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1 Nov 2019
Tire, Warn, Linger
4
⤆ Chpater 3
Xendri's brow furrowed in concern. Xey were worried about xeir team. Which wasn't a feeling xey were very used to experiencing. And, so far, xey did not care for it very much.
If xey had had xeir way, they wouldn't of split up at all. It was a ridiculous idea to think that was going to end well. But Michi had insisted that this was their best chance of getting the job done. Each segment of the plan was so time sensitive, that they had "needed" to be apart so that there was someone in the right place at the right time at each moment. Xendri had suggested coming up with a less complicated plan, and, to the groups credit, they had tried to do so. But when it came down to it, the others agreed that this was ultimately the plan most likely to work.
At least, if everything went right.
Three flashes indicated, if nothing else, that something had changed. Xey continued to watch the horizon in frustration, hoping that there would be some other sign or indication as to how things were going.
One for danger. If it had been an accidental flash, it would have been easy to add a second to correct it to safe. So safe seemed an unlikely bet. But to do three flashes would be unnecessarily complicated if there was danger, and two accidental flashes in rapid succession seemed unlikely, let alone three with no correcting flashes following a little later.
Xey chewed the inside of xeir mouth thoughtfully, and looked back down the road. The target of xeir part of the plan was supposed to come past xem soon. Or was already of supposed to. It was kind of hard to tell how long xey had been sat there. Maybe the plan had already gone horrendously wrong? Maybe xeir target would never come? Maybe it was pointless xem waiting there?
It was ridiculous, really, that xey had no way to signal to the others. Really, at this point, only Touch had a way to send either of them any sort of signal. And this nonsense light flash system was all that that was. Really useful when you can't even get that done right.
With a frustrated sigh, and another searching glance down the road, Xendri began to make xeir way down to the ground. Something had changed. It didn't look like any more signals were going to come. So the only way xey were going to find out what it meant was to go and see it for xemself.
As xeir feet touched down on the strange, soft, water-locked land, Xendri reassessed xeir bearings. Establishing in xeir mind which direction the signal had come from, xey, as quickly as possible hurried that way, doing xeir best to take cover behind any rock, or hill, or tree that gave xem the opportunity. Xey wanted the best chance xey could get to approach the situation as unnoticed as possible, so that they could try and work out what exactly was going on, rather than just fumbling straight into whatever was happening.
However, stealth was not exactly xeir strong suit. And, honestly, xey were probably the one in the group who was best at it. Which just lead to even more bafflement that the others had thought this plan was a good one. They had seriously decided that relying on their collective skill to go unnoticed was the right way to go. As if that had ever worked out for any of them in their lives... Xendri gritted xeir teeth in annoyance at this thought, continuing to run on, and soon enough, the area Touch had been assigned to finally came into sight up ahead of xem.
It was an area in the center of the wetlands, that was strangely drier than the surrounding land, and upon which, a long abandoned shed-like home had been constructed. They had found this area the previous day, and fairly quickly decided it would make a safe base of operations for now. And when Michi had found the strange books hidden behind a shelf, that detailed unknown gods, rituals surrounding contacting them and opening up the way for them to have access to this realm it sort of cemented the idea that they needed to be here.
Xendri steadied xeir pace, and quickly scanned the area to assess for threats. None. Not that xey could see. Xey ducked behind a tree regardless, and looked around once more. Touch was nowhere to be seen either. The area just seemed... deserted. With a frown, Xendri took cautious steps out from xeir cover, and began to slowly circle the area, looking out for anything, any sign of life at all. But there was nothing. Even less than when they had all split up for their tasks. Frown deepening, Xendri crept at a measured pace towards the shack, and, as quietly and slowly as possible, xey tried to peer through one of the abysmally filthy windows. Still nothing, though, it was admittedly near impossible to make anything out through the grime.
Beginning to lose patience with sneaking, and gradually getting more concerned, Xendri hurried over to the door, and pushed it roughly open, calling out, "Touch? Are you here? Touch?" as xey did so. Xey knew it was fruitless to call for him at all, and, as xeir eyes fully took in the empty space it confirmed that Touch was nowhere to be found. Xey froze in the doorway despite xemself for a moment, doing xeir absolute best to process what was happening. Maybe Touch had wandered off somewhere, but that seemed highly unlikely when most of his role had been gathering as much information from the strange books as possible before sundown.
Part of what they had gleaned from the books last night involved a strange ritual that was supposedly taking place tonight somewhere nearby. Touch was supposed to find out if that was a good thing, or a bad thing; if they needed to stop it, or even if there was a way to stop it at all. To wander away from such a task seemed irresponsible at best, and down right apocalyptic at its worst. And just seemed very out of character for Touch regardless.
Xey looked around the room desperately, and xeir eyes settled on the books scattered across the floor. Even if Touch had just wandered off, there was no way he would have left everything lying across the ground like that. That sort of thing was more Michi's style. Xey scrambled over to the nearest one, and looked it over briefly. Blank. Entirely blank. Xey threw it to the side and grabbed another. Blank again. And another blank one. And another, and another. Xey desperately looked through every book, but not a single one contained the information that they had previously held. It was like everything that could be traced back to this knowledge had been completely erased from the area.
In frustration, Xendri threw the book that xey were holding back behind xem, not looking nor caring where it ended up, closed xeir eyes, and sank to xeir knees intending to think deeply about the situation. Xey did not reach the thinking part, though, as the sound of the book making impact, and a startled yelp of, "OW!" pierced through xeir ears. As quickly as xey had descended, Xendri spun rapidly up to standing, facing the direction xey had carelessly hurled the book, and saw a pouting Michi just outside the door, sat on the ground, and rubbing the side of their face forlornly, with the book lying haphazardly besides them.
"Oh, Michi!" xey exclaimed, and xey began to do xeir best to help them to their feet, "I am so sorry, I was not aware you were here!"
"It's ok..." Michi mumbled, still rubbing their face, but with a small smile that showed no malice, "Just look where you're chucking those things next time." They playfully bumped shoulders with Xendri, and looked around the tattered room, "What were those lights? Where's Touch?"
Xendri shook xeir head and sighed, "I do not know. The only clue I have found thus far," xey paused and gestured around to the varying books lying about, "Are these. All of the writings and secrets you discovered appear to have vanished with no trace." With a tiny frown, Michi crouched to scoop up one of the blank books, and began to flick through it.
"And Touch along with it all..." they said softly, pouring over each blank page, and chewing the inside of their cheek thoughtfully. A moment of silence passed between the two, Xendri focused intently on Michi, who, in turn, was focused intently on the book in their hands, when suddenly, Michi snapped their eyes up to meet Xendri's gaze.
"It's possible that, if he was reading aloud, or acting parts out, that maybe - just maybe - he accidentally cast something from the book..."
Xendri's eyes widened, "...What?"
"Yeah, like, maybe he cast a... a... a strange teleport spell! Or a hide secrets spell! Or who knows what else, I don't know everything that was in the books." As Michi went on with their theory, they became more and more animated, clearly excited by the possibilities, despite the worrying situation, "Maybe it went wrong? Maybe he wasn't a powerful enough caster to do it correctly! Or maybe one of the books was booby trapped to cast a spell if it a certain section was looked at without the right code, or item, or something!" They spun around slightly, raising their arms up, to gesture around the room, "Something magical happened here, whatever it was. I can almost taste it in the air around this place. Magic leaves a very faint charge around it. To most people, it's undetectable at all - though some spells allow people to tune into it more readily. I've always been a little more able to feel it than others. And I felt the faint spark of it as I arrived. Initially, I had assumed it must be Touch's natural energy, but no, if he's not here, that should of gone with him. Whatever left this trace must of been extremely powerful for even this faint of an energy to be still lingering." They paused in their flow of words, catching their breath slightly, and looked to Xendri with weary, and yet excitedly sparkling, eyes.
"Ok..." Xendri's expression barely showed any emotion, but xeir eyes gave away just how deep in thought they were at all of this, "Based on everything you have said, it does not seem you can tell exactly what magic it was that happened here? Do you know at all how we may be able to find out?"
"Not exactly...." Michi replied in a slow, drawn out manner, "But I do know that there is an extremely powerful caster back in Brookewater. I'm not sure what else we can glean from here, but maybe she would be able to help us figure it out."
After a long, thoughtful sigh, Xendri slowly nodded.
"I agree. Although I am reluctant to leave here without him, we do not have anything else we can work off of. Someone more experienced in understanding powerful magic is probably our best hope of finding out what happened to him."
Offering a determined nod in response, Michi grabbed a couple more of the books, and the two of them exited the shack. Xendri took a final glance around the area, just to confirm to xemself that there was truly nothing else to be gained here, and they both began the journey to town, the air considerably gloomier than it had been when they first arrived.