Episode 9 - The deads

As we arrive in a small clearing, the Fairy stops, giving us time to take in the small bench and firepit already present. Pulling a fire-starting Elixir from my belt, I settled down to listen to the Fairy, who had clearly brought us here for the privacy of the thick leaves and tall trees in this part of the forest.

“We Fairies have kept you at our place. We have been watching over you, for a long time. We found you at the Magic Tree, almost dead, and saved you. We brought you to our forest and summoned a new Cat-cat’s soul. The soul is a little older, so we got the permission of the Wing Wolves to use it in our hidden world. We could not take you back to the real world, where time is not bendable. We have trained some other Cat-cats souls to come to our hidden place when they die. You shall have this new soul to get back to the real world... It seems you already have that new soul, though, I wonder how?”

My mind wanders as the Fairy stops, taking its first breath since it had begun talking. If Trolling wasn’t still catching up, he’d have laughed right through the story. 

“I think I might have come out of your forest by making a big white shield. This… Furless creature, appeared after a huge flash of blue magic light. I think when the shield faded out I came back to the real forest and almost died because time ended for the old soul. But the scroll... saved me somehow?” I explained to the Fairy, uncertain.

“We have a Fairyman from the Furless World. It would seem he did his job well. The return of the Princess means the Black Scroll is found” 

“Fairyman?” Confused, I attempt to ask questions. Nothing being said to me makes sense. Fairyman? Furless World? What was their job?

“You gain Blue Magic through our scroll, correct?” 

The Fairy barely gives me time to nod, speaking at a rapid pace. 

“You need to have that power in the past too… you must go to the Magic Tree again, gain the power to jump into time and space!” 

I’ve only opened my mouth to ask it to summon a little map for me… 

“Your memory will come back in time, I shall meet you there my Princess! Remember to bring the real Black Scroll!” 

Before I can question this crazy event and all that I have been told, a small blue portal opens up and the Fairy is gone. And… I’m alone. 

So… In a past I do not remember, I did die. How I wonder. I shall have the blue magic in the past, but which past did it speak of? The past of the old soul or the new soul? Must I save myself in the past or another past? But I know this part needs space and time, and the only way to get answers: I need to go all the way to the magic tree. But before I can do that I need to find the Black Scroll. I think the Fairy hopes I already have the scroll. The Evil Sorcerer seemed to know something… was he there too? Did I fight him? Maybe the Furless knows! I need to find out about this Black Scroll too.

I take a deep, complentative breath, relief flowing through me when fresh forest air enters my lungs. I had missed the forest for the time it was dead. Putting the map onto the bench beside me and smoothing it out, I find my home first, in the top left corner. The Magic Tree is right across the map, to the East, with a huge mountain in between it and my house. At the foot of the mountain is the big town I have a shop in, Scratch. All but the placemarkers for my journey are void of colour, like the ink has worn away and left a colourful path for me to follow. 

I hear a chuckle and realise I am no longer alone. Trolling! I spin around, seeing the Blue Bird flying above him, still inside a bubble of my white magic. It survived! And… is that a deer? It looks half dead! 

“Holy Miaw! How is that thing walking!” 

My eyes flicked between it and Trolling, searching for answers. When the deer stops in front of me, its eyes are red; a startling crimson that conveys a deep anger. And it is aimed towards me. But… Why me? 

The deer begins to jump around, and prance in circles, little fractures of darkness appearing in the air between its antlers. 

"Trolling, Is that Black Magic?" 

Trolling has gone into hiding somewhere. Surely it cannot be black magic - it is up to me to find the Black Scroll. No, this must have been done by the Red Sorcerer. After all, the red in the deer’s eyes almost appears to glow with its rage.

“Hey Deer, I can make light, the opposite to your dark.” 

Once I have summoned my staff, catching it in my paw, I create a soft and fragile spell. 

“Cure!” 

In a stream, faded light hits the animal and fades around it. Furious, and perhaps afraid, it shoots the magic from its antlers at me. My hurriedly cast Shield absorbs the magic, at the expense of being absorbed into it. 

“What is this…?”

Trolling makes a noise behind me… 

"Black Magic! my Meow" 

I turn to Trolling, confused, only to find him hidden carefully in some flowers. Not even a light laugh is leaving his lips. Why did cure have no effect on the creature, when it’s condition is clearly unhealthy? Perhaps I should try my new Blue Magic?

I suck in a deep breath. Wait.

What is that?

Dusty yellow flashes in the corner of my eye.

No, it can’t be…

Silently turning my head, I feel my heart pounding….

Bone… 

Bones…

Skeleton… the skeleton of a Catmen.

Locked in my staring, I only vaguely make more of the leaves crunching under the deer's feet as it prepares an attack. I flinch as the skeleton raises its white magic sword, only to find it slicing through the neck of the deer. Frozen to the spot, I am unable to chase the deer’s body as it flees, nor follow the skeleton as it returns to the bushes. I tell myself… 

"What… What just happened?" 

Trolling jumps on my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. I turn, eyes still wide, and nod to him, dropping on all fours and silently making my own way through the bushes. I follow the skeleton’s trail and eventually catch up. It joins a large group of other white skeletons, all different sizes and some maybe even different species. I spread my claws so my paws are quieter as they hit the ground. I feel Trolling shift on my shoulder and suck in a sharp breath. 

“Trolling, you need to b…”

It’s too late, of course. My shushing is ignored in favour of laughing and chuckling loudly, only stopping upon noticing the swords pointing towards us. Exasperated, I flick Trolling on the nose and summon my Blue Magic. I hold the bolt carefully in my paw as eight skeletons surround us. Sorceress Reflexes take over, drawing my paw to the ground and casting the Blue Magic under us. We are surrounded by it, and by the time I have blinked again, I am standing in the centre of a large portal. Standing on the edge of the Fairy World with its vibrant colours. I turn my head, watching a skeleton dissolve as it tries to follow me through the portal. My image of what is beyond the portal begins to blur with the appearance of a figure in white behind the skeletons. Ears are visibly outlined, the hood of a flowing cape casting shade on their face. I can see that the cape is worn, the white fabric torn with holes. I begin to catch a glimpse of blue eyes before my own are drawn to the staff being swung in their paw. The staff is white but entwined with delicate black and red. As the colour swipes over my vision, the skeletons are absorbed into the unknown Catmen’s staff. I stare, friendly blue eyes coming into focus with a feminine face. Though it is hard to distinguish, I think I see a smile gracing her face before she turns to leave with the rest of the skeletons.

I turn to see a new female fairy appearing, who converses excitedly with Trolling about what just happened. 

“Hey, little fairy? Do you know who this shadowy figure of the wood was?” 

The fairy appears to consider for a moment before it’s voice twinkles. 

“Necromancer!” 

My yelp of shock cuts the fairy off, making it jump. Trolling laughs as it attempts to speak again. 

“The White Necromancer, who fights the dead! Oh, I have to go now!” 

I watch as the fairy zips away, disappearing in my portal. Seeing that the coast is clear, I step back on the path and begin walking to the left, away from the scary skeletons. 

Let my journey begin.