The green-antlered girl spoke the last sentence with Lari’s voice, with Lari’s confident smile playing on her lips.

“A-are you really her… are you my Lari?” Dave choked, his eyes sparkling with tears. “I thought that I lost you forever, thought that… I saw your ghost in the wilds, found your stained glass, even tried to call you from the Guild cathedral...”

“I’m just the carrier of Laricianna’s final wish,” Terri smiled softly, speaking with her own voice now. She let go of the shimmering snail tentacle and wrapped her hands around Dave giving him a tight hug. “I’m the holder of your guiding lantern. I’m the speaker for the dead, the lips for a voice from long, long ago. I’m the girl who’s never going to give up on you.”

“Is Lari in the book then?” Dave asked, hugging Terri back.

“The book is just a starting keynote in a symphony I wrote into being. I’m scattered across all of Xandria,” Terri whispered with Lari’s voice. “In her cobblestones and rooftops. In her fortifications and sewer and catacombs. In her defense hexagrams. In her wards and in people’s tools. I wasn’t permitted to do much but I had centuries of life because Duke Lumir and his men would not permit me to die. I had time to plan and to influence the future. Seven hundred years to reach this moment. This is merely… a recording of my wish, written in magic and carried forward in time by my Maidenlynes.”

Dave opened his mouth, not sure what to say.

“I died a long time ago, my friend,” Lari’s voice spoke from Terri’s lips. “I studied the Maidenlynes of Gorefield in the Undercity, anchored my wish to this book with crystalline ink and gradually orchestrated the fall of the city to the Verdant Republic and General Nox. I bound myself to the foundation of the city and then I let my wish grow like a seed of a tree taking root over generations beneath everything, branches of my leaves reaching out to you with singular purpose. Again and again and again.”

“What the shit, Lari,” David hissed, staring at Terri’s green eyes where blue, cross-shaped sparks danced. “What have you done?”

“On Arx wishes have power,” Lari’s voice said. “Power to change everything. I died so that you could live, so that you would remain unbroken, could not simply be bound, could have a chance to remain… human. David, I need you to remain sane. I've… seen what happens to you when you go too far, lose your humanity. It's not pretty. I died so that you could go on.”

“Why?” David demanded.

“You must have figured it out by now,” Lari's voice said. “This world is horribly broken, monstrous. The Citadel of Xandria is screwed up in so many ways. Out of everyone on this twisted place I trust you the most David. I need you to be strong and brave for me. I did as much as I could here in Xandria and now I’m passing the baton to you. Trust my Maidelynes. Persist. Fix Xandria first. Beat the System. Step by step by step. You know the drill, David. Accept my Quest. Stand up for what's right.”

Terri grabbed Dave's hand.

[Saint Saria's Cantigeist - Quest: Many Davids before you failed this one. Will you be the one that succeeds at taking over Shandria and beating the System?]

[Accept: Y/N?]

A message flashed over Dave's bracelet.

“Damn it, Lari,” David growled. “Yes. Yes, I will. You know that I will.”

As the Quest flashed green and the message faded, the blue sparks faded from Terri's eyes and Lari’s voice fell silent. Dave let go of Terri.

“Yeesh,” Dumpich commented. “I totally didn't bet on this much excitement, especially not from our shy resident cutie.”

Terri blushed, rubbing her elbow.

“It's always the quiet ones you least expect,” Leon said with a headshake.

“Terri,” Dave said. “You really want this? You really want to carry out my best friend's wish?”

“I do,” The elkgirl nodded. “There is so much magic all around, so much potential and yet so much death and misery. As a Healer I can fix broken bones and individual afflictions, but that’s not enough. It’ll never be enough. I want to fix the city and I’m willing to give up my life for it just like my grandmother did.”

Dave fell silent, thinking over Terri’s words.

The snail tentacles retreated back into the round wall alcoves.

Murdoc leaned back in his chair, his weathered hands clasped together. "Now that we've all laid our cards on the table, let's get down to business, shall we?" He turned his gaze to Dave. "I was planning to send Hyrei out to search for Cedez, but since you lot are… volunteering your services, perhaps you can help find her.”

"Of course. Do you have any idea where she might be?" Dave asked.

“Any random rooftop,” Murdoc shrugged. “And I’m too damn old to jump around roofs chasing lost foxes.”

Bessie’s tentacle reached into a closet and pulled out the foxgirl’s outfit before placing it into Hyrei’s hands.

“Get her to hold one of the larger gems and she’ll remember who she is,” the Snailmancer said. “Bring her back; then we can talk about this pretend-dungeoneering… if she approves of you lot.”

"We can take different sections of the city roofs. Also, what does Cedez look like?" Terri asked.

A snail tentacle presented the picture of younger Cedez and Murdoc to the Healers. Leon looked at the image, while Dumpich simply nodded. The group divided various clothing items belonging to Cedez amongst themselves and were given extra cloaks from the closet by Bessie.

“We’ll stay in touch via Voicecast,” Terri said, offering her wrist to the owlgirl maid. The Healers and the maid exchanged bracelet taps, deciding which sections of the city each would search.

Dave simply watched their exchange.

“You and I are heading to a shop,” Terri told him. “You’ll need a Voicecast ring of your own.”

----------------------------------------

"Here we are," Terri announced as they approached a shop with a glowing purple sign that read 'Rubix Voicecast Guild'.

As they entered, Dave looked over the multitude of crystalline objects displayed on purple velvet cushions. Crystal rings, pendants, and even elaborate tiaras glittered under Kitlix lamps.

A sleek man in a fancy suit featuring flowery patterns approached them, nodding at the pair with a head covered in silver leaves. "Welcome to Rubix Voicecast Guild. I am GuildNet Rep Illian. How may I assist you today?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Terri stepped forward. "We're looking for a Voicecast ring for my friend here. Something simple but reliable."

The man nodded, leading them to a display case. "For a beginner, I'd recommend our basic model. It can hold up to ten contacts and has a range covering all of Shandria plus about ninety clicks out."

Dave examined the rings and bracelets.

"This base model is 50 silver," the sales Rep showed Dave a simple crystal bracelet. "A very good choice for a new customer. Our shop offers delayed payments for beginner adventurers such as yourself too. And, if you’re interested in keeping your man safe in his delving, I recommend our Guild Delver Insurance!" The man smiled at Terri. “A DelveRaid team of our professional dungeon rescuers can pull anyone from the brink of death by gating to their last known location."

“Erm,” Terri blushed. “Maybe later. DelveRaid costs quite a bit more than I can afford for the moment.”

“Do you have something cheap, maybe something used and old?” Dave asked. “I’m interested in something with GuildNet Astral projection.”

“Hrmm,” the Rep tapped his chin. “I do indeed.”

He dug under the counter and pulled out a bracelet covered in shimmering cracks.

“A used bracelet with GuildNet access. It should last a month or less, depending on how much you use it. Twenty nine silver. Be aware that unless you have a high Wisdom stat, you won’t be able to do any Astral diving. Also, when the crystalline cracks shatter the entire frame, it’ll turn into a Kitlix overnight and run away. As soon as the frame shatters, I recommend bringing it back to our shop so that we may bottle and then bind the newborn Nuntix Kitlix to you properly.”

Dave opened his mouth.

“The cost of binding the newborn Nuntix to you will depend on its level,” the man said. “Buying a used bracelet will save you money now, yes, but cost more later.”

“What if I use a Healers Hall binder to do it?” Dave asked.

“You can,” the man shrugged. “Just be aware that a general breeder will fail to connect a newborn Nuntix to our GuildNet.”

“Right,” Dave said. He looked at the coins on his wrist.

“I’ll buy it if you want this one,” Terri offered as Dave turned to her. “Stop looking at me like that, I'll take it out of the dungeon profits.”

“Fine,” Dave conceded.

Terri purchased the Voicecast bracelet and Dave put it on his left wrist and watched as Terri tapped hers on it, briefly explaining how to use it to call her.

Dave turned back to Illian. “Do you have something really basic and used… something with just one Voicecast contact?”

“Yes,” the rep nodded, pulling out an old crystal ring. “A simple model for kids with a single parent connection. Five silver. This one will last a few months at most until it fractures. It has a very low chance to turn into a level zero Nuntix.”

Dave clipped five silver off his wrist and handed it to the rep.

“Who’s this for?” Terri asked.

“My blacksmith friend, Remicra,” Dave replied. “I’m worried that she’s going to be attacked in her smithy and want to stay in touch with her. I’ll take it to her first and then I'll look for Cedez.”

“Gotcha,” Terri said. “You can start the search from that edge of town then.”

----------------------------------------

Dave left Terri as she began climbing up to the roof of the nearby tall building, heading uphill to the old lighthouse smithy.

The familiar sight of the weathered lighthouse came into view, the old, overgrown tower standing against the view of the rolling clouds. Dave paused at the entrance. Pushing the heavy wooden door didn’t open it like last time.

Dave knocked.

In a minute, a gold-violet eye flashed in the metal covered alcove at the top of the door and then he heard the sound of a large iron beam sliding aside.

In another second, the metal-reinforced wooden door swung open. Remicra’s claws grabbed and pulled him inside, slamming the door and the beam back into position.

"Back so soon?" the dragoness asked wearily. "I do hope you're not here to steal any more of my windows."

“Nope,” Dave said. “I see you’re staying safe.”

“Yes.” Remicra nodded, red tones dancing across her violet-tinted scales. “A very questionable-looking person came by. She skulked around the edge of the ward, moving all weird-like. She tried to reach the door but was repulsed by the Thunder rune. Also, something is...”

“Wait,” the dragoness finally noticed Healy sitting on Dave’s head. “Since when do you… have a bonded Kitlix?!”

“Since this morning.” Dave made Healy wave a paw at Remicra and then gave the smith a bow.

He couldn't help but smile at Remy's comically shocked expression. Her jaw hung open, revealing rows of sharp teeth that suddenly seemed less intimidating and more cartoonish. “By the Abyss… How?!” She finally let out.

"What, this little lady? Just a souvenir I picked up at the Healers' yard sale. You know how it is - you go in for a patch up, come out with a sentient magical creature."

Healy, as if understanding the joke, made a chiming sound that could almost be mistaken for laughter.

Remicra's eyes narrowed. "Very funny. Har har. Now, are you going to give me a real explanation or are you here as a jester? Did you turn ten silver into five hundred overnight or something?”

“No,” Dave said. “Remember Lari?”

“The human Saint?” the dragoness asked. “Yes, how could I forget that? What’d you do, sell the stained glass to a collector or something?”

“No,” Dave shook his head. "Lari didn't just live and die here. From what I understand, my best friend from Earth... imprinted herself on Shandria. For something like seven hundred years, her will, her desire to help me and to change this city, has been growing like roots beneath the streets."

He paused, gauging Remicra's reaction. The dragoness remained silent, urging him to go on.

"I met… this girl, Terri, in Healers Hall. She's an apprentice healer, and she gave me Lari's journal. But it's more than just a book - it's a magical artifact, a... phylactery. It contains a fragment of Lari, her final wish… a Cantigeist."

Remicra’s eyes widened.

“That’s not all,” Dave sighed. “Apparently, I’m not the first Dave in Shandria. There were others…”

“Others?” Remicra repeated, tilting her head.

“Other Dave Walters,” David nodded. “Maybe copies of me or something? Summoned into existence by Dragon God Emperor’s bullshit unlimited isekai magic and guided to Shandria by Lari’s final wish. Necromancer Kells, the man who killed the princess of Shandria was apparently a Dave too. That’s what Terri told me. Pretty crazy, right? Anyways, Terri bought me this Kitlix, since she thinks that I’m her Saint’s Champion or whatever.”

“What exactly does this Cantigeist of your dead friend want?” Remicra asked.

“Lari wants me to fix Shandria. To change the System, to make things better,” Dave revealed. “And Terri... She's part of a line of women called Maidenlynes who've been carrying out Lari's will for generations. She said that she's dedicated to helping me fulfill this Quest.”

“Hrm.” The dragoness crossed her arms. “Sounds like the exact kind of thing that gets fools executed by the High Lords."

Dave simply shrugged.

“Regardless of that,” she said after a moment of silence. “I’m glad that you found yourself some help. Surviving alone in Shandria is an insurmountable task. Now, did you come here to show off your shiny new toy or…?”

“Ah,” Dave said. “Right. I wanted to give you this. Here, it’s a Voicecast ring. It’s already connected to my bracelet. If someone else stalks your smithy, just give me a call.”

Remicra arched an eyebrow, her body dancing with orange, red and pink as she accepted the ring, her claws delicately handling the small crystal object. She tried to maintain her usual gruff demeanor, but Dave could see the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"A Voicecast ring?" she asked. “Hrm. Too small for my finger, but I can keep it in my pocket." She quickly cleared her throat, attempting to regain her composure. "I mean, it's... practical for our little conspiracy, I suppose. But how exactly do you plan to protect me if someone does come around causing trouble?"

"I'll stab them and eat their soul,” Dave said. “The things stalking you… are only doing so because I amplified your Metallomancy. They’re living shadows. Also, I think that I’m the only person in Shandria who can handle them permanently.”

Remicra quickly turned away and walked to her work table. She returned, her scales dancing with orange and pink waves.

“You can start right now then,” she said, handing Dave a long, sharp steel knife covered in elaborate runes. “Here’s the knife I made from your felislice flakes. There’s something on my roof. It’s been up there since this morning, making noises. For some reason the ward hasn’t shooed it away with a thunderstrike. Deal with it for me. It is annoying.”