by J E Mueller
How do I find the others, though?
Marella came to mind.
On shaky legs, I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled out of the kitchen. Ahead I saw a small group of Hedgeish. The small squeaky hedgehog creatures were not a welcome sight. My bow wouldn’t summon, and I noticed I was transparent. Sighing, I didn’t know how to take what was going on. The souls stuck here were solid. I continued on, shakily walking through a mess of confused creatures, and went on my way. They looked as horrified as I was.
I simply walked through them and I felt rather satisfied I could scare the creatures instead of them scaring me. I was surprised how tired I was for being incorporeal, but did my best to ignore the wave of sleepiness that threatened to push me into the ground.
When I reached the puddle room, I more stumbled into it, falling to the ground instead of entering like a coherent person.
“Oh no, darling…” I felt Marella near my side but she quickly left and I heard the door shut. “We need to get you back to normal.”
I tried to mumble something in reply, but my eyes refused to open, my body refused to move.
“It’ll just be a minute.” I felt her watery form lift me up and then we plunged under the water.
After a few moments, the water vanished around me and I was laid on something soft. This room felt cozy and warm, but my eyes still refused to open.
“This will take a moment, but I know exactly the problem here.”
I tried to say ‘that’s good’, but nothing that resembled words came out.
Marella started to sing in a language I did not recognize. As someone who grew up in a port town, I had heard plenty of accented language but this one was more gritty, yet somehow she made it smooth.
The longer she sang, the stronger I felt, but the more I wanted to sleep. It was getting harder to retain consciousness and then…
“There we go…” I could hear the smile on her lips.
I found I could open my eyes finally and forced them open as I finally sat up. I was sitting on a cream colored sofa. All around me were plush chairs, sofas, and round tables. The entire perimeter of the room was lined with shelves of books.
“Where am I?” I asked as I remembered the answer. It had been a long time since I was here. “Oh… I really wish I remembered this place sooner.” I had been here so many times in my dreams, how could I forget?
Marella smirked. “What’s done is done. You remember now and can rest. The others are set, so no worrying about anyone but yourself.”
That didn’t sound good. “What happened? Have I been gone that long?”
Marella nodded. “What happened was your essence took too long to reform and rebuild. It has been about three days. The group of them have retrieved an artifact that can find all other artifacts. They are making headway on all the easy ones, and working their way out. You, my dear, rest. Soon we have things to do.”
I didn’t like the sound of it, but nodded. “I’m not surprised, but what do we need to do?”
“You made a deal to revisit a Estella. That must be taken care of first.”
I frowned as I tried to dig up the memory. I shouldn’t have been surprised the banshee like library creature had a name. “I am still unsure what that’s about.”
“You’ll find out, and that will help more than sending you off to find the others,” Marella stated.
“How do you know about that, anyway?” I asked, rather confused.
“Her name is Estella. She likes to rip off faces. We get along splendidly. She can travel through the floors but can only become solid on the third. She paid me a visit when you didn’t return.”
I wasn’t sure I needed some of those details but I nodded along anyway, not wanting to argue with someone who gets along with another that rips off faces. “Okay, I will go there, but how can I protect myself? I can’t fight most of the things on that floor.” I had to admit the truth there.
Marella sighed. “That is sadly true for the moment. We will use your weakness to our advantage.”
“What is that and how?” There was at least a two page list of weaknesses so I couldn’t figure out which exactly she could mean.
“I have stabilized, you but it’s weak and temporary,” Marella explained. “Just picture yourself as you were on your way here. Feel the emptiness, bring it to the front.”
“Oh, really like any other weird ability here.” I nodded my understanding. The less I thought about it, the easier the magic seemed to work. After a deep breath, I did exactly as she said and was once more incorporeal. Pulling the feelings of life around me once more, I was stable flesh and bone. “Will that work even on the Agmon?” Now that was the real question. Those things were out for blood, er rather essence.
“Yes, it will. I would ask Estella to escort you back down a level at least. Best not to wear yourself out too much. You may go.”
I stared at her for a moment and sighed. I knew there was one puddle in the room and walked over to it. It wasn’t a straight shot back, but I had done this more than a million times as a young Dreamer. Now that I remembered it, I could do it in my sleep.
Diving back into the water, I took the route I knew was true and quickly found myself back in the room with too many puddles. When this was over, I had better have every last freaking memory back. This place would not defeat me.
I felt tired, but at least I knew nothing could attack me. Setting off, I went to find Estella and see what was going on. She was an interesting spirit creature for sure. Whenever we got things solved, I hoped to understand why some where just mindless killers and how some actually seemed to have personalities and thoughts intact.
The climb up to the third floor hurt my legs more than I was expecting. After running around for days you’d think my sorta dead self would have this down, but of course not. Ignoring the pain, I couldn’t help but wonder how one would purposefully find a creature when one wasn’t with a Tracker. It might have been better to wait for Mare, but Marella had been insistent about coming up here.
I felt Marella knew more about things than she was letting on, but there was nothing I could do about that until this was resolved. Tiredly, I made my way into the library where I last saw Estella and sank down into one of the chairs.
If I had to guess, I would say she could sense someone was at least in here. I wasn’t sure if I needed to be corporal again or not for that to work. Willing myself to be solid again, I could feel a greater weight of exhaustion overcome me as my eyes threatened to shut. Would it be safe to sleep here?
No, my luck would have it so a stupid Agmon would find me before I could do anything about it. With a sigh, I forced my eyes open, and pushed myself up. I needed to move if I were to stay awake.
Forcing myself to move, I went to the endless shelves of books to glance around. I wasn’t expecting to find anything useful, but it was better than falling asleep and potentially dying. Again. I had no hopes to survive if I died in the current state I was in. If maintaining a physical body was this hard, I was certainly doomed anyway.
As long as I could help the others solve as much of this problem as possible it would be worth it. The only thing that would ensure my sister stood a chance of being safe was keeping those demon and angel creatures away.
As I glanced through the shelves, I started to notice something. The books didn’t just have boring and useless titles, they had light magical energies to them. Instead of searching visually for something to look at, I closed my eyes and ran my hand along the spines until an energy stood out to me and grabbed the book.
“Herbs for life…” I read the title aloud to myself before opening the book. “I’ll be damned.” The book wasn’t just about plant life around here, but the creatures most commonly around those plants and how to defeat them.
I quickly started flipping through and reading about every creature I saw, taking in the best ways to incapacitate and kill them. This was exactly what I needed to study.
“You’re late…” I fe
lt a breeze on my neck as Estella’s voice suddenly sounded in my ears. It was soft and sinister, exactly what I imagined a vengeful spirit would sound like.
Closing the book, I turned to look at her. “I accidentally died,” I replied honestly.
Estella gave a knowing nod. “You’re worse for wear.”
Shrugging, I didn’t know how else to respond. I probably looked two steps from death if not already in a grave.
“Come, there’s something you need to see.” She offered her hand out to me. Her voice sounded softer now, at least.
This was still less strange than the sentient fog trying to convince me of things, so I accepted her hand.
I saw myself lose physical form again as she pulled me along, but didn’t say anything. It was less exhausting being essentially a ghost anyway. I let her pull me along, her body almost vanishing as we went up the stairs in the library to the fourth floor.
I remembered Lydia saying there was an artifact here. I glanced at Estella as she gently tugged me along. “What is it I need to see?”
Estella shook her head. “It’s…” She seemed puzzled as she tried to think of the right words. “There’s a tiara in the wall and it won’t come out.”
Well, that was about right for this place. I gave her a nod. “That is something you probably don’t often see.”
“It didn’t appear until shortly before you were looking at that floor. I think it came for one of you,” Estella continued. “The others are not all worthy.”
I nodded once more. “I agree, but how do you know?” I wondered what she could tell that wasn’t immediately obvious to the rest of us.
She stopped and stared off into the distance. Time slowly ticked by as she thought of things I could only begin to guess at.
Finally, Estella replied, “I am the last of my kind. There was an offer here, to help reap the souls here if I become tied to this place. Those souls trapped here cannot kill me, it’s too complicated for their minds. I learned how to avoid and maneuver around the rules and magics in place. As time stretched on, so does my memory. They cannot kill me so I remember all…”
She glanced at me for a moment before looking once more off into the distance. “It’s dull here, so I observe them all. I see their deeds, their sins. Some have not grown at all since they came here.”
I couldn’t judge her. If she could move and travel, why not take things in? With so many avoiding the upper levels… I would have likely done the same thing.
“They cannot find this one.” Estella started walking again, leaving me to follow. “It comes and goes at random intervals. I think it knows it doesn’t want to be found by just anyone.”
Nodding, I kept up until we reached the spot Lydia had mentioned at the far end of the fourth floor. Glancing around it struck me there wasn’t another way down. You had to come and go through the library.
Estella motioned to the blank wall. “It’s here when it appears.”
I could only nod. “When was the last time it appeared?”
Estella shrugged. “We wait.”
And so we did.
At some point, I dozed off. I woke to Estella saying ‘it’s here’ over and over until I finally opened my eyes. Sure enough, it looked like a tiara had been molded into the wall. There was no way that thing was just going to be tugged out. Still, I willed myself to take form, feeling a rush of energy leave me as I did. The nap was enough to get me through that moment.
Getting up, I walked over to it and gave it a tentative tug. There was no budging.
“Any thoughts?” I asked Estella who was hovering near me. I was only mildly surprised I couldn’t see her in my physical form. I supposed it made sense that only something more ghost-like would be able to see her outside of her floor.
“Free her,” she supplied happily.
I tugged at it again, but there was no budging. “I can’t.”
Estella sighed. “I was hoping you’d know how. I am sad to see that’s not solved yet.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I admitted. I thought it was obvious that thing couldn’t just come out of a wall.
I held onto it as I tried to see if there was a possible way to wiggle it free.
That won’t work.
I heard a different voice fill my mind. Hearing someone other than Lydia in my head was confusing.
I go by Dani, the voice helpfully supplied. You found Lydia? Is she free?
I let the memories freely dance across my mind as I held onto the tiara. I gave up Lydia’s bracelet in an attempt to keep her safe.
Well, that is at least a start.
I couldn’t help but wonder if there was another way to get the tiara out of the wall.
There is, technically. If someone holding me were to die I’d go somewhere else, though I can’t promise I wouldn’t be fixed to a different wall.
“I wish there was an easier way to track these respawn points…” I mumbled.
“There is,” I heard Estella state softly. “She’d end up on the third floor, near the library if not in it. I could find her in less than an hour.”
“If you can, I’ve got an idea then…” I looped my arm through the tiara as best as I could, hoping my half-cooked idea would be good enough to trick the system.
I willed my body to be incorporeal once more and the tiara vanished.
Estella smirked. “Well done.”
“Yes!” I cheered, letting the joy of accomplishment run through me. “I really wasn’t sure if that would work.”
“Some rules are meant to be navigated around.” She smiled widely. “Let’s go. We have a tiara to find.”
An hour and a half later, I was trudging back downstairs to find Marella. I couldn’t do much in my physical form, still tired as I had been, but at least now I had the tiara on my head. With Estella’s guidance, I managed to make it back without having to fight anything.
Marella didn’t seemed surprised to see me, or Estella, but her eyes were fixated on the tiara.
“You found someone?” Her question was hopeful, joy lingering on what answer I would give.
“Dani,” I replied simply. “I’m really tired though. I don’t know what to do next, but I can’t seem to keep this form without losing tons of energy, and if I lose this form, we’ll lose the tiara.”
Marella nodded and offered her hand. “I’ll hold it until the others return. You should rest, though I’d recommend staying here.”
I didn’t have to ask where here was, I knew the little library would be the safest option possible. “Can you take me back there?” I glanced around, not entirely sure where Estella was, but I could feel her presence. “Thank you again.”
“Of course…” I could hear her whispy voice whisper softly.
With that, Marella pulled me into the water. Mentally cursing her, I wished she had given me a moment to at least gather a proper breath. Not that I needed it, but it still felt better to have air.
Naturally, it was only a few quick moments, and I was back in the hidden library. The curse on Marella dead in my thoughts as I saw the sofa and promptly made my way over to it.
“We should make a plan before you sleep…” Marella stated as if I wasn’t tired.
I grumbled and flopped onto the plush surface. “Like what? I thought the plan was to find all the artifacts to find the Creators.”
“What about your friends? Should they know you are alive?”
“Of course… though I suppose it would complicate things if Cane and Clove found out.” I glanced over to Marella. “What do you advise?”
“I say for the moment continue to work without them. I have another little mission for them. I’m certain I’ve found Emmyth…” She glanced to the water. “And here they are.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes. “For now, I’ll agree.”
Marella vanished once again into the water, leaving me to sleep.
Like any good nap, I woke up not sure where I was, what day it was, and if it was night or day. There we
re no windows here, and this place in general lacked useful time markers. While I could figure out the time through magic, it did me little good if I was sleeping for three days straight. Sitting up, I couldn’t tell if anyone was there.
“Marella?” I called into the empty room.
A minute later she emerged from the water. “Ah, I see you’re finally awake and fully revived.”
I nodded. “Was I out for long?”
Marella shrugged. “No, maybe twelve hours. Enough time to truly rest and regain your strength.”
I nodded, not really liking the time, but I did feel more normal again. The normal feeling made me curious and I found I couldn’t become incorporeal anymore. “I guess being a spirit as a spirit was a bit much anyway…”
Marella smirked. “Are you ready for the next task, then?”
I felt about as ready as I always did, which wasn’t any bit at all. “I suppose. What is it?”
“There’s been a few incidents, let me catch you up first.” Marella changed gears.
“What happened?” Dread filled me as the possible answers danced through my brain.
“They needed another possible source…” Marella paced the room. “You see, the pawns the demons and angels had set weren’t working as well as they would like. They knew they needed someone like you with extra abilities. Since you weren’t cooperating, they…” Marella stopped her pacing. “Your sister has been brought to this world.”
“What?” I was off the sofa in a moment. “Where is she? This is not a safe place for her. Is she a spirit here? A Dreamer?”
Marella motioned for me to sit, but I refused. “She is a Dreamer and Kegan is unable to get to this world, but she is caring for her just the same. I know her location, and she is safe from those in the house.”
Good, so Clove couldn’t do anything. That did mean though… “She’s with the Watch?” Outside? This couldn’t be a good thing.
Marella nodded. “She’ll be safe there. They will teach her all she needs to know and protect her. We must get you ready first. While you go to find her, we need that artifact that is flying around to be retrieved.”
