The Seven Orbs

Chapter 12: Saffron

 We spend a good while playing with the slimes. While we're playing with them, Meow mentions something that I wanted to say for a while.

"Ushi, why don't we visit the mountains? Maybe we could find Dahlia, or some more hints about the orbs."

"That's a good idea! I bet she'd love to come with us too!" Ushi's head pops out of one of the pile of slimes in the field.

"Changing the subject, shouldn't we try to get out of this place?" I ask them.

"You're right. I'm getting kinda tired." Ushi says, leaving the pile.

The three of us start to pack up, and slowly but surely, the slimes calm down and go back to their usual activities, absorbing grass and lazing around.

"Are you bringing, uh, Elio with you?" Meow asks.

"I don't know... Do you think he'd be happy with us?"

I look at the slime in Ushi's arms. It doesn't seem to have any particular feelings at the moment.

"Well, they can understand us. Probably." I say, not feeling too confident. "Just ask it."

Ushi holds the slime high up. "Elio, do you want to come with us?"

The slime nods.

"Whoa." Meow stares at the creature, surprised. "That thing actually understood you?"

"I thought we already went over this." I say. "They obviously do."

Meow stops talking, her ears perking up, and her eyes suddenly shifting into a more attentive look.

"Meow?"

"There's something going on."

I look at where Meow is staring. I see nothing but the vast expanse of the woods, and slimes.

"Look at the slimes," Meow points at the area. "Notice how they're everywhere, but avoid that area."

Ushi drops Elio on the ground, tensing up. "Should we check it out?"

Meow shakes her head. "I don't know. At first, it didn't seem like anything, but now that I'm looking at that area, there's something weird in there. Don't you two see it?"

Ushi shakes her head, and Meow continues.

"It's like... Something is in the air. Kinda like how you see a distortion in the air in deserts because of the heat."

"It's actually kinda cold," Ushi says, walking up to Meow and grabbing her hand. "Are you alright?"

"Let's check that area out. After that, we'll go look for the Tengu village in the mountains." I suggest. "If there's a youkai there, we can just apologize or run away. Who knows, maybe we'll find some treasure!" I joke, trying to lighten the mood. Meow nods in agreement, and we go investigate the area.

 As we approach the supposed distortion, the grove starts to shift into a clearing. The thick, towering trees are slowly replaced with thinner and shorter trees, all filled with different types of flowers. And then, suddenly, the weathered silhouette of an ancient shrine. Time has weathered its structure, blending it seamlessly with the surrounding natural beauty.

The shrine stands as a testament to an age long past, its wooden beams and thatched roof adorned with delicate, intricate carvings. The architecture exudes an air of elegance I can't quite describe. The fragrance of aged wood and the soft whispers of wind through the trees seem to beckon us to approach the shrine, with two ornate torii gates. The shrine's wooden pillars bear the marks of countless seasons, with moss and ivy creeping along the sides. Albeit hesitant, we cross the threshold of the gates, entering the seemingly sacred area.