The Light in Darkness

1:1 - A Careless Adventure

Chapter 1.1 - A Careless Adventure

The night stood still as the light outside swept through the forest, not leaving a speck of darkness in its wake. However, it could not cover every piece of land as the crevice high above the mountains was unaffected. Deep inside lay a mother Owl named Kuro as she held her wing over her sleeping children, safe from the light outside. The Spirit Tree has been acting strange lately, sending out pulses of light as if it was trying to reach something... Or someone...

The light still found its way inside their home, though it was too faint to be able to hurt them. Kuro opened her eyes as she felt a slight disturbance in their home. The shadows were shifting as looming red eyes slowly opened to meet with her gaze, she knew exactly why it was here but she did not let it distract her from keeping her children safe.

The crimson red eyes looked to her softly, as no amount of malice was laced in its gaze. "That's cute Kuro... But I never expected this behavior from you." The voice bellowed out. It spoke with rising curiosity for this was the first time it has ever seen Kuro in a vulnerable state. Kuro closed her eyes as she refused to stare into its gaze any longer.

"Save your insults for another day... I have no reason to speak with you any further..." Kuro said as she redirected her attention to her children, moving tightly to her as she gazed at Ori. She knew that he was not supposed to be here. In the darkness. Yet she could never find a way to part ways with him. How could a mother abandon her child after all.

The dark shadow moved closer to her nest as it spoke in an amused voice as it gazed directly at her. "You say that like I'm your enemy Kuro..." It spoke as its voice changed to sympathize with her. "Don't worry. I will leave you soon... But I promised your mother that I would protect you and those close to you... I'm just here to see who I'm sworn to protect."

Kuro felt its gaze over her, as she continued to keep her sights away from it. Her gaze turned over to one of her owlets. Ruru, a White Owl with lavender colored wings. She was always the smartest of her children and often voices her hatred towards the light. Kuro was unclear if Ruru hated Ori because he was a being of light. She only gave an unclear answer as she said that she loved Ori as a family.

Next to her was Aru. A darker shade of violet as his feathers resembled the night. Kuro could still remember how his eyes glistened with a unique fire as he found new things to enjoy. He was always the most reckless of the three, but he looks up to Ori, saying that one day he will be just like his brother Ori. Strong, and Brave. Unlike Ruru, he loves going into the light because the darkness has nothing for him.

Then the last owlet, Ku. She looked almost like her brother Aru, but there was something odd about her that they never expected until she started growing up. Unlike her siblings, she had a deformed wing with broken feathers. She wasn't able to fly like the rest of them. However, Ori was always there to keep her company. She loved Ori and would always spend her time with him, whether they went exploring or just sitting at the edge of the nest together.

Kuro looked over to Ori with soft eyes. He had two short, but soft tufts on top of his head, and large ears that would often droop whenever he was sad. He also had hooves for feet and a long tail. Spirits were curious beings of light, often venturing far into the forest and protecting creatures from falling into darkness. But there are also a few spirits that value life, dark creatures or not. They are an enigma to her. She couldn't really tell if they were guardians of the forest or just the guardians of the light. She gave a soft smile as she recalled calling Ori the guardian of both Light and Dark.