Esteria: The World of Life

Chapter 6 | The Words from Mother Nymph

-Western Portion of Nymphae, Fantacia-

After some time of running back and forth, they have returned to the anthill where they once got stuck on. They actually were able to return there earlier than they first came to the said place, which is what Skeet suddenly blurted out, "Why haven't you guys thought about it sooner? We would've been meeting with the Mother Nymph earlier than now!"

The first subordinate then scratched her head, "Our bad. Nym's creations are one of the last things we can ever think, okay? He's weird and all, but it seems like you'll need it badly."

The second subordinate added, "After all, he was once an Ester too, only to become an offer to the Yang Creator, so that's basically it. Well, let's go meet the Mother Nymph now!" And with two handclaps, they transformed into dwarf-sized beings. Skeet then followed by wearing the hat Nym gave him, transforming into a human as small as the subordinates are now, successfully entering the anthill where the Mother Nymph stays.

...

-Oread Sanctuary, Nymphae -

The interior of the said anthill is definitely different from how it looks outside. Marble floors with white pillars on wooden floors— the way it looked like is almost familiar, in fact.

"Human! This way!" one of the subordinates called, which made Skeet return back to his senses and follow them all the way down. It's a simple spiral staircase, one would say. It's not that hard to come down as of now. However, upon reaching the end of the staircase, the three of them were greeted by a long line of Oread who wish to meet the Mother Nymph, carrying an offer of their choice.

"Ack! We forgot to bring an offer for the Mother Nymph!" the second subordinate cursed. "What do we do now?"

"What? What offer? Wait, don't tell me we're going up again?" Skeet threw in a series of questions, which even confused the subordinates.

"No, no, " the first subordinate complained, "we can't either! My legs are already sore from walking that one heck of a stairs!" The second subordinate looked at the first subordinate, then to Skeet. He then raised an eyebrow which made the second subordinate grin.

Oh boy, it smells like a plan that he wouldn't like.

...

"Next!" it was already a signal for Skeet and for the two subordinates to face the Mother Nymph, but then...

"I said, next!!" the servant called out twice, but none seems to have responded from the call.

"Don't keep the Mother Nymph waiting!" Tapping her feet impatiently, the Mother Nymph seems to have noticed it.

"What is going on, Mimita? Are there no more of the Oread wishing to seek for my advice?" A certain Oread with huge brown butterfly wings and clad in glamorous beige dress asked. This is the Mother Nymph every Oread was talking about.

"Uh, grandame, there is actually a lot of Oread waiting outside, but this one here's taking its time to come over here. " the said servant, Mimita replied before looking back into the entrance separated by a mistletoe curtain. "Please excuse me."

"Goddamn it, I'm coming in!" just as she was about to check at what is happening behind the curtains, the second subordinate and Skeet emerged from it, carrying the first subordinate, with a cloth on her mouth which serves as its gag and both hands and feet tied to each other.

"What the—" Mimita stepped back, seeing this kind of an offer. Who on Fantacia would even bring an Oread as an offer, after all?

"Ylva! Why are you carrying Wylie like that?!" the scene that Skeet and the second subordinate made caused the Mother Nymph to jump out of her seat and almost fall off her wooden throne. Moreover, it even surprised other servants around the said important figure aside from Mimita.

Frightened, Ylva replied, "S-sorry, Mother Nymph! We are actually in need of your help, but we forgot to bring anything else as an offer!"

"How important is that?" the Mother Nymph asked, "And for the love of Esteria, get the gag off Wylie!" With that said, Skeet took off the gag, which made the first subordinate Wylie to speak without her voice being muffled.

Coughing up to breathe, Wylie then blabbed loudly, "We can't find the Oracle anywhere!" which caused an uproar on the Oread lining up behind the curtain. Now the entire Nymphae know about the said issue.

"Oh my! If that's the case," the Mother Nymph cleared her throat before giving her orders, "I'm ending today's consultation. Leave this sanctuary at once!" And without further ado, Mimita and the other servants began shooing away the ones behind the curtain and advised them to come back tomorrow. Looking defeated in the thoughts of even them are to be rejected, Skeet and Ylva put Wylie down and are about to leave with the rest of the unfortunate Oread behind them.

"...except you three. Get back here, Ylva, Wylie and..." the Mother Nymph cannot seem to utter the human who's with the two subordinates all this time, but it was at least clear enough that they are exempted from being kicked out of the sanctuary for the day.

"You," she spoke, referring to Skeet, "What's your name, human?"

"Skeet. Skeet Caldurn."

She exhaled, "The chosen offer by the Oracle Eliona. How odd of her to choose a human rather than an Ester for this year, but given the circumstances as well..."

Fixing her clothing, she then began introducing herself. "My name is Sasheen. I am the Mother Nymph of the Oread, or perhaps by human terms, I guess I am already as equal as the elderly full of experience. And as I may have mentioned, I'm not the sole Mother Nymph in all of Fantacia. There's two more of us, each residing on Isla de Fuego and Undyra. But so much for that, what has happened to the current Oracle of Fantacia?"

"Well, here's the thing..." Ylva started speaking, which is constantly being cut off by Wylie. Confused at the chatter, Mother Sasheen raised her hand, "Stop!" and in a single word, both subordinates fell silent. "Simplify it for me, Skeet."

Skeet nodded and said, "Eliona is missing. That's just that."

"As simple as that indeed." Mother Sasheen nod in approval. "So that just gives us a hint that she isn't found in either the Tree of Life or around Nymphae. Now," she looks at Ylva, "what could possibly be the reason why Eliona leaves her chosen offer alone in the care of two of her subordinates? Does it not perhaps feel weird to you?"

"S-surely it does, Mother Nymph. But..."

"But?" Mother Sasheen raised an eyebrow.

"The chosen offer here has slept for too long that it made the Oracle leave on her own accord without taking the offer with her." Ylva then looked down, thinking of what could probably go wrong with the events now.

"And why do you think she'd even bring the chosen offer with her? I would begin to question that if that's the case." Crossing her arms, the atmosphere begins to feel a little uneasy for the two.

"Oh?" Mother Sasheen then begin to notice the sword on Skeet's back. "Now I see why..."

Mother Sasheen nodded twice before fixing her composure and spoke to the two subordinates, as if she already has found a solution to their problem. "Ylva, Wylie, you two normally have a task of accommodating the chosen offer. However, given the circumstances now, it would seem that the chosen offer himself can take care of his own, hence I don't suppose he will need extra care like how we would normally do so."

She then looked at Skeet, "As for you, human, I do believe that these two subordinates of Eliona owe you an explanation as to what is actually going on with this realm. Unless they don't recall what it is, which is what I don't suppose so. Am I right in presuming this, Wylie?"

Wylie quickly replied, "Ah, yes! That!" then faced at Skeet to explain what is going on.

"Human, we deeply apologize for not telling you our situation right away. It simply just don't feel right for the offer to worry about our matters until they become Fantacians like us."

Ylva added, "But here goes..."

...

"You see, the subrealms of Fantacia— Nymphae, Undyra and Isla de Fuego are once united with each other and our way of life is also united along with the Tree of Life itself. However, a certain person clad in red, presumably one of the Pyriad from Isla de Fuego, visited the seas of Undyra and spread malicious intent to the Naiad within the area. That surely did made the supposedly calm Naiad to rage and threw malicious intent back at the Pyriad as revenge for what one of their people told them. And this is how the war beyond the wooden forests of Nymphae started."

...

After Ylva's long story, she then concluded, "We at Nymphae are unaffected with the raging war created by both Naiad and Pyriad, yet as the ceremony approaches near, it concerned the Oracle so much that we began our investigation by secret, and we found out that the instigator was neither a Fantacian nor an Ester to begin with. In short, all of this started just because of a single human who suddenly came into our lands to mess with the realm's order."

Wiping the dirt off his lower back from sitting down, Skeet replied, "Dang, that's just plain stupid for both of them."

"I would say almost the same as well. However neither side nor their Mother Nymphs would even back down. Instead, they continue to insist that the other side is at fault for all this, which is the bigger problem here." Mother Sasheen added. "Now, for my advice..."

Upon hearing the words from the Mother Nymph, all of her servants stood upright, and Mimita exclaimed, "Listen! The words from the Mother Nymph, Sasheen Hin'taa!" This made Skeet and the other two subordinates to listen carefully too.

"Listen well, and listen closely, human. Due northwest from the Tree of Life is the Isla de Fuego, the subrealm of the Pyriad— or the fire elves, if that rather simplifies it. Go there and seek for the Mother Nymph of the Pyriad, Shellan Mit'iga. Your purpose there is, firstly, seek for Eliona, and; lastly, hear their side of the story, if that pleases her. However, be cautious as you leave the haven of the wood elves— the Pyriad are known to be feisty and prideful, hence prepare for any battle that may come, be it huge or not. And thus concludes my advice for you three. Wylie, since you are offered to me, you must stay here in my throne for a minute or two. Ylva, go with the human and walk with caution." Concluding the said session, Wylie proceeds to stay with the Mother Nymph while Ylva and Skeet proceeds to leave the said sanctuary.

"For a second, human." The said halt from Mother Sasheen made both Ylva and Skeet look at her. "I almost forgot to impart you with this gift from me. It isn't much, but please take it." Raising her hand, Mimita then unsheathed her own armor, revealing a wooden shield on her back, giving it to Skeet.

"The woods that cover the Tree of Life is slowly becoming dangerous as we speak. Use that to shield yourself from any monster's attacks." Mimita spoke as she hands her wooden shield to Skeet, "However, wood gets burned easily by fire, so be careful in dealing with fire monsters and Pyriad who wish to challenge you to a fight. If you wish to get a better one, get yourself an Iron Shield around Isla de Fuego instead."

"Thanks a lot, Mother Nymph. We'll be off!" And with that, Skeet and Ylva departed from the sanctuary on their way to find Eliona outside Nymphae. Just as they have left her throne, Mother Sasheen prayed, "May Esteria be with you, chosen offer."

END OF CHAPTER 6