Everyone and everything about this place is pain
Drawing mana into my palm
It's not easy without my sight
It takes three times as long
Mana control, I'll need to practice
Well, what'd you know?
Something useful actually came from his immature
tactics
I'll consider this my appreciation
As I rescue him from the depths of temptation
The mana gathered, I let it fly
The flares and sparks cause the sirens to cry
Cowering under the shower of light
I give Tom a smack and grab his arm as we take flight
Running back into the mist
My grip like a vice
“I didn't have to save you.” I say
“You're lucky I'm so nice!”
Step after step we keep up the pace
Until we lose our footing
And fall on our butts in a daze
What do you know it's an underground cave
I don't sense any malice
As I groan in pain
Checking on Tom it's quite clear
He's still reeling from the effects
So stoned he can't even fear
On the bright side he's also not going anywhere
Trying to think about my next move
I hear a voice call “Let me tell you the truth.”
The swift woman catches the corner of my eye
Running into the cave
I admit I'm curious, I can't lie
Looking to Tom, he'll be fine
Might as well indulge myself while I have time
I follow the echoes of her deeper into the cave
I find that the further in I go
The cave walls begin to emit an eerie glow
“Nathan.” The whisper softly echoes
As I feel the mirror again burn cold
Pulling it out, I flip it open
As an icy blue eye reflects and these words are spoken
“About time you opened it.” Jack's voice scolds
“Then again you never were one to do what you're told.
I've been trying to get your attention for near a month.
I wasted so much mana.
I now have to make my words blunt.”
“Where are you? How are you here?” I ask, tearing up
“I wish I could hug you,” She says “I know it's been
tough.
I infused my mana into that mirror.
Sadly, I'm basically a ghost and not truly here.
That mirror holds my lingering essence.
For all purposes I'm simply a vestige.
A collection of memories bound to the soul.
Linked to that mirror with a single goal.
Think of me as Jack's secrets destined to be told.
At least when the time is right.
You're the only one I can interact with.
To anyone else it's simply a mirror that flips.”
“So I take it you have something to tell me?” I ask
“Yes.” She says “But sadly at the moment I don't have
the time to last.
There's one thing at the moment that I must do.
Thanks to the mana of this cave I can briefly have a
form that's true.”
Suddenly, an icy sculpture of Jack appears before my
eyes
“Please tell me this isn't a lie.” Tears roll down my cheek
As the icy figure wraps her arms around me
“I'm sorry.” She says
“For what?” I return her embrace
Instantly, into thousands of shards she breaks
“I have to go now.
Listen for the call.
I promise in time you will know all.”
“Jack?” I say
“Jack!”
It's clear I'm the only one in this cave
“Is someone down here?” Tom's voice echoes
Crap, if he sees me crying he'll never let it go
Quickly wiping my eyes “So, you finally came to?”
He retorts “You know, I really hate you.”
“That's ok,” I sigh “I don't really like you either.
So,” I grin “Did you have a nice breather?”
“Ok, fine.” He groans “Get it out of your system.”
“I told you so.” Glee in my tone
“Satisfied?”
“Nope. Not even close.
We need to find Leigh.
Knowing her, in the next hour, this island will be toast.”
“Speak for yourself, I'm going back to the boat.”
“Are you really that selfish?”
“No. I'm obviously just smarter than you.” He boasts.”
“She's the one that wanted to come save you too.
And you wanna just abandon her? Screw you!”
He glares at me
Silence echoes for minutes upon minutes
As Leigh's voice sounds “So, you did it.
You found the pompous punk.
There's no point in staying here.
Come on, I found a portal in a stump.
It should get us to a neutral Lo – cay – shun?
Did I miss something?” She asks confused by the
situation
“Nothing at all.” Tom gives me a look then walks back
toward the entrance
“Forget it.” I answer with a two word sentence
Arriving to the stump
There's tension on the air
I just can't read this guy
Did he know she was coming?
Or did he genuinely not care?
“What about the Sirens?” I ask Leigh
“Did they give you trouble?”
“They thought about it but they didn't dare.
I did get some information though.”
I give her a look of worry and concern
A look asking Did they burn?
“I got the info fair and square.” She sighs
“Turns out, the thief was immune to being ensnared.
Apparently it wasn't that he knew how to fight it.
He was just simply immune, no matter how they tried
it.”
“How is that even possible?” I think aloud
“I don't know. But it lets us know he's more dangerous
somehow.”
“Where to next?” My tone taunt
“Next we talk to the Whisps.
Hope you're up on your shots.”
Without another word, she jumps through the portal
Following - My only thought is that the thief is no mere
mortal
Trial 6: Willows and Whisps
Our next destination: The Willow Woods
With a layover in neutral territory
So that's good
The tension managed as best we can
Tom and I have yet to say a word as we land
“Home
