The Ohrn tree creaked and tremors spread, remaining closed so tightly before, the hole loosened up and opened completely wide.
Taking a brief glance outside. Am's heart dropped down to his churning stomach.
He waited, waited till another bloodcurdling scream scratched down on his ears. His wait didn't last for long.
[A-Anyone! Help!]
It is a platys playing with its food
Overlapping his voice with the prey's screams, Am avoided certain detection and washed out specific, important information. Words that immediately froze every contracting muscle from making any tremors.
'Seriously? Why in the world couldn't it just get killed in that damned inferno!'
Iye flashed a grim expression on her face, not that anyone could see of course.
'Don't tell me. Is it the baby of the platys I first saw?'
Coincidences did have a weird sense of humor in making the dangerous appear only when you really don't want them to after all.
She glanced at Cale, the urge of pulling a middle finger rose and skyrocketed.
'Because of you, this platys is screwing me over even though I could be relaxing in my house right now!'
Cale in Iye's eyes, was an omen, a bad luck charm that brought disaster. Which wasn't entirely wrong.
The instant Cale got sent to detention and after he finished his sentencing, solidified Iye's fate on a tombstone.
'Agh! Whatever, I'm also at fault anyway!'
Deciding on not pointing any fingers in this run or die situation, Iye scrambled for a solution. Any solution that could help.
'Alright, how can I save myself from this situation?'
She thought back to every piece of information she cached into her mind, piecing together what could be used to deflect eventual demise.
'What is here and what do I have, in order to accomplish a result'
She scanned her surroundings slowly, dead branches littered the floor, fluorescent lights hanged above dimming with the piercing light that cut through from outside. But deep within that light, embers could be faintly spotted.
In the distance, an inferno burned with no sign of ever stopping. This however was not the focus, the trees were what forged importance in Iye's line of sight.
'Where am I standing right now?'
The Ohrn Tree, all encyclopedias that Iye read from this area specifically sparked intriguing thoughts. Branches spiraling upwards like ornaments on a Christmas tree, fluorescent lights on the inside of the tree shimmered beautifully in the time of night. Thus the name 'Ornament Tree' which was later on shortened to 'Ohrn Tree' by priests of Natura was decided.
'This tree is known to be highly heat-resistant, also being well known for its durability against physical attacks'
Point is, the tree's exterior was extremely durable against both heat and physical force, physically having almost no effect against the towering Ohrn Trees.
But this also begged another question to be asked. What exactly was the gaping hole in this tree?
'I didn't have any time before to really ponder what it was, since the fog would have paralyzed me in place, forcing me to use my insight to move up and go through the hole'
It closes up when the inferno comes by, but why? If it were all truly heat resistant, then what purpose could the opening and closing of a giant hole in a tree serve?
'Think, think, think!'
She rummaged through shards of memory but no matter how much she tried to recall, there just wasn't anything else coming to mind except for one thing.
'Hold on. That inferno, what was it called again?'
It was recorded as a walking disaster, its name though was kept in secret by the priests. Not many could find the cause of it however. It burned without stop, its flames enveloping entire trees, cycling through every tree in a figure eight pattern.
The Ohrn trees didn't burn or wilt away, but some did, and that was the detail that fragmented itself in Iye's mind.
'Why did those trees burn and not the others?'
It wasn't like they were really close to the inferno, some burned and some were lucky that they didn't.
The surroundings were once again scanned in scrutiny, the branches, the insects, everything within the tree was molded into memory thoroughly.
Iye looked up to the fluorescent lights that shone dimly on the floor she crouched on, she looked carefully at it, making sure to take in any detail that could be useful.
'What is that?'
Something strange was happening to the lights above, they dimmed more than before, she strained to see what was happening. Her eyes widened and found clarity when she realized what it was.
'Could it be!'
Not all the fluorescent lamps dimmed, only a very specific few lit up.
This was all that needed to be known, as the rest of the cached memory she stored deep in her mind begun to crash into her like a wide river in a storm.
Iye wanted to immediately jump up in joy and enact her plan right this instant but restrained herself and instead waited for the perfect plan to get the perfect timing it rightfully deserves.
'It is makeshift, but it works perfectly in this kind of situation'
Guooooo!
A thundering roar whipped through the wind, tearing ear drums, within the deafening roar a voice rang out.
I do not believe in you
Am spoke, his voice held hostility, but it also kept logic at arms length.
Nor do I trust you in the slightest, as an aristocrat. I have the sole duty to stand up and represent the will to survive my tribe is built upon
"?"
'What the hell is he on about?'
But
Am paused for a few moments, as if his next words could decide his own fate.
I also do not believe that you are arrogant enough to think you can get out of this situation all by yourself while making us your enemies and fighting a platys at the same exact time
Am, still gazing outwards to the beast that feasted on its prey it kept playing with, looked back and spoke to the crouching Iye.
As much as it pains my pride to say these words, I have to ask
He paused, his face distorted in a disgusted manner, but feelings like these clouded judgement, and that was not something acceptable at the current moment. Not when his name shouldered burden.
Do you have a way to survive, and if you do. What is it that you need 'us' to do
"...."
Iye looked at the desperation that Am's eyes held deeply in them, desperation to survive, and the will to do anything to achieve that one goal. But also...a heroic will shone in them. Something she detested much herself.
Yet taking a swift glance at Cale erased the feeling, she made her decision. Being arrogant served to no one, if they attacked afterwards, then so be it, that is for the future. Dying in the present or potentially dying in the future, which of these options would one choose?
For Iye, the answer was obvious.
Raising her gloved hand up to the ceiling, she mouthed only a few words. Finding the silence outside to mean.
'Burn its babies'
A long pause followed shortly after.