"That's alright," She said, her tone motherly. She grabbed a tall glass mug and filled it with something that smelled rich and malty. "You drink up and I'll explain."
I took the mug and drank. It was sweet and earthy, perhaps some kind of ale. It was delicious.
"We are the Nightside Inns. The Inns have been established to take care of the needs of travelers in the Liminal Realm, but most specifically we are called to aid souls in their final journeys. I can't say where you will end up darling, but you will be welcome at any Inn as long as you see the Nightside flag." She indicated towards the banner.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm not even sure where I'm going really," I said. It wasn't a lie either. With my ability to get back home on the fritz, I wasn't sure what I was going to do.
She had a look of concern, but she pursed her lips and replied, "Well, as it happens we are in a bit of a strange state right now."
"How so?" I asked, sipping the foamy delicious drink. It didn't seem to grow empty even as I took long gulps.
"In fact, we'll be having a bit of a meeting to discuss the situation later. If you'll be staying the night, you are more than welcome to join us." She smiled, though I could still see the hint of worry behind her eyes.
"Thank you, I'd like to stay if there's room for me," I said.
"Certainly," She said. "I'll take you to your room. Can I offer you anything to eat?"
I didn't feel hungry exactly, but it did feel like the right time to eat. Before I could answer, she said, "I must warn you, the food of the spirits is strange stuff. It will make it much easier to be here, but it makes you less physical. Right now, you are probably still used to the physical world. If you eat the food, you will lose some of that. It's not dangerous, but it can feel scary if you don't know what to expect. It can feel like you're losing what makes you, you."
I was vaguely horrified by what she was saying. Would it mean that I couldn't get back if I ate something here? I pushed the mug across the bar. "I'm okay for now," I said.
She must have seen the fear in my eyes. "It will get easier," she said as she patted the top of my hand. "Let me show you to your room." The bar had become more filled up as we spoke. There were all manner of creatures that didn't appear exactly human. I was hesitant to look too closely at any of them, but there was at least one who appeared to be a goblin and several others with pointed ears. Lost souls, it seemed, were not the only ones wandering the liminal world.
I followed the woman up a winding staircase to the second floor. The drafty hallway was straight and filled with all manner of mismatching wooden doors. Some were arched on the top and others were square, while still others had ornate iron locks and hinges. She stopped midway down the corridor at a rounded door with a heavy metal handle.
She said, "I'm Anais if you need anything. I'll come by to check on you a little later before the meeting. Let me know if you change your mind about the food?'
"Thank you," I smiled and it was genuine. I was glad to have found a place to rest while I figured out what to do.
Things fell apart fast while I sat alone in the room. Everything was worn, but clean and it was better than I could expect under the circumstances. And still, my heart was sick. Things had not gone the way I had planned at all. I was supposed to be in my last year at the Mage's Academy, and instead, I was stuck here in the liminal world with no idea how to get back. I laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I should have been hanging out with Kairn and my friends. A stab went through my heart when I thought of Kairn. I had no idea what he was thinking now. This was the longest I had ever been in the liminal world before and nobody knew where I was. Things had been going wrong ever since the incident with the banshee. I looked at my arm and though the wound was healed, the scar was still visible. I was marked. Nothing had gone right ever since. The thought began to nag at me, that something wasn't right. The whole thing had the faint smell of magic gone wrong. I was finally starting to trust those feelings, but in this case, I didn't know what to do about it. So I moped. Nox blinked at me and I knew he thought I was being pitiful, but I was trying my best.
When the knock came on the door, I was jolted out of my reverie. It was Anais, checking in on me.
She smiled when I opened the door. "Ah, having a bit of a rest? Well, the meeting is about to start downstairs."
"Yeah," I tried to straighten out my clothes as I followed her down the hallway. "What is the meeting about exactly?"
"As I said, these are strange times we're in. I'll explain more downstairs." She shrugged.
It was curious that she was being so vague. I followed her down into the bar. When I had first come in it was sparsely occupied, but now every seat was filled. I took one of the last available spots at the bar. Anais was climbing up on the bar. She stood on top of the scratched wooden bartop. A younger man
