I'm almost out of France completely. Though I wish to stay here longer since I thought it was quite a pretty place despite it being so ruined. I haven't seen anyone here, but the bag and Phoenix have proven that there was still life on this Earth.
It gave me more hope to keep going. After being here for months with no luck of a breathing thing, I thought I was gonna go crazy sooner or later. I can't imagine how lonely it must be to have to live through this.
I never considered how important life was back then. When I was much, much younger. I'm currently fifteen years old and somehow I managed to grasp the idea that humanity is important quicker than the gods above.
'Oh, but they can understand so many things. What baloney!'
My oldest sister, who was known to carry a sense of warmth, has taught me the importance of living things. I really didn't listen to her because I was too busy worrying about whatever. The things she would say to me were boring, yet poetic. I wouldn't listen to half of what she would say because of that reason. I was always the one who would get bored with too much words or conversations.
Until a one quote—a quote that I've memorized for years—
"Why label yourself as someone who is as bright as the sun, but cannot stand other stars who shine just as much as you?"
I'm still figuring out what she truly meant by that. I was too young to understand it fully, which is why that quote stuck onto me for so long.
"And it's the same reason why I took this position."
My family wouldn't wanna do it: they were either hesitant by my mother's wrath by accepting to help human life—which she had a disdain feeling against them—or they didn't care for the humans at all. Most went with the second option.
I do other gods and goddesses offered to help but most weren't qualified for it. If I can remember, only at least five gods, three goddesses, have been selected to protect a certain region. Just only one region. When the news hit the humans, they decided to flee to wherever the protection was located.
Animals and plants? I'm not so sure. I'm assuming that they were given the chance to become the supernatural creatures or just monsters. I haven't seen one human that has taken a form of a supernatural entity.
"If you were given the chance to become a creature, I strongly believe you would've been a huge léōn."
I said to Phoenix, who was still sleeping peacefully.
I should be heading towards Belgium, the closest country to France. There wasn't too much creatures around here, so I'm assuming that Belgium had a low possibility of them roaming as well. Yet I need to be careful about that. Creatures and beasts are simply known to have high hunting skills. For all I could know, there could be a pack of huge C-Tier wolves just guarding the entrance of Belgium.
I'm not taking any chances neither.
'Am I doing this mission correctly?'
That's what I'm worried about the most. I need a new weapon if I enter the third mission. 3.1 sounds like a difficult task—it happened with my second mission as well. I was already on 2.5 the moment I woke up that beast I found. I didn't kill it: I'm not the type to kill animals. They're apart of humanity too, no? The only thing I did to it was just blind it in its left eye.
If I could befriend creatures and beasts on this planet, I would've been done that. It's sadly not that easy.
"Can I at least see how much progress I made?"
I asked, to whoever was listening.
…
Nothing.
"Oh my stars.."
I sighed in disappointment. I'll just keep walking, that's fine. I needed the steps anyway.
The atmosphere was quiet. A bit chilly too. The winds sounded like the waves of the ocean: Keeper of the Winds is feeling merciful today, huh? Especially in a time like this. I gazed up at the sky, imagining each colorful star that used to beam afar. I was amazed by the night sky as a kid. I would stargaze endlessly into the darkness. Counting every star until I fell asleep.
I imagine them to be little seeds. They first are born as a nebula, then forming into a sequence star. After igniting nuclear fusion, they will expand into red giants, or supergiants, before they die. It's extremely rare for them to become supernovas if you're wondering. They reminded me of little seeds because that's how flowers grow—they start little, then big, and then shriveled up and die.
"Perhaps you're a little seed too, Phoenix."
Its still asleep.
Ding!
'Huh?'
-!WARNING!-
-!YOU HAVE NOW ENTERED A CLOSED TERRITORY!-
A closed territory? But there's no one here—
The ground started to shake underneath my feet. I stared down, seeing the grass trembling with me. Phoenix has woken up by the turbulence. Its pupils sharpened as its ears flared downwards.
'Dang it, am I already going to fight a boss?'
My eyes followed the soil: there was something moving underneath the soil at a extreme speed. I couldn't catch it, but Phoenix seemed to catch it quickly than I did. I immediately wielded my sword.
"Who dares enter…"
'That voice..'
A tall, green thick stem sprouted out from the soil. Leaves and thorns clung onto it. They wrapped around the thick stem before morphing into a grassy woman.
"…to enter the 'Enchanted force of Soil?'"
'Oh, it wasn't her.'
I had no reason to be afraid. If I was a major threat, then the grassy woman would've attacked me the moment she saw me. Phoenix lets out a tiny roar defensively.
"No, shh—"
I placed my finger on my lips to hushed Phoenix. I repositioned my stance. I placed my sword down, holding my hands up as I lowered down on one of my knee.
"Please. I'm not here to harm anyone."
The grassy woman huffed.
"Then why have you entered without permission? Human, what is your reason behind the sudden, unforgiving action you had acted upon?"
Her words sounded mighty and high. This was definitely some sort of deity. Maybe a human took a form of the grass itself? Or maybe a goddess did? Or maybe a rebirth?
"I was not aware of this area being a marked territory. I mistakenly assumed that this was an open space, my apologies."
I need to understand how she speaks. If I speak the same tone as her, and keep a certain body language, she'll probably spare me. It's important that you understand body languages and tone. Trust me, you'll understand why you need to in the future.
"Hmm.."
The thick stem bent forward along with the woman. Her grassy face drilled two black holes into her face on its own. I assume it was supposed to resemble eyeballs. Two yellow lights appeared. Could those be firelights?
"…the lights are saying you are telling the truth."
'Really? They could do that?'
The woman's voice soften for a moment. It seemed like she was more concerned about her territory than me…
"Though it still doesn't explain why you step foot onto my soil."
She said, her tone now became stern. She pulled back, the firelights in her eyesockets still locked on me. I stood up cautiously. I was careful with my movements. One slip could mean a thorn wrapping around my neck.
"Human, state the reason why you stepped on my territory."
'Great. I managed to get her to let me speak freely.'
"I was simply traveling."
I said.
"I was traveling from France. I am now heading towards Belgium. My goal is to reach the entrance of Belgium. Do you know which direction its located in this area?"
The grassy woman took a moment. She was more likely suspecting if I was lying.
"The entrance of Belgium…exists no more. As it was destroyed by unchained beasts."
"Yet, the lights are saying that you are indeed telling the truth."
The grassy-woman's guard was now down. She realized that my intentions were not malicious.
The thick stem began to shrink—she lowered herself around my height, so that I could speak clearly without needing to raise my voice. The roots moved smoothly yet slowly underneath the soil. She was coming towards me with an relax attitude.
"Apologies for my rude approach. It's just that…it's been far too long since I've seen a human that's still breathing."
Her fingers tangled in my blackened hair. I stare at her with my eyebrow raised. I did not like when people touched my hair..but I'll accept it this once.
"You seem young. Are you a child?"
She asked.
"I'm fifteen years old, I believe."
"You believe?…"
She said, almost confused.
"What is your name, human?"
"Mahina, Mahina uh…Mahina."
"Mahina Mahina?"
'Can I really be this stupid? I have nothing to worry about, so why was I stuttering?'
"Weird name, but the lights are telling me you're honest."
Weird. I don't even have a last name, nor do I have a title of some sort. It's surprising how she's trusting me so quickly. I know it's because of the firelights in her eye sockets, but still.
"You say that you want to arrive in Belgium?"
I blinked.
"Yes. I n-need to go there for my mission."
The grassy woman's stem bent down like it was kneeling down to me.
"Huh?"
A giant leaf sprouts out underneath me. I have lost my balance and flopped on the bouncy plant galls. Phoenix shoved more inside of the bag to stay hidden, threatened by the sudden change of events. The leaf's galls curled up, making a shape of a railing, the ones you usually see at the dramata or something. The giant leaf's stem bends to move closer to the grassy woman's face. The grassy woman stared down at me, before her stem grew back to its original form and size.
"I'll take you to your destination. You have been nothing but truthful. This is my payment."
"Oh, thank you."
I replied. A new ally already. This is a great, but it was moving a lot quicker than I expected.
I thought it for a moment. What will benefit me if I let her to become my ally? It doesn't take a genius to understand that her ability is to control the soil and plants.
Only certain gods, goddess or humans who have taken the form of a deity (or in simpler terms; reborn as a deity) can have complete control over an element or an ability that connects to their concept of their title. For this woman, her ability is to control plants and the soil. Perhaps she can control all the soil, not only in this area that she's guarding. So maybe she's a rebirth deity.
"Excuse me, but what is your name?" I asked curiously.
"My name is simply called 'The Soil.' Unless, you wish to refer me differently."
Wow. So much for a interesting name.
"We can name things later. I have a question for you."
She didn't say anything. A quiet hum just left her grassy non-existent lips.
"Do you know anything about the missions?"
"…"
The air seemed to thicken. The wind was the only thing that filled the quiet atmosphere. The grassy-woman was hesitant—like she was trying to find a way to respond to my question. Her expression was puzzled. That made me doubt to whatever she was going to say is something that I don't want to hear.
"…no, I am not aware of what these missions you refer to."
I smacked my lips softly. Figures.
"Are these missions you speak of sent by the god and goddess above?"
The grassy-woman asked.
"No, that's why I was asking you. I assumed you knew." I said in disappointment.
The grassy-woman shook her head. The roots were guiding us smoothly to the location of Belgium's entrance.
"It might be awhile. Please, take this time to rest."
The grassy-woman softly suggested.
The giant's plant galls has closed up completely. It left a few spaces it between its galls. Phoenix has popped out from its bag, unwrapping itself from the blanket I spent almost half of an hour wrapping.
I'm tired.
"Come, lay with me, Phoenix."
I say, laying down on the plant's surface. My eyes began to droop. I can feel Phoenix's body curling up against me. It made sure to stay pretty close since that skinny body wasn't enough to reproduce heat.
"I'm..tired."
I muttered to myself.
This mission wasn't too bad. I had managed to befriend a creature that didn't attack me first hand.
A mercy act from the gods above.
Maybe Bastet.
"I'll just…sleep here."
And I did just that.