Hardcore: Qi Worlds Chapter 3: The Forest

Ben determined he would head to the forest and at least sojourn with-in it. He would explore the mountains after as they were still calling him the allure of the forest was just stronger. He picked up his pace, even expending perhaps a little too much energy jumping over smaller obstacles, like rocks and bushes, rather than traverse them economically. It was the excitement building up in him, the impatience to begin, driving Ben to the edge of the forest where he abruptly stopped.

Scanning the treeline and peering in as deep as possible Ben could not make anything out that was unordinary. The expected ground covering was there, the trees were a mix of pines and cedar, from his limited knowledge. There were a few bushes and little grass once the ground was under the cover of the trees. The smell was fresher than the rocky plain he could sense the increased humidity and varied mixed foliage aroma what he would normally associate with a forest. Again there were no signs of wildlife. 'Would this forest contain large felines, bears, rabbits and normal creatures associated with the environment or would it have monsters or even Fae? What type of monsters could it have?' Ben surmised. 

Ben determined to be cautious while exploring the forest, it was time to stop jogging and advance with some stealth keeping his wits about him. The only sounds which Ben could ascertain were the sounds of the winds rustling the varied foliage, it wasn't strong enough to whistle through the trees.

As Ben walked deeper into the forest, it became denser, he was still having to make his way up and down fairly mild inclines, which meant the terrain was similar smaller rolling hills. The trees were also larger, taller and wider, even within a few hundred meters of the treeline. Ben heard a sound which wasn't himself, an insect or the wind. Well, most likely wasn't the wind. He stopped statuelike still and scanned his surroundings. He wasn't an expert in pin pointing the source of the sound it took him what seemed like ages to find the critter. 'Cliche forest creature number one, small forest rodent where the exact species escapes Ben. It could either be a small hare or a squirrel. 

Ben wasn't hungry, nor did he have anything to catch the critter other than his hands. He was still naked, hairless and albino. Well, not quite albino, he was just white, however, it was convenient to refer to himself as an albino. With a day running in the sun, Ben was sure his skin tone had undertaken a minor change to the darker. Fortunately, sun burn wasn't an issue. After consideration which accounted for the lack of equipment and hunger Ben determined it was not yet time to hunt the mighty rodent. It would most likely end in abject failure. But it was significant there were living creatures in the simulation, which meant, there could be any type of animal in this forest. What was not yet established was, was there any type of sentient or monsters which were not part of everyday reality?

Ben was beginning to feel tired from the day's exertions. He spontaneously decided to sit and meditate. During the last few years, he had done a lot of meditation, he was experienced and it formed part of his daily routine. Practice makes perfect and when you are a depressed quadriplegic meditation is one of your few escapes which both relieves depression and can be achieved without assistance. Something he was not accustomed to were poses. He decided to just sit and cross his legs like he has seen on different shows. It was also what he had imagined when back in the real world. Ben controlled his breathing, closed his eyes and drove all thoughts from his mind. His focus was being in the present and what he could hear. Ben entered a state of balance much quicker than he normally would. He felt centred and was easily able to avoid the wandering mind which troubled him greatly in his first year of practice. Perhaps the simulation made meditation easier?

Ben's meditation object was the forest itself. It was tranquil, at hand and appropriate. He was able to focus without forgetting, mind wandering or dozing off. Once he achieved this stage, which he referred to it as balance, he would contemplate "the forest" as an entity with a heart.

"Why hello there," Ben heard and being startled he jumped up and looked around. No one was there. 'What the...' Ben thought. 'There was no way that the forest actually spoke to him while meditating, that is crazy.' Yet there was no one here and well, he was in a simulation. What was crazy for the real world was not necessarily crazy here. Also, the fact that his actual body was lying on a trolley and what was effectively an induced coma while he was connected to a thousand wires and played a computer game. That was crazy. His meditation object speaking to him was only a lower level of crazy and under the current circumstances explainable.

Ben sat back down and, with a little more difficulty this time, found the balanced stage. He made the forest his meditation object again and focused on an imaginary centre of the forest or its heart. Ben maintained the state waiting for the, whatever it was, to speak to him again.

"Ah, you're back," the disembodied meditation entity said. "It was rude of you to leave abruptly without saying goodbye"

'The disembodied meditation entity had a conception of proper manners?' Ben thought.

"Yes I do, and I am not a disembodied meditation entity, I am, well, the forest Sentients refer to me as Mother." Mother replied to Ben's thoughts unexpectedly.

"My apologies, I am new here," Ben replied vocalising in his mind. Although he was no longer focusing on his meditation object and conversing with this being he somehow managed to maintain balance with some difficulty.

"Come to me, I sense you are in need and if nothing else, I love to nurture." Mother sent an image, a feeling of where she was located in the physical realm. "Oh, and beware of the ferals, they do not listen to me."

'Ferals!' Ben thought as he stood. 'What the...' With such ambiguous advice he would have to be wary of anything that moved. Ben made his way through the forest to what he felt like was the location of Mother. He was careful of his surroundings at all times, ensuring that if he did run into a feral he would be aware of them before they could harm him. 

While circling what was a large, particularly interesting tree with massive partially above ground roots extending out and almost a shelter at its base, Ben heard a distinct noise. A branch fell directly behind him. Ben looked up and caught a glimpse of something or someone up in the branches before they disappeared behind a red cedar. Ben's wariness level just rose to maximum. All his senses and concentration were now looking out for what could be a hostile ambush.

He had to force himself to keep moving. 'This is exhausting,' Ben thought. He determined he would sprint for awhile, to escape the immediate area. And if something was thrown or shot at him, sprinting would increase its chance of missing. Ben began to move at his highest speed possible while dodging trees and obstacles, the noise he was making increased dramatically. If something was pursuing him, it was unlikely he would hear them. The unknown just became very scary. Ben knew two things, the unknown is usually way scarier than reality and you never run in a straight line, that is just asking to be hit. 'Right Rickon!' Ben laughed to himself.

After running at top speed for five minutes, Ben was stuffed. It wasn't easy on a track or road, but in a forest with no trail while being pursued by the unknown? It was devastating to his energy levels. He was breathing so hard he couldn't hear a thing. Ben needed to get his breathing under control quickly. It was dangerous not being able to hear a probably feral under the current circumstances. Standing straight, taking three deep breaths Ben was under control. Listening carefully, he could hear no sounds of pursuit. Just a high pitched chuckle. 'What the .....!' Ben was amazed.

"Stop fucking laughing and get down here and face me you ugly feral!" Ben was both emotionally and physically tired. Running from an unknown terror is exhausting and to have it not attack you and just laugh at you. 'Well them was fighting words...without the words.'

"No," the unknown pursuer replied in a high pitched voice. It sounded like a girl, a small girl.She then broke out in uproarious laughter after Ben turned red. Although he couldn't see her, she most likely could see him.

Oh great, his nemesis was a small girl. The Joker had Batman, Gates had Jobs and he had a little girl. 

After a pregnant pause, Ben replied lamely "fine!" He then stomped off towards what he felt was the right direction. All strategy and stealthiness were out the window. Emotions were now in charge. Ben continued to stomp for another hour, slowly calming down. He saw a snake and stomping just happened to be the normal method of informing them that he was in the area, so that worked out well. Snakes were normally harmless unless you stepped on them or made them angry and or trapped in some other way. Given warning a snake will get out of your way, usually, they didn't view six foot one soldiers as food, just as something to be avoided.

Just as Ben was starting to feel calm and return to his composed methods of traversing the forest. An ugly creature jumped out screeching at him. In the moment before acting Ben could see it was a pale green creature wearing some sort of armour, or clothing, which consisted of hard skins and shells of other creatures. These only covered half its body, almost like it was wearing shoulder pads and a big oval shell at its front. Ben didn't contemplate what to do, the ugly creature had a crude spear, was growling and running towards him. Ben had some anger to work off so he did the only thing that came to mind. He punched it, with his full force, directly in the face. It had the manners to run straight into the blow not expecting that sort of attack. The single blow laid out the, for want of a better label, Goblin. Or perhaps feral as Mother had described.

It was obvious to Ben this creature wasn't his laughing nemesis. His nemesis would have been far more crafty and was a girl with the imagery that accompanied that assumption. He wasn't sure of the gender of the feral and he sure did not want to find out. Ben just kept moving to the forests centre. It was becoming easier to find as the feeling assisting his direction finding was becoming stronger. He must be getting closer. Hopefully, he would make it before it became dark. The sun was not visible due to the forest's canopy, but it was obviously getting darker and Ben felt like he had been on the move for at least twelve hours today.

 After a couple more hours, with darkness descending on the forest, Ben entered a large tranquil glade which just felt right. There was a stump, which was massive in circumference yet shallow in height, in the middle of the glade. As Ben approached the stump it appeared to form a natural small pool or pond. Inside the pond, he could see, what had to be unnaturally clear green, or was it blue, tinted water. Barely visible at the bottom of the pond was what seemed to be a large gemstone, like a green blue opal or turquoise which was the source of the pond's colour.  The gemstone seemed alive, pulsating, however, the pulsation was more of a feeling emanating from it. It wasn't actually physically pulsating. As magical and special as the pond was, it was not Mother. 

 Ben scanned the glade, the pond had drawn him in first, but there was an old tree, nothing special about it. Nothing magnificent with first impressions. It was a type of willow especially adept at looking wise. Ben felt like this was Mother and approached the tree. As Ben approached the tree a girl appeared at the perimeter of the glade. Within an instant, Ben guessed with unerring accuracy that this was his aforementioned nemesis. Her piercing green eyes peered at him menacingly, giving Ben the impression he was trespassing and if it was up to her she would kill him instantly. The fact she wasn't firing the bow protruding above her shoulder indicated that she was under the orders or power of Mother and had to refrain from attacking him. Ben smiled and waved at her. If he could effect a sarcastic wave, this was it. 'Oh vengeance be mine,' Ben thought at her.

 The girl would usually be intimidating if Ben hadn't deduced from her body language she wanted to attack but was not permitted. Adding to the intimidation was her athletic form, she looked the picture of health, she could probably traverse the forest all day and shoot arrows from the trees. She did not look human, but Ben barely looked human as well in his albino, naked, hairless body. Luckily he was without certain appendages or he would have been embarrassed. She wasn't exactly wearing any clothing, however vines and leaves covered her lady parts. What was visible were her six pack and toned lithe frame. Where she departed from human was her face and ears. Ben thought 'the cliche wood elf was complete' when it came to her facial features especially the ears. Her sandy blonde and light green hair was intertwined with the vines which sporadically covered her body. She was shorter than Ben, about five foot five. Ben was curious to determine whether this was her full height or she was young and still growing. 

Ben sat down at the base of the willow tree and stretched out his hand to touch. 'Mother?' he thought a question at the tree. A lady appeared under the branches of the willow. She looked to be the same race as nemesis just older and shorter. She was about four foot tall, fit and completely naked. Ben thought one thing about the simulation, clothes were certainly optional. Her skin differed from nemesis, Mother's skin and hair took on the tones and hues of the willow tree. Until she touched Ben on the forehead he wasn't sure if she was a projection or real.

"Welcome Benzhi," intoned Mother in a calm, self-assured yet exotic voice as she inspected him. All the while running her fingers over his body while she circled him.

"Why thank you, Mother?" Ben replied. He still didn't feel comfortable calling someone Mother who wasn't his mother. Yet it was more of a title than their relationship on a personal level. He would get over it quickly. "Why do you call me Benzhi?" 

Mother smiled at Ben and a breeze swept through the glade which waved the willows branches about in a slow swaying motion. "Because when I touched you and sensed YOU it felt right. You think of yourself as Ben and you want to be agile, quick and fast. This is what drives you. Benzhi is both your centre and your desire. Hence, it is what I will call you."

Benzhi didn't know what the addition of zhi to his name meant exactly. But Mother was spot on. The thing he desired from this world, above all things, was to be able to move. Be it here or in real life. It felt right to him also, if he got the chance to introduce himself to anyone in this world he would go by Benzhi. 

Chapter end