Ori and the Outlander

Chapter 16: Freezing Darkness

AN: This is the longest chapter I have ever made thus far! SO please do comment if you see some errors in this!

Dread...just dread...

The atmosphere is nothing but impending death that approaches them...

Never had Aaron felt so much fear.

Is this what it feels like to be hunted in the wilderness? Hiding somewhere while praying whoever that is hunting does not find you?

His heart...pounding so much...

He would not DARE peek out of their hiding spot to see if Kuro is still there. He doesn't need to. Kuro is still out there waiting for them. They only need to be out in the open for a second for her to spot them.

He can feel Ori's little heart pounding as she huddles close to Aaron for comfort. Holding her close as he tries to think of something...ANYTHING to get out of this.

"Any ideas Sein...?" Aaron quietly whispered to the wisp.

There is no response.

She doesn't have any ideas.

What does that mean for them if the wisdom of the forest can't think of anything?

There is no way out...

...

Wait a minute...

Aaron peered ahead and through the body of snow, he can see a pond of water flowing in the middle of the Icey wasteland. Then a genius idea came to Aaron.

"Sein. Can you melt the snow here? There might be a way out."

It took Sein a moment to consider Aaron's words, but as if she had the same thought she quickly floats close to snow before them and gently uses her light to quietly melt them away. There's Ice! Yes! This could mean that they are standing upon a frozen lake, and they could swim underneath and stay out of Kuro's sight! It's perfect!

If it weren't for the fact of how freezing it would be.

'Rather freeze than whatever Kuro would do to us.'

One thing everyone should know...you should NEVER make a mother angry. Many mothers love their kids to the point they will protect them by any means necessary. And if the said mother were to lose her kids?

That is what Kuro is at.

A personification of a mother's wrath.

Ori was unaware of their eureka moment, so he gently scratched her ear to get her attention. Her ears perk up as she looks up into Aaron, her eyes baring into Aaron for answers.

"We've got a plan, we are standing on a frozen lake, Sein is gonna melt the ice so we have to swim underwater to safety alright?"

Ori's eyes immediately brighten as hope fills her with the idea of an opportunity to escape. There is a chance...there is hope.

Sein then quietly lets loose a gentle stream of flames as the ice slowly but surely melts away as the crack grows bigger and bigger. Until finally, it opens and the path to salvation opens before them. Now for the hardest part.

"You know how to swim?"

"I do, I had practice back at home."

"Good. Sein, you need to guide us through, can you do that?"

"I can. Just stay close."

And with that, they dove in. The freezing waters chilling down Aaron's spine. It is so cold that it burns. Luckily, the freezing waters prove to be ineffective against Ori as she seems unfazed at all. Unfortunately, they can't stay down here for long, they will need oxygen one way or another. And the lake will come to a dead-end if they keep on going ahead.