Ori and the decayed land

Chapter 3: Entering the great mill

Ori and Sein were trekking the path that Kwolok had revealed as Seir led the way to the mill of the Wellspring.

Ori still couldn't shake off the two spirits he saw while he was unconscious and the connection's he found between the golden colour of his abilities being the same as Seir "No matter how hard I try, I can't get it out of my head." he thought as he and Sein were walking. It was then he heard a voice in his mind, but it wasn't the Spirit tree's it was the Spirit willow's "I sensed with the last bit of light I have that you have returned to your original home." the willow spoke. "Spirit willow? How are you- wait original home?" Ori spoke confused to what the Spirit willow said "Yes. You once lived here in Niwen under my protection from the decay. Until Seir shattered as I became too old to bare her light." the Spirit willow replied.

Ori couldn't believe what he was hearing "So, I am a reborn spirit... I'm Orin..." he spoke with disbelief and shock "That is correct. I'm glad that you are remembering fragments about your previous life." the willow would reply before golden light enveloped around Ori, who was still in shock before the Spirit willow spoke once more. "This last bit of my light will bring back all your memories of your previous life. Though I must warn you, it will be painful." Ori soon replied to the Spirit willow "I already know the truth about well... myself. Its best if I know everything. I'm ready." when Ori finished speaking, the light entered Ori's mental projection of his body.

Ori soon held his head as he felt extreme pain which caused him to fall onto the ground, making a noise loud enough for both Sein and Seir to hear. Sein imminently rushed to Ori's side "ORI!!" she screamed with extreme worry with Seir floating towards both spirits. "I was warned that this would be painful, but I wasn't expecting it to be this painful." Ori spoke while holding his head "What were you warned about being painful?" Seir asked "About regaining some old memories." Ori replied as he slowly got back onto his hooves with the help of Sein. "What do you mean by 'regaining old memories'?" Sein asked still worried about Ori.

Ori managed to stand on his own again as he began to speak "Well, while we were heading to the mill, I heard the voice of the Spirit willow speak to me saying that she had sensed that I returned to my 'original home' and proceeded to tell me that I used to live in Niwen under the Spirit willow's protection before... well..." Ori proceeded to look at Seir "Seir shattered as the willow grew old and perished which again, caused Seir to shatter. Then the Spirit willow used the last of her light to bring back all my memories from my previous life." Ori explained. Sein was in disbelief "So you are a reborn spirit..." she said. "Yeah and its Orin of all spirits." Ori replied.

"You remember the shattering..." Seir spoke almost surprised "Yeah and it was after absorbing the light from an ancestral tree before I regained all my previous memories. Oh yeah you should've also gotten an ability too, Sein." Ori spoke. Sein began to think before she formed a sword of her own "You can summon the Spirit edge, a blade of light that the spirits of Niwen could form." Seir spoke "A spirit edge?" Sein replied, a bit confused as she looked at her sword of blue light with blue flames on the blade just like Ori's. "Yeah. I believe the spirits used the spirit edge for self-defence and protecting others?" Ori spoke "That is correct, Ori. Seems like the Spirit willow truly did bring all your memories back." Seir replied.

"Yeah. Well anyway, we still need to get to the mill and get its wheels to turn again and acquire the other wisps." Ori spoke with determination with Sein agreeing with a nod. "Well said, Ori. Let us continue." Seir replied with the trio continuing to the mill.

Around an hour passed as the trio made it to the mill "Here we are. The wellspring's mill in all its glory." Seir said to the two spirits as Ori and Sein walked to the door of the mill only to see that it was shut tight "Its closed. Is there a switch that opens it?" Sein asked while Ori was in thought. Ori soon felt a presence of some kind. It felt like the presence of decay, but it felt... different at the same time. The presence was coming from the top of the mill "There's something up at the top of the mill." Ori spoke.

"Ah, so you can sense it, too." a voice spoke which made the three look in the direction of the voice only to see a being similar to a white monkey. They were male with a mane around his face, a long moustache and beard, he wore brown clothing and wielded a bamboo staff with a piece of string attached to it.

"May I ask, who are you?" Sein asked with curiosity "I'm Opher, I'm a weapon master." Opher introduced himself to the spirits. "Nice to meet you opher, I'm Sein, this is my boyfriend, Ori, and this is Seir. Ori and I came from Nibel to restore Seir and bring back the light." Sein introduced herself, Ori, and Seir. "Sis did I just hear you correctly. Ori is your boyfriend?" Seir asked confused "Yeah you heard her correctly, Seir." Ori spoke. "How long was this?" Seir asked another question "Around four weeks ago during that terrible event Ori mentioned." Sein answered Seir's question.

Ori soon saw a path and proceeded to trek the path "Ori where are you going?" Sein asked. "There might be something down this path that could open the door to the mill." Ori replied before continuing to trek deeper down the path.

Ori would follow the path to a set of wooden gears that appeared to be stuck by a yellow and purple blob. Ori felt the same presence that was at the top of the mill emanating from it. "What the heck is that?" Ori said out loud before destroying it. The wooden gears began to move as the sound of something moving could be heard so Ori began to make his way back. Ori soon made it back to Sein and Seir but Noticed that Opher had disappeared "Where did Opher go?" Ori asked. "He went on ahead after the door to the mill opened." Seir replied before the trio went to the door and entered.

Meanwhile back in Nibel, Solas missed her parents greatly as she would be with the light vessel Ori made for her almost all the time. Naru would usually comfort Solas and tell her that Ori and Sein will be ok to which Solas hoped that was the case. Solas would also help Naru with fruit collecting and with Ku as well as helping Gumo when he would need it. "I hope mum and dad are ok." Solas spoke to which Naru would comfort Solas "I hope they're ok as well. But don't worry they'll be fine, I know it. They did survive the blindness after all." Naru spoke "I hope you're right, Naru." Solas replied.

Back with Ori, Sein and Seir. The three looked around to see some wooden gears. The gears were stationary "We must get the gears to move once again. There are more gears higher up in the mill. So, let's free all the gears while we're heading upward." Seir informed the two spirits. Ori and Sein both nodded and began to free the gears.