The open part of the hollow facing outside was closed with a transparent shield; Nafız had seen this before. One of the things needed for Sangre's resurrection was the essence of the Sacred Tree, and this essence was used to protect the druid settlement with a shield just like this.
"One of the offerings needed for rebirth was necessary to protect himself; if I guessed correctly, that crystal must also be full of life force. Considering that Orcs do not die as long as they receive enough food, it must be so, at least that's how I feel!"
When Nafız made the necessary deduction, the giant entity shook its body harshly and hit its head against the wall made of rocks right next to it. The mountain-sized hollow shook madly, but the entity didn't stop; it continued to shake its head.
"He isn't hitting his head; he is slamming his huge beak against the rocks!"
Just at this moment, a story from her previous life came to Nafız's mind; she remembered the agonizing ritual eagles had to go through to extend their lifespans. She didn't believe everything said, and after researching, she found out this was a metaphor, but she still hadn't forgotten the lesson she learned.
It was said that when eagles reached a certain age, they would either choose to die or practically be reborn by proceeding through an agonizing path. Those who chose the difficult path would retreat to a high cliff, first break their beaks curved towards their chest by hitting them against stones, and wait for it to regrow.
When the formation of the beak was completed, it would harden, and they would pluck out their talons hindering them from grasping prey one by one, then with these talons, they would pluck the feathers on their aged wings preventing them from flying. When everything was over, a lifespan as long as the eagle had lived would appear before it, and Nafız likened what was happening now to this event.
When the giant entity's beak started to break and fall off, she saw that the analogy was inappropriate and that what happened was proceeding exactly as in the story. When the floor of the hollow filled with pieces of broken beak, the entity headed towards the crystal waiting in a corner, and Nafız felt her heart wrench.
Evidently, the giant entity relied on the vitality the crystal would provide to recreate its beak, but what it expected didn't happen. Nafız, feeling astonishment, disappointment, anger, and helplessness respectively along with Bürküt, was swimming in a sea of emotional shock.
"Orcs, so you dared to betray me after centuries. I curse you; I take back the lineage powers I gave, and I wish for you to diminish until a handful remains!"
The entity lifted the protection shield and started walking in an exhausted state; while Nafız inhaled the sea air coming to her nose, steps slowed down, and after a while, the entity was nailed to where it stood.
"What comes from nature returns to nature; I hope one day a brave one among you finds this place and you can multiply again with your honor!"
Finishing its speech, the entity fell to the ground and began to mix into the red soil; this didn't happen in an instant, it lasted slowly, agonizingly. The soil regaining Bürküt's body and energy was turning green; nature was reviving moment by moment, life was sprouting again in this abandoned place.
When Nafız understood where this place was, she forced a smile onto her sullen face. The Holy Lands they took refuge in after conquering the tribe they were born in was the place where God Bürküt once died.
Traces of the entity were almost erased, but Nafız hadn't felt the energy of another living being yet until she heard very tiny and slow steps. She wasn't inside Bürküt; she was watching what happened from outside her body.
She saw the incoming guest at this moment too; a black tortoise the size of a hand was moving towards the last pieces of the entity by moving its four legs one by one. It was so slow that it could make Nafız go mad from anger in normal times, but now the Blood God waited for it patiently.
When it reached the entity, a tiny speck remained, and the tortoise swallowed this with its tiny mouth. It paused for a few breaths, then continued walking as if nothing happened. The entity as big as a mountain, possessing a majesty capable of covering the moon and sun with its wingspan, was erased from the earth; although she wasn't aware, tears were wetting Nafız's cheeks.
"Who are you?"
While her emotions were in a mess, two words echoed in her mind. There was no doubt; this voice belonged to God Bürküt.
"Who are you?"
When no answer came, the same voice exclaimed again; this time it would get the answer it wanted.
"Nafız."
"What are you?"
The question might have seemed very simple for someone else, but when the subject was Nafız, the situation was quite complicated.
"I am an orc remembering her previous life and carrying the consciousness of another human inside me!"
"An orc?"
The last question contained intense anger and an unbearable killing intent; although Nafız was startled, she didn't break her upright stance.
"Yes, an orc!"
The killing intent increased again; Nafız couldn't breathe due to the effect of the energy wrapping around her throat, her body started turning purple from lack of air. Death was coming for her; as far as she understood from the ringing in her ears and the blurring vision, the entity was killing her.
"If you can still say you are an orc after seeing all that, neither your previous life nor the arrogant brat inside you has dominion over you. You are a pure-blooded orc, and one of those old, honorable ones at that!"
Nafız was drawing air into her breathless lungs and trying to perceive the sounds passing through her opening ears; the entity was uttering strange words while releasing her.
"But you are not ready, you are not pure! Get rid of your burdens; break, rip, and throw them away as I would do even if they provide you gain; only then can you reach the purity capable of carrying my might!"
When the entity's words finished, a violent wind started dragging Nafız; it was so harsh that she felt her flesh being pulled, her skin tearing. The pain was about to exceed the threshold of endurance, and Nafız passed out a few breaths later and continued to be hurled.
"I am dying, man; what kind of pain is this!"
In the area in front of the dark cave, a red-haired girl lay in the middle of a pool of blood of the same color. She could only hear the words spilling from her lips herself; maybe she couldn't hear, she just thought she heard because she said them herself.
Nafız was in such a confused state of body and soul; she waited like this until the first drop of rain that would quench her thirst fell. While the cold breeze of the valley cauterized the wounds on her body, she didn't utter a single sigh; she did nothing but fill her lungs with fresh air.
"Until today, I thought the more I mixed, the stronger I would get, but the truth slapped me in the face. I am an orc, and I won't be able to progress unless I accept what I am. The purification process has begun; all the dirty blood in my body has been forcibly ripped out and thrown away!"
While Nafız was hurled to the exit of the cave she entered, she had managed to expel some of the blood not belonging to her from her body, but there was some remaining hidden somewhere inside her.
"I can't throw her out like this; she will stay with me until the time comes!"
Although the sun rose, Nafız didn't move; a part of the blood pool around her had already mixed into the soil. That day ended as it started, and then three more days passed just like this; Nafız only stood up and started walking at the dawn of the fifth day.
"No, I can't leave her; I can't leave someone who has done me so much good in the lurch!"
Muttering to herself, the Blood God advanced; her white skin had become even paler, resembling a walking dead newly emerged from her grave. When she came to the high wall separating the valley from the Garbage House, she lunged forward as she lifted her head; showing a magnificent agility unexpected from her appearance, she stepped inside the structure without a roof a few dozen breaths later.
"Master!"
When she lifted her head, she saw Jashua running towards her; the Young Count appeared beside her along with the five people following him.
"Cut the fuss, there is nothing to panic about!"
Pushing the hulking youth by the shoulder and opening the way, Nafız headed towards the outside of the Garbage House; when she pushed open the broken door, the eyes of the six people were still on her.