CHAPTER 75: CONFUSION

The language sweet as fresh rain sounded in his ears as the creature that hitherto looked so serious and sombre jumped around him in exuberant glee.

She looked like she was saying something to him, sharing an exciting tale of some sort, or her own expression after meeting him; he couldn’t be sure, he didn’t understand any of it.

But he at least understood that he was safe with her.

He still couldn’t control the terrain here, though. He could connect to them faintly, but they refused to abide by his command.

Soon numerous small creatures similar to the one who was talking to him started emerging from the various corners of the garden.

Their bodies featured similar floral dresses in various beautiful colors as they curiously studied him from afar.

Seeing their intelligence, he faintly understood why he couldn’t control the terrain here.

Although he couldn’t put his fingers on it, but, by the previous incident and their curious judging, he judged it had something to do with their uncanny sentience.

Indeed, it would be weird if a certain eldritch creature suddenly appeared and tried to command them to do his bidding.

While he was curiously taking in all his surroundings for the second time, in a different light this time, the small creature that had saved him realised she was being ignored.

Puffing up her cheeks, the creature flew straight towards his face and hit her petal hands on his forehead.

Unfortunately, it did little more than make Noctis feel a soft sensation on his forehead.

As Noctis looked once again at her, she started chatting with an animated smile before noticing his confused expression.

Realising she was not being understood, she tilted her head in confusion.

Other similar creatures came close to her, whispering something to her as they all eyed the strange creature that had somehow won their eldest sister over just by showing up.

She never cared for the other creature that had been holed up in the chamber at on-and-off times for the last few years.

They knew the moment that creature stepped foot outside the chamber, they could eat their bones clean with no worries.

As they all tried to get some answers from her, she ignored everyone and just babbled something to herself after realising that the strange creature couldn’t understand her.

Seeing her flustered for the first time in their life left them so perplexed they thought the strange creature had done something to their sister.

But looking at his confused expression and remembering his previous sorry condition, they dismissed it.

Nevertheless, they tried consoling their sister as she truly started slowly tearing up.

Confused and bewildered, the white floral creature started hitting Noctis’ chest with her soft petal hands, leaving Noctis at a loss too, as he still couldn’t understand a single word being spoken among the creatures.

"I’m sorry?"

He tried to say.

The creature looked up to his face in confusion before crying harder and suddenly using a bit of her qi on her petals and hitting him square on his chest.

The impact wasn’t to have any adverse effect on him, but as his guard was down, the sudden impact straight at his heart made his eyes pop out for a minute.

At the same time, a very minute strand of her qi entered Noctis’ mental plane through his body, and suddenly Noctis lost his consciousness.

The small white creature made a horrifying expression as she blanked out for a moment at what she had just done.

The other petal creatures looked surprised and even more confused by the series of events.

***

In a plane far from the reaches of the mortal hands and the sorrows plaguing their lands, there existed a land whose mere shadows had occupied Noctis’ mind since the day he had woken up.

It was such a grand sight to behold that the first image he had made of his own mental plane, unconscious and unbeknownst to even himself, like a picture imprinted on his very soul, mirrored the essence of the dreamscape.

Ethereal yet real. Still yet flowing. Ancient yet fleeting.

Noctis found himself back in the realm that looked as if his first image of his mental realm had been given form and matter by the unmoved hand.

The land presented a scene of such uncommon delight that it would be vain to attempt a full description.

The woods were of a grandeur and delicacy united; their lofty branches formed arches as if designed by the most judicious hand, and the air, perfumed by unseen blossoms, possessed a freshness that inspired both wonder and tranquillity.

Light itself seemed to enter into a gentler correspondence with the world, falling not harshly but with a softened luster, as though it had chosen to become their companion rather than their master.

There was in all the arrangements of nature an elegance that no mortal care could imitate; just like the familiar carvings at the temple and the sweet melody of the floral creatures, though unable to comprehend the language or customs, no soul could remain insensible to the harmony by which everything about this seemed to flourish in relation to the other.

It was a prospect which awakened gratitude rather than envy, for the perfection of such a place seemed less a matter of possession than of grace.

Noctis’ eyes took in the familiar plane that was accessible to him only in his dreams, like a soul that had been deprived of heavenly water thrown in the sea of ambrosia.

Along with the visual pleasures, he took in the unadulterated stream of divine music entering his ears.

Looking up towards the direction that the sound originated from allowed him to gaze on the faceless being sitting close to his body.

Apart from the humane silhouette and the music coming from her, he could gain nothing about the being cradling him in their arms.

Yet despite him not being able to know anything about them, he felt safe and at ease.

He tried moving himself in an effort to hold the silhouette in his arms but found himself unable to.

His arms and hands had shrunk to the size barely fourth what he had remembered seeing last time.

They swung about without his control as he realised his current situation.

He was a baby in the safe harbor of his mother’s embrace.