Teuila is waiting for me a few flights down, chatting with Alanea who appears to be organizing a set of scrolls and books. I guess she decided to come in regardless of not having to teach. She’s dedicated too on top of everything else. Too bad I’m going to die in a couple of months, or if I somehow survive, that I’m headed back to a whole other world. She’s a really awesome lady. As soon as Alanea spies me coming down the steps I can see heat lines escaping her face as she begins blushing. She quickly raises a scroll between her face and mine, pretending to be absorbed in it. Hell, am I that cute when I’m all flustered by Fawns at Sunsets? Yeesh. No wonder she delighted in letting me get flustered. Hell, no wonder Lu teases me so viciously. I mean, I’m not assuming I’m anywhere near as cute as Alanea, but still.
Teuila grins as she sees Alanea blush like mad, so she turns with a limp, and throws herself bodily at me. Thankfully she reduces her gravity as she slams in to me, so that we don’t go toppling down the stairs. She peppers my face with kisses, and I could swear she winks at Alanea. Now I’m blushing like mad. Just what the hell is she planning?
Te calls out, right into my face, “My Airhead! So spacey, so much space in that head of yours for so many thoughts and so many people. Am I right? Of course I am. You look like you’re enjoying something, eh? Huh? Huh? What’s got you all blushy all of a sudden?”
I glance side to side trying to avoid Teuila’s gaze as her face follows mine while I’m blushing ferociously. I mumble, “Come on Te that’s just mean. She’s a sweetheart and I think she might have a crush.”
Teuila nudges me with her knees that are wrapped around my torso and she leans in and whispers, “Duh! Can’t believe you caught on to something like that for once. Ya big Airhead. Come on, we’re only here for a couple more nights, invite her over for snuggles.”
I hiss, “Te! I, I can’t just--.”
Teuila grins as she teases, “Well poo on you, but good for you I can.”
My eyes widen as I quietly beg, “Te? Te what are you about to do? Te? Te don’t you dare.”
Teuila ignores me as I feel her belly rumble with laughter. She turns over her shoulder and calls out to Alanea, “Hey Big A, we had a fun day together, right? Wanna come over and keep the fun going til we’re all tuckered out and snuggle up for a night?”
Teuila, that phrasing. I know you’re critterkin, but you’ve proven to me before that you know what sultry stuff and entendres and innuendos sounds like. That’s just evil. Alanea stutters as she brushes herself off and glances around quickly, looking for anything to provide distraction as she avoids eye contact. She quickly digs behind a shelf, burying herself in the shelf, pretending not to be able to answer. I swear the scrolls on the shelf are about to catch fire. Teuila can be so mean. Te’s trying to hide the fact that she’s giggling.
I attempt to defuse the embarrassment of the situation, “I, um, Alanea? Teuila can be a bit mean about teasing people to embarrass them, but she’s also honest and earnest, and honorable and trustworthy and wonderful and a great snuggler. Though she can be kind of a bed hog, usually she just lays on top of everyone. I mean, when it’s like, me, Teuila, Linti, Luni, Lil, she jokingly pins us to th— never mind, not important. Sorry. I, I just. I hope she didn’t hurt your feelings with the teasing. Um, it was nice to see you again. I don’t think I’m helping this situation. I hope to see you again tomorrow, or the day after. I think we’re leaving the night after tomorrow.”
A meek voice calls back, “You, you’re, well, you’re leaving? So soon? I. Well, I. I, well, maybe. Well maybe you’re right about Big T.”
They have letter nicknames for each other after hanging out for a day? That’s kind of cute. Err, not the point. No need to torment the poor woman. Since Teuila is latched on to me, I can just carry her out of here to defuse the situation.
Alanea apparently sees me turning to leave and calls out again, “W, wa, well, um, wait, please? Can, Can I. Well, can I maybe talk to you alone for a sexond? I mean a second! I mean a minute! Or, or heaven. I mean seven!”
Holy jeebuz now I’m flushed all to hell again. Those Freudian slips, wow Alanea, just wow. Teuila is snorting from laughing so hard and trying to fight off her own amusement. I politely dislodge Teuila so that she has to dismount me. I raise an eyebrow at Teuila and she grins at me like a lunatic while signing that she’ll be nearby, probably indicating down half a flight or so.
I gulp down air and blow it out through puffed cheeks as I try to hide my embarrassment by pretending that’s the reason for their redness. I glance around and sort of shimmy embarrassedly in place. Alanea looks mortified, and like she has no idea what she actually wants to talk to me about. I’d facepalm if I didn’t feel so bad about the situation. Her face contorts as she tries to ask a question that won’t leave her lips. I fidget anxiously while she fidgets nervously.
Alanea finally manages to sort of ask, “Well, um, maybe, um. Well, a, a bit closer? In, in here. You I mean. I mean. Well, I mean, could you maybe please come in here so, so that, um. Well, so that we could take a private. I mean! Talk! Well, talk a, a little more privately?”
Both of us gulp and resume blushing, but I nod and enter the room. Alanea glances around, and I can virtually see her heart skipping beats. I feel so bad for her. I would honestly be falling for her so hard if I weren’t about to either die, or maybe make it back to my home world.
With us being the same height in my cherubic form, I’m able to meet her gaze without making it awkward. She surprises the both of us by grabbing my hand and bringing it to the top of her chest. I nearly faint. Sure it’s not like she moved it left or right, but what’s th— Oh how weird. I can feel some sort of glow inside of her. It’s, it’s kind of shaped like a miniature version of her. I gulp, trying to fight off a sudden dryness in my mouth as I stare into her eyes in confusion.
She tries to explain, “I, I, I’ve never, not before now, before you, um. Well, I’ve never met another changeling, not, not one as, as, with a. Well, with such a handsome and gorgeous, um, inner you, form, base, um. It’s so hard to explain! Well, I’m, I’m pretty sure from what Big T said that you, well, you never had other changelings to, to talk to, or maybe even learn about this stuff with. And, and that’s such a shame, because yours is so so so beautiful. Meep.”
I’m at a loss for words as I remain transfixed on her, waiting for anything else she might say. She looks so mousey as she requests, “Well, um, well, can I? I, I mean I showed you mine. The, the right way. Well, will you show me yours?”
Both of us blush wildly at the implications of her phrasing until we can’t stand the embarrassment any longer, and we both break out into laughter.
Alanea stutters, “I, I, well I’m so, haha, I’m so sorry. Well, you know what I really meant. Right?”
I nod and I hesitantly take her hand. I’ve never done this, I didn’t even know this was a thing for changelings. I barely even knew I was a changeling. I just sort of thought I was pretty sure that I was one after I saw some around the Miracle Oak. My mouth and throat are so dry as my jaw hangs slightly slack while I stare at Alanea’s sparkling eyes. My hand is still on her torso, so I bring hers to mine, and suddenly a new world opens up beneath my feet to swallow the two of us.
I’m falling and lost, but still connected to Alanea. I gasp frightfully before I realize there’s no air, no danger, no anything save us, nor anything to harm us. Moreover, there are enormous versions of ourselves standing in the vastness of black empty space. They’re astral, translucent versions of ourselves made up of constellations and whole solar systems. It’s utterly breathtaking. Alanea gazes around at mine while I stare at hers. She, she's even more gorgeous in this form. She's tear-inspiringly beautiful. Holy crap. I look towards mine for a moment, and I’m shocked at what I see. That is not cherubic Reggie Shellcracker. They, I? That image is, well, I feel vain as hell because my breath is taken away once more. That’s the real me? Could critterkin on Can’Z’aas see that? Is that why certain things transpired the way they did?
Again, vanity, but no wonder my duende statistic was as high as it was. I’m transfixed momentarily. I rattle my head and turn my gaze back to Alanea to meet hers.
Alanea accidentally lets out an, "Mmmmm." Which turns into an embarrassed, "Meep!"
She giggles somewhat nervously and withdraws her palm from my chest. I realize I’ve had my hand on her chest this entire time so I fling myself backwards, stumbling and falling on my rear. I end up clunking against the nearby wall.
My heart hammers rapidly, yet flutters lightly at the same time. I can barely breathe and my eyeballs are swimming loosely in their sockets. I rattle my skull and blink rapidly, trying to rouse my senses.
I try to say, “What in the hell was that?” Instead I somehow only say, “Heavens.”
Alanea nods emphatically and steps closer to sit next to me on the floor against the wall. She takes my left hand, not in a romantic way, but in a very buddy way, almost patronizing.
Alanea gnaws on her lip as she tries to wrap up, “So, well, so that’s, I just. Well, I kind of just wanted, and wanted you to, experience that, just one time, together. That’s all. Well, I mean. That’s enough. Err, well, I’ll try to be less awkward around you now that it’s, um, kind of out of my system. Well, a little at least.”
The butterflies in my stomach are flipping it like an Olympic uneven bars routine. My mouth and throat are so dry, and I don’t think I’ve blinked since I manually rapidly blinked however long ago. I’m just staring straight ahead, barely acknowledging Alanea. What the hell just happened? Am I even breathing? Am I dead?
Alanea pats my hand reassuringly, again, in a slightly patronizing way. I’m not sure if I misread the situation. Back on Can’Z’aas I probably would try to turn to my side and lean in to see if she wanted to kiss. As is, I’m just sitting here stupefied.
Alanea stands up, dusts herself off, and asks, “Do you, well, um. Well, did you mean it when you said Big T was a great snuggler?” I nod slowly, absentmindedly. I can sense Alanea gnawing on her lower lip, her countenance appears to be deep in thought to my silent sonar.
I feel a bit sick to my stomach from its constant flipping and butterflies, and the rapid fluttering of my heart. Oh, whew, I’m blinking again, finally. Holy crap. Okay, my stomach is settling down, and I’m breathing again. Phew. My pulse is normalizing too. I gulp and rattle my head as I stand.
I mumble, “Uh, th, thank you. For that incredible experience. I’m, um. I might be inappropriately enamored with you at the moment, way, way, way more than I already was, which was already incredibly so. Err, uh. Awkward. So I’ll, I guess take my leave of you. I wish you a wonderful evening Alanea. You’re truly wonderful, and incredibly gracious to share that with me.”
I reach up to my face as I realize tears are forming and beginning to cloud my vision. I bow and turn to begin my embarrassed scurrying flight away from the situation. I shuffle away slower than I intend to, and Alanea follows me hesitantly for several paces before stopping. I glance over my shoulder back towards her, and I notice a host of emotions struggling and fighting for their place on her face. My throat and mouth dry out again, and my heart hammers once more so hard that dizziness overtakes me. My head slams into the wall as I fall to my side, and the last thing I see is Alanea reaching worriedly for me while I sense Teuila zipping up below me a bit too late to prevent my head from slamming into the next step below me. The second impact steals my consciousness from me.
I awaken later with stiff muscles and a pounding headache. Urgh, I can’t move much. I turn my face towards one source of my immobility, and I see Dawn staring, unblinking, unseeing at me, her limbs hugging mine in a death grip. I gulp again trying to reduce the dryness inside my mouth and throat. Poor Dawn. Gosh that is terrifying every time. She looks for all the world to be dead other than the fidgeting and nervous shaking, the silent sobbing.
I can’t parse my danger senses at all right now, my whole world is still flipped upside down from the weird changeling experience with Alanea. I wish I could comfort Dawn, help her somehow. I can’t bear to see her like this. I feel so horrible for her.
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Turning my face the other direction, I see Teuila’s back as her torso appears to be weighing down upon my right arm with increased gravity. It’s almost like there’s even an extra body there. I can only move my wrist, palm, and fingers. Trying to reduce my muscle stiffness anywhere that I can move, I flex my palm and wrist, and then I freeze as my hand lands on something with a firm squishiness to it. There’s an unfamiliar soft hempen fabric covering a body part that’s round. My muscles spasm and I gulp. I want to cry out an immediate apology but I don’t want to wake everyone up, and now my muscles are locked in place from the spasming. Crap crap crap. Please just pass back out Reggie. Please. You didn’t mean to do this. Glp.
The firmness in my palm shifts, and the body it belongs to moves slightly so that what rests in my palm is even softer. Crap, Alanea, that’s, that’s your rump, your tush. I. I’m so sorry. I’ll apologize til my lungs burst when everyone wakes up. I swear. I’m so sorry. I struggle to pass back out, and thankfully unconsciousness welcomes me with open arms.
I awaken once more, stiff as a board, but no longer surrounded, at least, not by bodies at rest. Teuila and Alanea are chatting nearby, while Dawn hides out somewhere at the edges of my sensory ranges. I blink rapidly and flex my jaw as I try to work each muscle group, one at a time in turn.
Alanea asks, “So they’re getting worse again? Well, I mean like, more fainting spells? Well, err. How often does Reggie use their changeling metamorphosis? Not that big magic change that somehow adds mass and muscles and organs and so much more. I, well, I kind of saw something when I went inside Reggie.”
Teuila snickers for a moment, then frowns as she responds, “Yeah, blacking out more again. And, never I guess. I’ve never seen Reggie be any other Reggie than Reggie, you know? I mean, other than the taller burly squishy form, the taller masculine form, their dragon form, and this about forty foot tall monstrous kaiju thingy on the Night of All Burn. Oh, and their hulkster mite-hulk insect armor form I guess, sort of.”
Alanea was about to say something, but hearing about my kaiju form causes her to pause. She blinks rapidly and cleans out her ears as she stares at Teuila incredulously. She mouths forty feet tall questioningly, in shock. Alanea rattles her skull rapidly. Her gaze is crestfallen, an immense sadness washes over her. I'm about to try to apologize to Alanea, but I want to give her a moment in case I've already upset her.
Teuila picks up on Alanea's sudden sadness as well, but lets Alanea speak through tears, “I, well, Big T. Reggie, they. Well, we, changelings, if we don’t use our gift, should stay away from mana. It’s, well, it’s like. Well, it’s kind of like a residue builds up over our gift or something, and that’s with just regular pure clean mana. It, well, it makes us sick, and maybe even die the more mana residue we let build up inside us. We, well, we can be mages and stuff if we use mana sparingly, and our gift a lot, from the absolute very beginning. It like. Well, it like, scrubs itself sort of. Well, no, that’s the totally wrong analogy. Well, I guess it’s more like, it makes our gift spiky, so it’s harder for mana residue to get to the surface of our gift to build up in the first place or something? Well it’s just so hard to explain.”
She gulps back a sob and continues before Teuila can ask the obvious question, “I, well, I don’t know of any way to wash it out. Well, I mean, and, and that’s only with ordinary, pure, clean mana, but, well, the stuff Reggie has been using all their life, it was polluted, tainted, all kinds of bad stuff. There’s no telling how much it’s hurting them. There’s, well, I don’t know of any cure. I, well, I think Reggie’s going to die. I, well, I'm positive. Snf.”
I feel tears wet each of our faces. My muscles spasm and my face drowns in sadness and despair. I finally know my malady. I know my malady, and I’m certain to die from it. I’m certain to die from it, and I’m hastening that death every time I use mana or spells. Yet I can’t stop doing either, if I am to have any hope of saving Dawn.
I accidentally cough, cluing them in that I’m awake. The three of us share an awkward, silent stare, as Dawn huddles in a nearby corner, nursing her own sadness. I gulp down mucus, saliva, and tears as I try to form words. Anything. Nothing comes forth. Instead I simply shake as my muscle spasms worsen, and, for perhaps the first time in I don’t know how long, I feel a feverish chill overcome me so strongly that I begin shivering. I don’t know how I can feel even remotely chilly with my thermal resistance.
Teuila looks incredibly concerned when she notices my shivering vibrations. Aleana doesn’t know it should be impossible for me to get chills, but there’s a different concern that plays across her face.
Aleana mutters and mumbles, rambling nervously, “An-,an-, anyway, well, they, they probably, um. Well, Reggie probably just, well, they, they probably felt my lu--, I mean, um, my desir--, err, my um, my infatuation, and maybe echoed it, so they think they’re infatuated with me. Well, Reggie was really sweet, right away, and, and, but maybe they just sensed my gift. Well, because we both have such pretty base, bare, true self inner gifts. They, they. Well, I, I do like them a lot, and I’m glad they forgive me, but, but I understand if they’re confused. Or, well, maybe even mad. Plus, well, I mean you and Reggie, and um, apparently others.”
Teuila coughs and fights to lighten the mood, “Awe come on Big A. Give yourself a little credit. You’re hot, and cool, and you’re sweet for a tart. Hehe, you’re like a bunch of really fun opposites. Short, but you’re sta—“
I cough loudly to interrupt Teuila’s statement to save Alanea the embarrassment of Teuila’s comment on her bust size. Teuila smirks, knowing exactly what I was doing. Alanea and I both blush, also aware of what I was doing. Te bursts into a fit of giggles. Alanea and I hesitantly, nervously start to chuckle slowly, until we’re both laughing as well, the mood finally lifted.
Alanea rambles, “It, well, I mean, thank you. Well, but it doesn’t matter too much. Well, because you’re leaving tomorrow night, and, and what you have to do is so important. I. Well, I know I’ll never se-, glp, snfl, I’ll never see Reggie again. I. I. I’m sorry!”
Alanea shouts an apology and sprints away, still in her nightclothes, tears streaking behind her, sparkling beneath the glowmoss and Luma Tulipa of the Heart. My heart aches as it breaks watching her mad sprint. I struggle to get my mind to latch onto any non heartbreaking thought. Cute pajamas though. I mean, well, kinda, err, lovely in a, yeah, in that way. I’m not sure if she changed here, and has now abandoned her belongings, or if she changed into her hempen bed-robes before heading over, and wore them on the way here. Walking around in them seems, well, gosh, I imagine anyone would drop their jaw and accidentally ogle her. They wouldn't even have to be as sleazy as Flint. Teuila reaches out ineffectually towards the fleeing Alanea, and winces, her cracked bones causing her to falter.
I sniffle as I draw ragged, sobbing breaths. She was so sweet, and she helped me understand something so pivotal, so central to myself, my identity that I never knew I had. No wonder I have trouble with my gender. I never had to be any gender to begin with, being a changeling. It’s like one mysterious weight lifted from my shoulders, only for more tangible weights to drop upon them with knowledge of my malady. If she fled us just now, is she going to avoid us for the next two days? I may never see her again. I'll lament missing out on the opportunity to learn more about her, about me, about us, about changelings. I'll lament however many missed opportunities we might have had. For the short while until I die anyway.
Seeking inward, I try to find my natural gift. What I find isn’t the beautiful, amazing astral vision shared with Alanea. No, it’s some enfeebled, dessicated, strangled, meager husk, absolutely encrusted with what must be tainted mana. There’s a faint purple aura somehow projecting a film on the outside of my gift, my inner self, between it, and the tainted crud. It flickers and shrinks by the moment as the tainted mana squeezes more tightly. I can tell immediately that’s the fading energy from Kozzurth’s heart. It really is what’s keeping me alive.
My jaw hangs slack as I can finally literally see what’s killing me. I was never meant to be a powerful magic user. From the very moment I spawned, messing with mana was dangerous to me. Somehow, my true self, and the toxin coating it, persisted through death. Or maybe just reaching back to Can’Z’aas every time since being reborn on Rayileklia was enough to encrust my inner self so thoroughly. It’s weird to think that as a changeling, I in essence have two souls. My gift is the core of my living being, even though I’ve never used mine, and now might never be able to since it’s so strangulated. But my soul is my eternal self. Both are misshapen, lumpy, dying, or well, one at least was at one point. Though my soul seems to heal with time, whenever it takes some sort of damage from things I don’t understand, or has been aided in its healing by outside forces like the Miracle Oak Fae.
Teuila furiously shakes her head, and starts down the path of denial, “No, no, just, just. Big A is wonderful, but, but she’s wrong. She has to be. There has to be a cure. What about the hearts? There has to be. She, she just don’t know everything. I, I’ll leave right now. I’ll go get extra hearts for Reggie, just to be safe.”
I reach out to clasp Te’s fists as she balls them up tighter and tighter. We stare into each other’s tear-filled eyes. I shake my head as I try to dissuade her, “Te, Alanea’s right. I looked at it just now, now that I know how to see it. My inner self is gunked up, barely alive. The only thing keeping the toxic gunk at bay is a fading purple barrier. I’m positive that’s the energy from Kozzurth’s heart. It seems like even if we get more hearts, it’s only a temporary solution. I don’t want to lose a second with you on the off chance you can find some evil dragons before I die. Teuila Shellcracker. I love you. I want every last moment with you to count.”
I’m blinded by my own tears and don’t even see Teuila as she launches herself tearfully at me. We sit weeping in each other’s arms for what feels like the longest time. She’s going to lose me, and if I don’t step up my game, she’s going to lose Dawn, and all her Aasimovian friends, and all her Hidden Heart friends, and this entire world. I can’t keep failing. I can’t let her down. Even though it’s killing me faster and faster, I have to practice harder. I know I can’t break Jarrah’s rules, or I’ll just kill myself without making progress, but I’ll find some way to be more efficient. I practice each of the five runes successfully while holding Teuila.
I summon the magic copy of my hand from my staff, and have it retrieve books for me, one at a time. I control it to be floating them near me as I gaze upon any enchantments on or in them while holding Teuila. Dud of random spells, dud of random spells, no magic at all, dud martial enchantment, wow that’s a lot of killing spells. Dud. W- What? Oh my gods. Oh my gods. That’s the rune for soul. That’s the rune for soul!
I cry out, practically shouting through a mucus-laden sob, “That’s the rune for soul!”
Teuila, startled, rapidly shakes her head, confused as she gazes around. She accidentally wraps her arms more tightly, higher up my form, around my neck as she's noticing the book floating next to her. I’m almost giddy with excitement as I read as much about the book as I can while in Teuila’s accidental stranglehold.
I basically read aloud, “This enchantment, something something the soul, something something, fifty six, something. Ugh, stupid tears. Huff. Sorry Te, I need my arms for a second. I need to wipe away my tears.”
Teuila relents, and releases her death grip on me. I hear Dawn chuckle sadly nearby. I quickly wipe away my tears. Okay, okay. Ugh, it’s one of these ones where the runotypes are basically encrypted gibberish until you read almost all of it. Fuggin’ hell. Ugh this is a gamble. Is it a thirty three rune spell? It says something about fifty six to begin understanding. I’m not sure if it’s days or hours. Gorramit!
I curse, “F&*(! I. I don’t know what it is. It’s one of the encrypted ones that will give some sort of enchantment, and I think that enchantment will reveal a spell within the book or something. But I have no idea how big or long that spell is. If it’s just runotypes, or what, and if so, how many. I. I. Dawn I. I’ll try. I’ll get started right away.”
Dawn jokes, “Hey, no pressure Rej, we all got stuff to do, yeah? I’ve got faith in you pal. You’re impressive as all get-out. Dying, nearly dead, and working harder than anyone, ever, to save little ol’ me. Best bunch of crazy friends a gal could ask for. I tell ya.”
I frown as I fight back a sob and more tears at Dawn’s semi-flippant humor. I manage to croak out, “D, Dawn. We. I love you. You’re My Friend. I’ll do everything in my power with what time I have left. I swear on what’s left of my life. I’ll devote every moment I can manage to this.”
Dawn avoids my gaze, blushing despite her vital-less nature. She mutters, “Hell Rej, it’s fine pal. Gonna give a girl a complex. If you can beat this curse on me before time is up, I’m sure we can find a way to do the same for you. Both of you, stop being so glum chums. Game isn’t over yet. Not til the, and no offense to her, Alanea sings. Okay, I mean, she’s not really, at all, but she’s the roundest person I know offhand. All those curves in that tight little package.”
The three of us break out in laughter, I end up snorting. I mean, Dawn’s right. Offhand I don’t remember anyone on Rayileklia that I’d call fat, and Alanea certainly had lovely proportions that were, um, curvy. Good lords she has heavenly curves. I'm not sure if I'm appreciating them more because of seeing her inner self, or if I always felt this way about her form. Regardless, her form is compact yet amazingly curvy. Like if Luni were stuffed into a smaller package. Actually more like Laomati. Lao’s curves are, ah, jeeze. She’s basically my mom. That’s so friggin’ awkward. Now I’m blushing silently while Te and Dawn laugh. Ugh, good going Reggie, imagining that. Pft. Ya goon. I choke on my overly-dry tongue once again, and begin coughing momentarily.
Teuila suddenly stops laughing to state, “Oh, before I forget, Percival went to some sort of, I don’t even know how to describe what he said. It wasn’t like, words, not like the rest of his rustling. He says he’s sorry if he doesn’t catch us before we leave, but he doesn’t like the idea of saying goodbye to us, that he was grateful and yada yada. Paraphrasing obviously. Real sweet sorta farewell sentiment. I gave him a kick in the butt for trying to leave without saying goodbye to you two, but he insisted. Sorry guys.”
I mildly pout. I didn’t really get to know Percy the Potted Plant at all, due to the language barrier, but I did think of him as a friend. He led us to the absolute trove of stuff in Milbert’s cellar that we never would have found. We owe him a lot, possibly even this chance to rescue Dawn. I can’t remember where this particular book was from, but even if it wasn’t from the cellar, the carriage was. I definitely wouldn’t have studied as easily, or as much, while mudcamping and jogging all day every day to get to the Hidden Heart. Also the forest might not have let us in without Lullaby, and Lullaby was definitely downstairs.
Hm? Yeah I’m talking, err, well, thinking about you Bud. I’m glad Percy made sure we found you too. You’re sleepy? How does a, y’know what, never mind. You rest up Bud. You’ve been amazing this whole time. I owe you a lot pal. I’d have freaking died to Sindred. Oh, you heard all that about me dying anyway? Yeah. Yeah things are pretty dire. No, no I haven’t exactly given up yet, but it is definitely looking grim. I’ll do my best though Bud, I swear. I gotta get my arse up and hurry up to Jarrah’s chamber. I’m not sure what he’ll have me doing that would be worth distracting me from finishing this book though, so I might have to bow out of his tutelage.