Picking up where we left off after chapter three-
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You don't know how fragile a good dream could be until it's gone, shattered into something darker and worse. You could be having a perfectly pleasant fantasy dream, until some part of your brain flips a switch and sends you into a nightmare.
Why does this happen? Why are dreams such unpredictable things? How can we never predict this change?
Rush pondered questions of this sort as she struggled to remain in control of the Dreamworld, though her wording involved a few more swearwords. She'd been jumping between the dreams of the other Authors, relaying information.
It was confusing. Rush was a rather disorganized person, especially inside her own head. Keeping ahold of her imagination was difficult enough, but communicating with others and remembering information as well? Not impossible, but certainly difficult.
She'd talked to the three other Authors who had control over the Dreamworld, i.e. the ones who could only exist there now. Between the four of them, most of the living Authors had been informed of the situation: there's a new threat to this world, and we all need to reconvene. We're not entirely sure of the full situation yet, but it's bad.
They'd agreed to all meet in the Portal Network, for simplicity's sake. In barely a day's time, most of the fourteen would be seeing each other again, after nearly a year's separation.
Rush shook off the dark creeping tendrils that had begun to touch her. Whenever she wasn't paying full attention to it, the Dreamworld could sometimes spawn random, creepy things around her. She got the feeling it didn't like her, didn't like the weakling of a girl this power had been tethered to.
"It's not my fault. Knock it off." She snapped at the vinelike shadows waving around her, then closed her eyes. If she talked to another of the Authors, their power could help with hers. Though none of the others were tied as closely to the Beyond as she was, they all had at least a little bit of influence over the Dreamworld.
But most of them were all on the same page now, assuming Megan and Wolfe and Logan had all been relaying the same information as her. So she really had no need to talk to any of the others again, not right now.
She reached out for one of them anyway, trying to sense who's dream he was in.
She felt the Dreamworld shift and change as she appeared in the same Author's dream that Logan was in. When this happened to most of the Authors, they simply sensed it changing. Rush felt it, as though the mental link that connected her to the Beyond wasn't just mental after all.
Opening her eyes, Rush saw that she was now standing near the beginning of a pier that stretched outward over the crashing waves of an ocean. Light shone brilliantly off the crests of the waves, making her want to shield her eyes. This must be Dawson's dream.
Sure enough, Logan was sitting beside the small blonde girl near the end of the pier, their feet and legs damp from the ocean spray.
Rush stepped onto the pier and walked up to them, startling Logan when she laid her hand on the top of his head.
"Ah! Rush, what the..." He glanced over at Dawson as he refrained from swearing.
The blonde girl grinned up at Rush, her ponytail falling over her shoulder onto her back as she turned around. "Hi. Long time, no see."
"Yep. Logan update you on the whole mess?" She asked, sitting down next to the Author boy.
"Yeah. Sounds a little scary, but I'm happy to help. And it'll be great to see all the other Authors again." Dawson replied. Rush nodded. She'd seen Dawson a few months earlier- the two of them plus Aranna and Kendall had gone on a little portal-hopping adventure together.
"I promise this quest won't be quite as perilous as the crevice was. The whole world isn't ending this time, it's just in danger. This should hopefully be more mystery than risk." said Logan. His tone was gentler than Rush was used to hearing it, and she gave him a curious look that he either didn't see or just ignored.
"Well, I do like mysteries." Dawson commented, kicking her feet so her bare toes touched the surface of the water. Rush shook her head. "You like murder mysteries, and let's hope this doesn't turn into one of those."
The smaller girl just smiled, nodding her head slowly. She looked over at Logan, and the smile faded slightly. "Yeah."
Logan caught her expression and seemed to shrink slightly, in guilt or sadness or just to match her small form. "Dawson. You know it's not-"
"Yes, I know, it was your choice, I just..." Dawson interrupted. "I'm just hoping history doesn't somehow repeat itself. I can't help it."
"What...?" Rush asked softly. Dawson just shook her head, and Logan said, "It's not your problem. Don't worry about it."
Rush crossed her arms and gave them both a suspicious look, but didn't say anything else right away.
"It's just...I feel like you should be meeting us there too. It doesn't seem right." Dawson murmured after a moment of silence. Now Rush knew what they had meant, but didn't know how to contribute, even though she felt like she should say something to ease the sadness that had suddenly settled over them.
"So maybe it isn't right. What would be right, then? Both of us dead?" Logan asked calmly. Dawson's shoulders tensed slightly, and her voice sounded almost tearful as she whispered, "I can't help but feel like it's my fault."
"It's not your fault I made a choice." Logan shook his head slowly, sounding as though he'd said those words before.
"But it was my fault you had to make that choice." Dawson tipped her head to give Logan a sad look. He rested his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into a little sideways hug.
"I can't stop you from feeling like that, but I'll tell you that I don't feel the same way. It's not any more your fault that I died than it is Rush's. I made a choice. I knew what that choice would entail, and I did it anyways. I'm sorry I put you in this position, but it's not your fault."
"But then why didn't you come back? Everyone else got a second chance, why not you? I wouldn't feel so bad about it if..." Dawson whimpered, leaning into his hug.
Logan didn't bother to remind her that he wasn't the only one left behind in the gap between living and the afterlife. "The answer to that hasn't shown itself yet. This quest will have a lot of mysteries to solve, and maybe that'll be one of them."
"Maybe." Dawson repeated unhappily. Logan straightened up and gently tugged her ponytail. "Hey. No use crying over something you can't change, right? You've got a new adventure starting. Focus on that instead of the past."
"Because news flash, the past isn't gonna change. Ever. You can't undo what already happened, no matter whose fault it was, if it has to be anyone's." Rush added, absent-mindedly touching her left bicep. Her arm was covered by the fabric of her t-shirt now, but Dawson and Logan had both seen the lines of pale scars there, some of which may never fade.
Rush stood up then, taking a careful step back from the edge of the pier. "I'm gonna go. It's almost morning for me, and I still wanted to talk to someone else."
"How d'you know?" Dawson asked, looking up at the taller girl. Rush shrugged awkwardly. "I dunno, I can just kinda sense it. Just part of my power, I guess."
"'Kay. I'll see you soon." The blonde girl said with a small wave.
"Don't get yourself too deep into a nightmare." Logan added. Rush nodded, smiling. "I'll try my best."
She started to shimmer and disappear, leaving behind the other two Authors, who, while not related, at that moment looked as close as brother and sister.
Rush ended up back in her own area of the Dreamworld, her own dream. Her Dreamworld changed a lot. For the other Authors, it changed depending on their thoughts and feelings, but she could shape it any way she wished. For the most part, anyways.
Right now, she was in control again. She let her hold on her imagination loosen, allowing the Dreamworld to mirror her mind. The ground below her feet transformed, change spreading out like a flash flood. A forest of tall, purple-barked trees sprang into existence around her, and a crystalline river swept through them. There was a gap between the trees and the water's edge, wide enough for someone to comfortably run without worrying about getting their feet muddy on the banks.
And that's what she did. Bolting along just outside the edge of the trees, the dream preventing her from getting out of breath as she sprinted. Faster, faster, there were no limits here, no human setbacks, no obstacles as long as she kept her mind clear.
This is what made her power worthwhile. The imagined adventures. The pure freedom and beautiful places that only existed in her own mind, and yet she could experience as truly as if they were in the 'real world'. This is what made her happy to be an Author.
She skidded to a stop as the riverbank turned into a cliff, the wide brook cascading over the precipice in an unreally picturesque waterfall. Rush laughed as she sat at the very edge of the cliff, enjoying the feeling of the spray from the water crashing against the rocks not far below.
"You look like you're having a good time." A female voice remarked. Rush looked over her shoulder to see a younger girl with tan skin and red-tipped black hair standing behind her.
"Well there you are. I thought you'd be here as soon as I got back." She said as Wolfe sat at the edge next to her.
"You didn't exactly spend a lot of time waiting. The best I could do was hope you'd stop so I could catch up." Wolfe admonished. Her words were stern, but her tone was playful.
There was little to none of the remorse that plagued Logan and Dawson between these two. Wolfe greatly enjoyed being in the Dreamworld- though she didn't have as much of a hold over it as Rush did, her power of illusions almost made it feel like she did sometimes. Though Logan had been the most help as Rush struggled to figure out the extent of her powers, Wolfe was good at keeping her grounded during more lighthearted times like this.
"You managed to get the message to the other Authors?" Wolfe asked. Rush nodded. "I'm assuming you did your part too."
Wolfe rolled her dark eyes. "Why would I be asking if you'd done your part if I hadn't done mine?"
Rush let out a quiet huff of laughter, but didn't immediately say anything else. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, watching the waterfall.
"I feel like there's something else we're missing." Rush confessed after a little while.
Wolfe didn't look at her as she asked, "Yeah? What?"
Rush gave her an unamused look. "I don't know, just...something."
There was another beat of silence, then Wolfe said, "You're right, though."
The cat-eared girl sat up straighter. "I knew it. There's something else we need, right? No, wait. Some one. We need to update someone else on the situation."
Wolfe grinned. Like Logan, she was somewhat transparent, but her eyes were very clear. "Gold star."
Rush leaned back, straightening her arms behind her and using her hands for support. "But who? We've already talked to all the Authors. And I can't contact any of the Order without knowing where they are." She mused, frowning. She was beginning to feel the Dreamworld fraying around her, signaling that she was waking up.
Wolfe sensed it as well. "Think, Rush. Who else was with us on our crevice quest?"
Rush thought for only a second before her head snapped up. "Wait, you don't mean the Bl-"
But Wolfe was already gone, her small, shimmering form disappearing like a handful of dust thrown into the wind. The rest of the Dreamworld was vanishing as well, slowly sending Rush back into her waking world.
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Hi yes I don't know how to end things
now we're going back to Clarion
MelonHeadBambooLegs MissMariaReynolds_8 Hollythedragonheart
heads up, you're in this
Oh and JayZX535 too but I think you already knew that since your character was in chapter 2 as well?? I dunno I'm tired
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"This is a horrible idea." Twill muttered.
"Ssh." Kiah hissed briefly.
"What! It is! We've done a lot of stupid things in our lives, but this is definitely the dumbest. Not to mention the most dangerous." The black-haired girl replied in a low voice.
"Be quiet! Someone might hear you, and then we'd all end up dead." Kiah snapped back.
"You're not being any quieter." Petra grumbled, and Jay stifled a quiet laugh.
The four of them were heading towards Ri-Shung, through the tunnels under Clarion. Petra had decided they needed to talk to the leader of Ri-Shung, aka the Seer, but with the districts all currently hostile towards one another, none of the girls were quite sure how to get there safely.
Then Kiah had remembered the tunnel system that ran underneath the whole city. She'd said there was a massive network of underpasses and channels that could take them straight into the desired district. They'd still be in enemy territory, but they had a smaller chance of running into anything dangerous.
Twill had been very very against the whole idea. She'd supported Petra when she had said she wanted to meet the Seer, but the pale girl had thrown every possible argument she could think of when Kiah had suggested the tunnels.
Unfortunately for her, Jay and Petra had agreed that it sounded quickest and safest, so there they were, navigating the tunnels just a few blocks below the city streets.
"You'd better know where we're headed." Petra said to Kiah in an undertone. The smaller girl nodded briskly. "I've been exploring these tunnels for years. They're nearly as familiar to me as aboveground. Only a few other people know about them, which is good for us."
"I didn't even know they existed until Kiah told me." Jay whispered. She'd pulled up the hood of her black sweatshirt, hiding her chestnut hair.
Petra shuddered slightly. She didn't like being underground. Both her and Jay had to crouch a bit to avoid hitting their heads on the low roof, but the two younger Clarionites darted through the passages with ease. They neared a three-way fork, and Kiah led them into the left tunnel without a second's hesitation. This one sloped gently downwards, which meant they could be a little less paranoid every time one of their steps echoed just a bit too loud.
"I almost forgot to tell you this." Kiah began in a hushed voice. "When we get back aboveground, be careful opening your inventory."
"What? Why?" Petra asked.
"Thieves. There's a nasty little trick that's become very popular in Clarion. It's not quite as common in Ri-Shung as Sidra, but still. Anyway, there's a way to see when someone has their inventory open, and take something from it."
"Whoa. That's...not okay." Petra said with a frown.
"I know. I mean, there's some people that have trouble getting by, so it makes sense that they'd try to steal, but some do it for sport, which is just mean." Jay commented quietly.
"See, it's all about paying attention. When you have your inventory open, you're mostly just looking at what you need. So it's easy enough to miss if something disappears." Twill contributed.
Petra whacked her head on a part of the tunnel that dipped lower and cursed. She rubbed her forehead, glad that she hadn't further injured the side of her head that was currently bandaged. "How does it work?"
From in front of her, Kiah explained, "Simple enough. You focus on the person browsing through their inventory, then you open your own and theirs becomes yours. You can take what ever you want, even after they close it. The only thing is, items that are more important to them are more difficult to grab, since they'll be paying more attention to it. If you're trying to take anything really valuable, grab it and run."
"There's this guy from Lorick that's ridiculously good at it. I heard he can clear out your inventory in seconds, and you'd never know until you opened it again to get something." said Twill.
"Yikes. Is there any way to prevent it?" Petra asked nervously.
"Yeah, you just gotta pay attention." Kiah assured her. "If you're mentally keeping tabs on what you have, any would-be thieves can sense that and will probably leave you alone. Like I said, simple."
"Good to know." Petra thought of her precious golden sword hidden in a sheath strapped to her waist. She'd spent hours enchanting it, and was considering giving it a name. It was easily her most valuable possession.
"This is gonna end badly, I can just feel it." Twill murmured from the back of the group. Jay twisted around to give her a wide grin. "It's an adventure. Chill out."
"It's dangerous!" Twill countered, louder than she intended. The other three silenced her with a chorus of "Shh!"
"Everything about Clarion is dangerous." Kiah snapped in a whisper. "And it may end up getting way more dangerous, so it's good we're doing this now. Petra needs to be far out of the city before war breaks out."
"If it breaks out." Petra corrected somewhat nervously.
"Honestly, I think I'd like to get out of here too, if war really is coming to Clarion." Jay admitted softly.
"One problem at a time. We're getting close to our exit." Kiah said.
"How far will we still be from the Seer's estate?" Jay asked. The littlest girl shrugged nervously. "Not quite sure. Never been really near there. We'll be pretty close, at least close enough it won't be hard to figure out."
"Great." Twill sighed.
"Shut up Twill, I'm trying." Kiah replied, sounding exasperated. Petra reached forward and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay. Ignore her."
"Hey, don't 'ignore her'! I'm the only one with some common sense here! Have all of you lost your sense of self-preservation?" Twill argued.
"Twill, you didn't have to come." Jay pointed out. Twill's only response was a bout of irritated grumbling.
Kiah led them to the right in one more fork, a tunnel that immediately sloped upwards. It led to a dead end with a ladder leading up aboveground.
"Okay. The exit is blocked, but it can be cleared really easily. I didn't hear anyone in the alley while we were under it, but we should be prepared just in case." Kiah said. She put one foot on the lowest ladder rung, then turned around to address the other girls. "I'm just gonna check if anyone's up there. If not, I'll let you know so you can come up too."
"And if there is someone?" Petra couldn't help but ask.
Kiah smiled uncertainly and drew her weapon, a thin double-ended knife with a leather handle connecting the twin blades. "I hope they're not armed."
Before Twill could protest again, Kiah climbed up the ladder, moving swift and quiet. The three waited in tense silence for a few moments, then Kiah called down, "It's clear, come on up."
Petra scaled the ladder next, trying to move as soundlessly as Kiah had, despite her heavy boots and the pain from her injured leg. Most of her wounds ached but were still tolerable, it was mostly just her leg and the gash on her forehead that bothered her the most. She was anxious to find out what had done this, and was hoping the Seer would at least have a clue.
She poked her head out from underground to see Kiah crouching in front of her. "Need a hand?"
"Thanks." Petra let the younger girl grab ahold of her arms and help her out of the hole. Kiah was deceptively strong for her size due to the several years of living off her own wits and abilities.
Jay was next out of the tunnels, with Twill right behind. They were in a narrow alleyway in between two brick buildings, with stone bricks underfoot. Petra shuffled her feet, feeling tense. She wasn't fond of stone bricks of any kind- they reminded her of hidden monster eggs.
"Okay, now what?" Twill asked. Kiah stepped towards the alley opening, then went still. She held up her hand for the others to be quiet.
Petra heard it too late. Voices, at least two of them female, nearing the backstreet. She looked around, but there wasn't anywhere to hide.
"I'm telling you Midnight, the tunnels aren't gonna-"
Three girls rounded the corner into the alley and froze. The first was the tallest and the one who had been speaking, the words fading as she saw Kiah, Twill, Jay, and Petra. She had red hair and piercing green eyes, and her red t-shirt looked ragged. The second girl had a comically large, curly brown ponytail and had a baseball bat resting on one shoulder. The last girl hadn't seen the others right away, and ran into the tallest girl when they stopped in the entrance to the alley. She also had a ponytail of brown hair, though hers was a good deal tamer. A black satchel was slung over her arm, and she had that hand tucked into the pocket of her teal hoodie.
Kiah sighed, sounding annoyed. "Of all the people in this district. Of all the people in this city. Why'd we have to run into you."
The girl with the baseball bat pointed at her. "What- how...? You know about the tunnels!"
Twill took a step back, looking surprised. "You know about the tunnels?"
The girl in the teal hoodie stepped forward. "Yeah. Especially the ones under our territory." she said in a rather hostile tone.
Kiah bristled instantly. "You don't have a territory. What claim do you have on any area of the city?"
The middle girl adjusted her grip on the baseball bat. "We're scary and we chase off anyone who might be a threat to us."
"Whoa, whoa. You guys all know each other?" Petra asked, pointing between her friends and the new girls.
"Yes." Kiah spat, still glaring at the trio. "You might've guessed that we don't exactly get along."
"Well that's an understatement." The red-haired girl narrowed her eyes. "What the hell do you Sidrans think you're doing all the way over here? And who is that?" She asked, nodding towards Petra.
"Yeah, aren't you going to introduce us?" Teal Hoodie asked, grinning nastily.
"You shut up." Twill snapped, and Kiah sighed again. "Petra, this is three of our least-favorite people. Amelia, Crash, and Midnight." she grumbled, pointing to the red-haired girl, the curly-haired girl with the bat, and then the girl in the teal hoodie.
Petra raised an eyebrow. "Midnight, huh? Didn't know that was a valid name."
"Welcome to Clarion. Anything goes." Crash announced with a self-satisfied smile.
Amelia leaned forward. "She said your name was Petra? You fit in well enough, but you're not from around here. I'll ask again; what are you lot doing so far away from Sidra?"
"We need to talk to the Seer." Jay said bluntly. Twill gave her a look. "Jay!"
"What? We do."
Midnight crossed her arms. "You think you can just sneak in here- through our tunnels no less -and just demand to see our leader? I don't think so."
"It's important." Petra said with a glower. She didn't think she liked these girls much. Amelia waved a hand. "Oh, everything's important to someone or another. Your important things aren't important to us."
"Well, that depends." Crash tipped her head to the side, her eyes straying to the sheathed sword at Petra's waist. "I'm sure a little trade of some sort could help convince us to take you to the Seer..."
Petra brushed the weapon's handle with her fingers. It may have been important that they talk to the Seer, but she was not giving up her sword. Kiah glared at the curly-haired girl. "We don't need your help, and we're not giving you anything. Get out of our way."
Amelia propped one hand on her hip. "You're not exactly in a position to make demands, are you? No."
"You're in our district, come through our tunnels, looking to see our leader, and you somehow think you can boss us around? Are you crazy, Kiah?" Midnight added. Jay gave her a steely look and countered in a very calm voice, "Travel between districts is not against the law, and you have no more claim to those tunnels than we, or anyone else, do. We're not trying to boss you around. We have an important goal, and you are posing a problem."
Amelia gave her a once-over, as though just noticing the older girl for the first time. "You're not from Sidra, not after that little speech. Lorick?"
"Kyrget." Jay corrected swiftly. The red-haired girl's gaze slid over to Petra again. "And now that I think about it...you might not even be from Clarion at all." She took another step forward. "Who are you, and why do you need to, ah, see the Seer?" Her tone had turned threatening. Crash slid the baseball bat from her shoulder, holding it lower in a position that suggested more offense than defense. Midnight pulled a pair of fine emerald and iron daggers from her inventory, twirling the small blades between her fingers easily.
Kiah had her knife out again, and Twill's enchanted iron axe was in her hand. The Clarionites were gearing up for a fight.
Petra tugged her sword out of the sheath with an almost melodic ring of metal, and pointed it at the three Ri-Shung girls. She chose her words carefully, speaking in a dangerously low voice just loud enough for them to hear. "I am Petra the Warrior, of the New Order of the Stone. I have business with the Seer, and you do not want to get in my way."
Crash stepped back, the bat slipping lower in her grasp. "Wh- Petra? For real?"
"Yes. Do I need to say it again?"
Amelia scowled thoughtfully at her. "What the hell are you doing in Clarion? And looking like that, no less?"
Petra didn't lower her sword. "I was attacked, and part of my memory wiped. I have reason to believe the assailant is in Clarion, and we need to talk to the Seer."
She noticed Midnight's eyes dart to the bandana currently tied around her right bicep. Other than the sword, it was one of her most easily recognized items. The other girl tucked her daggers back into her inventory.
Amelia gave her a sharp look. "Midnight." she said in a warning tone.
"What? I'm not about to attack an Order member, especially not her!" Midnight argued, pointing at Petra.
"Sure, but what about them?" Amelia opposed, nodding to Kiah and Twill, who still had their weapons ready.
"Where I go, they go too. They helped me this far, I'm not leaving them behind." Petra said staunchly.
Crash let the bat touch the ground, holding it loosely in her right hand. "We can't just take two Sidrans and a Kyrgetan through Ri-Shung. There's too much turmoil right now."
Jay crossed her arms. "Why not? Ri-Shung doesn't have a big issue with either of our districts."
Amelia sneered. "Sidra's too chaotic and meaningless to have an issue with, and Kyrget's leaders are too spineless to pick a side in this."
Kiah visibly bristled again, hunching her shoulders like an angry cat and tightening her grip on her knife. "Say that again, I dare you."
"Sidra's tiny, chaotic, and meaningless!" Midnight jeered through a taunting smile. Twill growled, and Petra quickly sheathed her sword and held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa. Calm down, you two." she ordered the two young Sidrans. "You won't have to take us far. Actually, you don't have to take us anywhere, we can find the Seer on our own. This is how real fights start, you know. Something happens, and everyone jumps to take sides. It's a bad idea."
"They're murderers." Kiah snarled, not taking her eyes off Midnight. Crash narrowed her blue-grey eyes into a dark glare. "We are not murderers. No one in Ri-Shung was responsible for that death. We don't know what happened."
"I know. I have a suspicion something may have come to Clarion, something that killed that Neletan. That's why we need to talk to the Seer." Petra said slowly and calmly. "We're not looking for trouble, just answers."
Amelia stood still for a few moments, weighing her options. Then she let out a heavy breath through her nose. "Fine. Put your weapons down, we'll take you to the Seer."
She turned back around to leave the alley, gesturing for the others to come with. Petra followed them quickly, hoping that all this would end up being worthwhile.
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Back in Beacontown, in the Order's treasure hall, a book hovered on top of a quartz pedestal. The tome was thick with stories, protected by an ink-black cover set with fine silver words.
It had been a vessel once, for powers greater than its own. Now, it was storage to nothing more than memories and tales.
That, however, did not mean every essence of magic was gone from its pages.
As though a stiff breeze had whipped through the room, the cover flew open and the pages ruffled, rapidly flipping one by one to the blank space at the back. A pencil decorated with strange markings flew out from where it had been hidden in the spine of the book, hovering over the fluttering pages.
Then the book went still, open to the unmarked pieces of paper after the first story of the Authors. The pencil hovered for a second more, then all but dove onto the new page, inscribing detailed descriptions and the precise words of the heroes scattered across the world.
A new story had begun.
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YEAH OKAY SHOOT ME, THE STORY BEGAN SIX CHAPTERS AGO
THAT JUST SOUNDED REALLY NICE AND DRAMATIC AND I CAN'T END CHAPTERS FOR SHIT SO THERE YA GO
We can just pretend that last bit actually happened right after the Order was attacked or something, I don't know
I'm tired
As usual
Word count: 5101 (shit...I wanted this to be a short chapter...dammit)