Nibel's Blindness

VII - ... A Rise in Tension...

"As for now, let's keep moving. If we hustle, we could make it to the core of the Ginso Tree by either sundown or sunrise, whichever comes first," Sein suggested, and the others nodded in agreement. With a final, lingering glance at the lifeless body they'd discovered, the quartet stepped through a portal.

Cut to the Spirit, who managed to elude the mayhem. He's propped up against a wall, clutching his stomach riddled with numerous shallow but agonizing punctures. "If my Light Energy hadn't acted on its own to shield my soul, I'd be toast by now," he muses, a tinge of relief in his tone. Gathering his thoughts, he stands up, "I should be safe for a bit; he's likely drained of his Light Energy by now." With that in mind, he rises and resumes his quest to find the other spirits.

"Heh, you're looking a bit worse for wear there," one Ghoul said, staring down at another. "What happened, Neshan(Neh-SHAHN)? Got your ass kicked by a lowly spirit?" The Ghoul chuckled at his own joke.

"So what?" Neshan retorted, brushing off the dirt from his body as he stretched. "That spirit's way more interesting to fight than the rest. And by the way, I heard your mutant Mortar Worm got taken out. Did you leave it to fend for itself or something?" Neshan shot back, grinning slyly.

"Tch—fair point," the other Ghoul conceded, scratching the back of his neck. "The Wisp of Nibel was the one who offed my Mortar Worm. She's probably in this vicinity," he explained. "I'm guessing she's making her way toward the heart of the Ginso Tree," he added, gesturing skyward.

"Aw, come on! This place is like a labyrinth! How are we even supposed to navigate it?" Neshan complained, flopping down onto the ground in irritation. "That's gonna be a you problem. I've got my own ways to get there," the other Ghoul replied, rising from his spot and preparing to depart.

"So what the hell am I supposed to do, huh?" Neshan spat, glaring at the departing Ghoul. "Get out of the Ginso Tree and go defend some other area or whatever. Besides, there aren't any more spirits left around here," the other Ghoul barked back.

"Tch, you always get the good stuff," Neshan grumbled under his breath. "Fine, do whatever you want, but leave that one beefy spirit for me, got it?!" Neshan yelled, pointing at the spot where the other Ghoul had vanished. Realizing he'd been flat-out ignored, Neshan's face comically turned ghostly pale. He then launched into an exaggerated fit of rage, jumping and swinging his fists wildly in the air.

***

The quartet—Ori, Sein, Fil, and Leru—had been trekking for a considerable amount of time, their journey marked mostly by the sound of their footsteps and the stillness of the air. Led by Leru, they all maneuvered cautiously through the labyrinthine paths. It wasn't long before they sensed a shift—an unidentifiable surge of Light Energy began to fill the air around them.

"That aura is likely emanating from somewhere above us," Fil suggested cautiously. "Given what we've witnessed earlier, I don't want to gamble with our safety. Perhaps we should split up temporarily," Fil proposed.

"Are you out of your mind? How would we ever locate or identify one another in this maze?" Leru interjected, clearly skeptical. "What makes you think splitting up in this labyrinth is a wise choice?"

"To be quite frank, the labyrinthine nature of this place is exactly why we should separate," Fil began. "Look at it this way: this labyrinth isn't a straight path. It branches out in various directions. Our best bet is to cover as much ground as possible, and to do it swiftly."

Leru inhaled deeply, pondering the situation. "Alright, I get your point. But do you actually have a concrete plan in mind?" Leru asked, prompting Fil to pause and consider his next words.