[STORY] -> Awaken - Part 5 - The Deep Gouge

Orvus knew that obtaining more honey would be a trying endeavour, but he wasn't dismayed in the least. If the old man's vision of this structure as a tomb rather than shrine is correct, then a great discovery could be in their near futures. Orvus and the old man wiped the sweat from their brows, when the old man recommended a break for an early lunch. “Kogg!” cried the old man, “it's lunch time.” Kogg cawed happily as he made his way to the polished sandstone floor.

The old man removed a couple food items wrapped in large leaves and untied the twine. In one was some cured bush meat, while the other contained cured fish. Although it was enough to feed the two men, Orvus removed two orange, striped fruit from his pack as a juicy snack for afterwards. Kogg cawed for some of his favourite berries, and the old man placed a handful on the floor. After playing with the purple spotted berries, Kogg realized the two had started eating and joined in.

Kogg was on top of the bee statue when the two finished eating, cocking his head and looking down the hole where the honey had gone down. Kogg pecked at the hole then cawed excitedly before he took flight and landed back up on the top stone ring. The old man swallowed his drink of water, “What are you up to, Kogg?” He cawed back and took off north-west under the top of the west arch. Orvus laughed slightly. “Maybe he's thirsty,” Orvus speculated. The old man listened carefully, but could no longer hear Kogg's caws in the distance.

Orvus and the old man finished their orange, striped fruits and tossed the cores on the ground outside of the tomb's grounds. “He's coming back now,” the old man said, patting Orvus on the shoulder and pointing to the north-west. A few moments later Orvus too, could hear Kogg. He landed on the old man's shoulder not long after, cawing excitedly. Kogg hopped a few times and then flew to the ground in the direction he had come from. “I think he wants us to follow him this way,” the old man figured.

They navigated through the sparse forest following Kogg as he flew overhead. The trees on the island in the lake were unlike any tree on the larger island itself, and no where as near as tall. Some of the trees had flowers in bloom, coloured shades of pink, purple, blue, and white. Orvus and the old man both stopped at some of these trees to harvest the low hanging flower's petals, which could be eaten and used to flavour teas.

They continued onwards north-west for a while longer when Kogg landed a top a tree in the near distance. “I think we're here! Kogg landed just ahead,” Orvus said as he picked up his pace slightly. Kogg cawed from the tree top and as the two friends approached they could see Kogg had landed in a still standing, yet long dead tree.They both encircled the tree clock-wise, and could hear a collection of buzzing. They'd come around the tree and, “Holy twelve!”, Orvus blurted out as he noticed the huge gouge in the tree, a couple arm lengths long. The whole length of it covered in bees.

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Orvus' outburst made the hive buzz louder in responsive defence. “A hive! Kogg lead us to a hive, and a big one at that,” said the old man looking up at the ever proud Kogg. Kogg cawed a few more times and watched them from above. Orvus was impressed. It would have taken them all day to find this nest of bees, given the island's size. The old man motioned silently to Orvus, and Orvus gave him an enchanted fire scroll from his pack. The old man moved closer to the tree as he needed to be a bit closer for it to work. The crudely drawn fire scroll's ink gleamed in the sunlight, and the old man began reciting the spell. “Purifying light and thee who wrought ashes, bring forth flame from your vibrant clashes!” The base of the tree was engulfed in fire, and the heat and smoke rose up and took hold of the nest.

The whole hive had begun to panic. As the fire raged at the base of the tree, the bees began to flee the nest one by one. In short time, the queen too had fled and the vast majority of the nest followed her in tow. The tree was now safe to approach, aside from the raging fire clawing its' way up the trunk. Orvus, thinking quickly, removed a scroll from his bag and unrolled it. A crude image of a water droplet was depicted, surrounded by a diamond border of vines with leaves. Orvus recited, “Water of the winds seeking a path, unite here and crash with mighty wrath.” An orb of water began to form and then quickly grew to encompass the tree's trunk above the fire. Orvus lowered his hand and the large orb of water crashed down the sides of the tree and flowed outward wetting their footware.

Kogg cawed happily from above as they approached the tree. “Wonderful, Kogg! Thank you,” praised the old man. The old man retrieved the knife which was hidden away under his bed from his pack and sliced into the hive, and took a chunk from it. Orvus readied the bamboo flask and the old man scraped the honey down the chunk of hive so it could be collected. Orvus capped the flask and set it on the ground, “I think we should get a few more just to be sure.” The old man agreed and removed a few more flasks from a pouch in the side of his pack. Once filled, they gathered them all and put them safely away for the journey back to the tomb.

Awaken

Part 01 - A Message to Orvus
Part 02 - The Lake Beckons
Part 03 - Night of Rest
Part 04 - The Tomb's Secret
Part 05 - CURRENT