Midnight nears, and Jarrah stands. I stand as well. I bow, intending to stride away in silent farewell when I’m surprised once more today. Jarrah stands in front of me, arms wide as I step forward, and he offers me a short, tight hug. He then walks away and waves dismissively towards me, muttering things about luck and timeliness. I draw a deep, ragged breath and sigh. I’m glad I had him as my mentor. I exit his chamber without further ceremony.

Teuila and Dawn are nowhere to be found, not the infirmary, not the gymnasium, not any of the classrooms that I know about. I’m almost starting to suspect a surprise party like on Can’Z’aas, where I might get to see Alanea and Flint again. I huff a sad sigh. I know how unlikely it is. Hm? Yes you three, it is unlikely. Hah, yes, yes, three additional voices in my head is a bit crowded, but it’s basically what I had back home for most of my life. Just, just make sure to take it easy on the bandwidth, please. I know you said you would, but I want to remind you, it felt like I was going to vomit my brain or it was going to explode out my ears as your chatter grew. Thanks guys.

Where the heck are they? Maybe outside by the carriage? They’re not on the, what is it called, the foyer of the entrance. Hell, where the crap is the carriage? Blargh. Another ragged breath and a frustrated sigh. I flump on my arse and lean my elbows on my knees as I drop my chin into my upturned hands. Ah crap, I never even got a chance to apologize to Alanea for accidentally squeezing her bum the other night. She what? Bud, you’re sure? Ack, holy moly I’m blushing hard. But, but still, it was a spasm, I didn’t even know she was there, much less awake, or, or, or--. I don’t want her thinking that, that I’d just, just--. Ugh. I feel awful. She what? I. I definitely did not hear her make that kind of noise. Okay, I’m literally steaming with blush, hold off, don’t tell me any more for a bit, please.

Jeeze my heart is hammering and fluttering. I gulp as I glance around, glad for the only people in my head currently being the artifacts. Phew. Yes, several relieved sighs from me. What do you mean why? I told you before, stuff like that is private, we don’t just share it with other people. I know it wasn’t mating you goober, but it’s adjacent when she, she, she makes a noise like the one you described, and purposely--. Huff. Gosh dangit. My heart is pounding and I’m having trouble catching my breath. Wait, she what with who? Haha, wait, seriously? Okay. Yeah, I guess I don’t feel as guilty, or quite as embarrassed. She did say it was common with Fae, especially with changelings.

Still. I don’t think I should even have known that. Neither one of them told me, and it’s not fair for that sort of thing to be shared without their permission. Yes, even if we were in the same bed. Yes, now you’re getting it, because it’s mating adjacent. Still. Thank you I guess, Bud. Sorry I’m a freak and an emotional train wreck. No, not that kind of train, it’s, uh, an Earth, Fakeworld memories thing. Just imagine like thirty carriages colliding from different directions at high speeds. Yes, I do think that I’m that, well, way. I don’t know the right word, damaged? Disarrayed? Discombobulated? I really don’t know Bud, sorry, at least not offhand. If I remember sometime and remember we talked about this, I’ll try to explain it to you better, okay? Just. Just. Thanks for caring is all. Thank you Bud.

You two what? I mean, sure, but I haven’t really known you long enough to know your personalities. It’s hard to give a nickname without that. It sort of happens organically, you know? Okay, fair point, not exactly organic life forms. What I mean is it sort of just happens at some point naturally. You just refer to someone else a certain way, and one or both of you like the way it sounds, so you decide to stick with it. It would be like, if I were flustered, or tired, and couldn’t say your full name, and called you Esser or Essie instead of SS R—. Really? Sure. That works Essie.

Yeah I haven’t forgotten about you, but Iceflame is already kind of a cool nickname, or heck, just Shellcracker, because that’s how Linti would refer to me most of the time. It’s a thing on Earth too, where you’d just call out your friends’ family names for some reason. I’m not exactly sure why, and if it’s regional or not. I know in a place called Japan, that family names and given names are like, in different locations compared to most other places. How am I supposed to know why I feel like those thoughts are memories Iceyhot? Haha, only use that one if I’m being mean? Okay. We’ll come up with something eventually. Alright? I’ve, huff. I’ve been sitting here distracted from my sadness, but I really need to find our carriage and the gals.

I suddenly tumble forward and clasp my head. Something. Something. A word. A word, read into my brain in all capitalized letters. Tears stream forth, and I’m suddenly wracked by fear. W, what’s going on. Why, glp, why am I so scared? Guys? Guys? Is anything dangerous around us? Are you amplifying my emotions? No to both? Well, that’s good at least. I could swear though that there’s something an instant from killing me nearby, like, completely erasing me, burning me away to nothing, not even a soul. Heavens and hells I’m freaking terrified, and tears for fears are streaming down my cheeks, and now my brain is blue screening so hard. Jeeze, it’s like the world itself is mad at me, and it’s shouting, shouting it all out loud.

Come on, Dawn, Teuila, where are you guys? I need you tonight. I, I’ve got to let you know. You two are my kind, wonderful friends. I need you to know. I’ve landed in such a state of confusion. My personality is wracked by a cult worth of fears, like too many people making too many problems in my head. I, I wish I could see the moon, the sky, anything right now. He’ll, I’d go for a walk around the moon to ease my troubled mind. I, I’m crazy.

What was it Lil once called me? Superhero? Would I still be Lil’s superhero, if I’ve gone crazy? Hell, at this point, I just wonder if they’ve forgiven me, or ever will. My brain has been in a constant blue screen of death these last two or three minutes. It’s like somebody’s playing a robotic soundtrack in my head that’s just static. Like the static is hiding a secret that it’s got. Gee, thanks whatever DJ is in my brain. Domo arigato I guess. I’m not paralyzed, but I still seem to be stuck. Just, just let me be, I’ll take a raft down the river Styx at this point to stop all these tears for these fears.

Wait, is that the carriage? What’s it doing three doors down that way? Are they painting a white stripe on something? I, I need to fight my way over to them. We, I have to get out of here. Something is happening in the Heart. I need to get out of this dark lit place. I can’t let anything hold me back. Not even an army. Heck, not even all seven nations’ armies under the imperial banner. Oh thank spoot, they’ve finally noticed me. Jeguz cripes.

Huff, huff. Phew. The static is finally laying off of my brain. What the hell was all that? Were you guys trying to sing or something? It wasn’t you? Yeah, I kinda figured, but I had to ask. Friggin’ hell though. I’m trembling all over. I cried so many tears at all that fear bearing down on me. It’s like I was some fragile little egg and someone was rushing me with a sledgehammer. Hell’s bells. Hm, I wonder why I use that curse instead of like, I dunno, Gabriel’s trumpet or something. That would be kind of a funny way of admitting consternation or whatever. Or what was that story Agwai told one time? All those names that start with the letter pee, Peter Pietro Paul and whatnot. That would be a funny curse. Instead I use hell in a handbasket and hell’s bells, and a few others.

Sorry guys, yes I’m distracting myself purposely. My brain feels royally futzed from the last couple minutes. Something, some word triggered like, like a panic attack. It was going to be a full mind-blowing terror episode, but the weird enchantment from Jarrah’s room was fast forwarding me through something, maybe a bunch of somethings. I’m not sure it was any better than one of my regular terror episodes. I guess I was still somewhat cognizant.

Finally, here we are, about to leave the Hidden at the Heart of the Wilds. I’m still trembling though. Dawn and Teuila both look annoyed as they turn their gazes on me. I flinch and recoil from whatever sour mood they’ve suddenly directed my way. Gulp. I sniffle and tremble as my muscles spasm and lock up.

Love overtakes the sour mood painted across Teuila’s face as she throws a paintbrush aside to leap at me, arms wide, yelling, “Airhead! Ugh, the day we had. Mwah, mwah. You okay love? It’s alright now. The cavalry’s here. We’ll beat street and head out.”

I shake as I hold Teuila aloft with her glommed onto my torso, her arms wrapped around my head. I’m so much shorter than her like this that it’s, well, unfortunate placement. Despite the gorgeous magical dress, my face is squished between the slight curves of two soft pillows, and her incredibly taut, firm sternum and chest area. I cough, blushing. Teuila grins wildly and dismounts me.

Jarrah said he unlocked, or was trying to unlock my natural changeling gift, right? I should be able to change without Can’Z’aasian magic. Alanea though, I. I’m pretty sure she said it couldn’t add muscle groups or mass like my magic can. Still, what about a bit of height, even if it makes me kind of scrawny? Hrp. Blrghle. Oopf. I guess hrp. That works. Oof, I’m going to be sick. Not sure how long I can keep this up. I can probably rearrange my features, or change my face with no issue, but this is straining, koff, everything.

Teuila raises her eyebrows as I arrive at approximately her height, though I’m rather gangly. She giggles and wraps her arms around me to smooch my face repeatedly. When she’s appropriately flustered me enough, she snags my hand and dashes towards Dawn and the carriage. Dawn, barely perceptibly, waves the fingers of her right hand at me in recognition. This is it. It feels like we’ve had nearly a lifetime of adventure already in the Heart, and we’re finally saying goodbye. We’re closing a chapter in our life’s journey.

Teuila takes a moment to explain their terrible day, "So, that prick and that smurfette, Jioskar and Zintatas or whatever, thought it'd be funny to lay their chores on us after they spent hours ragging on you. I wanted to punch specifically his rotten little face. Zintata was, eh, mixed bag. Kinda wanted to strangle her, kinda wanted to punch her, kinda wanted to smooch her 'cause she's stupidly pretty. Mostly strangle though."

Dawn snorts and coughs a laugh at Teuila's admittance. Teuila grins madly before continuing, "So, like, yeah.There we were, I was hyped to go back to the gym one last time and spar Sprout or something, or, I dunno, maybe sneak out and find Alanea and Flint on their mission or whatever, but nope. Those turds roped us in to doing chores. I know we didn't exactly have to, but they made us feel like we'd be like crap if we didn't. I let slip about how snuggly Alanea is, and Jiosky whatsit flipped his brick or whatever, getting all possessive. Like, chill my dude, she never even mentioned you, and changelings are super super poly."

I try to fight back a smile that plays at stretching across my face, and snort a huffed laugh. Teuila grins as she continues, "Yeah, so they dumped work on us that kind of really, really needed to be done, and left pretty soon after. Turds. Anyway, what I wouldn't give to have spent the day with Big A., or even just Flint instead of those two pricks. Huff, or heck, Sprout is a better sport than them. He's a tough little sapling, but other than being able to throw me and knock me into a pin a bit, he's kinda squishy and easy to break free from. He was a little sour that I could just slip out of any lock he tried on me, but we chatted and he warmed up to me. Nice little kid. I can see why Big A. wants kids some day. She'd make a great mom. She's so good with her students too. Ugh, it sucks leaving her behind. Sorry, how was your day Air?"

I shake my head and shrug, unable to parse my day at the moment. I thought Jarrah was trying to kill me again. I'm not even sure I told Teuila about the first time he tried. Then there was the artifact nonsense, and the talking about bodybound souls, and changeling gifts, and who even knows what else. My brain hurts. Teuila pouts but hugs me, kisses my forehead, then pushes down on my shoulders. She can see that maintaining the height is causing me tons of physical stresses. I relent and shrink back down to normal cherubic Reggie size for now. Teuila embarrassingly picks me up for a moment, but I also relent to this as well and sink into an impassioned kiss for several moments, until Dawn coughs politely. Teuila grins like a goon and plops me down as she hops away.

I huff a sigh as I climb into the carriage, and Dawn surprisingly snuggles up on me, holding my arm tightly, though not in as much of a death grip as when her senses are gone. There’s this undercurrent of emotion playing across the waves between her and I. I cast my aura vision spell, mostly to study the book with the soul spell, but also to feel out the essence of that red thread between us. Huh, it looks like one or two threads lead into here in the Heart somewhere, or maybe out west. I think Vale Valley is somewhere west of the Heart, through a secret passage in the mountains.

Oh. Woah. Dawn's thread. Somehow we’re more connected than ever, and I can tell this affection is her way of saying she’s sorry, goodbye, and thank you. She knows I’m spending my last weeks alive in an effort to save her. She doesn’t know how to express any of that enough, and knows I like affection.

I start, “Dawn, I truly, truly appreciate, and enjoy this, but, but if you’re making yourself uncomfortable, I, I’d hate myself, I’d never forgive myself. You’re My Friend, and your needs and boundaries are important to me.”

Dawn frowns as she fidgets and sniffles. She mumbles, “It’s, it’s not like that Rej, not really. Pal, shid braddah. The, the saying, not calling you braddah. I can barely comprehend it. We’re both on ticking clocks? Like, for absolutely for sure for real? An, and, and. And I’ve been my cold, frigid, uncomfortable self? Pal, I’ve never kissed someone. I might be erased from existence. Now I aint saying I wanna do that, don’t get your hopes up. I just mean, like, an example of how distant I’ve always preferred to be and stuff. I told you before I don’t hate hugs or nothin’. And, and well, Boss is kinda like a kid sister or older sister to me or somethin’, and she’s snuggly all the gorram time. Huff. Just. Just. Shid braddah. You know?”

I chuckle halfheartedly and flash Dawn a half-sad smile as I shrug. I don’t exactly know. Dawn suddenly continues, “Like, I felt it, and I knew it, for, for however long, especially since that fuggin’ cult, but, but after that night it didn’t really seem real most of the time. Only when I really, really thought about it and got down on myself. Or, or maybe kinda mad at you two for getting me to the point where I knew it was coming. Not that I really let on about that all that much. It’s, it’s really happening Rej. One or both of us is going to bite the big one, croak, maybe be written off forever. Boss might be left all alone pal. That fuggin’ hurts to think about.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I gulp as tears well along my eyelids as I nod. I gulp a shuddering breath and loose a sad sigh as I nod further. I can’t find words, but Dawn can, “So, like, like what is anyone supposed to do with that? Like, I don’t hate some things, and you like some things, and I mean, it doesn’t really hurt anything. So why not as much comfort and, and, I dunno, like, joy stuff, or whatever, as we can, while we can? Again, don’t get your hopes up on that other stuff, just, ugh. Please, please don’t do that to me. I, I know you wouldn’t. Sorry. Just. It’s. It’s always gonna be there. Well, I guess, at least until I get unmade or whatever.”

I bite my lips as I try to fight through my sadness, still unable to find words as Dawn squeezes my arm and lays her head on my shoulder. She shakes her head as she rambles, demanding something of me, “Rej, I’m pretty sure I made you promise, but, but I need to hear it again. You gotta take me out before this curse does if we don’t find a cure. I don’t know how. I don’t even know if you can. But if you can figure out a way to, to, to do the thing that bloated arsehole said, to erase me before the curse works. You gotta do it. Everyone back home, the whole country, all the ancestors. It, it just can’t happen. Erase me yourself before that. I’m, I’m begging pal.”

I cough as I fail at gulping back a sob, ending up wracked with plentiful sobs, tears streaking down my face. What she’s asking of me, it, it’s horrific. But, but it’s, it’s a grand sacrifice of however many moments left of her existence. Our memories of her, of everything. It’s her choice, preferring it be by my hand, if I can even find a way. I slowly, shudderingly, tremblingly nod. I gulp repeatedly before I'm barely able croak out a single word, "Promise."

Dawn hugs me tighter for a moment before releasing me and leaning away. I need more than ever for this book to have a cure for Dawn’s curse. I, I want to friggin’ die. That hurt so much to hear. Hm? Yeah, thanks for staying quiet through that guys. It, it was tough. The muscles along the insides of my elbows between my biceps and forearms are killing me at the moment. Yes, figuratively guys. They hurt like hell. What Essie? Oh, you’re right. Do you want to wait til Teuila hops in the cabin? Yeah, that’ll be better.

Teuila seems to be toying with the idea of using the carriage as a raft again as she has our trusty Apheliotes Zephyrus navigating alongside the river. Lullaby confirms that this is the basic path, and we can stay on it for most of two or so day’s travel before cutting west. I let Teuila know the same. Hey, Bud? You know how you’re all about bonding with someone with Fae bloodlines or blood or whatever? What if, and this might be gross, but what if I just bleed for Teuila? Like, I dunno, leave her a vial of my blood, or paint it on her armor, or, y’know, possibly grosser stuff. Hm. Fair. Yeah, I know, it makes sense. I wouldn’t expect anyone to have tried it before me. Not many Fae likely wanted a non-Fae to inherit a Fae artifact. I figured it’s better asking though, before trying it.

I let my mind wander as I spend the hours studying the tome. I hope beyond hope that it only takes fifty six hours, and not days. I’ve already read it for like, twenty hours or something. Hoopf, hoy. Oof. Hi Dawn. I raise an eyebrow to see if her senses have left her, and she shakes her head. She mumbles, “Rej, pal, it’s nerve-wracking. Seeing you read some scary unreadable tome with some sort of soul spell in it, not knowing if it’s salvation or not. Just watching you burn away your last hours on me. I, I can’t not pal. I promise, I’m not making me super uncomfortable or anything. What the hell can a gal even possibly do to thank someone for this? There’s nothing bigger in the whole universe to someone than their whole existence and history and everyone’s memories of them.”

Dawn gulps before continuing, “Seriously. What the hell Rej? How are you such a good gal? How’d I luck into you two crazy kids being the two to get me out of my shell after my ol’ skulking buddy kicked it? Shid braddah, ugh, it hurts thinking about. I haven’t had friends in so long. Doofus was just, cranky mostly, but still stopped by all the same. Sometimes they came back, so beat up, almost dead, but they’d still stop by, tease me about needing to go into town for some new clothes or stuff. They never believed me about my curse, dumbarse. Completely denying magic for years. Claimed it was maybe some sort of iocaine poison derivative something or other that slowed my vitals, with some kind of adrenaline something or other to keep me active. Complete goon.”

She laughs, recalling, “They joked that I must have played some high stakes game, and gone in against a Sicilian when death was on the line, and didn’t realize both cups were poisoned or something dumb. I don’t even know what one of those is. Huff. But, but still. My only friend, for, for decades I think. Then you two come along, and Dippy shows up outta nowhere for a while, straight up putting it all on the line, no questions asked, tracking and fighting and, just, who the hell even was that little blue bud?”

I chuckle as Dawn brings up Dippy. He really was special. He was absolutely terrified of almost everything almost every moment of every day, and still he pressed onwards, through everything. Bravest Amongst Us indeed. Dawn continues to reminisce with me about Aces as she lays against me, while I study the soul tome. I slowly blink as my eyelids grow heavier and heavier. Teuila pulls the carriage to a hault, and tries asking Apheliotes if he needs like food or water or rest or anything. He just blinks and stares at her like she’s an idiot. She shrugs and laughs. She pats him on the shoulders and tells him to rest as she makes her way around into the Cabin.

Before I pass out, I have to introduce everyone. I cough for a moment’s attention, “Hey, guys, um. Remember the homicidal maniac with two artifacts that, well, kinda died because of my stupidity? They’re uh. Kind of alive again, and here. Only they have new names, and would like me to introduce you to them. Dawn, Teuila, please meet Requiem, the Silent Song, and Shellcracker’s Iceflame Spark. Yeah Te, I know, right?”

Dawn looks mildly confused, but Teuila stares in amazement at them as she takes them into her hands. She knows the swirling streaky color of my Can’Z’aasian soul intimately. She quickly hugs them to her chest, and asks aloud, “You two, you’ll, well, you’ll stay with us, right? Even, even after. Oh hey what’s that? There’s like feelings in my head that aren’t mine. Wait, that’s you guys? Dink? Airhead? Is, is this how they talk?”

I nod while flashing Teuila a half smile. Dawn begins to marvel at the exchange. Hm Bud? Yeah I can do that. I add, “Lullaby says to remember to say that Essie likes the nickname Essie, or SS, or SS Requiem, and that she’s his sister, or, was. Still is. We’re still figuring out a name for Shellcracker’s suit of stuff, heh. Also, Sindred will probably hunt us down someday since we didn’t give her gear back.”

Somehow, I doubt that either Sindred or I will live long enough for her to track us down to extract vengeance. Hell, she might be imprisoned for losing artifacts bestowed on her as a royal guard. Whoops. Teuila gets acquainted with the pair of reborn artifacts, frequently hugging them or raising them to her cheeks as if she’s snuggling my very soul. I. I guess she is. Yeah Lullaby, I get the irony. I wasn’t going to leave a child behind, at least not biologically, but now I’m leaving a piece of me behind for them to remember me by after all. I gulp and snort a sad laugh.

Huff. Yeah, I’m turning in. Teuila sees Dawn nestling into my arm, and leaps to float gently across our laps, lightly trapping us in a trio as I drift to sleep. My dreams are tearful, fearful, it feels as if I have a lifetime of terror to fight through to return to the waking world. I finally awaken, barely refraining from screaming. I hyperventilate, exhausted and sweating feverishly. Things are getting weirder with me the closer I get to my demise.

Several days journey, and we’re nearing the mountain range now. Dawn has mostly remained silent, only occasionally rambling at me, pleasantries and gratitude and reminiscing about our meetings. I gulp as I fight down the sadness inherent in what her reminiscing means for both of us. I do snort a few laughs about the whole Kozzurth situation though as she tells me a bit about her approach, and seeing me there.

This, this is the end of the book. This is it! I cry out, “The, the book, it’s rearranging the, the knowledge stuff! I’ve finished studying it! I, I.”

Teuila stops the carriage and races inside to stare at me expectantly, excitedly, grinning like a goon. Dawn waits with, well, not bated breath, since she doesn’t breathe, but she's waiting anxiously at least. I draw a ragged breath and puff a sigh as I try to sort through the knowledge ramming itself through my cranium. Apparently the spell’s name is Ensnare the Soul. That sounds almost perfect, maybe. Perhaps too good to be true. Let’s— oh hell. I’m going to be sick. This spell is deplorable, ugh. It has a few uses at least. Bluh, let’s try to sort through them quickly. It’s mostly about intentionally siphoning and trapping a soul in intentional agony in a prison of gem. It requires a gem possibly up to the size of a small boulder by the sounds of it, at least about the size of the person’s heart, if not head. There’s a bunch of complicated script detailing the exact value of the gemstone, things like Mohs hardness scale, luster, a bunch of crap.

No, oh no. Milbert was right. To lock a soul to a mortal vessel, at least with this spell, it, glp. It would take hundreds, thousands of lives in trade, at minimum. Even if we could find a populated location, would Dawn be willing to accept such a cost? Even if the people were perhaps willing? Tears of rage fill my eyes.

On the one hand, it won’t take that many runes to master, on the other hand, apparently it requires complicated rituals or specialized enchanting and engraving skills to even put it to use. It is definitely one of the more powerful, potent spells within the school of necromancy, all things considered. The two look confused at my lingering silence and tears of rage. I can’t find words. We’ve so few hopes left to save Dawn.

Fighting through the sadness, tears, sobs, gulping, and overwhelming fatalistic dismay, I try to explain, “It, it. It’s called Ensnare the Soul. It, it’s meant to trap souls, not in a good way. In a prison of gem, really large gems, in eternal agony until the gem is smashed. It has several functions though. One of them is, glp. It’s closer to what we need, but. But the cost. Glp, koff. To lock a soul to a mortal vessel, imprisoning it in its flesh suit as the spell calls it, again, inducing at least a mild persistent agony for eternity, though technically granting a semblance of immortality, it, it. Koff. Snfl. Remember what Milbert said when he asked me about locking my soul down? Hundreds, thousands of lives. He already knew this spell. We’d, we’d have to draw a rune around an entire town, a small kingdom, and, and sacrifice everyone inside by kiling them in whatever means we could, within the rune. The, koff, the last person alive, or, well, possibly animate body, we can’t even be sure, within the rune after a certain period of time would draw the benefit of the spell.”

I can’t speak any longer. I can’t fight the tears. I drop my face into my hands and weep. The horror that is drawn across the faces of Teuila and Dawn mirrors my own feelings. I wasted days. Glp. Hrp. I’m going to be sick. I wasted days on, on vile, horrid, abhorrent magic. I beg all that’s good in the world that the Sisters somehow have something on hand, or that their oracular powers are free of charge, or something, and can tell us where to go and how to save Dawn.

I gaze at Dawn through tear-embattled eyes. The apology on my ashen face, my despair, I can’t express it. Dawn nods, understanding. She leans in and hugs me gently. I drop my face into her shoulder and bawl my eyes out, for I don’t know how long. Teuila gets Apheliotes Zephyrus to resume our journey, silently stewing in her own feelings. I’m failing them. I’m failing everyone. My Friend, a country, a continent, possibly this whole world.

It feels like days pass, but I can’t allow myself the time to grieve or, or process whatever emotions by wallowing. I dig through the rest of the books. I need to learn more magic, get more powerful, anything. There might be a way to, I don’t know, summon a demon and defeat it to bind Dawn’s soul. Or, or to summon a devil and form a contract, so that her soul can’t be stolen by the spell. Even belonging to a devil has to be better than never having existed at all. What about, what about aberrant entities outside of space and time? Jarrah made it seem like they absolutely do exist. Hell, Jarrah made it sound like planes of realities that can be planeswalked across by those able to plane shift exist simultane- What. The. F^&*. Really Staff? Any more secrets? Apparently planes of reality definitely do exist, and magic exists to travel between them. The problem is that it requires magical resonant devices native to the planes. Ugh. Yeah, I guess it isn’t that helpful.

Stupid staff, for spells whose concepts I’m not intimately, actively familiar with, it doesn’t tell me about them until I basically accidentally say or think their name. Sorry, the staff isn’t stupid, it’s ungodly, incredibly powerful. Hellspit. I wonder if we could use that spell to get back to Can’Z’aas. Is it on another plane of reality? Or in another reality entirely? What’s the difference? Huff. Regardless, we don’t have one of the special corestones infused with dragonforce shaped into a tuning fork attuned to the harmonic frequency native to the plane itself. Hell of a specific requirement for a spell. No idea how you’d ever use it, except maybe to get back to your home plane if you somehow stumbled into being summoned to another plane.

Ugh, I can’t afford to spend time on this distraction. There’s the tiniest shred of hope that we could maybe shift Dawn off of this plane of reality, and that such a thing might stop the spell, but, but. Huff. I’m almost positive that the spell is woven into the fabric of the entirety of this reality, across all of its planes. I’d teleport us to hell itself though by shifting planes to it if it seemed like it might even remotely prevent Dawn’s soul from being consumed by the curse.

I’m not even going to waste time explaining this to Teuila or Dawn at the moment unless I find at least the slightest hint of a corestone existing somewhere on this plane that’s linked to another one. Alright, more books. These ones look promising. Some are scrolls, but these four are enchanted like the Libram Lingua or whatever it is.

Let’s see, this one is called the Abyssal Leaves of Feidlo, it’s like a set of inscribed wooden slates in a leather case. Over here is one with a hell of a name, Baatorian Articles of Hoitonous, an actual book, but bound in steel and stained glass, like several of the other tomes. What is it with Rayileklia and binding their magical books with stained glass? Does it help focus the power of the enchantments? This set of scrolls in this leather case over here is called The Luminous Illuminations of the Nyne. Another one that looks promising is called the Arcane Tablets of Thratelch. Friggin’ hell these names. I wonder if any of them are from the mysterious ancients that Jarrah mentioned. Huff. Can I study them all simultaneously? Will it make my brain explode?

Screw it, at this point, it’s worth the risk. Telekinesis, and aura sight from the staff, and four simultaneous sets of enchanted writings. Crap, can’t do two spells from the staff. Wait, Dawn has a wand that does the same spell. Whew.

I plead, “Dawn, I’ve been using the staff to keep up my aura vision spell, but I can’t run two spells from it at once. Could I please borrow your wand? I need to keep a big spell from the staff up for what I’m going to try.”

Dawn looks worried but hands the wand over, no questions asked. I’d friggin’ kiss her if she were anyone else. Or well, anyone who wasn’t squicked by the more romantic affections. Alright Reggie Shellcracker. Time to go sage mode. Really show the magic of Rayileklia that you’re committed to ending this gorram curse. Just like media from Fakeworld. Someone going all out levitates themselves and a bunch of books around them. I’m going to be bending the limits of the telekinesis spell, and my brain, but who frickin’ cares. I’m dying anyway.

I set everything up, and Dawn ogles me and the floating written works. It, it, it hurts. It hurts so bad. I. No, no Bud. Don’t do that for me. Nor that either. Also, no, I’m not ready to try a symbiosis that might cost my soul or do whatever irreparable damage that Jarrah’s dire warning hinted at. It’s like daggers of ice driving into my skull from the top of my eyesockets and my temples, and mandible joint. It feels like my heart is ripped from my chest, tossed by the wayside and stomped by a caravan as it’s left behind. I. Don’t. Care. I’ll take it. I’ll take it all.