."

"Afir dostien baph umt escal?"

A painfully long silence separated her second and last question.

"Afir dostien qien zhaf?"

I fell to my knees, letting my forehead rest upon the soft earth, and closed my eyes.

For a long time, nothing happened.

I remained on my knees, wondering when Gaea would speak again. There were many questions I had, all without answers, and in that long silence they finally caught up to me.

By now, the doubt and terror were threatening to swallow me whole. I couldn't just shake them off. Not when I was in the middle of nowhere, in a completely unknown place, doing something for an alleged god.

My brain longed for the sweet relief of answers.

"You may open your eyes, Isaac."

The statue was gone.

I shot to my feet and spun around, frightened—

—and felt something fall out of my hand.

I looked down and blinked. A necklace, adorned with many different gemstones and woven from vines with leaves growing out the sides, sat amidst the wild grasses. Instinctively, I checked the System.

???

For some reason, I wasn't surprised. I grabbed the necklace off the ground, giving it a double-over.

"My power is limited."

I nearly threw the necklace across the room.

"What did you do!?"

"Powerful magic. Geas are difficult to work, but we are bound now. You will not be able to discern its effects immediately, but it will enable you to grow. Likewise, the stronger you become, the stronger I shall as well."

"Well," I sighed, sliding the necklace around my head, "at least I'm not alone anymore."

"No," Gaea admitted, "but I do not like being able to read your thoughts."

I blinked. "You can…do that?" My cheeks flushed a dark red. "No. Don't you ever do that."

"It isn't as if I can help it. You have no wards or barriers around your mind. Everything cascades outwards."

My body grew unbearably hot. Everything I thought about, I now caught myself analyzing. I tried to steer my mind away from the more personal memories—things I wouldn't want anyone knowing about.

"Can you…teach me?"

"Teach you to protect your thoughts?" She laughed. "No. Not from me, I can't. I can, however, protect your thoughts from everything else."

"That's not exactly useful, you know." I grunted, grabbing Shadesplitter and throwing it inside the inventory. I studied the wide room, looking for my path downwards.

"I won't go looking through your thoughts, brat." I shivered. Her voice…it sounded as if it wasn't coming from the necklace anymore. It was closer, more like a voice in the back of my head.

"Child, before you go on, I must warn you. Geas are not gentle contracts. Think of them as…taboos with benefits. You have a rule imposed upon you, and no one but the Creator knows what that is. From now on, you must live your life carefully."

"Is there any way to find out?" I asked.

"There is, but that process is more dangerous than simply breaking your Geas."

I furrowed my brow. "So…anything I do, anything at all, can kill me?"

"No," she laughed. "There are always ways of guessing. Live your life free of sin, and I do believe you will be fine. Do not murder kin, do not kill your fellow man, and do not commit crimes."

I smiled. There wasn't anything to worry about, then.

Now, where to go next…

"Follow the Little Ones."

Little Ones?

Suddenly, a cacophony of chittering resounded throughout the room. The bright, beady eyes of the little plant creatures ignited, and they all charged toward a small crack in the side of the wall.

"I don't think I can go in there. It seems like a little too…tight…of a fit."

"When in doubt, brute force is the only answer."

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