-- James --

The owl sat waiting, staring, twisting its head from side to side, stretching its neck close, observing me. I didn't remember the creature being this curious before. The last time we had met the bird was short-tempered and imperious, but now it was just curious and concerned. The longer it looked me over, the more sadness radiated from the creature. At a loss on what it was expecting me to do, I could only wait until the owl stopped its scrutiny.

After an uncomfortable amount of time, it leaned back into a sitting position and spoke. "What has happened Luminary?"

There was so much that had occurred, images came unbidden to my mind, the entirety of everything blurring together in a jumbled kaleidoscope of memory.

"You have been through a lot. I see it, but your mind has been healed and it is time to speak." The owl opened its wings and began to glide around me.

"Speak your hate." The words resonated in my brain forcing me to think.

Memories flashed to all the times I had seen someone ignore liability. Never doing what they promised, never taking responsibility, I hated how they shirked their duty. The way they "Avoided" it. The word exploded out of me into the world. The currents pulling me became more turbulent, and the bird flew as if it was being guided by the flow. When the owl finally reached my body it circled my legs, brushing its wings lightly along my calf, a sliver of power moving into them.

"To avoid means many things. Remember that." The creature said flying up returning to circling, giving no heed of the torrents of power. "This is not the last question young Luminary. Now speak your love."

My mind didn't go right to one thing this time, finding the question so much harder. I knew I loved being what I was, but didn't know what I admired. I tried to think but kept coming up blank, searching through my memories for something.

'Dancing? Yes, but that's not right. Fighting? Only to a point.' There had to be something, my mind drifted the longer I thought when I heard something in the back of my mind. A small humming noise, of my favorite song. The notes began to consume everything like a good song stuck forever in a loop does. "Music" the word came out when I finally wrapping my mind around the concept. The currents calmed, yet were still moving.

The Owl screeched triumphantly, and flew toward my head, gently landing in my hair where he began to carefully scratch. I felt no pain, only a strange feeling of something being added inside me. The creature finished and flapped its wings flying into the pink. "Next we meet you will tell me your name."

-- Violet --

"How rude." The snake looked at its tale then back to me. "You know I can't do that."

'The fuck is going on you damn snake?'

The snake was twiddling with its tail, saying nothing.

'Don't ignore me you piece of shit.'

The serpent stopped for a moment looking up insulted. "I am a sSsnake I do not look like a piece of sSshit." It went back to trying to figure out how to insult me with its tail.

'Just tell me what happened! Why am I here? And what was all of that?'

I felt a sigh released from the reptile, as it stopped playing with his tail. "You were broken. Now you're not. You proved that when you hatched. AsSs for why you're here." The snake gestured to the pink expanse "isSsn't that obviouss."

'NO! NONE OF THIS IS OBVIOUS! WHY AM I HERE NOW?'

"Calm your thoughtsSs. I don't know, I only know you were in turmoil when you came to increase your power. Ssso we do what we must and protected you, helping you heal."

I wanted to keep yelling, to demand more answers, but looking into the snakes eyes I found no answers there for me.

'AAAAAAAA' I let out one more cry of frustration. 'Fine, can we get on with this.'

The snake nodded and began to slither around my body. "It is time for you to sSspeak."

"Ssspeak your need."

'My need? My need he says. What the fuck do I need? I need to get out of here and find my friends. What I needed...'

"No."

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My mind rattled at the creature's statement. 'You think you know what I need? Well, what is it?'

He said nothing slithering around my body.

'ANSWER ME!!'

"You firsSst."

'Fine! Do you want to know what I really need? What I NEED DEEP DOWN IN MY SOUL!?'

He was waiting.

'I need.' "Peace." It burned me to admit that but I knew it was what I needed.

The snake slithered toward me, when I caught its eyes it looked triumphant as it reached out and slapped its tail against my chest. "Ha, I knew it."

'Ass'

The snake slithered away returning to circling me.

"Now sSspeak your Hate." The word was barely out of its mouth.

"Pain." There was no need to think, or pontificate it was something I always knew.

This time there was no slow slither, the snake struck extending its fangs biting my leg. Pain so much pain shot through my leg, but only for a moment.

'That fucking hurt.'

"You're the one who chosSse pain." It said looping all around my limbs

'How the blight would I have known that.'

"Ssspeak your love."

I love strength, to help, to support, to "Bolster" those in my care. It's not about me. It was never about me. It was about them. Always about them. Oh, how I love them all, I can't let them weaken.

"So kind." The damn snake rammed into my stomach. If the wind could have been knocked out of me it would.

'I hate you.'

"No, you don't Mender. Sssee you next time." The snake vanished.

-- Bay --

'Was the room at least blue?' I shrugged. 'Who knows? Maybe you know? Why don't you tell me?'

"You know that is not going to work." The Raven said amused.

'Know what's going to work? I'm just simply asking if you knew, and it sounds like you don't.'

The bird just stared at me.

'Fine. Then why was I in a room, in my head, and now I'm suddenly here.

"We do what we can to heal those who seek it."

'We? Who are we?' I latched on to one of its words.

The raven went silent.

After the silence went on long enough I asked. 'Are you ever going to tell me what you are?'

"I've told you each time you show up. We are your protectors, guides." The guide seemed tired of having to answer my questions.

'Protectors? Protectors of what? How can you protect us from within here.'

"You'll know when you're strong enough."

'Ah, so strength is required to know.'

"Stop trying to ferret out information."

'You're the one offering it.' I gave him my best smile.

"I am not you annoying ___. " The Raven had said words at the end, I know it did. They just didn't seem to reach me. Its eyes widened after it spoke.

'Wow. There's stuff even you can't tell me.'

The bird let out a long sigh. "Yes, we are all bound young one, but we must progress. You must progress.

'...ok' I didn't feel like the right time to push it.

"Now it's time to speak." The Raven flew high into the air.

"Speak your need."

These questions were always so odd. Why did we need to answer them? What were they all about? How did the words grant power? I really needed to "Know."

"Roundabout as always." The raven dove down talons extended clawing across my cheeks as it dove past me.

"Now Speak your hate."

I wonder if I can control my words? Every time I try, it doesn't work. Something in this liquid ferrets out things I may not have even known about myself. I don't like this place. I don't like "Illusions". The word popped out surprising even me, didn't think that they bothered me so much. Or do I mean more metaphorical illusions? Yes! That makes sense, I do not enjoy the falsehoods and misdirections. I did not enjoy when lies are disguised as truths.

I felt a beak dig into the back of my head, creating a large pressure. "Odd." It said, releasing the pressure.

"Now speak your love."

Love? That was always weird to me. Why is love one of the things? How can that be used in battle? You know what? That's the same for all the words, the whole thing is "Absurd." Fuck! How am I going to use that? Just because I enjoy silly and odd things from time to time.

"You do not have to justify to me little one." The raven appeared morphing into a giant shadow engulfing and passing through me, like an electric jolt.

'Funky.'

"Goodbye Azureist. Next time you get to learn." The bird didn't manifest again, leaving me alone once more.

-- Rowan --

I stared at the elk. It stood there silently horns raised looking me over, radiating emotions of sadness and joy. I could feel it knew something had happened to me, but not what. It appeared to be happy that I escaped.

There was nothing to ask the creature as I floated there looking back. I knew where I was, and that this was where I would level up. Adjusting my mindset I felt myself stand and I approached the elk, reaching out holding my hand for it. It gently lowered its head into my waiting palm. I rubbed its crown transmitting my thanks and heartfelt joy of seeing it again. I lowered my arm and suddenly the creature was a few feet ahead of me out of reach.

The elk raised its head projecting excitement. It snorted, a cloud of steam came out of its nose, which seemed to surprise him as it jumped back from its position confused.

I couldn't hold it in. I began laughing at the look of the creature scaring itself, it was just so mundane. At first, it looked affronted before radiating joy once more. The creature began to walk away, before stopping and turning towards me gesturing for me to follow. I willed my body forward to move with him.

"Speak your need."

The world around us changed, as trees grew all around in shades of pink. Trees and grass grew, animals started to appear moving around the newly formed glade. Even a few bugs flew by. The world around me was filled with "Life." It was a scene in which my soul craved, a world filled with growth all around me. The elk rubbed its head against my side, while we moved through the wild.

"Speak your Hate"

All around the glen, the animals stopped moving to listen to something. I strained my ears to hear but found nothing. Then the wildlife all ran scattering through the forest. That was when I heard it. Buzzing. Thousand upon thousands of little wings flying through the air. A "Swarm" of death. It does not matter that they are so small, when they move in groups with purpose, even larger creatures fear them. The elk moved to my other side and pushed me down a path away from the clouds of insects.

"Speak your love."

The forest became denser, more untamed. Trees grew taller, vines grew thicker, the canopy blocked out more light. I looked down to find we were no longer on a trail we were walking through the tall brush. Off in the distance, I could hear a howl and noises of the deep. Everything was more feral, and was back to what it once was, truly "Wild." With that final word, the entire scene collapsed in on us entering into my body.

The elk had walked ahead turning around to stare at me once more. I looked at it and it nodded.

"Goodbye Tamer."

Alone once more, the world began to shift.