Kiyora had just gotten away from her house before people began to shamble out of every door. They had broad, unnatural smiles, and they walked after her. Kiyora ran all the faster, her bare feet hurting on the sidewalk as she did so. Her heart was pumping, sweat-drenched her brow as they came in around her; her feet ached, and her mind reeled. Where was she going to go now? What did she do?

Kiyora needed help; she had to get out of here.

"He is laughing," They chanted as they came after her. "He is laughing. He is laughing. He is laughing.

"Shut up!!" roared Kiyora. "Stay away!! This can't be... this can't..." She needed help. Help!

Then there was a flash, and William was there, sword in hand. The light surrounding her sent the possessed people reeling back, crying out.

"Kiyora!" said William.

He was real! Kiyora hugged him before she could stop herself. "William, how did you get here?"

"How in Elranor's name should I know?" asked William. "Who are these people?"

"I uh... okay, Laughing Wraith has possessed many people in this city," said Kiyora. She was leaning on her knees and panting for breath. She had not been ready for today at all. How had Laughing Wraith done all this? Outmaneuvered the DSD so handily? No, wait, Kiyora knew how it happened, and now he had Mom and Dad. And Kiyora only had William for help in stopping him. "I need your help to break the spell."

The chant began again. "He is laughing. He is laughing."

William shoved her off him and raised his sword. "One moment."

Wait a minute? Was he going to start killing people?! "William, we can't kill these people, we can't?!"

"Well, then, what do you suggest?" asked William.

"Let's just run until we can figure that out," said Kiyora.

And run they did. Kiyora led them mindlessly through the streets as quickly as she could. She didn't have a destination in mind. Where was she supposed to go? She didn't know where to start.

It was a good thing that no one was pursuing them very quickly. People came out of their houses, but they were slow to respond. Kiyora was relieved at that, but she didn't understand it either.

"I don't get it," she said. "Mom and Dad were completely possessed. Why would Wraith be so slow to move these?"

"The possession is not very strong on them," said William. "I sense a presence here, but... it feels stretched thin. Laughing Wraith may be having trouble controlling his minions. If so, that gives us the advantage." He paused. "These buildings are strange. They look as though they have been formed from living wood. But how is that possible?"

"Actovosh formed them on our behalf," said Kiyora. "You see, he uses his roots to grow the basic shape of our house. We ask Emperor Ictargo for permission to construct a place, and if he grants it, Actovosh does it for us. Then we build around it."

"Surely, there are limitations." mused William.

"Of course, there are," said Kiyora. "But we don't have time for that! Mom and Dad are possessed! We need a plan."

"No, we need a safe house," said William. "Somewhere, there are few people. I doubt Wraith will take long before he learns to use his new puppets more skillfully. We need somewhere people don't usually go."

"Good idea," said Kiyora. "We'll go to the library."

She led him on with a new resolve. They could beat this; they really could. Kiyora and William just had to keep their heads above water long enough to find a solution. But what might Laughing Wraith do while they were treading water? He could be killing people or causing all kinds of horrible things? They had to move fast. But how could they move faster than they were right now?

No, stop panicking. Just focus on what you have to do right now and make a plan when you have something to make a plan with. Kiyora and William had to stay alive right now. And there was the rub. It wasn't long before the possessed began to gather again. This time, they came from both directions in great crowds. They were moving faster, running at them with empty eyes.

"He is laughing; he is laughing, he is laughing!" They chanted.

They were surrounded. William looked around, then threw aside the fold of his cloak and drew out his harp. "Elranor, guide my hands."

"William, I don't think this is the time to play music!" said Kiyora.

"No, it is a perfect time," said William.

Then he began to play. A sad melody flowed through the streets as he ran his fingers over them with a master's skill. It resounded throughout the surrounding area. All the possessed who heard it sank to their knees. They screamed in horror before suddenly collapsing. More came, and these, too, succumbed to the music.

"That's working? How?" asked Kiyora.

"I'm channeling the power of Elranor through my music." said William. "It seems to be disrupting the spell."

"Do you have to hurt them?" asked Kiyora.

"I'm not hurting them," said William. "They are merely expressing the suffering Wraith is inflicting on them. I think. Now, come on, let's get out of sight."

Kiyora led them on over the unconscious bodies of the possessed. None of them moved, though some could be heard sobbing in a low voice. Kiyora felt sick. How had Wraith done all this? She knew how, but this wasn't supposed to happen!

William looked at it all like it was business, which disturbed Kiyora. What had he been doing all this time? She didn't want to really know, so she didn't ask. They got to the library and found it abandoned. Anyone who was once inside it had left in a hurry. Shelf after shelf of abandoned books was there, with no one to read them.

"Are you sure this place is safe?" asked William.

"Sure. This is a library. No one ever comes here," said Kiyora.

"It is different from the other buildings," said William.

"It's made of brick and stone," said Kiyora. "See, it was originally built as a church to one of the lesser races' gods. So it wasn't appropriate for Actovosh to form it. He is a sacred tree, after all." Why was she so calm? She should be freaking out.

"That would explain the bell tower," mused William, locking the doors. "Now, I need you to tell me what is happening?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Okay, you know how Laughing Wraith possessed a lot of malas and sold them to people to feed off them?" asked Kiyora.

"Yes," said William. "What of it?"

"Well, he did the same thing here," said Kiyora. "Only in our case, he possessed a substance which the people trying to stop him spread to the entire city."

"So, the entire city has been subverted?" said William.

"I think so," said Kiyora.

William looked contemplative. "This is not within my abilities to fix. And since you called me, it isn't within your abilities either. We need help."

"Right, right, okay," said Kiyora, thinking. "Um, we can see Escalus at the Department of Spiritual Defense. Maybe she escaped it."

Someone smashed against the window, cracking it. Kiyora leaped back as William drew his sword. People were crowding at the door. Fists were breaking through the windows and scrambling for the door handle.

William drew back his sword to cut off one of the hands, but Kiyora caught his wrist. "We can't kill them! Now come on!"

They fled as the door burst open behind them. The possessed streamed through, chanting as always. They fled up a flight of stairs as more came in through some side entrances. William looked to where the possessed were scaling the stairs after him. Breaking free of Kiyora's grip, he drew up his harp and began to play as they scaled up after him.

The music played again, and the creatures let out a screech. Yet this time, they didn't give up. Something in the air forced them to keep walking forward, even as they screamed. When one fell into unconsciousness, the others stepped over their body. Dozens were failing because of the music every second. Yet slowly, the possessed were climbing over the bodies of the fallen toward them.

"Kiyora," said William, "find a window! Now!"

Kiyora nodded and turned. No windows within reach here. But a back door led out onto a terrace with stairs. But even as she went to open it, she saw the possessed coming in through the terrace. Very soon, they would be surrounded.

Wiliam was giving ground. The shadows grew longer around them, taking the shape of claws, and seemed to reach out. And Kiyora thought she heard the sound of laughter.

"There isn't any other way out!" said Kiyora before looking upwards in desperation. "Wait, wait, the bell tower! This was a church! We can get out using the belltower!"

"Where are the stairs?" asked William.

"They're, um..." Kiyora paused. "There aren't any. We're screwed."

"You are a god!" roared William. "Can't you use some of your godpowers to get us out of here?!"

"I'm not a god here!" said Kiyora. "That's just in my dreams. Here I'm just your everyday average high school girl!"

"Then why the hell am I here?!" snapped William.

Oh, right, William's presence indicated that she could use her powers here. She closed her eyes. Okay, okay, she was the Dreaming Goddess. She had the power. She could do this. She looked deep within herself and saw only a fantasy. She tried to grasp it, but it slipped through her fingers whenever she reached out.

Well, so much for that idea.

She opened her eyes and saw the possessed closing in around her. They were falling too slowly, and he was laughing. This was it.

"Don't give up!" cried a voice. "You have the power to stop this. You always did."

Kiyora didn't know why, but the words she heard filled her with strength. Suddenly, she felt her dreams and fantasies flowing up over her. A warmth grew in her heart as she saw a glow emerge from her hands. The possessed were mere feet away, and one grasped her hair.

No.

Kiyora felt her power. She needed only to unleash it.

Blue energy flowed from her, sweeping over the crowds of possessed. There was a terrible scream of rage, and then the possessed collapsed around her. All of them fell to the ground, looks of relief on their faces. Kiyora was standing where she was, suddenly very tired. Her legs hurt, and she fell forward.

William caught her.

"Kiyora," he said, "are you alright?"

"Yes," said Kiyora, standing up.

She realized how close she and William were standing. He also admitted it because they separated and turned away at the last minute. The unconscious forms of hundreds surrounded them.

"So, where is this Escalus?" asked William.

"I don't know," admitted Kiyora. "I guess we could head to the school and retrace my steps. But I wasn't paying attention to the directions the truck took."

"Very well, we'll make a new plan of action," said William.

Dead silence. Kiyora looked at William expectantly. "Well?"

"I'm trying to think of something," admitted William. "Let me see; Laughing Wraith is controlling the entire city. That means he has to have a place where his will is fully focused. A place that gives all the directions. The effects should stop if we can find and destroy that place."

"Should?" asked Kiyora.

"I'm guessing somewhat," William said. "When I use the powers Elranor granted me, I have to focus it through something, whether it is my harp or my hands. What I am focusing on determines a lot of things. But I have no idea where that might be."

Kiyora remembered her conversation with Laurus. "I have a hunch that might find us it."

"Yes?" asked William as he followed.

"I think, and I could be wrong, he might have focused his power on a pharmaceutical plant," said Kiyora.

"What is a pharmaceutical plant?" asked William.

"A place where drugs are made. Not bad drugs, good drugs. Or they were before Laughing Wraith corrupted them." said Kiyora.

"Perhaps," said William. "However, it could also be a person."

"You mean Laurus," guessed Kiyora.

"I saw him, Kiyora," said William. "Or someone identical to me. He is working for him."

"That doesn't make sense, though," said Kiyora. "He gave me all kinds of information on Wraith. If he hadn't told me about all this, I would never have figured it out alone."

"Wraith possesses many people," said William. "Laurus may be possessed as well."

"Right, that must be it," said Kiyora. "Now, how do we find out where this plant is?"

"Well, we are in a library," noted William. "Are there any records in this place?"

"Now that is crazy talk," said Kiyora. "I'm going to consult the tree spirit."

"Tree spirit? You mean that Actovosh thing you mentioned?" asked William, raising an eyebrow.

"See, um, this whole city is built around a giant tree, Actavosh," said Kiyora. "The city was named after it. By communing with the tree, we can come into contact with the thoughts and desires of many other people. We can also leave messages and stuff like that. There is a whole system for finding directions."

"What if Laughing Wraith has possessed that as well?" asked William.

"It doesn't matter," said Kiyora. "You can remain anonymous while using it, so it's fine." She sat down and closed her eyes. Then, she focused on gaining the information she needed. She looked into Actovosh, who looked back into her. Soon, the information presented itself. She opened her eyes and stood. "Okay, I've got the directions. It's called Iron's Pharmaceuticals. We'd better get going."

"We should find a way to get there without being seen," said William.

"Right, okay," said Kiyora. "Let's get out of here first, though."

They took a long time picking their way past the unconscious bodies. They were lying everywhere for nearly a mile. By the time they got beyond them, it looked like they had knocked out a dozen neighborhoods. Kiyora hoped no one had died. William was right; they had to do something to avoid this.

As they made their way onto the street, Kiyora realized how much her foot hurt. She hadn't noticed it until now because she was in such a rush, but now that she had a moment, she was. Her feet ached like hell, and the socks she had been wearing were torn to shreds.

Oh, and her parents had tried to strangle her.

Everything was happening so quickly, and she didn't know how to react to it all. She needed to avoid any more confrontations like that. Sooner or later, someone was going to get killed. Then she saw a manhole cover in the pavement. An idea occurred to her. It was a very unpleasant one, but it would probably work.

"Actovosh," she said, opening her mind, "could you open that for us? And once you do that, could you lead us to Iron's Pharmaceuticals?"

There was no verbal response, but roots suddenly shoved aside the manhole cover. Kiyora walked over and began to climb down, followed by William. Then she covered her nose at the smell. The ceiling was low, and the air was putrid.

"What is this place?" asked William.

"The sewers," sad Kiyora. "Actovosh, give us some light, will you?"

Sparkles emerged from the roots on the wall, illuminating a path. They followed it, trying to ignore the stench and being careful not to step in anything as they did so.

"Are you certain this tree knows the way?" asked William.

"Sure, Actovosh listens to everything we say," said Kiyora. "He knows this city better than anyone." She wanted to throw up. "Hey, William."

"Yes?" asked William.

How could she say what she needed to? "Do you think we can destroy Laughing Wraith's power, even if we find it?" asked Kiyora. That wasn't it at all.

"I don't know," admitted William. "If I were him, however, I would concentrate all the best fighting men of the city around it. If he approaches this rationally, we'll have serious problems before the end."

"Maybe we should contact the Ascendence," mused Kiyora. "It's a tree ship hovering above us. They could help us."

"What manner of ship hovers?" asked William.

"I... well, tree ships. See, we have this special kind of tree which courses with magic," said Kiyora. "And we build ships around them that can channel their power to destroy our enemies. They came here specifically to kill Laughing Wraith."

"If I were Laughing Wraith, my first move would be to destroy them then," said William.

"Could he do that, do you think?" asked Kiyora.

"It depends on whether or not he has corrupted the cities' defenses. If they can destroy such a vessel, he could," mused William. "Has he?"

"I don't know," admitted Kiyora.

Suddenly, the illumination stopped. They halted there for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Then, there was a grinding noise from the ceiling. The wood gave way, and many vines and roots grew downwards to form a ladder.

"That's weird." mused Kiyora. "We haven't been walking for that long. Why would Actovosh want us to head upwards?"

"I don't know," said William. "However, I will be glad to be out of the filth. I'll climb up and call for you when it is clear." He drew his sword. Then, he scaled swiftly up the ladder and disappeared.

"You can come up," William called. "We're safe."

"Already on it," said Kiyora.

"He is laughing..." murmured a distant voice. "He is laughing..." So that was why Actovosh had ordered them to move.

Kiyora scrambled up, pulled herself up, and found that William had already created a light. No sooner had Kiyora's legs cleared the entrance, and it closed behind her, shutting them in. Looking around, Kiyora saw that they appeared to be standing in a cellar. There were all kinds of canned foods left around them. Kiyora only then realized how hungry she was.

She tried to distract herself and turned her attention to the stairs. They led up to a heavy door of living wood. As they approached, it seemed to come to life.

The door opened, and what they found within looked like some kind of armory. Racks upon racks of weapons could be seen. There were no doors or windows to the outside in either direction. What Kiyora did see were shoes. Quickly stripping off her ruined socks, she got into the boots.

"This appears to be some manner of safehouse," mused William. "Did you know of such places?"

"No," admitted Kiyora. "But I know I'll never take shoes for granted again."

Or not being chased by possessed people.