Chapter 99: The cost of Balance
Chapter 99: The Cost of Balance
The trip through the jungle was not the same as before. The air felt less heavy, the sounds of animals louder, and the trees seemed to emit some kind of dull light. If this was the Heart of the Jungle, then it was already starting to work wonders on the land. But both Natasha and Alison had a burden. It was the energy from the Heart that had attached itself to them, which brought not only the feeling of responsibility and the premonition of danger.
Thus unexpectedly the forest started shaking and the subjects felt the ground beneath their feet moving. The jungle that was alive only a few moments ago hushed. Birds ceased singing, and the wind too paused for a moment. Subconsciously Natasha clutched the Heart tightly.
"What's happening?" she asked looking at Alison.
He looked around tensed with the axe in his hands. "Something's coming."
Before Natasha could say anything the trees in front of them exploded and a huge, muscular man stood before them. It was a creature of blackened wood and shadow and its shape was horribly wrong. Its red eyes gleaming on the Heart.
"The land is not yours to conquer" the beast rumbled the sound vibrating as though coming from an actual thunderstorm. "The Heart belongs to the Keeper of Decay"
---
Natasha and Alison had no time to reply before the creature attacked. Groaning, Natasha was pushed away by Alison who used the axe in his hand to disarm the attack. As the metal struck wood sparks flew but the creature did not seem to feel the pain.
"Run!" Alison shouted. "Get the Heart to safety!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Natasha screamed loudly, she looked straight into the face of the man and scowled with intention. She raised the Heart and as the golden light emerged the creature backed off for a second or two.
She felt the Heart's energy in her hands which seemed to guide her. Natasha came to the idea that the thing is not a mere skeleton; it is alive and it is alight.
"Alison, the Heart can fight with us!" she said to me out loud.
Alison nodded, his jaw set. "Then let's end this."
---
The battle was fierce. The Keeper of Decay attacked with tendrils of shadow and each blow of them was strong enough to turn stone to dust. Natasha directed all of her powers on the Heart in order to create walls out of light and shockwaves of energy. With his high strength and agility Alison managed to maintain the creature off balance, his axe now emitting a slight aura from the Heart.
Even the jungle appeared to be in the war. They shot vines to subdue the keeper then roots rose from the ground to cover the area before the keeper. But the creature never ceased, the darkness eating away at him through the infected area.
"We can't keep this up!" Alison screamed, barely jumping out of the way of a tendril aimed directly at his chest. "It's too strong!"
A lot of people were involved in our play; Natasha shut her eyes looking for the best way to solve this problem. The Heart within her stirred and shared with her images, visions of the jungle and the order, the birth and death. It was nearly genetic, really, she thought; the Keeper had been corrupted by the same thing that had twisted the jungle, to serve as another frontline in this endless, silent war.
"Alison, we can't destroy it!" she accentuated fearing for the young girl's life. "We have to purify it!"
"How do we do that?" he demanded; parrying another attack.
"Trust me!" Natasha cried. She held the Heart up high, the light of it increasing. Oh, Alison moved away from her a little.
All of the sudden, The Heart began to recharge and spread out in energy over the Keeper of Decay, with a golden aura. The creature's voice rose up, its shape convulsing as if the light was trying to explore the darkness that lived within it. All the will of Natasha was directed to the Heart in order to use the power for purging the corruption.
---
The light turned brighter, and that lasted a moment and all was silent. When the light was gone, the Keeper of Decay was no longer there. In its stead was a much tinier construct – a humanoid carved from rich, dark wood with green-emitting irises.
"Thank you," it said, making the sound very polite. 'There was corruption that had consumed me but you have made equal.'
Natasha and Alison glanced at each other, then both nodded.
The figure bowed deeply. 'You have shown yourselves to be good defenders of the jungle.' "As the Heart obeys the command of the Brain," The Heart will follow your will."
With that, it vanished back into the soil; the energy recycles back into the jungle. The forest seemed to draw the breath again, it became alive once more.
---
The two girls are still on the road – although visibly weary but triumphant – after this particular quest. When they climbed out of the jungle sharp contrast was felt: gray cloudy sky over their heads, smog in the air, the land destroyed by people's reckless hands.
Natasha clutched the Heart firmly. "This is just the beginning. We have so much work to do."
Alison agreeing but he looked solemn. "Now, however, we are in a position to change the situation."
Together, they entered a new world outside the jungle to honour the words they said they would do so; to correct the imbalance not only in the jungle, but in the world again.