The next day, the members of White Clover—all except Gomenne—were gathered to a meeting by Capryce who says she has something to announce to everyone. Inside the meeting room stood two of her cat mask goons, both each holding a sizable cardboard box.
They did not have to wonder for long where their leader was, as she had soon stepped into the room sporting some flashy new duds. A new green-and-beige varsity jacket with a fur trim around the collar, complete with a patch of the White Clover guild emblem on the left arm and new green boots to match—the others looked in awe.
“Whoa!” They all said in unison.
“Custom-made White Clover uniform. The fur on the collar is only for the guild captain,” Capryce explained. “Rest assured all of you will be getting your own tailored uniforms as well.”
Capryce gestured to her cat-masked helpers, who then opened the boxes they had been holding and started handing out uniforms to everyone in the room. Even Cloudia—who stood on all-fours and could not comfortably wear a jacket like everyone else—received a similarly-patterned cloak.
“Where’s your outfit?” Gomenne asked Capryce.
“Those colors aren’t my style. I’ll just wear a patch on my usual clothes instead.”
“Suit yourself,” Gomenne chortled.
“Excuse me, everyone? There is something I wish to say.” Cloudia spoke up. The others gave her their undivided attention.
She continued, “I think it would be best if we made way to the Sea of Green. I don’t know how we will get there, but if Silkehrn is calling out to the Light Deity—to Gomenne—then the situation must truly be dire.”
“Agreed,” Star added with a nod, “Even if she is the Grand Tree, surely she must be exhausted. Did she reach out to you again, Gome?”
“Nope, ‘least not that I can remember,” answered Gomenne.
Cloudia pressed a paw to her chin and tilted her gaze to the floor in an inquisitive manner.
“Those two sisters—Silkehrn and Yetvehrn—were always so stubborn in their own way. The both of them always struggled with asking us for help even when they needed it. That’s why I say we seek out the Grand Tree.”
She turned to Gomenne with a gentle smile before continuing, “Who knows? Perhaps maybe some of your powers will return to you while we are there.”
Gomenne opened her mouth as if to speak but no words came out.
“Well, pup?” Kiki spoke up, “What do you say?”
Gomenne took a deep breath and replied, “Well, I guess we could try. Only thing is, how are we gunna get there? Didn’t they close off travel to the Sea of Green to civilians recently? Or really any of the other countries?”
“Did you forget I’m here too?” Capryce said clearing her throat.
“Why do we have to rely on the mafia for everything?” said Gomenne with a frown.
“Call us whatever name you like but it doesn’t change the fact that you only got this far because of me.”
“I never asked for your help in the first place, you smug asshole!”
Star quickly covered Muffler’s ears and yelled, “Girls, quit it! Petty squabbles like this won’t get us anywhere!”
The both of them looked away sheepishly.
“Cappy’s right though. If anyone can get us to the Sea of Green, it’d definitely be her,” said Kiki.
“And, you’d be right!” Capryce replied, “but instead of using my own power to get us there, I want to try something.”
She points to Muffler. “And it involves them.”
“Me?” Muffler said in surprise. “Why me?”
“Before we go any further I think we should all address the elephant in the room, something I’m sure you all decided not to do to further encourage my dear sister’s irresponsible lifestyle.”
Gomenne scowled at Capryce but said nothing.
“Cloudia, when you were still under the control of the Black Beast, were you aware of what was happening?”
“I don’t really know,” Cloudia replied, “I’m unsure if words could truly describe what I was feeling, but it felt a lot like I was dreaming but it felt as if my body was still awake, still moving around.”
“And Star, you mentioned the slime you had saved before said something similar, correct?”
“Yeah. It said it felt like they were having a nightmare,” Star said.
“Muffler was in your dream when the Grand Tree spoke to you, weren’t they, mutt?”
“Wha—how did you know?” Gomenne looked shocked.
Capryce chuckled and with a sly smile answered, “Because you just told me.”
Gomenne clinched her hands into fists, but did everything in her power not to exert her growing frustration at her sister, mostly because she didn’t want Star to yell at her anymore today.
Capryce continued, “It seems Muffler’s powers have something to do with dreams, and possibly even the Dream World itself, which makes sense considering their ability to use the power of the Dreamstone. That means there’s a way to harness that power for ourselves.”
She walked over to Muffler and kneeled down on one knee infront of them, looking them right in the eyes.
“Tell me, child. Do you remember the events of one thousand years ago?”
“No I don’t. I don’t think I do,” Muffler said with a blank expression.
“How much do you know about the Sky Beast?”
“I know that I used to be inside of it, and so were my friends.”
“Who were these friends?”
“Cloudia, Yetty, Silkie, Phil, and Entos.”
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“’Entos?’ What about Kaara?”
“Kaara’s not one of my friends but she was there too.”
“Who is Entos?”
“He’s the one who gave me the Dreamstone! I guess he had it before I did.”
Everyone else—even Capryce—looked at each other in disbelief. A 5th bearer? they all thought. Surely they could not have overlooked something that important even after all this time. And yet, they could not help but feel dumbfounded.
“Are you saying there was a 5th Keystone Bearer?” Cloudia asked, unsure how to fully process the new revelation.
“What the hell,” Gomenne breathed, “What do you mean there’s another? How the hell are we just now finding out about this? Wait—they can just pass it on like that?”
“Surely, sister, now you see the flaws in your lax way of dealing with problems,” Capryce said with a scowl.
“Shut your hole! You didn’t know either!” Gomenne barked.
“I knew,” said Star. She was looking down and clasping her hands together nervously. Everyone stared at her.
“I knew about Entos, about the 5th Keystone Bearer.”
“Star, why didn’t you say anything all this time?” Gomenne said with a gentle tone of voice.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to spare you all from the truth,” Star’s voice began to waver and tears welled up in her eyes. “
Gomenne rushed to Star’s side, slightly pulling up her jacket sleeve to use to wipe away her tears. She could not stand to see her mother cry.
“Star, whatever it is we can handle it. We WILL handle it. So tell us, please. Don’t hold it in anymore,” she said to reassure Star.
Capryce made a gesture at the Cat Masks. They did a bow before exiting the room and closing the door behind them. Everyone looked on in anticipation.
“Well Star?” Gomenne asked.
Star took a deep breath. “The Sky Beast isn’t a living being like we understand living beings. It’s an amalgam, a hive mind of sorts. Those who are eaten by it all become a part of that.”
“What do you mean?” Capryce asked. “Don’t people die when they get eaten by it?”
“They do and they don’t. The body may die but their soul becomes intertwined with other souls. The more it feeds—the more souls it gathers—the larger it gets.”
“Why does it need to eat if it’s just made up of souls?”
“I’m not sure. I assume it’s an innate mortal desire to want to consume. I think they hated their situation so much that they would reach out desperately at anything so that they could escape, unknowingly repeating the cycle of their predicament over and over.”
“Wait, so why is it still around? Didn’t you send it somewhere else?” Gomenne questioned.
“I did. I have no idea how it ended up in the Dream World of all places.”
“Do you think that Entos had something to do with it?” asked Capryce.
“Probably. When I faced against the Sky Beast, among the cacophony of souls crying out for salvation, one voice in particular stuck out to me. It said, ‘Kill me if you must but save her, spare Kaara’.”
Gomenne and Capryce’s mouths hung agape.
“Wait, wait a damn minute,” Gomenne spat, “Why the hell is Kaara still alive? What’s going on here?”
“I have no way of knowing if that Kaara is the same Kaara that Entos spoke of.”
“That Kaara knew a lot about the Keystones—it has to be her!” Cloudia said confidently. “But, then just who is Kaara and what is she to Entos?”
The room fell silent once again as everyone became lost in thought.
Muffler pressed a hand up against their chest, feeling the Keystones embedded in their chest, then looked back at everyone else. Muffler may have not been in the world for very long but they knew they had enjoyed the little time they spent with their newfound friends.
“It doesn’t matter! None of that matters at all!” Muffler yelled at the top of their lungs.
“Muffler, sweetie, inside voice,” Star said.
“Oops,” Muffler said with a giggle. “But, but! You’re all thinking way too hard about all this! It doesn’t matter how or why we got here! We all have to stop it before it gets worse!”
“Ugh, why does that sentiment sound so oddly familiar?” Capryce groaned.
Gomenne looked bewildered at first but slowly her face turned into a grin. That’s totally something she would’ve said! It was the most proud she had ever felt before.
“Muffy might’ve spent too much time around us, pup,” chuckled Kiki.
“Heh, yeah. But they’re right.” Gomenne took a deep breath to calm her nerves before slamming her hands down on the meeting room table.
“Alright everyone, enough moping around! White Clover is on official business as of right now! First order of business; find a way to get to the Sea of Green.”
“And how are we going to do that, fearless leader?” Capryce scoffed.
“You already said. We’re gunna sort this Dreamstone business out. Can’t be too hard, right?”
Capryce was stunned but quickly regained her composure, folding her arms and turning her gaze with a groan.
White Clover’s first order of business has begun. Because of the situation with the Black Beasts in other countries, it seems travel to the Sea of Green will prove difficult. But, with the power of Muffler’s Dreamstone, perhaps a new door of possibilities has opened up for them.
Or—perhaps—just a whole new host of mysteries to discover.
Whatever is waiting ahead for them they will greet together, their heads held high.