The hair on the back of Oskar’s neck stood straight as the air around them crackled with power. He watched with rapt fascination while Fox rose into the air where she’d stood. The Kobold was already hovering inches above the floor, and she was still rising. The room grew brighter and brighter, blinding Oskar even through his Goggles.

Everything slowed as Fox rose further and hovered in place. A sense of great power being used swept through them, oppressive and enveloping. Time, and the cavern froze completely for just a blink. The temperature plummeted, and even the shimmering light flashing through the glass of the expansive cavern slowed and froze. A series of images and stories flashed through his mind and settled into his memories. It felt like he’d sat around telling war stories with his Marine buddies for a few hours, but all the stories were about a boy and a cat instead. That familiar feeling of connection and unspoken love was the paramount theme of the entire, odd experience, though… until everything moved again, and Fox fell to the ground on all fours.

She stood quickly, though, unharmed; her face flushed with wonder. The Kobold swung her head around, and Oskar followed her gaze to the great, striped, gray cat.

The enormous kitty looked exhausted, and Oskar held off on questions. Whatever she’d just done to Fox had taken a great toll on her. She looked as bad as Erik after he’d healed someone.

At least his other abilities seem more manageable, but the toll his healing takes on him is brutal, and that’s how Bastet looks now.

Touwon, though, looked the most affected by the infused memories. Open emotion replaced his usually neutral face, and Oskar felt a hard pang of sympathy. The Kobold tilted his head slightly, his eyes were on the floor somewhere, unfocused… and wet. He was wringing his hands, and Oskar looked away to give his friend time. The Kobold was obviously processing things in his own way. Touwon was a little different, but he was a steadfast friend, reliable and usually stoic.

At least on the outside. That story about Luth and Bastet… to say it was heavy is an understatement. But I think that odd infusion of emotion and connection, and affection and loss, was a lot harder on him, and that was a lot for even me.

The calico stood and made her way over and into Touwon’s lap, and his hands found something to do other than squeeze one another. The calico started a low purr and was back asleep in moments. Oskar was still trying not to look, but caught a glance of Touwon smiling a little at the bobtailed cat in his lap.

Looking away again, Oskar’s eyes returned to the big cat on the platform in the middle of the room, and this time, he really took her in.

When they’d turned the corner just a few minutes ago, Bastet’s presence had exuded a sense of ageless authority. Now she just looked tired. Her eyes flicked up to Oskar and she spoke as if she could read his mind, but realistically, he’d just poorly schooled his face on seeing her.

“Yes, this has cost me, but I do not regret it. If I could save this world on my own, it would be done by now.” Bastet settled down, eyes blinking slowly as she waited on Fox to share what she’d just experienced.

Fox told a story that was hard for Oskar to imagine. The version they’d gotten was much like a vivid dream, but Fox had lived close to a year as Little Luth before she’d been able to remember who she was.

Afterwards, she’d been more herself, but much of the time, Fox had willingly put herself back into his life, unwilling to waste this impossible opportunity. They listened closely, but it was Touwon, specifically who watched and listened to Fox with uncharacteristically rapt attention as she excitedly spun her tale.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

She was beaming as she told them how she could now find Waysprings herself, even without Oskar’s ability to sense water.

There were telltale signs for those who knew what to look for. Things that seemed obvious to her in retrospect. She said that sometimes there would be a subtle, unusual smoothness to the sand, as if something had freshly churned it and then flattened it a little too much.

“I just learned so much,” Fox said, smiling at the tired Bastet.

Fox said that if you were completely silent and listened to the world, you could feel the magic like someone staring at you from behind.

Stilling for a moment and closing her striking eyes, she did exactly that.

“Now that I have met her, I can feel the presence of magic inside Bastet. She is the living Wayspring.” Fox’s face was alight with wonder. She continued, but what she’d just said struck Oskar like a bolt of lightning. “If I were near an active Wayspring, I just know I could feel it!”

She is a living Wayspring.

Oskar stilled his mind and tried his best to sense her without using his own magic, but Bastet’s presence was overpowering to him, even without pulling on Sora or Talau.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m too sensitive to it or I’m doing it wrong, but I’m glad the Kobolds could take better care of themselves if something happens to me.

Oskar didn’t give up, though, and in the moments of Fox’s meditative silence, he tried it again. After a few minutes where he was finally able to clear his mind, he looked past what he expected to hear and finally understood what Fox meant by “listening to the world” …and instantly regretted it.

He’d still felt Bastet, sure. However, he could also feel things that wanted him to look at them, impossibly long legs shuttering across the sky somewhere between the worlds, hungry for his fear and desperate for his confusion.

Why do they want me to give in? Why do they want me at all?

He considered giving in for the briefest of moments. A fleeting, invasive thought made him think that giving in was the only way to make that feeling of being hunted and watched go away forever.

The harder he fought whatever was out there, the harder it fought back, and his adrenaline spiked upward.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to give in?

Unseen, the calico cat crawled into his lap, and it brought Oskar back to awareness. Oskar opened his eyes. Touwon was smiling at the cat in Oskar’s lap fondly, but now looked unsure what to do with his hands.

Bastet was watching Oskar knowingly, though, and spoke in her singsong voice.

“I think it is best if you follow your own way, not hers. Listening to the world is not your path, Druid. Your path is instead to feel and guide it.”

He felt safe and… mostly normal again.

But I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna sleep great tonight. Not after that.

Penny, jealous of the whole calico lap situation, sauntered over dramatically to Bastet and curled up against her, fearlessly. The Pangolor glared at Oskar and made a haughty kwinn sound.

Bastet, in answer, warmly enveloped the Pangolor and purred audibly. It was a fond and natural interaction. Fox smiled at Penny curled up with Bastet and continued with her story.

“It was difficult, of course, but my people thrived. That is a truth. The Waysprings were smaller and became more sporadic. Eventually, groups of followers split off, especially the Crocodilians who were unused to being under the leadership of a Kobold, of all things. I do not remember further.” She paused, her eyes stared at Bastet and she let out a long sigh.

“Many decades later, in a village, I... or Luth, rather… went to sleep one night, and woke up here again,” Fox said. “If you do not mind me asking… you told me you needed to leave one night, but could not tell me why. He never saw you again. Can you tell me, now, where you went? I… Luth missed you so much.” Her voice was thick with emotion.

Touwon was still staring at Fox, deep in thought, but after a moment, turned toward the cat to listen as she spoke.

“I am so sorry, child. I had hoped I could make it back in time, but, like so many other regretful times in my long life... I was wrong. The magic was fading faster than I expected, and it finally struck me what was causing it. The world was not just dying. It was being killed. I had to leave immediately; I had to take the magic from the other Oases to save it from being lost forever. Even then, I knew my purpose was to prolong the decline of this world.”

She stared then at Oskar, and he felt himself being weighed and judged. There was a small moment when she looked like she considered taking his magic, too. But the moment passed, and she looked away as she said, “And Oskar, I am afraid I must now ask you to do the same... or more, if at all possible.”