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crystalninjaphoenix · 29 days

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Down the River

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Six

A JSE Fanfic

I took a break from writing for a week, but now I return! And that break was really good for me because I flew through writing this chapter. After escaping from Suilthair, the guys travel down the river on a boat. Marvin has something to tell Chase and Jameson, and the guys make a plan from there. Meanwhile, the kids adjust to their new surroundings after following their dad, and Henrik has a moment. Enjoy reading! I won't delay you any longer :D

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU | Read on AO3: CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

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The sun beat down from the sky. The boat coasted down the river, Suilthair having disappeared from sight by now. Sailors on the deck ran around, checking the mast in the center. Chase hadn’t expected a river boat to be so big. But then again, the Muinra Avon was a large, deep river. Maybe it needed to be big to stand a chance against the current. Or... the waves? Did rivers have waves? Chase hadn’t spent much time around them in his life.

And neither had the kids. Amabel and Quentin stood at the side of the boat, leaning over and looking down at the water. Chase wanted them to get away, but... they knew how to be careful. He had to trust that. He settled for calling out a “Be careful you two!”

“We will!” Amabel shouted back, while Quentin leaned forward and started kicking his legs.

“I’m serious! Neither of you know how to swim that well.”

Quentin slowly lowered himself back down to the deck.

Jackie walked over to where Chase was, sitting pushed up against the wall of the cabin. He crouched down so the two of them were level. “How’s the injury?” he asked.

“It’s alright,” Chase said. “Henrik really bound it up tightly, though. It’s almost hard to breathe with the bandage.” He twisted his torso around, wincing a bit as the movement aggravates both his arrow wound and the bandage around it.

“Careful,” Jackie warned.

“I’m being careful.” Chase sighed. “How’s Jameson?” He had gone below deck as soon as his cuts and bruises were checked out and Suilthair was out of sight.

“He’s resting,” Jackie said. “They have a couple hammocks down there. Not enough for all of us, to be honest, we mostly stop for the night and camp on the riverbank. But still. Enough to take a nap in.”

“Good to hear he’s okay,” Chase said. “What about everyone else? Marvin and Henrik?”

“Marvin’s also taking a nap,” Jackie said. “Recovering from all the magic. Henrik is... inside the cabin, I think.” He gestured back to the nearby door. “Um... once everyone is well-rested, Marvin has something he needs to tell you.”

Anxiety immediately filled Chase’s heart. “About what? Is it bad?”

“Uh... I don’t think so?” Jackie said slowly. “It could be good. If you look at it a certain way? ...This isn’t making it sound not bad.”

“It really isn’t.”

“Look, it’s all okay,” Jackie said. “Marvin should explain, but essentially... it’s something we need to do.”

Chase nodded slowly. “Okay... I see. I hope it’s not something... too dangerous.” He glanced over to the kids.

Jackie followed his gaze. “They’ll be safe,” he said quietly. “We can leave them at camp. They’ll be well-protected there.”

“Yea...” Chase whispered. “I... yea.” He wasn’t sure what to say beyond that.

“Hey.” Jackie put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Every single Phantom here will take care of them. They’re in good hands. And they seem like pretty capable kids. I mean, they managed to find us while we were running around trying to get out of the city.”

“You’re right,” Chase said, more trying to convince himself than agreeing with him. “I just hope they won’t miss their mom too much.”

“It will be okay,” Jackie said quietly. “I promise. We’ll all watch over them. And clearly, they really want to be here with you. They love you. Trust you.”

“Is that trust worth it?” Chase breathed.

“Of course it is!” Jackie said firmly. “It would have been really easy for them to stay in the city. They’d only need to stay home and not go looking for you. And I know you’re probably going to say something about worrying that they’ll regret this. They won’t. I promise. If they love you enough to come running after you like that, they won’t regret anything as long as you’re close by.”

Chase felt a lump form in his throat. His eyes welled with tears but he quickly blinked them away. “Thanks, Jackie. I-I feel a bit better now. And I’m not going to lie... I’m really happy to have them back. Even if their mom is still enchanted. Even though I miss her, and I’m worried about her, at least they’re here. And safe.”

Jackie nodded, smiling. “We’ll get Stacia back, too. It might be a bit more difficult, but we’ll get her back. And you’ll all be okay.”

Chase laughed. “I’ll do anything I can to help her out. And in the meantime, I’ll make sure the kids are okay.” He looked over to them. “Seems like they really like the river. Quen! I said be careful!”

Quentin was lying on the wall again, and he quickly lowered his feet down to the deck again.

“Well, looks like you’re doing good so far.” Jackie started to clap him on the back, then stopped. “Ah, probably shouldn’t do that while you’re injured.” He settled for a gentler pat.

“Thanks, Jackie.” Chase grinned. “You’re really good at reassuring people.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice. You think running an organization is easy?” Jackie laughed. “Back in the early days, when it was Schneep and Marv and me gathering a following, and we were more familiar with a lot of individual Phantoms, if anyone had troubles we had to soothe them over.”

“Huh. I never thought of that.”

Jackie patted his shoulder again. “I do it for you because you’re my friend, though. Not just to smooth things over. And because it’s true. The kids love you, and you can really take care of them.”

Chase gave him a softer smile. “Thanks.” He chuckled. “That’s all I’m saying in this conversation, is thanks.”

“Well, it’s not a problem at all,” Jackie said. “Now. Are you alright sitting here on the deck or do you want to go below or something?”

“I’ll stay here. Keep an eye on the kids.”

Jackie nodded. “Of course. I’ll just sit here with you, then, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind.”

“Great.” Jackie sat down, crossing his legs and leaning back against the wall of the cabin.

Chase smiled at him one more time, then turned to watch the kids. They seemed to be having fun. And it was good to see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as he was sure Chase and Jameson were okay, Henrik went into the cabin. He felt a little bad about not spending more time with them, but he couldn’t focus. There’d been a buzzing noise behind his ears ever since Jackie and Marvin left to go rescue them. An annoying buzzing. He thought it was a bug at first, but the fact that it was always there, no matter where he turned his head, meant that it was another symptom. And over time, the buzzing had turned into sounds. Like whispery voices speaking nonsense words, muffled and out of earshot. He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t focus. Not when part of his mind would be constantly disrupted by the sounds, instinctively trying to figure out what they were saying.

The cabin of the boat was pretty small, certainly smaller than the captain’s cabin on The Serpent’s Wake, but not quite as small as the guest cabins on that same ship. There was enough room for a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a table with chairs, but not much room beyond that. The back of the cabin had a window looking out. It even had glass. Fancy. It was on the back of the ship, so though Henrik could see out, nobody on the ship could see in.

And he was very glad for that. He kept pacing across the floor, back and forth, back and forth, wearing a pattern in the wooden planks in between the desk and the wardrobe. He wasn’t feeling restless. The mind soother tonic had helped with those feelings. But he had to do something to distract himself from the sounds. “What do you want?” he whispered in Alterdan. “What do you want?” They didn’t respond, of course. He knew the question would do him no good, but he asked it anyway, repeating it over and over again.

Maybe he should try to sleep. Maybe he should take a nap. That would be good, wouldn’t it? To drift off and not hear these annoying sounds. But then he’d have to tune out the sounds for long enough to fall asleep. And that would be difficult. Did they have sleeping tonics on board? If he drank an entire bottle would it just knock him out? No, no, that might not be safe. But he wanted it to work right away. What if—Was there a sleeping potion? Maybe he had ingredients for that? Maybe he should go look?

Henrik turned back around and started walking towards the door—but he only took a few steps before he stopped.

There was someone in front of the door.

He knew immediately that this wasn’t a normal person. They seemed to be cloaked in shadow even as light from the window fell directly onto their body. “...nein,” he whispered. “Nein nein nein. Th-this is not really happening.”

The shadowy person just stood there. Staring at him.

He closed his eyes, but then fear immediately shot through him and he opened them up again. What could this shadow do when he wasn’t looking? What if it attacked him?! No, wait, that’s impossible. This is clearly another symptom. But what if—what if it wasn’t? What if this was some sort of spirit? What if it was a spy?!

“Nicht echt,” he whispered. “Nicht echt. Nicht echt.” It’s not real it’s not real it’s not real—

The shadow moved.

Henrik shrieked, staggering backwards until he hit the edge of the bed and collapsed back onto it. The shadow hadn’t moved towards him, just a strange shuffling, but even so, Henrik felt his heart pounding out of his chest with fear that this thing would get closer to him. “Get back!” he shouted. “Get back!”

The door suddenly opened up, passing right through the shadowy person, and someone rushed in. “Henrik, what’s wrong?!” Vsevna asked, eye wide as it scanned the cabin. He held a weapon in one hand—his usual choice, something called a boarding axe. It had a long handle and a head that had an axe blade on the left and a spike on the right.

“A-ah...” Henrik paused, unsure what to say. The shadowy person was still there, right behind Vsevna, though they were a bit faded now, more like an actual shadow. “I-I am... fine. Nothing is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong?! You do not shout out ‘get back’ when nothing is wrong!”

“Well, ah, nobody is here, as you c-can see,” Henrik stammered.

Vsevna scanned the room again. He relaxed slightly, leaning the axe against the wall of the cabin. “I suppose there is no space to hide in this room. Everything is too small. But... still. You do not shout like that when nothing is wrong.”

“I... I was trying to take a nap...” Henrik said slowly. “A-and as I was drifting off, I... must have had a nightmare. I-I thought someone was... coming to get me. But I-I am fine. See?” He smiled weakly.

“You look... shaken,” Vsevna said slowly.

Henrik nodded slowly. “W-well I am.” The shadow was still behind him. “It feels... so real.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Vsevna asked.

“No, it is fine,” Henrik insisted. “I would hate to keep you from important ship business.”

Vsevna tilted his head. “I would not be able to focus on the boat if I knew you were upset in here.” He walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge next to him. “So, is there anything I can do, sova?”

Henrik was quiet for a while. He stared at the shadow in front of the door. “I... am not sure,” he said quietly.

Vsevna hesitated. “Well... I am not sure, either. But I can stay here, if you would like. You said you were taking a nap?”

Henrik nodded slowly.

“What if... what if we lied down together?”

Henrik felt his face getting hot.

“Still nervous, Henrik?” Vsevna asked, grinning a bit.

“Oh, shut up.” Henrik reached out and shoved him a little. As the captain of the voyage, Vsevna had the claim on the cabin in the boat, but he said that Henrik could stay with him. Henrik had agreed, but he felt that sharing the bed was a bit much, so he volunteered to sleep on the floor.

“Alright, alright, we do not have to do that,” Vsevna said. “But anything else I could do... hm...” He frowned and shook his head. “I am sorry. All I can think of is to stay.”

“That is enough,” Henrik said quietly. “Maybe... maybe we could... try.”

“Are you sure?”

“It is just a nap.” And the shadow was still there. Staring at him. He knew it wouldn’t do anything, given how Vsevna had walked through it easily enough, but... he couldn’t help the fear. It told him that if either of them got close again, something bad would happen. So... he wanted him to stay close.

“Well, if you are going to sleep, it would probably be best to close the curtains,” Vsevna pointed out, standing up and reaching out for them.

“N-no!” Henrik snapped. “I—I do not want—” The shadow would blend in. It would disappear, it could go anywhere.

Vsevna jerked his hand back and looked down at Henrik with concern. “Henrik? Is... something else wrong?”

“No, it... is just... the nightmare has still unnerved me,” Henrik said haltingly.

Vsevna nodded slowly. “Alright. I suppose that makes sense.” He sat down on the bed again. “So... please try to relax, then?” He laughed, glancing around a bit. He must have been just as nervous as Henrik was. After all, he had been fine with Henrik sleeping on the floor.

Henrik nodded.

The two of them laid down next to each other. It was a bit awkward. They were both unconsciously staying as far as possible from each other. Henrik kept his head tilted to the side, looking at the shadow. But then his position started to get uncomfortable. He shifted slightly, and his hand landed on Vsevna’s. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed onto it, squeezing it gently. Vsevna squeezed back. And almost as if that gave them permission, they both relaxed. Henrik couldn’t help but move a bit closer. And Vsevna put an arm over him. And eventually Henrik felt his eyes finally slip closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon when Marvin and Jameson climbed out from below deck. Chase and Jackie had stayed in pretty much the same place all day, though Jackie had gotten up to help around the ship. Chase merely watched, trying to figure out what the sailors were doing. Amabel and Quentin ran around a little, asking the Phantoms questions. Or, well, Quentin asked questions. Amabel just stuck by his side and listened. But by now, the kids had both been tired out. Now they sat next to Chase, one on either side.

“How are you two doing?” Chase asked. “It was a busy morning, wasn’t it?”

“Mm-hmm,” Quentin said. “So much...”

Amabel nodded.

“How are you, Amy?” Chase asked softly. “Are you feeling overwhelmed? You’ve talked to a lot of people and it’s sort of noisy.”

She nodded again.

“Do you want to go down below decks? It’s probably darker and quieter down there.”

After a moment, a third nod.

“Alright, let’s go.” Chase stood up. “Quentin, you want to come, too?”

“Mm-hmm. It’ll be boring without Bellie.”

Chase helped the two kids to their feet and walked over to the grate in the center of the deck that led down into the space below. It was open, and the three of them walked down the stairs into the small area. This was mostly filled with supplies for the Phantoms. Crates of food and barrels of water and all sorts of miscellaneous supplies. Apparently they had weapons on board, too, but those were mostly kept in hidden compartments up on deck, beneath grates and trapdoors. So they could be easily accessed in case of a sudden fight. Hanging between these stacks of supplies were hammocks.

“Oh, Chase.” Marvin was down here, holding Draco in his arms. “Here you are. I wanted to go see you, actually.” Jameson peeked around from behind Marvin and waved.

“Hi Marvin, Hi Jameson.” Chase waved. “Yea, Jackie told me. Something we... have to do?”

Marvin nodded.

“Alright, just let me get these two into some hammocks to rest,” Chase said.

Amabel was already trying to climb into one herself, but it was hanging a bit high for her small ten-year-old build. She gave up and looked over at Marvin and Jameson, waving at them. Then she gasped. Nudging Quentin, she pointed at Draco. He gasped as well. “Kiiiitty,” he said.

Marvin blinked, then gave an awkward little smile. “This is Draco,” he said. “You both saw him earlier.”

“Can we pet him?” Quentin asked. Amabel raised her hand, ready to pet but waiting for permission.

“Gently, alright? Only along his back.” Marvin bent over so the kids could have better access. They carefully started running his hands along Draco’s back. Draco’s eyes squinted in response and he started to purr. “Aw, he likes you guys!”

“I liked when he got big!” Quentin said excitedly. “How did you do that? With magic?”

“Uh… yyyyep.” Marvin nodded slowly.

“I didn’t know you could do that, by the way,” Chase said. “When did you figure that out?”

“I was talking to Jameson about that earlier,” Marvin said, and Jameson nodded in confirmation. “I... didn’t really figure out how to do that. I remember reading theories about spells that would do that, a long time ago when I first summoned Draco, but apparently the exact ways of using those spells had been lost. But back then, I just... reacted instinctively. I reached out to Draco with my magic, and... we started... sharing magic? I think? I fed him some of mine, and it made him bigger.”

Amabel’s eyes widened. She whistled and balled her hands into fists, shaking them around.

“That means she’s really interested in this,” Chase explained, smiling a little.

“R-really?” Marvin’s eyes widened in turn, and he laughed. “It is interesting, isn’t it? When I was little, I did that fist-shaking thing too. I, uh... stopped, though. My parents said it was disruptive.”

Amabel looked up at Chase, a bit concerned.

“Well, it’s not,” Chase said firmly. “As long as you were careful and didn’t hurt anyone or break anything.”

Marvin shook his head. “I didn’t.”

Amabel smiled. She turned back to the hammock and started trying to get in again. “Here, let me help you, Amy,” Chase said, giving her a little boost.

“Help me, too, Dad!” Quentin said, grabbing the edge of the neighboring hammock.

“Alright, alright.” Chase grabbed him by the waist and lifted him up into the hammock. “If you guys need help getting down, shout for it, okay? Someone will come running. Or they’ll get me if you’re not comfortable.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Quentin smiled. And Amabel did, too.

“Okay.” Chase took a deep breath, and looked at Marvin and Jameson. “Let’s go upstairs to talk about this.”

Marvin nodded. As the three of them walked up the steps, he said, “Apparently on a boat you say you’re going ‘topside.’ Different terms.”

“Really? Strange.”

As the three of them reached the deck, they saw Jackie talking to Henrik, who looked... a bit shaken. His eyes darted side to side, and Chase briefly wondered if he was okay. “Hey!” Marvin raised a hand for attention—or tried to, at least, since he was still holding Draco.

How do you manage to hold him for so long? Jameson asked, looking at the cat. Cats are smaller than dogs but they’re still fairly heavy.

“Practice,” Marvin said.

Jackie gestured for the other three to come over and join him and Henrik by the side of the boat. They did, and Draco finally had enough of being held and wiggled out of Marvin’s grasp, trotting across the deck over to the mast, which he immediately started scratching. Marvin gave a little “heh” of a laugh then turned to the others. “Alright. I’m going to tell the two of them about what happened.”

“O-of course,” Henrik said.

“What happened?” Chase repeated.

He told me that something very unusual happened to him after we were separated, Jameson said. But he didn’t explain beyond that.

Marvin nodded. “It was... surprising. And... a lot. I’ve already explained to these two.” He gestured at Henrik and Jackie. “But I think it’s more important that you know. Especially you, Chase.”

“Um... okay.” Chase couldn’t keep the nervous edge out of his voice. “What is it?”

“I-I didn’t leave you guys in Suilthair intentionally,” Marvin said. “I-I really didn’t! I wouldn’t have!”

We know, Marvin, Jameson assured him.

“So... why did you leave?” Chase asked.

“Because of Draco.” Marvin pointed to the side, where Draco was still scratching the mast. “This is going to sound unbelievable. But it’s all true.” He took a deep breath, and started telling his story. About appearing in the Wyldwood, trekking through it, reaching that blasted heath, and having a conversation with the ghost of the first King of Glasúil.

“He... S-Samuel—K-King Samuel—” Chase stammered. “He—wants me... to see something in the Wyldwood? A-and he’s—the Elders, they’re—they also want that? Wh-what?”

I had no idea my vision would attract so much attention, JJ said, a look of awe on his face. I knew it was important, but... the Elders? A spirit? They’re getting involved?

“I-I can’t believe—” Chase shook his head. “Th-this can’t be—”

“Sam was very clear,” Marvin said. “Jameson’s vision has to come to pass.”

“Why?” Chase whispered. “I know that defeating the King is important for the kingdom, but... the Elders only get involved if something is serious. Have you heard that old story? From back before the kingdom was united, about the clan chief who... did terrible things to the people he was supposed to protect.”

“Terrible how?” Henrik asked, morbid curiosity on his face.

Chase shook his head. “Along the lines of torture. I-I don’t want to get any more specific than that. I heard that story when I was ten and it scarred my mind for life. But the point is, the Elder In The River ended up getting involved. They waited until the chief was crossing a river, and then made the water rise up around him, grabbing him and drowning him.”

“Holy flames,” Jackie said. “No, I’ve never heard that story.”

“Look, my point is that the Elders only get involved when something is very wrong,” Chase said. “When there’s a great affront to the world. The King is a tyrant, but why is it important enough for the Elders to guide me all the way across the island?”

Jameson’s eyes widened. He looked over at Chase. It’s not about the King.

“Huh?”

It’s about the spirit possessing him, Jameson said. After all, that’s the one being the tyrant. That Jack you know is the true King, and he’s trapped. Didn’t we agree that the spirit was unusually powerful?

Chase inhaled sharply. “Yes... we did...”

“The Elders are stepping in to stop this possessive spirit?” Henrik asked. “Ah, what is the word for one of those? There is a name for them, yes?”

“Spiolash,” Chase said. “But we don’t usually use their name. It might draw their attention. Possessive spirit is fine.” He paused. “Those possess people sometimes, but... they don’t usually give them magical abilities. W-we saw the King control lightning. That’s not something a spirit can do. This one... is unusually powerful.”

“Unnaturally powerful,” Marvin agreed. “You’re sure about this, right? The possession?”

“I am absolutely sure,” Chase confirmed. “It’s the only explanation.”

“I suppose it would explain why the King suddenly changed...” Henrik mused. “It seemed like one day, not too long after his coronation, he started enacting harsher policies quite suddenly. If he truly was possessed... it would...” He trailed off, eyes wandering over to the side, like he was following the path of a bird through the air.

“Schneep?” Jackie prompted.

Henrik snapped to attention and shook his head. “It would make sense, that is all I am saying.”

Chase glanced at Henrik, concerned, but decided to brush it off for now. He probably just saw something in the sky. Back to the current business. “So... I-I have to... go into the Wyldwood... journey for a week... a-and eventually learn something to help defeat the King?” he asked, his head spinning just hearing this.

“And I have to take you there,” Marvin confirmed. “I know the way. It’s burned into my mind. The rest of you—”

“What, you think we’re just going to let you go into the Wyldwood by yourselves?” Jackie asked. “Just the two of you? What if something happened?”

Chase tried to remember everything he’d learned about the Wyldwood from stories. It was a place where the magic of the world rose up, like water forming a well. The Fair Folk and other magical creatures were said to reside there. He vaguely remembered a theme of trickery in the stories about the place. Things not being what they seemed, but in an ordered sort of way. An organized chaos. “Y-yeah... that... that seems like a bad idea, to just go there alone.”

Marvin frowned. “Sam said to keep the group small. That it would be easier to pass through that way. To keep from... attracting attention.”

Then only a handful of people will come with us, Jameson said.

“Jair? You want to come too?” Marvin asked, surprised.

Jameson nodded. This is about my vision. I want to know what’s so important in that blasted heath. What could possibly help Chase make that vision a reality.

Chase laughed, staggering backwards. “I—I can’t believe this. I-I just can’t believe this. I—I—” He shook his head. “The dreams—The Horned Elder One really is guiding me. Guiding me to... to defeat this spirit inside the King. I...” He could only laugh again. “Why... me? I-I’m nothing special.”

“There must be a reason,” Henrik said. “There must be something about you that the Elders saw promise in. Some reason you will be the one to defeat him.”

“I... I guess.” Chase sighed. “But I... can’t see it.”

“You’re a good man, Chase,” Jackie said gently. “Maybe that’s all that’s needed.”

“Maybe...” Chase said, not bothering to hide the uncertainty in his voice. “Well... in any case. What are we doing now?”

“We’re going back to the new main camp,” Jackie says. “It’s on the Cliffs of Feall.”

“Really?!” Chase raised his eyebrows. “You forgot to mention that. Isn’t that place bad luck?”

“I... never heard anything like that,” Jackie said slowly.

“Me neither,” Marvin added.

I vaguely remember hearing something along those lines... Jameson said, brow furrowing in thought.

“It must be a legend local to the mountainous areas,” Henrik said. “The Jairsolas family had their claim at the base of the Northavens, yes?” Jameson nodded in response.

“If I’d known the place was bad luck, I wouldn’t have told everyone to camp there,” Jackie muttered.

“Vsevna said that the word ‘feall’ is a word that once meant betrayal,” Henrik said.

“Well it’s too late to move now,” Jackie said. “Everyone is settled. Anyway. We are going there. It’ll take about four days... or technically three and a half, since we’ve already been sailing for a while. Once we get there, we will set off for the Wyldwood. A small party of us, I can imagine we wouldn’t want more than seven or eight. Definitely less than ten. Marvin will lead the way.”

“We might need to prepare for that,” Henrik said.

“Whoa, hey, we can’t have all of you head into the Wyldwood!” Chase protested. “You three are the leaders! You can’t all go on a dangerous mission!”

Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin exchanged glances. “Well... we’ve already done that, coming here to rescue you two,” Jackie said. “What’s a bit longer? I’m sure the Phantoms are functioning fine without us.”

Chase shook his head. “We’ll talk about it more on the way. Sounds like we have a bit of a journey. But really, only four days? It’d take a week or more across land.”

“That is the power of the waterways, I suppose,” Henrik said, shrugging.

“I guess.” Chase stood there, looking out at the passing bank. “Uh... now... what?”

“I, uh... don’t know,” Marvin said slowly. “We talked about the quest we have to go on. That’s... all I wanted to say.”

“The quest.” Chase laughed. “That makes it sound so... official.”

“I don’t know a better word for it,” Marvin said, shrugging.

“We just go about our business until dinner, I guess,” Jackie said. “We’re still pretty close to Suilthair so I don’t think we should stop to camp for the night on the bank. So we’ll sleep on the boat. But there aren’t enough hammocks below, so some of us will have to sleep up on the deck in our bedrolls...”

As Jackie continued, Chase’s mind slowly drifted away, thoughts returning to what he just heard. The legendary King Samuel, the Green-Eyed King, the one who first united the island and founded Glasúil... still existed as a spirit. And wanted to speak to Chase. And the Elders... they’d been guiding him towards this the whole time, hadn’t they?

...Why?

He wasn’t anything important. He wasn’t a hero. He was just an average man. Anyone else on this ship would probably be better for this quest than him.

But here he was. Stuck in the middle of all this. It felt like so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase managed to claim a spot in the hammocks below deck by virtue of his kids not wanting to move from the hammocks they’d gotten into earlier. The others all stayed up on the deck. Well, Henrik got to stay in the cabin with Vsevna, which caused Chase to raise his eyebrows. He wanted to say something like “oooo, what’s that about?” but Henrik looked... bothered by something. So he thought it was better to leave it alone. He went below deck and chose a hammock by the ones Amabel and Quentin had claimed earlier, and slowly drifted off.

When he next opened his eyes, he was having another draísling.

It seemed the garden was a thing of the past. He was back in that regal-looking hallway that he’d been to last time. The one that looked like it belonged in the castle when it was normal. And at the end was that pair of heavy-looking grand wooden doors, open and waiting for him. The deer with the golden antlers stood in the doorway. It looked at Chase, tilting its head. And then it turned and pointed into the room with its antlers.

Chase nodded back and walked forward. He knew what to expect.

The throne room was the same as the last dream. Tall stone pillars and a green carpet that ended at the dais at the far end of the long room. On the dais was the carved wooden throne with green cushions and three gems at the top. And in the throne, Jack. Slumped over, chained to the chair. He looked up as Chase approached, blue eyes brightening with some emotion. “Chase. I-it’s... it’s good to see you again. You got out of the city, didn’t you?”

“Y-yea.” Chase walked up the dais, kneeling next to the throne like he did last time. “How did you know that?”

“Thalia told the King,” Jack said. “And... I saw.”

“Wait... y-you saw?” Chase’s eyes widened. “Do you mean—you still see everything that the King does? Everything that your body goes through?”

“I experience it all,” Jack confirmed. “I just don’t have any control over it. I’m like... a passenger in a carriage.” His eyes glazed over slightly. “I can look out the window, but someone else has the reins of the horses.”

“Elders,” Chase whispered. “I... I didn’t realize... i-it didn’t... really sink in until now. That’s... truly horrifying.”

Jack smiled darkly. “You get used to it. But... it is.”

Chase shook his head. “I-I swear, Jack, I’ll help you. I’ll find some way to get rid of that spirit. I-in fact—”

“Don’t say anything,” Jack snapped. “He can hear everything in here, remember?”

“Right.” Chase had reached that realization at the same time. “I’ll just say... we’re working on it.”

“Thank you.” Jack hesitated. “Chase, you have to know something,” he said hurriedly.

“Huh? What?”

“He’s coming after you,” Jack said. “He’s coming after you personally.”

A sudden burst of wind pushed Chase backwards. He cried out and grabbed onto the armrest of the throne.

Jack grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight, eyes wide. “He’s coming after you now, Chase! He’s following you! He’s going to—”

And then the wind kicked up again and Chase fell back, his hand slipping out of Jack’s hand as he fell off the dais—

And then he was awake again, gasping for breath in the middle of the night. Jack’s warning echoed in his head. Jack knew everything the King did. He knew what he was planning.

Chase scrambled out of the hammock, falling to the ground with a yelp. He got up as quickly as possible and ran for the stairs leading up onto the deck. It was still dark. He had difficulty finding the others, but eventually spotted them, three bedrolls in a cluster by the cabin door. “Guys!” he shouted, bolting over, nearly tripping over others on the deck. He knelt next to Jackie’s and started shaking him awake, and then Marvin and Jameson.

“Hmmwha?” Jackie blinked.

“What’s going on?” Marvin mumbled.

Chase? Jameson signed sleepily.

“I know it’s the middle of the night, but this is important!” Chase said. “The King is coming after us.”

“Of course he is,” Jackie said, confused.

Chase shook his head. “No, he’s doing it himself. Right now.” He could see the others’ eyes widen in the hint of light on the boat. “He’s going to personally make sure we don’t get far.”

Jackie sat up straight. “Well... we’d better move fast, then.”

Chase nodded. They had to get to the Wyldwood before the King could catch up. Before the King could stop them from learning whatever it would take to defeat him.

The race was on.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jackieboy man #dr schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent #jameson jackson #c!jacksepticeye #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

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crystalninjaphoenix · 3 months

Text

The Morning is Sure to Come

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Four

A JSE Fanfic

A lot of stuff happens in this one, and I'm not really sure how to describe it. Chase talks with his kids some more, and then falls asleep and has another dream with Jack, where he learns some more about the situation that was revealed last time. And meanwhile, Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin are getting close to Suilthair and scouting it out, looking for Chase and Jameson. Huh. Guess it wasn't as difficult as I thought. Anyway, with the summary done, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy! :D

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two more days, and Chase and Jameson were still stuck hiding in the abandoned boathouse. They passed the time with Chase giving Jameson lessons on some combat maneuvers. It was strange without actual weapons, but Jameson appreciated it nonetheless. Surprisingly, he remembered a lot of these moves, either from his time at Wyvernlair or his youth when he was learning self-defense. But he was a bit rusty actually going through the motions.

“There has to be somewhere to get weapons in the city,” Chase muttered. “At this point, I think I can go out without too much suspicion. If I’m careful and come right back.”

Do you have any money? Jameson asked. I don’t, and I know weapons shops have high security.

“Damn. You’re right. It’s too risky to steal them. I could ask Amabel for money—no, I don’t want to do that.” Chase shook his head. “She’d probably take it from Stacia, a-and she might get in trouble, and I don’t want that.”

It’s fine, Jameson said. We’re doing well enough without them.

“For now,” Chase muttered. “Eventually we need to find a way off this island. And when we make our escape, we need to be prepared for a fight.”

Even though they couldn’t go out into town to get weapons, Chase started going around for other reasons. Gathering more information, mostly. Trying to find that way out of Suilthair. If there was one good thing about the week he wasted wandering around the city, it was that he developed a reputation. The common folk recognized him. They knew he was one of them and that the biggest danger he posed to anyone was asking for money. There was no reason to report someone like him to the royal warriors. He was pretty harmless in their eyes. Chase still had to worry about avoiding patrols, but at least he didn’t have to worry about everything.

Unfortunately, nobody he talked to knew of any way out of Suilthair besides the ferry. They were all quite insistent on that. Chase wondered if this was, perhaps, caused by the King’s enchantment influence. Maybe by making people want to stay in the city, he made them forget anything besides the official ferries? But surely there had to be smugglers or something. Who was he supposed to ask about that? Probably people who were more dangerous than the average cityfolk. Were they desperate enough to do that yet? No... maybe not. But in a couple more days, they might be.

Amabel continued to stop by every morning and evening. Chase was always happy to see her, even if he was getting more and more worried. If she kept doing this, someone would eventually notice where she was going. “Amy, are you sure this is safe?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm.” Amabel nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Chase said hesitantly. “But if it gets too dangerous, if people see you come here, I want you to stop.”

Amabel blinked. “Huh? No, I’m not gonna stop.”

“Amabel, I’m serious,” Chase said firmly. “What me and Jameson are doing is really dangerous, we don’t want you caught up in it.”

“You haven’t even told me what it’s all about!”

“Because you’re safer if you don’t know anything,” Chase said. He paused for a moment, trying to think about a way to explain that there was a chance the King could hear her thoughts if she got in too much trouble. “The people we’re up against have ways—magical ways—to find stuff out, even if you’re very, very careful. But if you really don’t know what they’re talking about, then they can’t do anything.”

Amabel stared at him. “Do you mean they’d hurt me?”

Chase was quiet for a moment. He didn’t want to tell his daughter that yes, the people out there would hurt her. “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe.” When the King sent the warriors to their home, they didn’t kill the children. But he wasn’t sure if that was because the King—or, the spirit controlling the King, as he had to remind himself—really didn’t want to cross that line, or if it was simply because he was focusing on eliminating the adult man who would defeat him one day.

Amabel was also quiet upon hearing that. Then she nodded. “Okay. I promise I’ll stop coming to see you if I think people see me. I don’t want anything to happen to Quentin or Mom without me.”

Chase gives her a small, sad smile. “You know you don’t have to be responsible for them, right?”

“Yeah, but... I wanna be there,” Amabel said slowly. “To, uh... Because...” She trailed off, unable to put words to the feelings she had.

Because you care about them? Jameson asked.

“Yea! Thank you, uh, Mr. Jameson,” Amabel said. “Oh. Dad. Quentin wants to come by tomorrow morning. Remember, you said I could bring him?”

“O-of course I remember,” Chase said. “Be very careful, it’ll be worse if both of you get in trouble.”

“Don’t worry, I can do it,” Amabel promised.

“Okay. In that case, I’ll see both of you tomorrow.”

The rest of that day passed without much of note, and tomorrow morning, Jameson shook Chase awake a bit earlier than normal. Your children are coming, he said, pointing to the ajar boathouse door.

Chase got up quickly and opened the door fully. It was a cloudy day today, but not gloomy. Even with the weak early morning light he could clearly see Amabel walking down the wooden walkway towards the boathouse, holding her brother’s hand in hers. Quentin waved at Chase, smiling when he saw him, and almost shouted a greeting before Amabel leaned close and murmured something to him.

Your children are both so cute, Jameson said, smiling.

“Hah. Thanks. Quentin takes more after his mother, y’know. He has her hair exactly.”

The kids walked up to the boathouse door, and the moment they were inside Quentin shouted, “DAD!” and tackled Chase in a hug.

“Whoa!” Chase pretended to stumble back from the force of the hug, then laughed and leaned down to hug his son. “Hey, Quen. Wow, you’ve gotten so much bigger and stronger.”

“Really?!” Quentin beamed. He looked over at Jameson. “Hi! Bellie says your name is Jameson and you speak in hands. Is that true?!”

Jameson chuckled silently and nodded. Can you understand me?

“Uh... I think you asked if I know handspeak, and I mean, a little. Bellie is better at it.”

“That’s me.” Amabel raised her hand.

Thank you, young lady, I did think that’s what he meant.

“Heh.” Amabel grinned.

“I’m so happy to see you, Dad!” Quentin squeezed him tighter.

“I’m so happy to see you, too.” Chase wrapped his arms around Quentin and lifted him into the air, causing him to shriek with delight. He was a bit too big for this to be easy, but Chase didn’t care, if he could make it work he would. “Now, did Amabel tell you that I’m not staying forever?”

Quentin nodded. “She said you were really busy and that you couldn’t talk about it because it’s secret, even from Mom. Is that why Mom is mad at you? Because she doesn’t like secrets?”

“...hah.” Chase gave a sad little smile. “Your Mom doesn’t even know about the secret. She thinks that I left you guys because I wanted to. But I didn’t.” He blinked back tears. “I promise, I didn’t want to leave you guys. I’ve been trying to find you for a long time.”

“Why can’t we come with you?” Quentin asked, whining a little.

“Because this is grown-up stuff, Quentin. It’s no place for someone like you.”

“Because I’m too sick all the time?” Quentin grumbled.

“No, that’s not it at all.” Chase shook his head. “I’m not letting Amabel come, either. The problem is that you’re both too little. It’s not something shallow like you getting sick. I’ve told you, that doesn’t change what you can want to do.”

“Hmmm.” Quentin frowned, a thoughtful expression on his little face, then nodded. “Okaaaay... I get it. But I really miss you, Dad.”

“I know, I miss you so much, too.” Chase looked at Amabel. “Both of you.” Then he set Quentin down. “I have to leave soon, you know. It might be really sudden. I might not have the chance to say goodbye. Do you two know that?”

Amabel nodded slowly. Quentin looked at her and nodded as well. But maybe he was just copying what she did.

“If that happens, it’s not because I don’t love you two, or your mom,” Chase continued. “It’s not because I don’t want to be around you or because I don’t miss you or because I’d rather be doing something else. It’s just... really unlucky that I had to leave and couldn’t say bye. This thing I’m doing is important. Not more important than you, in my mind, but it’s very important to a lot of people. And it’ll help you guys, too, though you might not understand how.”

“Okay, Dad,” Amabel said, nodding again more firmly.

“So... Mom is wrong?” Quentin asked.

Chase hesitated. “Mom isn’t really wrong, she’s just... made a mistake. But that’s okay.”

“Oh.” Quentin nodded along with Amabel again.

Chase laughed a little. “You two look like little chickens with your heads bobbing like that,” he said teasingly.

“Wha—Da-ad!” Amabel put her hands on her hips, while Quentin giggled at the image. “Fine, Dad, I guess I’m not gonna give you this food.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Amy. It was just a joke.”

Amabel sighed. “I know. Here. We can have breakfast together. Or, I guess it’ll be a snack for us, we already ate.”

The group sat on the wooden floor of the boathouse and ate together. Quentin asked Jameson a lot of questions, and Chase translated Jameson’s handspeak answers when the boy struggled with them. Then, after what felt like a too-short time, Amabel and Quentin got up, said their goodbyes, and Amabel promised to see them again that evening. Chase watched them go, waving, trying not to show his sadness. As soon as they were out of sight, he fully closed the door, sighing.

Everything alright, Chase? Jameson asked.

“It just... gets harder to see them,” Chase said quietly. “Knowing that eventually, I’ll have to say goodbye again. I get this pang of... of grief.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Right here. And it gets stronger every time.”

Jameson looked at him sadly. You know... my father once told me not to borrow grief from the future. I don’t think I understood what he meant until now.

“What did he mean?” Chase asked, confused.

You’re not leaving them yet, Chase, Jameson said. You will, but you’re not leaving them right now. You’ll just hurt yourself thinking about it. And you won’t be able to treasure this time together if you’re hurt.

Chase blinked. Something about that went straight into his core, hitting a ball of something that he didn’t even realize was there. “That... that makes sense,” he whispered. “Thanks, Jameson.”

Jameson smiled. Happy to help in any way.

The rest of the day passed as normal. Chase briefly wandered around a bit, returning by the time Amabel visited in the evening. Then he and Jameson talked about more possibilities of escape. But they were running short on topics, having already talked about this for so long, that they ended up going to bed early. Chase took the first watch. And when it was his time to sleep, he fell asleep right away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the first day of boating up the river, the group of Phantoms had to switch boats. The flatbed boat they’d used for traveling the Moors would be no good on the Muinra Avon. It wouldn’t be able to handle the more intense waves and deeper waters. Instead, they used a boat that looked like a miniature ship, once again borrowing it from a small group of people. They weren’t Phantoms, but they must have been sympathetic to the cause. Or maybe they were paid really well and were smart enough to not ask questions.

Henrik was in a bit of a daze for the whole trip. Not because of his symptoms, for once. It was hard to believe that he and Vsevna were really officially courting. And yet it was true. Something that Vsevna reminded him of on the morning of the fourth day of the trip by sneaking up on him and kissing him on the cheek. “Morning, sova.”

“Ah!” Henrik’s face turned very red. “Morning, Vsevna.” He couldn’t help the smile spreading across his mouth. “I, ah, I-I hear that we will be arriving at Suilthair today.”

“In the evening, yes.” Vsevna nodded. “We will have to talk about what to do there some more. But for now, we can enjoy the journey.”

“Indeed.” Henrik hesitated, then reached out and took Vsevna’s hand. “Do you want to show me around the new boat?”

Vsevna’s eye lit up. “Of course.”

The scenery passed surprisingly quickly, even though they were heading the opposite direction of the current. One of the sailors, Talinir, mentioned something about having a favorable wind. Jackie and Marvin spent most of their time on the deck, with Jackie continuing the training he was doing on the ship. Marvin just sat around, watching the sailors. Jackie tried to tease him for a moment about how he was watching one of the sailors, Mona, quite a lot, but Marvin just muttered something about how he had a cat mask first and how it just looked strange when two people whose names started with the M sound had the same kind of mask. “We look like we’re a pair, but I’ve never seen her before.” So Jackie shrugged that off, a bit sad that he couldn’t tease both his friends for having sweethearts.

Around late afternoon, the boat stopped for a moment, lowering its anchor. The Phantoms gathered in the center of the deck to discuss a plan. “I mentioned this a couple days ago,” Marvin said, “but I have the ability to see through my familiar’s eyes.” He pointed to Draco, lying in a patch of sunlight on the deck. “I think we need to use this somehow.”

“A way to scout the city?” one of the sailors, Jiro, suggested. The others murmured in agreement.

“Great idea, but how are we going to get Draco into Suilthair?” Jackie asked. “Can he just... find his way?”

“It is easy for small animals like cats and rats to get on ships without knowing,” Vsevna said. “I’m sure Draco could get onto the ferry easily enough.”

“Once he is in there, what are we going to look for?” Henrik asked. “Obviously we must find Chase and Jameson. But it is a big city, how will we know where to look? I do not think a cat could cover all of its ground in a single day.”

Marvin nodded slowly. “It doesn’t cost too much of my magic to look through his eyes. But if I keep it up consistently, that constant drain could stack up. But if you’re worried about leaving Draco alone in the city, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Familiars aren’t normal animals. I’m sure the only danger to him would be other familiars.”

“Even so... we cannot have you focusing on that all the time,” Henrik said. “You must rest sometimes.”

“What if we send Draco on one of the morning ferries, have him look around all day, and then come back on an evening ferry?” a sailor named Anya suggested. “That way Marvin could get some rest at night.”

Marvin nodded again. “I’m capable of that. But say that Draco finds Chase or Jameson. What then?”

“We have to have some way of communicating with them,” Jackie muttered. “Attach a note to his collar?”

“We don’t want any of the warriors reading it, though,” a sailor named Catherine points out. “D’you think we could write it in code?”

“I do not think that would work,” Henrik muttered. “Chase struggles with reading even now, and Jameson does not know any of our codes. They could both make mistakes.”

“Is there some magic that could work?” Jackie looked at Marvin specifically as he asked that.

“Wizards have ways of talking with each other over long distances, but it requires that all parties are wizards,” Marvin said. “I’m sure there’s some witchcraft that could work, though. I think I remember hearing about people in Drakild, that kingdom across the sea, using... stones, or something?”

“Message rocks,” Vsevna said. “I have also heard of them. I think I remember some of the runes you need for them.”

“Huh. Alright, Vsevna, you and me talk about this, maybe we can figure out the runes between us,” Marvin said. “And Henrik, you too. You’re familiar with witchcraft, you should be able to tell us if something makes sense or not.”

“That could work,” Henrik muttered. “We attach a message rock to Draco’s collar, and if he finds Chase and Jameson, they can use it. But... what if he does not find them? What if something has happened? Such as... I-I do not want to say it, but such as the King getting to them—”

“Shut up.”

Henrik flinched, avoiding the urge to look over his shoulder at the voice. He knew no one was standing behind him. He knew that. But... what if... what if there was someone on the shore? Someone listening in on their conversation?

Jackie put a hand on Henrik’s shoulder, steadying him. “Deep breaths,” he whispered. Henrik nodded. “You good?” Another nod. “Okay.” Jackie turned to face the group at large. “If the King’s got Chase and Jameson, we’ll have to make a plan to get them out. And that plan will depend a lot on whatever information we can gather. Such as where they’re being kept and what the defenses of that place is. Right now, we’re just in the initial planning and scouting phase. If it turns out they’re in hiding, we then have to plan on a way to get them out of the city, ideally without confrontation.”

The group all muttered in agreement. “We should get started as soon as possible,” Vsevna said. “Hopefully we can get these message rocks done in time to get Draco onto the evening ferry.”

They did, though just barely in time. By combining Vsevna and Marvin’s knowledge they’d heard about these message rocks with Henrik’s practical knowledge about witchcraft, they were able to create two talismans out of smooth, white pebbles with runes on them. Some of the sailors fashioned a small leather pouch for one of the rocks and attached it to Draco’s collar. He didn’t seem too happy about it at first, but he tolerated it.

Then the boat docked on the shore of the Green Lake. Marvin dropped Draco off on the land, giving him magical instructions to get onto the ferry and into the city, then activated the spell to see through his eyes, sitting down on the deck while he did so.

As Vsevna had said, it was easy enough for Draco to get onto the evening ferry. He hopped aboard at the last moment, and none of the crew or passengers had the heart to kick him off into the lake. And so, he got a free ride into Suilthair.

Marvin tried to think about where Chase and Jameson would be, if they were indeed in hiding and not captured. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to get an inn. And they probably wouldn’t want to be too close to the castle. “The neighborhoods, Draco,” he muttered, clutching his focus in his hand. Though his eyes and ears were seeing and hearing what his cat was, he could still feel his body sitting on the deck where he left it, and he could feel his amulet warming with magic. “Focus on checking out the neighborhoods.”

He knew he could keep up this spell all night. But he did hope that he wouldn’t have to keep it up for multiple nights in a row.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For once, when Chase woke up in the draísling, he wasn't in the garden he’s used to. It really threw him off for a second, and he wondered if this is a normal dream. But just thinking that question proved his point. He wasn’t this aware in normal dreams. So he looked around the location, trying to assess things. This was a hallway. A regal-looking hallway. It must have been one in the castle, but it looks different. Newer, somehow, the stone brighter and the tapestries fewer, but less worn. He tried getting a good look at them, but their images seemed to shift. The hallway ended in a pair of grand wooden doors, looking too heavy for a single person to open. It’s lucky that they were already open, then. And in front of them stood the deer.

Chase tried to ask what happened, why things had changed. But his voice wouldn’t work. Even so, the deer dipped its head, like it knew what he was asking. It turned around, facing the open doors, lowering its head and pointing forward with those golden antlers. Chase understood. He walked forward, past the deer, and into the room beyond.

He’d never seen this room before, but he knew what it was the moment he walked in. The castle’s throne room. Tall stone pillars lined the way down the long room, and a green carpet guided people towards the dais at the end of the room. Candles in sconces dotted every surface, making up for the lack of windows. The throne room didn’t have windows? That made sense, you wouldn’t want an assassin to shoot an arrow through a window, but still, even with all the candles lighting things up, the room looked... smaller than he expected. Windows would have helped.

At the end of the room was a dais shaped like a half-circle, with two steps leading up to it, covered in that green carpet. On the dais was a throne. It wasn’t gilt in gold or silver like thrones in stories. It was made of wood. But that didn’t mean it was any less grand. The whole thing somehow seemed to swirl, the wood carved into a willowy shape. Green velvet cushioned the seats, arms, and back. At the very top of the throne were three embedded jewels—two green with a blue one in between them—teardrop shaped with the points at the bottom, forming an overall shape like a budding flower.

A man was sitting on the throne. Jack. Chase recognized him, and tried not to shudder upon seeing the King’s face. Jack looked the same as he had for that brief moment in the last dream when Chase had seen him. Fine clothes that were now torn and bloodstained, chains wrapping around him. A manacle around each wrist connected to the throne’s armrests, and a thin metal collar around his neck connected him to the back of the throne. He was sitting slumped in the throne, but as Chase got closer, he raised his head. His blue eyes widened, shocked. “Y-you... came back...?” he whispered.

Chase walked up, stopping at the bottom of the dais. “Y-yea, of course I did,” he said. “I don’t really control the dreams.”

“You didn’t have to come into the room, though. You could’ve waited outside.”

“...I wouldn’t do that,” Chase said. He looked around the room again. “So... this is different.”

Jack laughed. “Yes. The nightmares change every so often. Just when I start getting used to it. I’m guessing it was deliberate this time, though. After all, you broke me out. I couldn’t be allowed to stay out.”

“...the spirit does this, doesn’t it?” Chase asked.

Jack blinked, surprised. “You... figured it out?”

“I did.” Chase nodded. “We found proof that the King’s eyes were blue as a child, but they’re green now. That’s not normal. Something has to cause that. And you’ve said you were imprisoned by the King. Well... I can’t think of a worse prison than being trapped in your own body.”

Jack slumped again, looking almost relieved. “I thought... you wouldn’t believe me if I told you...” he breathed.

“Maybe not,” Chase said. “But then... what would be the point of me having these dreams? I’m pretty sure that—Oh, I shouldn’t say too much, should I?” He glanced around.

“Probably not,” Jack said. “The spirit hears everything.”

“Well... I’ll say that I’m pretty sure something is giving me these dreams,” Chase said. “And if this was... a trap of some sort, and you were actually lying to me this whole time, what would be the point of that? Do you understand?”

Jack nodded. “I do.” He took a deep breath and adjusted his hands in his lap, the motion accompanied by the sound of clinking metal. “So. Y-you know the truth now. I’m... My name is Aodhán Jack Willeim mak Lough, King of Glasúil. I-it’s a mouthful, honestly, I know. I prefer to just go by Jack. My friends called me that.”

Chase walked up the steps onto the dais. He wanted to be level with Jack... but found that impossible. While on the floor, he was too far down, and while on the dais, he was too far up, and Jack couldn’t stand so they could look each other in the eyes. This fact made him distinctly uncomfortable. So he knelt down on the dais. He was still a bit shorter when that happened, but it was the closest their eyes could be. “How did this... Y-you weren’t always possessed,” Chase said. “When did the spirit show up? Did you... somehow attract its attention?”

Jack sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t think so. I think, perhaps, it was just looking for the right person. And I was perfect.”

“How long has this been going on?” Chase asked.

“...Seven years or so,” Jack said quietly.

“That long?!” Chase cried.

“I only had one year as King before it fully took over,” Jack said. “You know, I always thought it was suspicious. Both of my parents getting sick with some mystery illness, and no one else in the castle being infected no matter how close in contact they were with the King and Queen? I thought someone had killed them. Poisoned them, maybe, with something that worked quickly but not too quickly. And I knew I would be the first suspect. That people who didn’t know me would think I...” He swallowed a lump in his throat.

“I don’t... remember any suspicion about your parents’ deaths,” Chase said slowly. “Or your rise to the throne.”

“It was there. Either it was only the nobles who thought it, or the spirit used my power to make everyone forget about that once it took over.”—

“So... the spirit killed the old King and Queen,” Chase whispered.

Jack nodded.

“I didn’t know possessive spirits could do that.”

Jack laughed darkly. “I don’t think this is just any old spiolash that wanders the countryside. He’s... very powerful.”

“Seems so,” Chase muttered. “What... what happened after their deaths? If you’re okay with talking about that?”

“It’s fine, I’ve had enough time to think about it,” Jack said. “Things went... I won’t say things went well, but they were... normal. Being the King was difficult, especially when some of my advisors thought I’d poisoned my parents, but things proceeded how you’d expect them to. Until... I started seeing things.”

“...Things?” Chase asked hesitantly.

“In the dark, usually,” Jack said in a hushed voice. “When I was trying to sleep. A figure in the shadows. I thought it was just sleep freezing—have you heard of that? When you wake up and can’t move and sometimes see fucking terrifying things? I thought it was that. Until I started seeing these shadowy figures during the day, too.”

“Did you think it was a false world curse?” Chase asked.

“I considered it. I got desperate enough to consult with a doctor about it—which did not help my reputation when people found out. But they said I didn’t have any of the other symptoms, so it might’ve been something else.” Jack shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep. When I did, I sometimes woke up in strange places. My nose started to bleed, rarely at first, then as often as once every week. My eyes bled occasionally, too. I tried talking to wizards about it. Maybe this was some sort of curse. But... when I tried to ask, my voice froze up. I couldn’t even imply it subtly. A-and eventually, I wasn’t able to even walk towards a wizard to talk with them. My legs wouldn’t work.”

“That was the spirit stopping you.” Chase meant it as a question, but it didn’t come out as one. Probably because he knew the answer.

“Yes,” Jack whispered. “I-it got worse and worse. I started having nightmares. I started walking in different directions than I meant and it’d be a chore to correct myself. Said... unkind things to people. Couldn’t apologize. Started using my powers in ways I never wanted to. I-I promised I’d never control people. Th-there was an incident when I was little where I would make all the kids around me happy... it creeped me out. And afterwards, when the kids remembered, they wouldn’t talk to me. So, ever since then, I-I promised I wouldn’t do it, even if I thought it’d be good. But... I was... against my will, I was... making people think things. And making them forget things.” He shuddered. “One night, I had a terrible dream. A man with green eyes was chasing me through a dead forest, and he caught me, and pushed me into this little opening at the base of an oak tree and shoveled dirt in front, trapping me. Then, when I woke up, I couldn’t move. My body was doing things without me. I couldn’t... do anything. And ever since then... this has been my life.”—

Chase was quiet. He didn’t know what to say to that. What could ever be good enough for that? Words didn’t seem enough. So he leaned forward and wrapped Jack in a tight hug. He felt him tense for a moment before he absolutely melted into it. “We’re going to get you out of here,” he said. “I swear it, we will find a way to banish this spirit. You will be free again.”

Jack’s breath hitched. “That’d be nice,” he said, his voice thick as he tried not to cry.

“I swear it,” Chase repeated. “I swear it thrice.”

“O-oh. You’re... that serious about it?”

“Of course I am. I can’t leave you to suffer like this.” Chase leaned back. “Not to mention, it’ll really help the kingdom if it wasn’t being headed by an evil spirit.”

Jack laughed. “It would. I was so worried about being a good King once I was coronated, but now that I’ve seen fucking this, I know I won’t be the worst one out there.”

“Not by a stone’s throw.” Chase shook his head. “Maybe I’ll see you in these dreams again. I hope I do.”

“I hope I see you again, too,” Jack whispered. “I hope that the next time you see me, you’re able to see... me. And not that spirit.”

Chase nodded. “I’ll do everything I can.”

“Thank you.” Tears welled in Jack’s eyes. “Thank you so much.”

And then the draísling faded away and Chase woke up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jameson was finding more and more that he hated keeping watch at night. It was boring. So, so, so, so boring. He didn’t have anything to read—not that there was enough light to read even if he did—and no one was awake to play games with or talk to. And since they were trying not to attract attention, he couldn’t very well get up and wander around. So he was left just sitting there. In the dark. His mind tended to drift off, getting lost in his own thoughts.

But he forced himself back to the present. He had to check regularly if there was anyone nearby. He inched over to the door and eased it open, peering out. No, nobody in sight. It was getting close to early morning now, and people would already be getting up and going to work elsewhere in the city, but not here.

And then he saw it. Something moving. Small, and pale against the darkness of the city. He stiffened, leaning forward. Oh. That was a stray cat. But... there were no stray animals in Suilthair. At least not out in the floating neighborhoods. They were liable to fall off the wooden walkways. And yet...

Jameson glanced back at Chase, still sleeping. Then he got up and slowly, anxiously, walked out the door. He crept closer to the cat, glancing around nervously as he did so. It heard him eventually, and stopped, turning to look at him. He stared at it, not wanting to scare it away.

But he didn’t have to worry about that. The cat turned and pranced straight towards him. And suddenly, he recognized it. Jameson gasped and hurried forward. Yes! Yes! It’s Draco! Relieved, he crouched down to the ground and held his hand out for Draco to sniff. Draco did. And once it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere, Jameson hurriedly scooped him up and went back to the boathouse.

Draco wriggled out of his arms soon after he walked back in, landing on the wooden planks with a solid thump. Jameson went over to Chase and shook him until he woke.

Chase opened his eyes, momentarily confused, then looked back at Jameson. He took in the darkness of the boathouse—barely enough to see by—and sat up straight. “Did they find us?!” he whispered.

Jameson shook his head. He pointed back towards Draco.

Chase blinked. “...elders,” he breathed. Then he laughed. “Oh, thank the Elders. H-he found us! Marvin has to be nearby, right?” He crawled a bit closer, petting Draco’s head. “Huh. Did you notice this?” He pointed out a small leather pouch attached to Draco’s collar.

Jameson shook his head. Open it, maybe there’s something inside. A message, even.

“Okay. Hold still, kitty.” Chase reached forward and carefully took out what was in the pouch. “It’s a stone. With... runes on it.”

A talisman? Jameson asked.

“Must be.”

And then, suddenly, a voice came from the rock. “Chase? Jair? Is that really you?!”

“Whoa!” Chase fumbled with the rock and almost dropped it before recovering his grip. “Marvin?”

“It’s me!” Marvin’s voice said, and laughed. “I-it’s so good to see you! I’m watching you through Draco’s eyes right now.”

The rock? Jameson asked.

“Some witchcraft Vsevna suggested. You have to hold it in your hand and speak directly into it. It’s so good to see you two. It really is. I-I didn’t mean to leave, but—well it’s a bit complicated. I can tell you all about it later. Right now, I have to let you know that a whole squad of us have come here to find you.”

“A whole squad?” Chase gasped. “Who?”

“Me, Jackie, Schneep, and Vsevna and some of his crew. Oh, I realize neither of you have met Vsevna and his crew. But they’re very reliable.”

“O-okay,” Chase nodded. “What about Wyvernlair? Did they get our warning?”

“They did,” Marvin confirmed. “But there was still a bit of a scuffle. I’m not sure... I’m not sure how many people were lost. B-but most of them are fine. There’s a new camp. I-I don’t think I should tell you about it, just in case.”

That’s reasonable, Jameson said.

“Are you guys coming to get us out?” Chase asked. “We’re—we’ve been stuck in here. Jameson was caught by the King, I-I got him out of there, but—but we’ve been hiding, and there are no ways out of the city that we can find—”

“It’ll be alright, Chase, I promise,” Marvin interrupted. “Jair? Did you... really get...?”

Jameson nodded.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Marvin said quietly. “L-look, I should probably go, get everyone else awake so we can talk about things together. Keep a hold of the rock. And Draco, though I’m sure he can look after himself.” Draco curled up on the floor as he said that, looking about ready to go to sleep.

“That’s fine,” Chase said. “Um, how long will that take? To gather everyone up?”

“I don’t know, probably not that long. There’s not that many of us. I’m going now.”

“No, wait, one thing we need to tell you!” Chase hurried to add. “Before anything else. W-we learned something big about the King.”

Jameson looked at Chase. Are you sure it’s a good idea to share this? What if this is a trick?

“The King already knows we know this, so he won’t be gaining anything if it’s a trick,” Chase said.

“What is it?” Marvin asked.

“The King isn’t really the King,” Chase said. “He’s being possessed. That voice, that person in my dreams, that’s the real King. His body is being controlled by a spirit.”

Silence. “...if that’s true...” Marvin whispered. “Holy flame, I... I’m not sure how to... W-we’ll be back soon, alright?”

Chase nodded. “Alright. We’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you.”

And though Chase and Jameson stayed quiet, no more words came from the rock. Chase looked at Jameson. “Do you really think it’s a trick?” he asked.

I hope not, Jameson said.

“Yea. I hope not, too.”

For the first time in days, they had a direction. And Chase, after the draísling he just had, felt that he had a purpose, as well. Or a more solid purpose than he did before. He was going to help his family, and the whole kingdom, and Jack. It was a tall order, but he would do it. He could do it.

For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful about the future.

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