Several voices banded together to make their combined whisper strong enough to be heard by Nameless. [Accept her kind offer! This will be a great and interesting ceremony! Deer is such a small price! It could give you insight on the world of the spirits and increase your chances of gaining more power! Sacrifice a deer! For us!]

“That's a good idea,” the man smiled. No, it's the best idea I've ever heard! “But I think this ceremony must be large enough to please all great spirits.”

The dryad tilted her head. “Why do we need to please all great spirits?”

Nameless was startled. Actually, he didn't know why, but he knew that it was a right thing to do!

“The great spirits deserve to be respected. We need to make a great, or rather, grand ceremony for them. They want that!”

The woman nodded. “They want it. That's true. But it seems you don't understand how it works. Usually we make a contract with the spirits. We ask them to do something and suggest our price. A spirit will accept or deny. But sometimes they can do something on their own. For example, if you offend a spirit, it can revenge you.

Now we need to sacrifice a young deer to that great spirit - who punished those hunters - to please it. That great spirit had helped us. Even if it was unintentional. We must show our respect. Besides, I promised a young deer to that great spirit. Do you understand, stranger? We must thank only that great spirit. Not all of them.”

It sounded logical, but Nameless couldn't accept it. He wanted to make a grand ceremony and sacrifice a young deer to all great spirits! They are deserved it!

“No, we need to show our respect to all great spirits and conduct a great ceremony for them. How you don't understand it?! We just waste our time here! Let's find a deer first!”

The man stood up and looked around. It's dawn now.

He couldn't be idle anymore! It was very important! Nameless knew that this ritual could also give him more power and new knowledge about the spirits!

“Let's go!”

“It seems you can't control yourself again, stranger,” the dryad said calmly and stood up. “Okay, follow me. I know where a young deer is.”

That was enough for Nameless to go after the green lady. She knows where is a deer is!

They moved deeper in the jungle. To his surprise, Nameless saw as trees, lianas, and other plants were moving aside to clear a path for the dryad. In less than a minute both of them halted in front of the animal.

How did we find a deer so quickly? Nameless looked back but saw just lash foliage.

He looked at the animal again. The deer had a pair of small horns. It was covered by black chitin.

At first the animal looked at visitors warily, but then it relaxed when the deer had seen the dryad.

The green lady approached the deer and stroked its head. She smiled. “Come with me.”

The animal walked after the dryad who now moved ahead of their small group. Again trees, lianas, and other plants were moving aside when they walked.

In about a minute they stood before a bloodied stone. The man noticed many bones of different size that were scattered around the stone. A shrine?

“It doesn't look like an appropriate place for a great ceremony. We need a better place with hundreds of attendants...”

“Don't worry, stranger. Just watch,” the green lady butted in and pointed at the stone.

The deer came up to the shrine. It didn't look frightened.

In the next second daylight darkened. Now Nameless could see numerous shadows which lurked in the jungle. He could feel their hunger. They all waited. The man knew that those shadows wanted this deer to be sacrificed to them.

The dryad came up to the deer and stroked its head. Then she cut the animal's throat and blood began to pour down on the stone, but the deer as if hadn't noticed it. The animal continued to stay calmly.

Hunger of the shadows intensified immediately.

“Great spirit Pingu, accept this gift!”

Unexpectedly the shadows ran away in fright while bright energy was moving up to the sky.

“What have you done?! We should sacrifice this deer to all great spirits!” the man was furious. But in the next moment he realized that, actually, he shouldn't. I don't owe those greedy bastards anything!

“I see that you control yourself now,” The woman offered him a knife. “The deer is still alive. You can take part in the ritual yet.”

Nameless took the knife automatically. “What shall I do?”

“Kill the poor animal.”

~~~~~~

They moved out from the jungle close to a hill with a large tree. Nameless could see a road nearby.

“Thank you for your help.”

The dryad nodded and smiled. “One day your soul will be freed from those spirits.”

“I hope so.” Nameless said and heard the voices.

[Go to the city! I want to see the city! The jungle is a boring place!]

[Go to the inn or those camps! Something interesting must be there!]

[Go to the jungle! The beautiful dryads live there!]

[Hug the dryad! She is good! She helped you! And reward her with a passion kiss!]

[Attack the dryad! I wanted to obtain a part of the deer's energy! It's not fair! Pingu doesn't deserve this sacrifice!]

[I gift you]*

Special note