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This time I woke up naturally, without anyone to meddle with my sleep. It was still dark outside, first rays of sun were only about to show their presence. I was told that the voting will be held at midday, so judging by what I could see, I still had some time. As I didn’t want to stay idle, I left my hut intending to pay goblin Polly a visit. I wanted to see how gremlin Paul would return.

“Hey, Buddy,” a cheerful voice made me stop and look around for its source. In the shade of a hut’s wall was sitting a classmate of mine. Pumpkin Jack caught my look and grinned, flames in his hollow eyes glimmering playfully, “do you have a heart to abandon your friend in a lurch? You see, not everyone was lucky enough to keep a wonderful pair of healthy, functioning legs. Would you be so kind to take me with you, wherever you are heading to.”

Being refused to retain even the simplest means to travel, fate didn’t go easy on pumpkin Jack. ‘But didn’t he somehow get out of the labyrinth of his own,’ - a line from my conversation with Richard resurfaced. Without any unnecessary words I picked the lantern and continued on my way.

I didn’t meet anyone else on my way towards the rock. Maybe everyone else was asleep. If needed, I could meet up with Polly at the venue when she comes. I was fine with waiting a bit. Better early than late.

“Jack, can I ask you a question about you being a lantern?”

Jack’s smile disappeared for a moment from his face, before returning even wider, “Go ahead.”

“When you woke up in the labyrinth, how did you escape from there? I remember hearing that you got out on your own.”

A hollow laugh followed my question, “I was a bit… scared, I guess. You see, I have a few abilities of my own. And after coming to my senses, I subconsciously used them. They helped me to get out. That’s it.”

I waited for him to mention which abilities he was talking about but the silence prevailed with only the sound of brushes rustling under the occasional wind gusts to interrupt it.

My earlier doubts were unfounded. Polly was already near the stone, applying her arcane knowledge like the last time I saw her here.

Pumpkin Jack forgot to maintain his smile, evidently captivated by Polly’s movements. The little goblin was circling around the rock slab, wrapping it in mysterious patterns with the help of the sword in her hands.

She paid our presence no attention, perhaps she understood that we didn’t want to interrupt the process, or maybe she was engaged deeply enough to fail to notice intruders.

Goblin Polly was moving faster and lither with each minute. Soon she was able to hold the sword in a single hand, the blade becoming seemingly weightless in artisan’s grip. Sun, rising over the horizon, infrequent gusts of wind ruffling greenery in its wake, pumpkin Jack whose considerable weight made me change holding hand every now and then – everything seemed to fade into background. Polly became the world. There was only her dancing around the rock with the sword in her hand.

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With bated breath I was watching. In front of me wasn’t standing a clumsy classmate of mine. There was a True Master, whose every movement was a work of art. The flow of time changed. I was trying to catch every single motion, but she became too fast to see clearly. Or perhaps it was just me who was too slow. She seemed to set alight everything around her. It was as if a blazing sun, shining brightly descended in this long forgotten corner of the island.

Goblin Polly made one last stroke and then she pierced the rock with her sword. Her part was completed. I blinked, becoming aware once again. And then all hell broke loose.

Bloody fog with sizzling made its way from where Polly pierced the rock. And with screeches and grunts creatures made their way out of scarlet fog. Visually they were similar to what gremlin Paul looked like, but their bearing didn’t emit even a single ounce of intelligence. They looked far more primal and savage.

Words goblin Polly once said reappeared in my memory, “I could feel Paul. He’s clawing his way from the inside, trying to breach the barrier.”

Did she ever feel Paul through the connection? Or were it those things trying to break free from their imprisonment? Goblin Polly squealed as she made a few steps back from the havoc before stumbling and falling on her behind. One of those things jumped towards Polly.

I suddenly felt unable to support Jack’s weight and fell to the side. My vision was momentarily blocked by the roots which appeared out of nowhere. I blinked and got up. Now I had the answer how pumpkin Jack was able to get out from the labyrinth.

Roots, finding their origin in Jack, were slithering everywhere. One of those roots caught the thing that jumped towards Polly. In a few moments all the savages were bound by my classmate whose grin instead of appearing jolly, now looked terrifying. One of the roots coiled around me, but without applying much force, I was able to put it off me.

Jack threw every screeching creature into the scarlet fog they came from and then one of his roots emerged from the mist, holding the sword. Fog dissipated soon after. I made my way towards goblin Polly, who was wordlessly shaking while still sitting on the ground. She shuddered when she heard me crouching next to her.

“Hey… I know this attempt was fruitless, but if there’s something I can help with, tell me. I believe that Paul is still somewhere we can reach, though I think it would be better if we were more cautious next time.”

I didn’t know if Paul was alive. I was rather doubtful about it, to be honest. Yet I found myself saying those exact words, seeing her state, wretched as never before.

Something touched my hand. I looked down to see Jack’s handle. His roots had already peeled away and were withering at a visible speed. His smile seemed emptier than ever before. I hoped he would say anything to Polly but he just stayed there, silent. At last, Polly looked up at us, “...Thank you,” she whispered.

We returned to the settlement in complete silence. Seeing Polly’s state, I ended up carrying both the sword and the pumpkin. The former was actually on a heavy side. Looking at Polly’s feeble frame I could never guess she would be able to move it with such ease.

Jellyfish Dezire met us at the village entrance, her tentacles shaking in overexcitement. She continued to babble, but I didn’t quite catch what she was talking about, my mind echoing screeches that creatures made.

Edge of my eyesight caught Polly who was plodding off in her hut’s direction. I stopped her to return the sword to its rightful owner. She looked at it with uncertainty before her expression became resolute and she firmly grasped the sword, her claws scratching me in the process. Then the little goblin stomped away, this time with determination evident in her gait.