Chapter 93 Kali

Kali walked through the forest. Her feet were bare, her body was naked, and she didn't care that much. The sound of trees was rustling and grumbling like some old men.

She stopped and listened to them carefully, she could hear the birds chirping, but nothing else. It was quiet, too quiet.

Kali looked around, she never felt so alone, there was no one near her, just the trees, the dirt road, and her own voice.

Her left hand was holding her sword, she held it in her right arm, while her other hand held onto the handle of her bow.

A small smile appeared on her face, she didn't feel sad, and she didn't feel happy either, she just felt empty.

This was the first time in her life that she was truly alone, without anyone by her side, she was finally free, she was free to do whatever she wanted.

However, she knew that she still needed something, something that she was missing.

Something that she needed but couldn't find.

She could see a light in the distance, it was brighter than the rest of the forest, and it was warm and welcoming. She focused on the brightness and began walking towards it. As she got closer, she noticed that the light was coming from a small cottage.

The door opened and out came a beautiful woman, her hair was tied into two braids and she wore a white dress under her robes.

"Hello there," the woman said, as she came down from the porch.

Kali was surprised, she didn't expect anyone to greet her.

"Thank you," Kali bowed her head and smiled.

The woman stepped forward and held her hands together, "my name is Yana, welcome to my home."

"I'm sorry for disturbing your peace," Kali apologized.

Yana shook her head, "there is no need to apologize. You are here, not because you disturbed anything, but because something has called you here."

Kali nodded, "how did you know I was coming?"

Yana grinned, "because this house was built with magic, and I can sense magic when it is present."

Kali smiled, "thank you, Yana."

Yana grabbed Kali's hand and pulled her inside the house, "please, come in. You must be tired after that long journey."

The cottage was cosy, made of stone and wood, and decorated with flowers and plants. It smelled nice and sweet, like fresh bread and herbs. The walls were painted in beautiful colours.

Yana sat down on the bed, "so tell me, why did you come here?"

"I'm not sure, I think I've died," Kali lowered her head as she spoke.

"And how did you die?" Yana asked.

"I don't remember what happened. I think I was killed, but then I woke up here."

Yana sighed, "that's a hard story, but I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm sorry for disturbing your peace," Kali repeated.

"There is no need to be sorry, my house has been lonely for quite some time. If you want, you can stay here, take a rest, have a meal and meet the other guests."

"Thank you, I'd love to," Kali answered, "but when can I go back, I need to help Lucas to finish the game," she added to her sentence. She was rubbing her sweaty hands gently, a sign of anxiety.

"There is no hurry, it's not the end of the game yet, there are still ten days until the big battle, and another ten days after that. There is plenty of time to recover from your wounds and get to know our guests."

"I understand, thank you again for everything," Kali said and took a seat at the wooden table.

Yana brought her a plate filled with delicious food, "here you go," she placed the plate in front of Kali and sat down next to her.

"It smells wonderful," Kali said as she started eating.

"It's called rabbit stew, I'm sure you'll like it."

Kali nodded, "thanks, I'm starving."

They continued eating and talking about different things, they talked about the weather, the state of the crops, and the people who lived nearby.

After an hour or so, Yana stood up, "come with me, I'm going to show you around."

Kali followed behind her, they went outside, and Kali saw several people sitting by the fire.

"Good afternoon," Yana greeted.

"Hey, Yana, it's good to see you," the first person greeted her.

He was a tall man, his clothes were brown and green, he had a short beard and a black hat. His eyes were brown, and his hair was grey.

"How are you doing, Rei?" Yana asked him.

Rei smiled, "good as new," he replied.

Yana nodded, "and this is..."

"Vincent, Vincent Lucian," he introduced himself.

Yana looked at Kali, "this is Kali," she pointed to her.

Kali stared at Vincent, she didn't recognize him right away, but then she realized that he looked similar to the guy called Izek, who was taking control of Lucas's body.

"Hello, Kali," Vincent nodded.

"Nice to meet you," Kali answered.

"So, you're the girl who saved us," Rei commented.

"Sa-saved you?" She stuttered.

"Yes, you were helping us before the battle, weren't you?" Rei asked.

"Wha-what battle?" She raised the corners of her lips, "I don't understand what you said."

Yana chuckled, "let's go, we will explain everything later."

Kali followed behind her. They walked around the small village, which was surrounded by trees and fields. It was quiet and peaceful, and Kali couldn't stop thinking about how much she missed her own world.

She kept her thoughts to herself, as Yana was walking ahead of them, and she didn't want to disturb her.

After a while, they reached the edge of the forest, where the land turned into grasslands.

"That's the river," Yana pointed to the distant mountain.

"Oh, wow, look at all those colourful flowers," Kali exclaimed.

Kali looked at the vibrant red, yellow, pink and purple flowers, and she jumped a little bit when a bright blue butterfly landed on her shoulder. It was as if it had sensed the energy radiating from her skin.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you," Yana said.

"What's happening to me? Why do I feel so strange?" Kali wondered.

"You must be used to feeling that way already," Yana answered.

"Well, that's something that comes with being an Avatar. You're part of nature, and you are a powerful creature, able to change reality just by touching it. That's why you feel such strong emotions. Nature is always trying to reach out to you, to guide you and teach you. But you have to listen carefully and try to understand what it wants you to learn," Yana explained.

"Is that really true?" Kali asked.

"It is, and believe me, there is nothing more amazing than feeling the power of nature. I've been living in the forest for years now, and I can't even describe how many times I felt it calling to me. I had to come here, to learn from it, and to give myself to it."

"You mean, that's why you're here too?" Kali asked.

"Yes, I'm training to become an Avatar, and I need the help of the spirit animals to achieve my goal."

"Can I ask you something else?" Kali asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Yana responded.

"What did happen to the other Avatars?" Kali asked nervously.

Yana sighed, "it hasn't happened in a long time, and I hope it never does, but, sometimes, one of the Avatars dies."

"Why?" Kali asked.

"Because they were corrupted by the darkness, and their souls became dark themselves," Yana explained.

"But I wasn't corrupted, why did I die?" Kali asked.

"We don't know exactly. Maybe it's because your soul is still pure, and you are not influenced by the darkness. Now, let's get back, we are almost home."

"When can I go back home?" Kali asked while looking around.

Yana seemed to have an answer, her shiny eyes sparkled, "soon, very soon. Just stay calm, and keep listening to the voice of nature. It will guide you through this difficult stage."