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Day 1:
I could not find Shishin in the woods before we left for Haven. I left a bit of Baijiu in the building of the Po Chi Lam for him to find. I only hope that the ofuda that I had applied was still working as intended…I am still learning, and my injury I feel was due to my inexperience. I walked with my new staff, I have been building one like Hanu had, though I have not found a suitable gourd. It houses a turtle shell that I found, it reminds me of Lao Mei. Trinkets jingle and click against the shell as I walk with it. It’s a calming sound, and it lightly drowns out the struggle I hear from my father’s Magan.
“Click click click click.”
We arrive and are set up in some housing. I nest in a top bunk. Everyone comes together for dinner, and for a moment everything feels normal and calm. I learn new phrases, many that people don’t expect me to repeat. I explore the town a bit after food with Larken, Raine shows us some of his favorite places and I scope out a place to set up the Lam. There are still whispers of how to save Meat from his predicament. I only hope the favor that we asked of the Royces was able to assist the Consortium.
“LAAAAAAAAAAAAA LAAAAA SQUAK”
I am not as good at singing as Larken and Raine. As everyone is moved in the night begins fall. Even with how hot it has been…there’s a strange chill in the air. Raine reminds us of the story we were told of the Wild Hunt, and that we should not answer the calls. I take note and borrow his words, trying to remind others to heed them.
“Do not answer the call of the Hunt. Do not answer the call of the Hunt.”
There was something wrong though. People began to behave strangely. Something suddenly came over Raine and he began to look at us with a look of distrust. We try to ask him what was wrong but he shook us off, starting to walk briskly away. He began to sing, starting to form a circle, a magic I was familiar with. He stepped inside of the circle and completed his barrier, screaming for us to stay back with a true sense of fear. We asked Raine what was wrong but every time we called him by his name he shouted “THAT’S NOT MY NAME” Out of the corner of my eye I see people starting to attack each other. Others tried to figure out what was going on with Raine but he was screaming at us with a madness and desperation that didn’t make any sense. The chaos was building and all that went through my head was that I needed to set up the Po Chi Lam. We were going to need it!
I hear whistling and growing shrieks as I ran to my bunk. I break into a sprint back to get inside as the shrieks of the hunt begin to build. I make it inside as the windows began to rattle, and the calls began. I did not heed the call of the hunt, but I was separated from everyone else. I hopped into my bed and began to bring the covers over my head when I realize a gift was left waiting for me. A paper crane, with a key? Was this from Hanu??? I open the note and look…and sigh.
“I can’t read!”
The howls and shrieks begin to die down outside. It felt like the hunt had passed by. If the note was from Hanu, Kelora would want to read it too! I run outside to find her.
“Kelora! Kelora! Kelora!”
I return back…and it’s chaos! My friends are wandering, shrieking and calling out, sniffing and hunting. I see Kelora, her features twisted into that of a hound. My sister…could I draw her back in? She was angry and feral.
“We’re family. We can depend on each other.”
I borrow Hanu’s words and show her the note. If it was from him, maybe it could bring her back? She glances at it, and her rage grows. “HANU IS GONE. HE LEFT. ONTHA IS DEAD, AND ENIGMA IS GONE BECAUSE OF ME. IT’S BECAUSE OF ME.” She thrusts the paper into my chest and I take it with a shaking hand. My sister…why? Aikenn approaches and checks on me. I show him the note and he reads it out loud for me. I am so confused! What could this mean? It would have to wait for now though. Some of my friends were running around howling and growling like wild beasts, taken by the hunt.
“Po Chi Lam. Help.”
I ask Aikenn to help me carry the Lam. He runs to retrieve it with me and we begin the trek back. By the time we got there everyone seemed to have come to, their forms returning to normal. I see Kelora and a pain is felt in my heart…her words…she was so mad and said such hurtful things. I couldn’t look at her and I walk past, carrying the parts of the Lam. I hear her pained voice behind me “I can’t lose you too.” I stop. I turn and look at her and slowly hug her.
“Help. Po Chi Lam.”
I hand her a piece to carry, and we go and set up the shrine. I cleanse the space and Kelora and I take a moment there. I don’t say much yet, instead I choose to allow the singing bowls to fill the space. It drowns out the calls of the hunt, drowns out the sounds I hear from my father’s Magan, and a peace settles in. Everyone takes their leave for their own moments of recovery. I’m left alone. I sit and contemplate Hanu’s letter. I let out a sigh and stand, taking a few moments around the Lam to make sure everything was stocked properly in the infirmary. Something catches my eye though…a box? A strange box with a lock. I pick it up and it feels heavy with a jingling noise inside. I run to catch up with the others. I find Kelora and I show her the box. She’s confused by it and asks if there is a key. The key from the paper crane! I pull it from my pocket and start to open up the lock. Others see something is going on and come over to investigate. I open the box and pour out the contents. A grand pile of keys!…..and a note with a heart. I pick it up and open it. Sigh….
“I can’t read!”
Kelora takes the note and begins to read it out loud. It’s a little odd listening to Kelora say things that Hanu would. He talked about an ice bath? And a sandwich and a box??? We would have to think in pickled monkey brain. It was time for a sandwich and some ice! As we went to the kitchen others sat, and I showed Kalen the box of keys.
“Ice! Sandwich!”
Kalen stated that we didn’t really have an ice bath. But there was a box that was cold as ice. There was no sandwich in the box…but there was a container, with locks! I grab hold and I feel a familiar presence inside. This was mama! Hanu had found her! He didn’t lie! There are locks on it. I run back to the box of keys, and Kelora helps me sort through them to get the locks open. A shining fragment…a familiar teal hue, but only just a piece. My shoulders fall a moment. This was her, this definitely was her… but the rest of her was still missing. I grasp the piece in my hand and take off towards the Lam. I hear voices of my friends following me as I run. I walk into the Lam and sit starting to cast to connect with the fragment. My head is filled with the painful twisted screams of my mother and I drop her as I have to grasp my head. She’s in so much pain… My friends ask me what happened as I recover.
“Mama…. SHRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! PAIN!”
The sound echoes in my mind and I want to cry. This was why. This was why she couldn’t move on from this world. Her soul sat shattered in my hands, alongside my father who was grasping onto his own sanity. And no one could hear it but me. Kelora’s vision was all too clear now. Tully Eye held the final piece. To save both my parents’ souls, I had to find Tully Eye. My dreams were filled with nightmares that night…
-
Whoa mei-mei.. that woke me from sleep and left me gasping..
Sweet soul, tender friend, beloved sister..
I’m telling this to your heart, so you can share it out to others.
I may not be here, here.. but I’m NEVER far..
I’m as close as a breath, as near as your heart, and my love for ya runs deep.
Specially for you little sister.
Now spread those wings. This is YOUR moment. Even our setbacks and our pains are teachers. Friends even.. They remind us we’re alive, yeah? And there’s learnin to do.
Go with the breeze. Ride the wind. Catch that wave, and go with the flow.
And remember, I’m just a breath away on the wind..
But.. maybe don’t be downwind from me.. Laomei and I had tacos…
-
Part 2
The night was filled with howls and shrieks as the hunt continued. Bouts of madness hit my friends in waves, people began accusing each other, not just of being Tully Eye but bouts of anger about anything and everything. Some were convinced they were Tully Eye and attacked their friends. Others acted without consequence, running about and causing chaos. We tried to get things under control, but everyone is becoming terrified and directionless. I find Kelora at one instance and I nuzzle into her. She glances towards me before looking back at what is going on. That is odd…I nuzzle again…and she doesn’t nuzzle back. I lock eyes with her and I feel my feathers begin to rise. I draw my bokken.
“Tully Eye!”
I swing at her, she dodges and runs. I pursue, followed and intervened by my friends, but Simon shouts a confirmation, “SHE WASN’T SPEAKING WITH AN ACCENT. PAY ATTENTION!!!” I continue to try and pursue, but Tully Eye had disappeared. I shriek in anger. I almost had them! I ALMOST HAD THEM. We find Kelora wandering in a daze later. I walk over to her, and nuzzle her shoulder. She nuzzles back. This was my sister.
_______________________
Morning comes and I hear a clanging call of breakfast. I rise with my feathers a mess and quickly get dressed. Kebbie’s food has been amazing! There was a woman that Z recognized that worked with Kebbie the night before, I guess that her husband is Imend. I will have to remember to tell him that I saw “Hilde”. It seems like it has been a long time since they’ve seen each other. They had been separated…I understand that feeling all too well.
“Imend…He sure can handle his Baijiu!”
I devour my eggs before I go to do my morning training, I stretch and work through my forms. It all feels calm for a moment, but a voice cuts through it and into my mind. “I understand you’re looking for me….for this?” The voice is odd, it’s many and one, I both recognize and don’t understand. Tully Eye. A vision of the other piece of my mother’s Magan enters into my head, an echo of her pained shriek screaming into my mind. “I’ll make a deal. You help me…I’ll let you have her….Think on it.”
The voice fades and I come out of it with a start, gripping my head. I look around desperately trying to spot any sign of Tully Eye. Make a deal…the pained sounds from both my father and mother whisper from my trinket bag. My thoughts are interrupted as some of my friends approach and inquire if I’m alright.
“I understand you’re looking for me…for this? I’ll make a deal. You help me…I’ll let you have her.”
I repeat what I could of Tully Eye’s message and there is light confusion and mistrust as I begin speaking in the voice. I’m able to remind them that these words were not my own. There’s concern from my friends as they check on me after this vision. I tell them I’m okay…
“I’m okay. I’m okay.”
They reassure me that we’ll find Tully Eye and get my mother back. I nod. But they can’t hear the screams from my trinket bag. Just what kind of deal did Tully Eye have in mind? These weren’t good thoughts. I shouldn’t be thinking them.
Mukan stated that she started to get a strange sensation, like she could sense Tully Eye was near. We all tried to figure out if it was from a particular direction, but she didn’t seem to be able to pinpoint it. My hand gripped my bokken as I glanced around my friends, trying to find anything odd about them, but everyone appeared to be themselves. I suggested visiting the Po Chi Lam to try and clear the sensation. If Tully Eye was effecting her it was best to remove this effect. Maybe some tea would help?
The sensation seemed to linger with Mukan even while inside the Lam. We linger a while and just take a moment. My thoughts begin to wander again. To Tully Eye, to my mother… I shake them off as I hear a ruckus outside. A battle?
Outside the window the Consortium were fighting with people in green and gold uniforms. In the midst of it I spotted MEAT. Looks like they were able to break him out, it could possibly be a decent sized mess to deal with later on. I stay out of sight as memories flood in of a previous incident with groups of humans… Mukan confirms when it is clear. I go to see if anyone needed healing.
___________
The fight to free Meat…er Marcus? I’m going to call him Meat still. It was a rough battle more so on gear than body. I appreciate this but Z is definitely up to her beard in work! I start to seek out resources to help her in the repairs. There should be some decent plant matter in the woods nearby. I scratch and search around to find the items Z needs, but I begin hearing my name being called. I look up and in front of my face is a many-eyed snarling monster!
“Hel-”
Before I can get even a word out I feel my body being pulled. Gravity shifts and I am flung onto the ground in an unknown place. I look around desperately and try to spot any sign of my friends. I don’t know where I am. I’m in a lair of some kind? There are items around, and I can hear a growling in the distance. I spot a skull, parts of a body? Could they give me information? Where was I? What was this!? How do I get back!? I hear the monster coming, I don’t have time to fully hear the dead’s voice so I desperately try to find any kind of clues that I can! I am digging around and hear the footsteps of the creature. I can only get a vague message from the body. This thing hated us. It hated me. The monster appeared and started to pursue. I had no idea how to get back, all I could do was run! I sprinted as quickly as my legs could take me, I could feel the monster practically on my tail! I feel something pull me backwards towards it and I struggle away, my wings picking me up to give me a boost forward as I continue to run. I feel a pull as I continue to sprint and there’s a sensation as the gravity shifts again and I land on the ground.
My friends were in the distance. I made it back. I am out of breath and exhausted. I sputter out growls that I heard emitting from the creature as I try to give ANY explanation for what happened to me! I didn’t even know! I was able to at least get a point across that whatever took me hated me, hated us, and it was relentless. I am shaky and scared. I needed a moment. I go to the Lam to recover.
__________
I rest in the Lam, sitting at the shrine with my parents in my hands. My thoughts start to become dark again. A deal…and I would get my mother back. But what deal? No…I shouldn’t even be thinking it. But I feel so alone. Everyone keeps reassuring me that we’ll get Tully Eye…but am I guaranteed to get my mother back? Just what did Tully Eye want in exchange?
A voice enters my mind again. “Have you thought it over?”
“A deal……What kind?”
I feel a shiver run down my spine as it feels like there’s a sick joy in my curiosity. “If I’m being attacked while hiding in your group, protect me, heal me…and bring me Morpheus. You’ll know when. And I’ll give you your mother.”
“….Okay.”
______________
My shoulders feel heavy. I am glancing around at each of my friends with a different paranoia. Was Tully Eye here now? Did I need to uphold my end of the deal. If they catch Tully Eye, will my mother be lost? I am betraying them. I’m betraying my friends. Tully Eye is torturing them, and I agreed to help. I’m a monster. I’m not good.
“Bad girl…bad.”
I mutter under my breath. My body is so heavy. Any words I receive of reassurance, that we’ll get Tully Eye, feels like another weight around my neck. I am selfish. I am putting myself before their safety. I’m not a good friend, I should be acting to protect them. It wasn’t fair though…
It wasn’t fair! IT WASN’T FAIR. They didn’t know! None of them could hear! None of them could hear my parents suffering a fate worse than death! My father was losing himself! He was going to be stuck wandering this realm as an angry and twisted spirit while everyone is running around howling like dogs, and I didn’t even know what could happen to my mother in her state! They didn’t know, they didn’t understand, and I made the choice. I will get my mother from Tully Eye. I could carry this! I am strong, and I can carry it.
“They can’t hear. I can carry it.”
I repeat these things to myself as a mantra as I sit in the tavern with my journal. I find myself painting in the blue of my father’s Magan. I sit and stare at it. I grasp a pencil and begin to scribble it out, almost tearing out the paper as I scribbled and chattered in my true tongue. Why didn’t he just move on!? Did he not trust me!? I can help mama! I can do it. Papa is cruel! Papa is terrible for doing this to himself! He is selfish! I am strong. Papa is hurting me by staying! WHY DOES HE STAY!?
I snap out of it. And see many concerned expressions. I let out a sob.
“Make a deal. Make a deal.”
I admit to my friends what I did. What I agreed to with Tully Eye. I expect them to chastise me, to be angry, to shun me. But they didn’t.
Hugs, and reassurance, questions and comforts. Ideas were shared, and attempts to problem solve were made. My weight felt lighter. But there was still a weight. Maybe I could manage a bit more though…
We eat some food, and I go to take a moment. I start towards the Lam…but I don’t feel like I deserved to enter. I stood in the doorway looking at the shrine, and I wondered if someone as selfish as I could really be trusted to take care of it. I chose to work with someone evil and tossed aside my own friend’s needs for my own. I take a seat and the weight starts to build again. Bruzog approaches and checks on me.
“Bad girl… Stupid. Make a deal.”
Bruzog’s expression shifts a bit, and in his gruff voice he states “Your actions do not detract from your character. I know you to be a good person. One mistake does not change that fact.” The weight becomes lighter. I nuzzle him and say my thanks. It felt like something Hanu would say. My friends love me, and they understood my reasoning. I wasn’t alone…but I still had a deal that I had to go through with. I just hope that my friends would be able to help me clean up the mess that I was going to make…
______
I hear speak of the many-eyed monster perishing due to some cleverness on my friends’ part. Signs were pointing towards a very disturbing fact with the monster’s defeat…it had given birth recently.
There was talk of what to do. It was a loose thread for sure. I wasn’t certain of how to feel about it, but the monster had been linked to the one that Ontha had sacrificed himself for us to escape. A Grandmother, a mother, and a child? Plans begin to be made to explore the situation. I take a moment at the Lam.
I sit and try and reflect, hoping maybe I could pick up on any message from Hanu. My thoughts are interrupted by a sing-song voice. Larken is looking for me. I meet with her outside of the Lam and she approaches me with a huge smile. “We’re friends! We’re goooood friends!” she stated excitedly. I nod to confirm, we were friends. “And you’ll walk around with me with all our other good friends and vouch for me, because you made a deal to help. And I’m certain you want your mother back.” My blood runs cold. Tully Eye.
“W-we’re friends.”
I follow Larken as we walk around my friends. Tully Eye seemed to be evaluating each of them, I repeat phrases over and over, make eye contact with my friends and try to glance side-eyed towards the fake Larken, but I can’t say anything directly. I feel numb as I internally scream for help, and no one sees the slip-ups. She stabbed Meat’s leg in a play fight, Larken doesn’t like swords that much. She walked without skipping or dancing. Each group of friends we came across, I fidgeted trying to clue them in silently that I was in trouble. That Larken was suspicious, but no one was figuring it out. We approached Tannas at the school where he sat with Raine and Alyssaria. Larken grinned towards them and I glance over towards the wanted posters. I read what I can out loud with my grip on my bokken.
“Wanted. Tully Eye.”
I make eye contact with Tannas and I shift my gaze over to Larken and back to him. He asks if I’m alright, and to blink twice if I needed help. “She’s fine! We’re good friends.” Larken insists. I look at him but I feel fake Larken’s gaze on me.
“She’s fine! We’re good friends.”
I can’t call for help. It would break my deal, and I would never see my mother again. Fake Larken insisted that we needed to go pick some flowers now, and I was led away. While passing by Mukan and Meat on the road they reach out and ask if I’d like to join them on a walk. I halt and look towards Larken. “It’s fine…you can go with them.” I turn and by Meat and Mukan’s response, I can tell that Larken had blinked away. My legs give out and I collapse to my knees.
“T-Tully Eye.”
I spent some time at the school to recover. Drandor is working with different alchemical items, nothing that seemed to have much effect yet, but he gave me some bottles that were quite beautiful to look at. Tannas told me to stay and hang around with them there so I wasn’t by myself. I do so and sit and plan out secret information with Alyssaria that we could use to test for Tully Eye. I tell Alyssaria my family name, not many knew it, mostly because most probably don’t understand it as a name. And we come up with a phrase that sounds normal that I can use to call for help without alerting Tully Eye if they hold me hostage again.
“The trees sure do look nice.”
As terrifying as it was to be dragged around by Tully Eye…I felt loved to have so many around for me to recover.
-
-
Information on the many-eyed-wanderer’s child was shared, and we all geared up to return back to the monster’s lair. We travel and spot a small army of redcaps, armed to the teeth with thunder sticks! I lay down a barrier as a means of safety for any that would need it. Red Caps are truly feisty and shouldn’t be underestimated. We spot the many-eyed monster child, they appeared very young. I chased after the monster while dodging redcaps. It was chaos, and there was quite a bit of injury.
At one point I got the child separated from the redcaps. It looked up at me with a curious look. My heart rate started to go up, my feathers stood on end. As innocent as this thing looked…it’s teeth already were coated with blood. The grandmother had been a horribly powerful thing, so strong that we lost Ontha just so we could have a chance. The experience of being transported away by the mother, hunted and chased through the woods with a true feeling of hatred towards me and my friends…this child would follow down that road and it already had blood staining their teeth. I had to do it.
With shaking hands a raised my bokken and struck the child. It wailed in pain and began to flee, trying to attack me as I continued to pursue. Tears were coming to my eyes, blurring my vision. After a long pursuit, the final blow was struck by someone else and the child had fallen. This did not feel like victory…
I stood above the lifeless body, parts of it had been looted. I was not against it, it was best for remains to be used, but I worry as there had been a mark of intelligence in the many eyes of the creature. I begin to cast to awaken their spirit one last time. I see an echo of the creatures’ soul, twisted and strange as it’s many eyes looked at me.
“I̴͓̾’̸̰̾m̶͚̂ ̵̮͋s̵̡͂o̷̬̾ ̸̫̕s̴̞̄ȯ̸̯r̸̺̉r̷̜̈́ÿ̶̖.̶͍̊.̵̙̔.̷̜̓c̸̨̽a̶̪͘ǹ̸̦ ̷̬͝I̵̟̕ ̷̺̆h̴̯͑e̶̦̓l̸̹̒p̴͙͝ ̴͚̄y̶̟̅ȍ̶̤u̴͙̐ ̵̢̛p̸̤͐a̴̯͝ś̸̨s̵̒͜ ̴̮͝o̴̡͊ṉ̵̂?̷͈̕”
“M̴̡̓ả̴͎m̵̘͋a̴̮͝?̴͕͆ ̸̠͑Ẅ̷̗́ĥ̷̙ẻ̴̱r̸̘̆ê̵̪’̸̛̥s̶̫̍ ̵̹̇m̵͚͂y̶̥̆ ̴͙̀m̴͔̔á̴͉m̶̖̊ã̸̭?̷͈́ ̷̻̈́Ị̷͂ ̸͇̒w̵̙͗ä̶̡́n̸̞͠t̶̫͗ ̸̹̈́m̵̧͠ȁ̸̡m̵̲̆a̴͇̕?̴̥̈́”
There’s a pain in my heart. I knew the feeling all too well…I muster up the kindest tone I can give.
“Y̴̳͠ợ̵ù̷̮r̴̭̓ ̴̪͛m̴̥̎a̵̱͘ṃ̵̋a̶̦͛ ̷̫̓ḭ̶̄s̴͎̐n̵̢̛’̸̬̃t̷̹̉ ̶̜̏h̴̰̉e̶͓̾ŗ̶̂ë̸͍́.̴͈̐ ̷͚̈́S̷̞̕h̷̩͝ĕ̵̻ ̷̱̈́ć̷̖a̴͎̍n̸̠͊’̴͓̐t̸̗̍ ̴̜͝č̴̢ó̴̱m̴̫̃e̵͈͘ ̵̲͝b̷̞̓à̵̯c̷͓̅k̶̡̿.̴̨̄ ̷̛̝B̷̖͐ủ̶̢t̶͙́ ̴̥̂y̵̮̑o̵̻̍u̸̳͠ ̸̲̋c̵͖͝a̸̙̐ñ̵̨ ̶̭̎g̸̮̚o̸̤͌ ̵̢̀t̸̨̓ȍ̸̹ ̷̲̑s̷̼͆ė̷̲ë̸̗́ ̶̢̀ḩ̴̀e̵̥̿r̸͇̅.̷̗̑ ̵͔̓Ḋ̷̩ò̶̩ ̸̢̑y̵̥͛ȍ̶̘u̶̘͋ ̴̤̾n̴͉̆ẽ̷͚e̴͎͊d̴̮́ ̷̕͜a̵̰͆ń̶ͅỵ̵̈́t̷͙͝h̴̬̍i̴̓͜n̷̺͆g̴̪̀ ̵̩̄t̶̙͘ö̷̱́ ̴͚̔h̵͕͑e̶͒͜l̶̬͝p̷͂͜ ̵̗͂y̶͍̓o̴̟̿ǘ̷͜?̷̪̅”
“I̵͓͝’̴̺̓m̶̽ͅ ̸͔́h̸̜̕u̷̝͠n̶̖͒g̷̣͛r̸͈͠y̴̦͂!̸͔̌ ̸̱͒Ḭ̴͝ ̴̖̾w̶̨͊ạ̶̌n̴̨͛ṫ̶̥ ̷̲͂f̸͉̒o̷̝͂ỏ̴̭d̷̦̂!̵̖͑ ̷̡̎Ḩ̸̄u̴̬̔ń̷͙g̴̤̍ŕ̷̗y̷̠͋!̸͔͑”
I ponder this, and though I knew the likelihood that this creature’s diet consisted of mostly meat, I think of a more peaceful offering.
“W̷̦͊ö̴̭u̶̝͠l̸̟̇d̷͕̓ ̸͙̉y̵͎̆o̶̖̔u̵̼̇ ̷̡̊l̴̙͊i̷̞͂k̵̯̎e̵̻͂ ̸̫͂ä̵̰ ̶̠̍p̶̞͒ȇ̵̱á̷̹ņ̷̈́u̷͕̽t̵͚̿ ̷̞͆b̶̮̀u̷̮̾ẗ̶͉́t̶̰͘e̶̻̚r̷̟͊ ̴̧͋s̷̖̀a̴̞̋ņ̷̈d̷̘̔w̵̠͒h̷̘̋ỉ̸̯c̶̡̏ĥ̴͇?̵̺̍”̴͆͜”
“Y̴̟̍ë̷͍́ḁ̷̔h̴̥̿!̸͎̐”
“I̵͗ͅ’̵̺͝l̷͔̑l̵̰̃ ̷̪͠b̵͚̍r̵͇̔ì̷̹n̴̥̐g̸̼̃ ̵͓͆ỳ̵͔õ̵̤u̸͎̍ ̷̏ͅa̷̬͊ ̸͇̾p̶̘̒è̷̲a̴̟͐n̶̞̒ȗ̸̢t̴̲͂ ̷̞͂b̸̼̒ù̴͉t̴͉̆t̸͉͘e̸̩̅r̴̮͆ ̸͎̈s̵̢̛ä̵̫́n̶̘̚ḋ̷̹ẅ̵͕́i̷̟͒c̴̾ͅh̶̘̽.̵̜̾ ̶̹͑T̵́ͅh̶̞̄e̵̼͝n̷͕̄ ̷̢͒y̶̝̕o̵̰̅ú̵̥ ̶͕̃c̶͎̔ã̶͙n̴̗̒ ̵̮̀g̸̮̑o̵̱͗ ̵͙̆s̴̭̈e̴̲̿e̴͔͊ ̴̻͝y̴͍̅ö̴͍́u̸̲͂ṟ̷̏ ̴̞̋m̷̛̙a̷̭̅m̶͕͌ā̸̙.̶̻̌”
The creature seemed to accept this as my time ran out. The image of the soul faded away and I began to gather what remained of the child. I carried the pieces back, feeling more weight on my shoulders, and some on my heart. This was not a victory. I had stood in a position similar to those that had murdered my parents…and I acted similarly. I was fearful, and I chose to strike. What is happening to me?
I store the remains temporarily as I go to visit into Kebbie’s kitchen. I requested a peanut butter sandwich, which I was given on the house. I make sure to leave a tip from the Po Chi Lam. I find a peaceful spot to start digging, Alyssaria and Larken come to see what I’m doing, and they help me dig. I place the remains as well as the sandwich, give some final words and wishes, and begin to bury them. Return to the earth so that you can help bring new life. I hope they got to see their mama.
________
I head for food with Kelora, and we discuss some things. My sister says that people seem to look at me and think I am a child. She says she knows better though, that I am very grown up, and very cheeky and clever. I am unfamiliar with some aspects of the world, but I am learning. My communication I think gets in the way. I wish there was an easier way of communicating. I needed to keep learning my letters. Kelora has been dealing with so much. Maybe it’s better that I can’t weigh others down with my burden, with the constant whispering of my parents’ suffering coming from my pocket.
As I ate I doodled in my journal some more, I see the scribbled on image of my father’s magan. Things start to bubble up a little inside me again, but I snap from it as Larken approaches with an interesting trinket. She says that it could allow her to speak to the dead, and maybe I could use it. A kind gesture, but it was an even better outcome! If Larken used it then she could speak with my Papa. I motion for her to sit, and I hand her Papa. Kalen spots the interaction and comes over to supervise. Probably a good idea considering Larken’s chaotic nature and handling of a magical item.
She uses the item and it sounds odd to hear my language come from Larken’s mouth. Papa was kind to her, and explained the predicament, his weakness was obvious in his voice. Larken’s peppy nature dampened a little and she responded with a simple “Oh…that’s so sad!” At the very least she was able to communicate the situation to Kalen…though with how Kalen was paying attention it almost felt like he was picking up on things. Kalen is very smart though.
_____________
Our meal finished, though I did not eat much.
I spend some time contemplating my actions. It felt like there was a worsening feeling of anger that was growing inside of me. Was it Tully Eye? Were they corrupting me? Did I screw up when trying to rid Shishin of Asura? Maybe it was an effect of that? The thoughts circled in my head, but I knew what the answer was. This anger was my own. This anger was not an influence of evil. This anger was not bad.
“Breath in…breath out….stronger here…and here.”
I recall Hanu’s words, remember the point at Whisper Ridge when Hanu raised his voice to stop me from running off. Even Hanu lost his temper sometimes. Facing hard choices…wanting to protect my family, friends, myself. I was not turning away from the deal that I made with Tully Eye…to bring Morpheus. It could cause catastrophic things to happen. The ability to control the dream realm itself, in Tully Eye’s hands. My friends wouldn’t let that happen. I know I can trust my friends to-
Where…where am I? This is a bad position to be in. I am borrowing Poet’s form? I see, I better remain as inconspicuous as possible. I stand up to leave and get a better look at what is going on. No one seems to suspect me. I hide behind trees as I move to inspect some more. I spot a letter on one with a flower. I see “Tully Eye” written on it. That’s me for certain, but the rest of the letters are…I’ll take it and read it later. I don’t have time. People are at each other’s throats, it gives me time to flee and be unseen. I pass by the Drandor fellow, he greets me as I pass.
“Hello!”
That felt odd. I try to mutter something else out, but the voice is haunting and incomprehensible. What is wrong with my voice box? I continue to sneak around, trying to gather more information. I am spotted by the one named Kelora and I start to panic.
“Stay back!”
I try to shout threats as a panic sets in. She approaches and I raise a wooden sword, the other hand grasping at my throat over the bewilderment that my words were not working. What was wrong with my voice? Kelora walks slowly and calmly. I would not be fooled! I strike her arm with a snap and take off running. I hear people chase.
“Stay back!”
I repeat and struggle to try and find more words, but just whispers and shrieks. People start to surround me and Kelora runs and tackles me to the ground in an embrace.
Everything clears up. The panic fades away as I realize that I am not Tully Eye. I am Poet! I look at Kelora who is still hugging me and I panic as I had struck her as she went to embrace me and free me of the effect. I quickly heal her and apologize. She says she understands and that it was alright. She had to touch me in order to free my mind from Tully Eye’s effect. I feel horrible that I hurt my sister, but so glad that she knew what to do.
Tully Eye wouldn’t win, even with my help. My friends had my back.
__________________
Dinner is served, and a loud and brightly colored man enters into the dining hall. He seems very familiar with Z. Was this her friend that she had written to? I feel a shiver as I recall Aikenn’s words…but my thoughts are interrupted as I hear “Hey birdie birdie birdie.” I tilt my head to the side. He questions Alyssaria, then apologizes as he appeared to have made a bad assumption of her. He then proceeded to promise to start a war with any nation that Kebbie didn’t like because her food was so good. I agree her food was amazing…but starting a war? I have a small flash back to squabbling with my older sister, Posey, over the last of any berries in the house.
“AH HEHEHEHEHEH!!!!”
Phelix’s laugh is loud and deep. He seems excited to help us. I am glad there is another on our side. Though there was talk about Phelix having devoured a spirit? I did not entirely understand, but Z had said he was able to hop through planes. Maybe like Hanu had been jumping around in time?
______________
Night was falling, the time of dreams was upon us. I knew Morpheus would appear soon. I stalk into the night, hearing howls of the hunt in the distance. I see a shift within the moonlight and Morpheus’ form takes shape. I call out to get his attention. He recognizes me.
“Help.”
I speak the word to lure him. He seems concerned, and begins to follow. I led him off away from where we could be spotted by any others, a chill running down my spine. My limbs felt frozen, yet my heart felt like it was burning. I spotted someone in the distance. A familiar face, Simon. Oh no, was he going to stop me? I had been avoiding Simon…his anger towards Tully Eye..I wasn’t sure if he would hate me for my choice.
“S-Simon.”
Simon’s form turns towards me, and a smile grows on his face. This was not Simon.
“Tully Eye.”
He thanked me for holding up my end of the deal. I grip my bokken and I stare at the ground as I feel Morpheus realize I had led him into a trap.
“Mama.”
I demand my mother, Tully Eye delivers. I hear the whispers of pain from the shattered piece. This was her. “You betrayed me.” Morpheus stated. My shoulders tense with my guilt.
“I’m sorry.”
I take off running. My end of the deal had been completed. But I wasn’t done. I run, and I fly, and I begin to call out. I scream the shrill call of the hunt, trying to draw in every hunting creature and being in ear shot. I spot my friends in the distance and call and call.
“HELP! HELP!!!!”
They sprint towards me and I continue to call, trying to draw the hounds in to track down Tully Eye. I hear some in the distance running through the woods. As my friends pass by I show them the completed deal as I grasped my mother’s Magan in my hand.
“I’m sorry.”
I say it understanding that I was putting them in danger. But I knew they were strong. I knew they would give it their all, and I knew that if they couldn’t stop Tully Eye, no one could.
Tully Eye felt he could trap me with manipulation, felt that I was weak. I’m trapping him with the best chance this world has, drawing him out with a bait of power and giving my friends the chance to strike while he was distracted. I store my mother and turn to join my friends in the fight.
Tully Eye had begun to draw the power from Morpheus. A barrier rose around him as they taunted us in Simon’s form. We try to ponder how to break it, none of us had the ability to break the barrier. Tully Eye stood taunting us, Phelix grew irritated and started to work to break the barrier. It shattered and we charged. I dodged quite a few blows and we felt ourselves pushed back only for Tully Eye to raise his barrier again. Phelix continued to work to bring the barrier down. Tannas pointed out to Tully Eye that he was afraid, that was why he was hiding. That’s when Tully Eye began to become nasty. As much as we pushed and dispelled, Tully Eye pushed us back. He looked to Kelora and called out “You almost saved him. I had to put him back on track.” Enigma…
Monstrous nightmares formed outside the barrier as Phelix continued to work, trying to open the path towards his prey. We exhausted his uses and he began to leach from others. Tully Eye looked at me. “Did you tell them what you did? They hate you for it.” I feel a coldness in my heart start to build. Tully Eye was wrong.
“Your family! Love on each other….not in a conjugal way!”
I shout out Hanu’s words and shake off the fear in my heart. He was grasping at straws. I wasn’t going to let him drag me into despair. The barrier goes down again and I run in. I have taken quite a few blows, and have exhausted myself with dodging attacks from nightmares and Tully Eye. I go in for a swing and I spot a twinge of desperation in Tully Eye’s face. I feel my body being shoved and I hit the ground. I’m woozy and barely holding onto consciousness. There shouts of the battle around as my ears ring, and I see Z’s form approach and start to bandage me up. When I come to I look around, and Tully Eye is nowhere to be found.
Alarmed shouts of him blinking away as hounds continued to howl and try to hunt. Many of my friends are aggravated and frustrated. No…he got away? Some of my friends are trying to attend to Morpheus, I see that he has collapsed. Something was damaged in confusion in an attempt to try and free him? There is a rushed call for healing magic. I have a little left. Our magics join together into this odd ball, growing the light inside of it. It’s figured out that this tangled mess of magic was the binding that Tully Eye held over Morpheus and his power. Kelora and Alyssaria get to work trying to unweave it as we hear the approach of nightmare beasts onto our group. Tannas commands the Consortium to protect as they tried to release Morpheus. I hear shrieks and calls of battle as I try to help unweave this binding of magic, Morpheus starts to be able to move the more and more it’s untangled. Finally the last knot is undone. Morpheus is freed.
He directs us that there is still time to draw Tully Eye back in. We had to summon him, we would need help from everyone. Glows of light flew from us to gather to Morpheus as we sacrificed parts of ourselves for the magic. I am exhausted, but I am not letting him get away! All of our voices gathered into one as we shouted into the sky. A glow of magic and Tully Eye’s form was forced back to us. A last chance to bring him down, and Tully Eye was desperately defending. Just as we thought we would lay down a final blow, we felt ourselves pushed back, and Tully Eye with a sick smile of satisfaction, landed the killing shot on himself. The body of Tully Eye dissipated in front of us, falling to ashes and scattering into the wind. A silence fell. Mixed feelings of victory, and frustration that Tully Eye was so vindictive, he wouldn’t even let us finish him off. I do not mind. The nightmares will now end. A weight lifts off of me, but something still lingers.
We all work to check on each other, Morpheus states his thanks to us all and promises us a favor in return for our valiant efforts. Bruzog approaches and checks on me, asking if I’ll be alright.
“I will be.”
I approach Morpheus.
“A favor to be paid.”
He looks at me in curiosity.
“Forgive me.”
I bow. Morpheus seems confused and asks what I needed to be forgiven for.
“You betrayed me.”
I repeated his words. His expression softens. He states that I fought hard to fix my error, and that people made mistakes. I could ask for a different favor. I say a thanks and give another bow.
I hear a voice call out as I see Simon’s form in the distance crumple to the ground. We run in a panic, I am out of healing spells, but I had a leftover recovery potion from the tournament. I chug it as I run and get to Simon assisting others with bringing him back to consciousness. He awoke and he seemed confused, but he felt like the usual Simon. He’s helped up and we explain what happened. He looks like a weight had been lifted as well. A group hug was called for and we all embraced around him, Simon complaining of soreness and annoyance at our physical affection.
__________
There are drinks served and we celebrate our victory. I sit with the pieces of my mother’s magan in my hands, and I try to return them back. Placing them back together did not seem to fix her though, she was still fractured… I approach Kelora and Kalen.
“Can it be fixed?”
I hand the pieces to Kelora. She tries to place them back together, but it does not seem to work. She frowns and looks to Kalen who appears like he is in thought. She turns to look at me and gives me a reassuring smile. In the morning she could find answers for me, she’s unfortunately exhausted herself today. It was alright. Mama and Papa could wait one more night.
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