It's been hours since we entered the forest. We're still following along behind this older woman, who is walking ahead of us. The heat isn't as bad under the thick foliage of this alien forest, but it's still not the coolest thing I've ever felt.
We're all exhausted and sweaty from walking. We have no clue what we're doing, where we're going, or why. We don't have water.
We don't even know if this is the test or if the test will come later.
All we have are the older woman and the alien, both of whom are quiet. I'm not even sure what the point is of us having an alien with us. The woman is leading the way, but the alien just walks alongside, seemingly without a care in the world.
We walk on, and on, and on...
My feet hurt.
My legs are starting to get sore, too. I can tell Mia isn't doing so hot either, and Eric...
Eric is...
I think he's doing alright. I'm a little jealous.
Hestia...
She's doing...okay?
Her breathing isn't normal. She seems tired, but she's not showing signs of giving up.
That's good.
I'm glad to see it, anyway. If any of us are in danger, it's probably her.
She seems really weak, but she's doing her best, so.
The trees around us are getting thicker and thicker. They look kind of like pine trees, but also different. Their needles are thinner and longer. The bark of their trunks is smoother. And...they have weird fruit hanging from their branches.
The fruit looks sort of like a coconut, but it's purple. And the husks are soft and wobbly, shaking visibly in the air. They're also incredibly high and out of reach.
The air smells strange here, too.
Like...
Something metallic? It's not an odor I'm used to. I'm not even sure if it's good or bad. But I don't like it, and it's making me nervous.
I'm not sure if the older woman notices our unease, or if she's ignoring it on purpose, or if she just doesn't care. All I know is that we keep walking and walking and walking...and eventually we reach a clearing.
The clearing is large and flat. The ground here is covered in small, round rocks that seem perfectly smooth and polished.
In front of us is a small pond. It looks crystal clear, though there's no sign of life anywhere in its depths.
"...Are we resting?" Eric asks.
Mia tilts her head and looks to the older woman, and repeats the question in the alien tongue.
She looks at Mia and shakes her head. "Hnn, mmm, gthth, kkkk..."
"...No. Not a resting spot. This is where we should be." Mia says.
I frown. "This place doesn't look special. What's supposed to happen here?" I ask. I'm feeling impatient. Tired, and sore, and frustrated, and confused, and...
The alien woman speaks up again, gesturing around the clearing.
Mia frowns.
"...I don't understand the words she's using."
That's...
If even Mia doesn't know...
I glance over at Eric.
He's got his eyes narrowed and arms crossed. He looks tense.
The woman keeps talking, gesturing to the pond and the rocks and then back at herself and the alien, as though that's meant to mean something to us.
"Uh..."
Eric shakes his head. "Don't look at me. I'm not hiding any secret knowledge. If Mia can't even understand her, I definitely can't."
I bite my lip.
I look back to Mia. "Can't you ask her to slow down and try explaining a little better...?"
Mia frowns. "...I could, but it won't do anything if she's just discussing concepts I don't understand." She crosses her arms, clearly irritated with herself. I can tell by her expression that she wants to know more. "...But I can still try."
"...Okay. Do that."
She turns and speaks, slower and more haltingly than before.
The woman nods slowly and begins to repeat her words, much more clearly, as well as slowing her gestures. I watch her closely.
I have no idea what any of it means, but...
The older woman is pointing to the water. She makes a gesture with her hands that looks like pouring something out. Then she points to the sky, to the sun, and then back at the water again.
"...Is she...saying the sun will set soon...?"
I don't even know what I'm trying to guess.
But she points to the sun, the water, the rocks, and then herself and the alien, and nods at my guess.
"Okay. So...we're going to be here until the sun sets. What does that mean...?"
Eric sighs and shrugs. "I dunno."
I look at him, exasperated.
"Sorry." He holds his hands up. "...I don't have a clue, alright?"
I sigh.
I wish he did, though.
I don't want to die. And it's not like I'm going to figure it out myself.
I glance at the older woman and the alien again, watching their interactions.
The older woman seems frustrated and agitated.
And then...
I notice that Hestia is watching her, too.
She's staring, her gaze fixed. And her lips are moving.
"...Hestia...?"
Her lips keep moving, but she doesn't respond. Her eyes stay glued to the older woman.
I blink.
"Hey, Mia..." I start, pointing at Hestia.
Mia looks over and tilts her head.
"...Do you think..."
I trail off.
Could she...?
Maybe she can understand...?
The alien and woman are talking in hushed whispers now. The woman seems more frantic, gesturing around at the water, the trees, and the sun, as well as the rocks and the ground. The alien looks at her and nods slowly.
The older woman shakes her head. Her face looks pained.
"...She doesn't know, either." Eric mutters.
I glance over at him. "What...?"
"I can tell by the look on her face." He gestures at the older woman, who is shaking her head again. "...She's not sure what they're talking about. Whatever's going on, it's new."
I bite my lip.
New....
New is exactly not what I want to hear.