A Monster Life

28 - Many Returns

The squirrel and the rat chittered urgently to the other skeleton creatures and spirits, and they hurried out of the hall afterwards. 'I suggest we head for that library where you fought Demetrus.' said Elzbieta. 'Use that as a starting point if our little friends haven't found her by then.'

Ulric nodded and looked at the squirrel. 'Can you guide us there?'

It chittered in affirmation and hopped towards one entrance.

'I really hope she's still alive.' said Iphigenia as she picked up her pack. 'Or dead or whatever state she's supposed to be in.'

Ulric looked at Kaui. 'You're sure she's still around?'

Kaui nodded. 'As long as her name is listed in the familiar bonds, she's not gone, Master.'

He clenched his fists.'I wish I had one of those detection skills like in the games, then I could locate her on a virtual map.'

'There are people who have an ability like that.' said Kaui as the party left the hall in a hurry, following the squirrel and rat. 'They can perceive the direction of party members, demons, animals.'

Ulric thought he recognised the area as being close to the large library when a couple of creatures and spirits awaited them and guided them to a higher floor, and stopped at a smaller set of double doors in a long hallway lit by stained glass windows on one side. Ulric tried the door handles. 'Locked.' he said and looked over the wooden doors. 'Looks like normal doors to me. I'll give them a kick.'

'Wait!' said Kaui. 'It's possible there's a trap which will trigger when you break them down.'

'True.' said Elzbieta. 'It's not uncommon for magic users to set traps for defence.'

'How will we know?' Ulric asked.

'I can't sense anything.' said Iphigenia while she held her hands against the doors. 'But that's no guarantee since Demetrus could set up traps I can't detect.'

The squirrel chittered and sat down in front of the doors.

'You can get inside?' Ulric asked.

They watched in surprise when the spirit body of the squirrel detached itself from the skeleton and slipped through the crack between the doors. The skeleton looked up a moment later and chittered again.

'No trap.' Ulric said, that's good. 'Stand aside, everyone. Just in case.'

The squirrel and the girls stepped away, and Ulric kicked the middle of both doors. A loud crack of wood was followed by the slamming of both doors against the walls inside. 'Open Sesame.' he said.

In the light from the corridor they saw the room was a large bedroom with more bookcases against the wall, a couple of cluttered writing desks, and a wide, heavy wooden canopy bed. The squirrel's spirit body sat on the edge and the skeleton chittered next to Ulric. 'She's on the bed!' he said and hurried inside. They found Valdys laying naked and silently on her back on top of the dark red covers. Ulric held his breath as he laid his paw gently on her chest, and exhaled in relief. 'Her heart is beating, she's as alive as she was last time.' He shook her carefully but she showed no sign of waking up.'

Kaui leaned closer and touched her cheek and forehead. 'I can't tell for sure but it seems she's all right.'

'Any ideas on how to wake her up?' asked Ulric. 'Some spell or something?'

Kaui pat Valdys's cheek. 'I read of some that might do that but none of us have the means to perform them.'

Iphigenia chuckled. 'It's like one of those days I just don't want to wake up because I want to sleep more in Wolfie's embrace. Unless it's to have some little fun.'