*Quest Updated*

*Return To Sy’s Oasis With The Orb Of Zephyr*

The updated mission flashed up before disappearing just as quickly.

I had not wasted any time high tailing it out of the maze, suddenly the pressure was gone, that fear subsided, but the splitting headache I had when my chaos mode had de-activated told me that I had spent just about all of the energy that I had. Stinging pain gnawed into the side of my head, sending jolts of pain down my face and my shoulders, in wave after wave of sporadic bursts.

It didn’t stop me from making my way out and I continued to stumble through the labyrinth until I finally reached the entranceway, where Raven was stood like nothing had happened. I was battered and bruised as I ran past her and out into the open, and started laughing and wheezing as I prayed that there were no other tests.

I swear if a shog had jumped out right then and there, I would have punched it in the face.

Raven looked at me more in shock than in awe, then peered, expecting to see the Extendabull chasing after us. She gave me an untrusting look, that was also part confused.

“I don’t think that thing is going to be bothered about us for a while.” I said, breathing heavily, I was still bent over, hands braced on my legs as I heaved in as much air as I could. “I have not got a clue what happened in there, something happened to me, something activated inside of me, I got a notification saying Chaos Mode. Any idea what that means.”

Raven shrugged and shook her head as she walked towards me she started signing, fast and frantic, too fast for me to keep track of, I couldn’t understand anything she was saying but her wide eyes and rare smile told me that she was happy. When she reached me she gave me a playful dig on the arm and as I stood up I ruffled her hair playfully, she slapped my hands away.

“You did great in there too kid! The way you jumped about those stones and dodged that trap, that was insane.” I was speaking fast, a wave of hyperactivity washing over me. There was so much I wanted to go through and we did as we had a step by step debrief as we followed the river back towards Sy’s oasis. It was me that did all the talking but Raven, to her credit did sign along, there was the odd sign that I was starting to familiarise myself with but nothing that mad us able to have a two way conversation. I still appreciated her listening.

I had taken my last health potion and a stamina potion too as soon as I could, while they helped me with the cuts and bruises I had received in that chase through the labyrinth it had done nothing to quell the horrendous pain I was still getting through my head. It was worth it though, if not for that random skill activating, then that would have been me gone and for the time being, I took comfort in feeling like there was some kind of higher being watching over me. If I had a way of saying thanks directly to them, I would not hesitate.

We were just heading past a bend in the river, following the rapids back up like Sy had told us to when the faded static screen popped up in my vision.

“Hold up, I think Fidget is trying to get through to me.”

Raven raised her finger to her lips and disappeared into my shadow again, just like she did last time, there was more here that I needed to pick a part but for now I waited for her to appear.

The static continued for a few moments before Fidget appeared, her face was bloodied and she had a black eye.

“Silas, Silas,” She said, in a panic, when her eyes settled on me she seemed to immediately calm, her shoulders dropping and she offered me a worried smile. “Thank the gods! I when I couldn’t get through to you, when I couldn’t find a connection, well I thought the wise had happened to you. It's been longer than I would have liked since we last spoke but it has been too dangerous.”

“What happened to you? You look like you have been run over by a truck?”

“What’s a truck?”

“It’s just a figure of speech that we use back home, never mind,” I didn’t have the energy to go into detail about what it meant, my head was pounding, and Fidget appearing on a screen send a wave of nausea over me, a flash of heat rising up in my face.

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“I could say the same to about you? Silas are you ok? You look like you have been in a fight with a cave troll.”

It was good to know those things existed an dI made a mental note not to go anywhere near caves in the future.

“You first, where have you been? I thought you would have been in touch before now.” I asked as I took the opportunity to take a drink of water.

“Well after our last call, I was ambushed, it seems that somehow I am being tracked, by Belzebere’s minions. When ever I communicate to you, they seem to be able to find my general location. I have no idea how but she must be desperate. She sent a group of twelve reavers last time and although they are a lower level than me, my magic isn’t fully replenished since,” She cut herself of, getting lost in her thoughts for a moment before returning to the conversation, she shook her head, her jowls shook,, and there was a slapping noise as she did it. "I had to remind myself I was talking to a half human, half dog sorceress.

“Are you ok? You look kind of beat up.”

“I’m fine, just a little battered and bruised. Probably my own fault for becoming too reliant on my magic since I started my apprenticeship. Belzebere, will need to send more reavers than that if she wants to stop me.”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you more about her,”

“Unfortunately now isn’t the time, I can’t stay on too long because that’s when I think they can lock in on my location.”

“And where is it you are,” I asked.

“Far north of you in the Ferera region, there is not much here apart from, bandits and frost scorpions and obviously reavers but they are only here because of me., If I continue south, it is only a matter of time before I can get to you. Now more importantly, did you find Sy?”

“I did, he is a pretty cool guy.”

“What do you mean by that?” Fidget gave me a puzzled look, “Why would he be cold? He is in a forest.”

I chuckled to myself as I continued, “It doesn’t matter, Sy has been a great help, he took us in,” I quickly corrected myself, “Me, he took me in.” Thankfully Fidget didn’t seem to notice my mix up, Raven apparently anted to keep hidden for whatever reason and I wanted to respect that.

“Thank goodness, I was worried that he wouldn’t, he said after me he was done. But I hoped he would be willing to help.”

“He was hesitant at first, but he showed me around and put me through my paces, he even sent me on my first quest, I imagine to kind of prove to him that I am in fact a guardian, I think that’s why you couldn’t get through to me. He said he wouldn’t be able to communicate with me while I was inside the Labyrinth, because of the magic, I assume it interferes with the signal or whatever it is that you use to communicate around here.”

“He sent you to the Labyrinth already? He must be impressed, or in a rush, one or the other anyway. How did you get on, did you find the orb?”

“You know about the orb?” I asked, suddenly finding myself more intrigued.

“Of course I do, all guardians do, well the ones that survive anyway, The Orb Of Zephyr only shows itself to those who have the potential to be guardians. The puzzles change everytime, they are unique to the person who enters but that Extendabull, he is one determined creature! Tell me how did you get past him? When it was my turn in there, I cast an illusion spell to distract it so I could sneak on past him, frightful thing, ridiculously overpowered.”

“I cut off his arm, at least I think I did, something activated within me, I didn’t really have any con-”

“You cut of its arm?” Fidget shouted across the screen excited at the prospect, “I have no doubt in my mid that-” there was a strange ring, similar to an alarm clock, an old school one with the metal bells at the top.

“I’ve got to go, my times up, I need to keep these conversations as short as possible. It sounds like you are making great progress and I will be in touch as soon as it safe to do so, say hi to Sy for me.” The screen cut of abruptly and vanished from my vision.

Every conversation with Fidget was a hundred miles an hour but I was starting to get used to her, she seemed nice, if a little quirky.

“You can come out now,”

Raven reappeared in front of me, I still couldnt get my head around whatever kind of spell she was using, it was trippy to watch, extremely cool but trippy none the less.

“What’s the deal with that?” I asked before Raven could set off walking again.

“Why do you keep hiding when Fidget calls?

Raven started signing at me, frustration in her eyes as she tried to explain to me. But I was still just as useless at reading sign language as I was the day that I arrived here.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell what you are saying. But as soon as we find a way for you to tell me, I am going to need you to tell me exactly what it is you are hiding from. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but if we are going to stick together I need to know what is going on. And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten that your whispers quest is still open to me.”

Raven signed again, this time she was more deflated, as if she was fed up of trying to communicate with me and not being any closer to being able to.

I felt guilty, how could I not, she could understand what I was saying but she wasn’t able to speak to me, tell me what she was thinking or how she was feeling and that tore me up. It was something that I wanted to fix.

“When we get back, can you spend some time showing me how to sign, like the basics. I mean it’s ok Sy training us to get stronger and how to fight but, I need to make sure I can understand you, you know I want to help give you a voice.”

Raven gave me a half smile which told me she appreciated the sentiment, she waved me over to follow her and we continued our journey back.