Liberation

The sailfish stopped. The bank was barely just thick enough to follow one after another in a line. Up ahead, there was an exit that was aglow with the onsetting dawn from outside.

It's Day already?

It was evident that none of them had noticed the passing of time since all of them had surprised expressions when they lay their eyes on the exit.

I don't feel tired at all though.

She looked at the others and sure enough the others also harboured expressions ranging from confused to mesmerised.

The light of the exit blinded their eyes after their prolonged stay in the cave. Selis’ hand was raised to shield her eyes. There was a tiny silhouette, a dark spot moving strangely at the exit. A sudden splash distracted them and Selis looked behind to see the fish’s silver tail disappearing into the water.

“Why did it lead us here?” Sora’s eyes glittered bewitched by the series of events which felt as if it was straight out of a fairytale.

Skald, who had been looking at the water, looked up at Sora and simply shrugged.

His gaze shifted to look at the others. He nodded and there was an unsaid agreement as the five walked towards the exit. When they got close, it dawned upon them that the eerie dark silhouette at the exit of the cavern was just a black butterfly with bright patterns stretched on its wings. The insect appeared to be waiting for them as it danced in the air. It had a similar mystical aura as the sailfish, an immense gravity in spite of being such a small creature that one would feel as if it was the centre of everything. As soon as they stepped into the light of the entrance, the butterfly fluttered away into the glare.

It took a while for their eyes to adjust to the blinding brightness and see what lay beyond the exit. Standing all around them were tall shrubs and as they looked up, they realised they were sunflowers so tall that the flower heads hung feet above Sunne, the tallest in the group. He looked up, the plants dwarfing him and all of them. As imposing as they were with their majestic height, the bright shades of yellow had a certain cheerfulness as if they were musing about the five lost children. All of them seemed to face a particular direction. The butterfly meandered right into the field.

“I think the little creature is our new guide now.” Selis observed.

Into the fields they went, walking between the available space and parting the flora as they went on their way in their chase.

The sky wasn't visible as it was blotted out by the humongous green stalks. The butterfly could barely be seen weaving in and around the stalks.

Just like the hundred times it had done so, the butterfly disappeared among the greens again however unlike those hundred times it didn't reappear.

“Can anyone see it?” Standing on her tiptoes, and raising her head, Skadi tried to look for the vanished butterfly. The only reply was silence and shaking of heads.

“I..I noticed something.” Sunne spoke, looking up at the face of the sunflowers.

This caught the other four’s attention and they looked at him. However no elaboration followed as Sunne looked startled when four pairs of eyes looked at him, as if he was not accustomed to it.

“....And? What is it?” Sora urged him to go on with an empathetic smile.

“The butterfly was flying in the same direction as the sunflowers are facing.”

“It was?” Instinctively, Selis looked up to check and he was indeed right. The butterfly had indeed disappeared in the direction the flowers were facing. “That’s true.”

“Well then what are we waiting for? Onwards!” declaring so, Skald turned and pointed up ahead, enjoying his little game of playing the Captain.

“This feels like a wild goose chase.” Skadi muttered.

“Or rather like a dream.” Sora said her eyes star-struck.

Eventually the sunflowers grew parser in numbers and here they were more scattered. The grass around them had dwindled to barely as high as their feet.

Thump!

From their previous accursed experience, it was definitely the won't of a hoof which had thumped on the ground.

They looked at each other instantly on their guard.

“Not again.” Skald complained in a low voice, having taken out his knife and ready standing in his defensive stance.

There were two huge horns right before them. However these horns spread from the creature’s head branching towards the sky. Dark, calm eyes with large eyelashes looked at them with a strange wit hidden in them.

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The deer’s ears flicked.

Selis, who looked like she would have run at the first sign of danger, sighed in relief. Skald tucked back the dagger in his pockets.

“I suppose this is the next guide?” Skadi concluded and as a reply, the deer blinked and turned. It had a bird sitting on one of its horns which flapped its wings as if it was startled just like everyone else.

“Hello.” Sora giggled.

The deer raised its head as if in a form of greeting and started sprinting over the grass, rocks and the little flowers in the field. The bird bounced along with its springing.

“No wait!” Selis exclaimed but the deer kept gaining distance.

Selis took to her feet and so did the others.

The bouncing silhouette of the deer was just in sight however they couldn't really catch up to it and neither did it grow distant. It was at a constant distance before them.

They ran and ran after the deer. Selis saw the grass blurring beneath her. A sense of freedom arose in her as she looked at the endless violet fields stretching beyond to the mountains at the far side. The world lay before them and she felt she could go anywhere. There were infinite possibilities before her. She broke into laughter. The others joined in one after the other, their laughter a choir, as the grass blurred at their feet. It was a primitive pleasure. As if it was the first time mankind learnt to run after escaping from trees.

They were chasing an animal for a reason they didn't know yet. They felt like they could run all the way upto the horizon.

Eventually the deer slowed down and the five’s running turned to a walk, their laughter dispersing into the air and turning to wheezing. The deer halted and so did the humans.

Skald who had reached first looked focused on regaining control of his breath. Sunne was bent over, trying to catch his breath. Selis had her hands on her waist. Skadi, whose hands were folded, watched Sora, the last to drop to the ground as soon as she caught up with them. Eventually all of them sat on the ground following suit.

When they had finished catching their breaths

Selis asked, looking at the people around her, realising that there were so many and all of them looked and even were different. She didn't have her memories so she didn't know if they had ever been important for her but she felt delighted,” So what now? Is this where we were being led?” Her gaze scanned around the empty landscape.

The finch on the horns of the deer flapped its wings and chirped as if in a denial. It spread its tiny wings and took to the sky.

The deer swung its little tail looking up at the bird. “So we follow the bird now?” Sora said in dismay upon having convinced herself she wasn't going to move an inch.

A sigh of annoyance escaped from Skadi.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere.” Sunne refuted unsympathetically, whose argument was reinforced by Skald,”We definitely can't stop here in the open. What if there's a dangerous creature lurking nearby?”

“Do you still feel tired?” Selis asked, blinking at Sora.

“Alright alright. I'm not tired but why would you want to overexert yourself? We are not even sure where we are headed to.”

“I guess we can't stop now.” Selis shrugged and stood up and so did Sora, dusting herself.

The bird circled overhead in the lilac sky while its shadow circled around them. Sunne looked at the others,” What…What if we are heading to somewhere dangerous.”

There was no reply. None of them wanted to believe that what Sunne said could be true for they were stuck in a beautiful dream.

The deer had watched them leave in silence as the bird led them over the grassland. The bird flew a pace ahead and circled whenever it waited for them to catch up. This continued for a while. After what seemed like ages, something seemed to have caught the bird’s attention. Its wings angled and it swooped down, landing on a weathered stone. It chirped and turned its head watching the five parts of the grass and reached the platform below.

The finch had seated itself on a throne made of stone. The throne was layered in three steps

on which five rocks stood in a circle and looked down at the group who had just climbed on the platform before them. Algae appeared to be taking part in conquest over the throne and the rocks. The throne appeared to have a spring below it, as the throne was overflowing with water which lapped around the five rocks and, like a waterfall, flowed down the steps and into the platform. The platform, carved with spiral patterns, had channels for the water to flow out to the fields. It seemed that there was a small lake underneath the group’s feet over which the platform floated almost entirely covered by it. There was a single symbol carved on the throne. A triangle right above it an inverted triangle.

As soon as Selis reached the centre of the platform, she was in awe. There was something gloriously hypnotising about the rocks standing tall against the dreamy bands of colours of the sky. It was an indescribable feeling of amazement. The mere sight of the stones was like a lullaby except that instead of descending into sleep they were spiralling into reverence.

Selis’ dark eyes were fixed on the rocks before them and her feet started feeling heavy as if the platform itself was dragging them down.

We are here to seek an audience.

She shook her head

Wait? What was that?

Her gaze fixed on the rock

They are looking upon us expectantly.

Her head had started to feel hazy as soon as she had set her foot on the platform. Excitement and elation made her giddy. There was no room for fear. The heaviness in her feet grew and she gave in.

She bowed before them. And eerily all of them bowed down at the same time too as if there were an inaudible song and they all were performing to it.

What's happening?

Spoke a side of her.

This other newer side said comforting herself.

It doesn't matter. Hushhh.

The last thing they heard was the bird chirping and the beating of its wings as it flew away. The last thing they saw was the shadowed stone platform before the shadows loomed and stretched in their vision and took over their minds.