The Whispering Caves

_Chapter 10_

Then, there it was, a distinct creak across the floor. Eliza saw there were stairs, and she ran up them. Fover was still right behind her, but he could not beat her desperate need to find her sister, and know if that voice belonged to a ghost, or hopefully, only a lost soul.

“I’m coming!” Eliza reached the second floor and there was a door to what appeared to be the attic. “Mel! Mel? Are you here? It’s ok, please come out!” She gently swung the last door open; she had made it, she had walked to the very end of the road and prayed that everything she had done would be enough to get her to Mel.

“E...Eliza?” A set of small set eyes peered out from behind a steamer trunk that was set over in the corner. “Eliza, is that really you?” A small voice questioned Eliza, it sounded familiar to Eliza, but it didn’t sound quite like the same one as she had known.

“Mel! It is me! Oh Mel, I found you, I have been looking for what feels like an eternity. It’s been so long since I have seen you. You have been missing to me for years. What...where are you? What happened? Are you... are you...”? Now Eliza’s words did fail her, she wanted to say alive, but she could not muster it.

A young woman stood up from behind the trunk, and she was smaller than Eliza; but she looked exactly familiar to Eliza; it was Mel. The two ran to one another the short few feet remaining between them they closed (come back and restructure). (So Mel, what happened?! Who took you? What is the cottage about? I think you are maybe in a Valley of Death type scenario, but I know you are still alive. Maybe you were going to be harvested? Maybe you were taken to be protected by some strange group of people, for knowing that the Reader is in you)

“I have spent so long thinking of you, I have nearly forgotten what you looked like! I can see you, are you really here?” Mel’s eyes spilled over with tears, she saw her sister at last. Mel spoke, and she was a beautiful grown woman. Eliza had laid awake at night so many times trying to figure out if she was even alive, what would her sister look like, and what she might sound like. Now the moment was here. But she noticed something different about her sister than Emmeline; she was almost opaque, unlike Emmeline who had been a whole person when they saw her.

“I....I barely know what to say. First, wow you’ve grown! You have grown so much, and you are such a beautiful spitting image of Mom. I...ever since that day...I’ve felt horrible that someone took you under my care, that someone could bring you harm while you were with me. I am so, so sorry, I will never not regret what happened to you that day.” Eliza could not look at Mel now, for the shame she felt failing as a care giver and protector.

That was not fair to herself because she had only been fifteen at the time; just growing out of childhood herself. Instead of being afforded the luxury of caring only about cute boys and homework at that age, she had shouldered much stronger weight form a young age. She had shouldered trauma, loss, loneliness, and confusion trying to find her way on her own all these years - both their parents were passed away and her sister missing, Eliza had relied on no one, and blamed herself for a decade. Her heart was tired.

“No, no Eliza don’t do that. You cannot blame yourself, and I know people dole that sentiment out for anything these days, but I really mean it. You came here...what...no, Eliza are you dead?!” Mel’s eyes widened now more so than Emmeline’s had at Fover’s undead proposal.

“No, no not at all. On the contrary...I have... I’ve been trying to stay alive every day even when my hopeful heart fails everyday just a little bit more. But seeing you here...I must ask the same question. Mel...are you...are you even alive?”

Mel looked at Eliza now, with a strength she really did remember from their mother, but she made steady direct eye contact and held it. “I am alive, and I am not letting go until I see you. I am somewhere...her image looked around, I am in a cabin somewhere. But it is far from anywhere, we only fly here, or it can only reached by boat or air. Its chillier. I exist here, because I don’t exist entirely in the world of the living, but I am not dead. My body has deteriorated - I am still whole, but I am failing.

My captors have been increasingly hard on me, and increasingly depriving me of food. I found myself dreaming of you, and I found myself here only....it feels like only a few days ago. How long have I been missing? A week? You look so grown. Maybe a few months? Its been a few days here, but I feel like its been more time out there.” Mel really believed with all her heart that things would just take off from where they had left - Eliza realized Mel did not perceive her age, she didn’t understand her own body. Mel must not have a mirror where she is at, and without Eliza had no real metric of how time in the Real World.

“Mel....you’ve been gone ten years. I was 15 at the time, and we were only a week from your tenth birthday. You were only 9 at the time, so in our world back home, you are nineteen about to turn twenty. I’m twenty-five, descending into my thirties before another blink of the eye. I came here because I was drawn to a cave and learned of an ancient power that may be able to allow me to ask one Question, and possibly find out what happened to you. I’ve never stopped looking for you, and I have never stopped hoping and praying that you were out there.” She held Mel tight, and she did not hear Mel respond. Eliza pulled back and studied Mel.

“Mel?” Mel would not face Eliza, she only tucked her face into Eliza’s shoulder, and began to sob. Her heart, the heart of a young girl who had just been found after feeling very much alone, just cried and poured out everything that it had been feeling these many years. It was overwhelming and destructive to her sense of orientation and self-understanding when she was given this news. How did she process an entire new world after the one she had lived in her entire life had just been shattered?

So Eliza spoke words with her heart, and she simply hugged Mel. She hugged her tight enough to try and dispel the demons that now overpowered her. Mel couldn’t stand anymore, and her sobs took her to her knees.

“Ten?!” Mel sobbed almost incoherently some more. “Ten years?! How did that happen? I missed ten years with you?” She continued to sob, and Eliza sat down with her, and stayed with her.

After a little while, Mel calmed down. Her tears slowed, and her breath deepened. Sometimes hearts just need a moment to feel. Its not often a human reaction to provide grace and space in the heart to do it, but if not, it is a poison that can eat at the person inside. Sharing that pain, could often be a salve. Weathering the pain alone, that could erode even the strongest heart.

Eliza pulled Mel’s face up and dried the last few tears rolling down her cheek. “Mel, I’m coming to find you, I am coming to get you. Where are you? Can you tell me which direction you went? Are there any mountains?”

Mel looked up into her big sister’s eyes, and truly felt safe as she could, or the most she had felt since she got there. Mel struggled to remember where she was; could she recall a long drive to a boat. The truck she had been put into was bumpy, and then she had felt a boat she was in, as she felt a rocking, swaying back and forth in a big body of water. Then there was more long driving, and it seemed a long way away from people.

“Eliza....I think it was away from home, and it got cooler, it smelled like forests while I was still being moved outside, and then I know we went over mountains because I could feel the car ascend and then descend, and then I knew there was a rocking of a boat before I was taken to this little cabin here. They made me drink something, and I felt so sleepy. I fell into my dreams, and then woke up here in this cabin, in this world. And that was only a few days ago. There is some food that is delivered every few hours through a front door slot - I cannot see who passes it through to me. I want to help more!” Mel once again locked eyes with Eliza. Mel felt so frustrated that she could not give any more information than that, and she met eyes with tears. Eliza wrapped her up even tighter.

“I’m going to find you. It sounds like you went towards the West Coast, we will start there. You’re alive, you’re breathing. You must focus on that. Just remember, if you can take one breath at a time, you can make it another day. You’ve to remember that I have been here with you, and that I am coming for you.

They hugged tight and did not let go for a while. It was almost time to go, and Eliza realized with her heart in her throat that she had asked Mel her question already. Why was she alive? She could not ask more about how she was taken either.

“When I find you, I want to know everything. We are going to talk, about what has happened. I cannot ask you now, I know, but I will ask every question when I find you. I will bring you home.” Eliza’s last words were spoken were a fervor of love, a demonstration of the ultimate promise that she would not let go of her cause.

“I will wait for you, and I will stay strong.” Eliza and Mel squeezed once more, and Eliza was about to turn around. Then she faced Mel one more time, and she said, “Mel, hang on, I want you to meet someone here first. Buster, here Buster!” Eliza bellowed her voice and motioned with her hand over to the black carriage, halted by the Reaper underneath one of the purple light. Out of the carriage popped cute Buster and ran over to them both. Mel knelt down to him immediately.

“Oh! I love dogs, I have not seen one since the one that Mom and Dad had; Lucky, our old beagle. Hi boy!” The dreariness of the mood had ever so slightly lifted because Buster couldn’t help but bring joy to Mel, Eliza, and even Fover’s heart.

Eliza took a bandana from around Buster’s neck, that had flowers on it. She had bought it as a slight joke at the local REI when they had bought supplies for the trip. It was a silly “flower power” bandana that Eliza thought would make such a handsome, dapper young man of a dog would look so girly. Now it seemed perfect for the moment, she took it and tied it around Mel’s wrist. “Anytime you get lonely, you hold on to this, just like you hold onto us.” She gave her one more good squeeze. “My friend Fover and I,” she gestured to Fover, “will see you soon.” Fover came over and gave Mel a warm smile, and added ever so gently:

“I promise, I will bring your sister back to you. It is wonderful to meet you. Please be careful and stay safe until we can find you. Your big sister is right, we are coming back for you.” Fover ended with a smile that went all the way up to his eyes. “I will wait for you over at the carriage.” Fover gave Eliza’s hand a squeeze and walked away. He pated his leg and Buster trotted alongside him as well, now only sporting his hiking vest and little hiking paw booties.

“I am going to miss you so much. I will hang on until I see you. Come back soon, please Lizzy.” Eliza promised with her eyes that she would be coming back soon. Eliza turned to walk away, but one of the hardest things was leaving someone you loved behind, in an impossible situation, and even more impossibly unable to save them either. Eliza turned to look at Mel with one last look over her shoulder - and she saw that Mel had already walked back up to the cabin and was waving back at her. She stood as tall as she could and mustered up as much courage as she could.

Eliza made her way back over to the carriage and used Fover’s hand to climb up into the carriage. “How are you?” Fover looked over at Eliza with concern and studied her warily.

“I feel just overwhelmed; with the tidal wave of blessing, but the hurricane of uncertainty and loss surrounding the discovery that my little sister is alive. I feel hope, I feel anxiety over the inability to control for certain the outcome. But I know that more than anything, I want to find her. If there’s even a small shred of a chance that I can find her, then I have to hunt every part of that chance down.” Eliza held Fover’s hand tightly now and did not let go. They looked at one another and studied one another’s determined expressions.

The Reaper turned around to them and this time did not ask a question. She looked almost through them and told them: “Your time here to see into your heart, has come and now you must depart. Go, get back in time, or else I dread, by the end of Hallow’s Eve, be stuck here as one of the dead.” The Reaper then took their horse and turned them back around, as if there as almost a permanent placement of roads here, instead of just the one ongoing road that they had arrived on, and that just seemed to go on endlessly. Shaped and formed much like a gravel road, it was solid black, almost like the black sand beaches.

The horse trotted furiously now, and the ride itself was quite bumpy. It was almost as though now the unnatural trend in life that they posed by existing was closing in on them. They urgently felt the need to get home, for even a tingling had set in upon them. They could see the purple flaming sun, that told them both that their window to enter back through the portal was closing. They both knew that if they got stuck here, there was no chance of finding Mel, and her echo here would become a permanent spirit here just like Emmeline.

They hung on tight to each other, and made sure Buster stayed snuggled between their legs, so that he didn’t get lurched straight from the bed of the carriage. The Reaper licked the back of the horse’s rear with the lunging whip, encouraging him on so that his passengers might survive. Fover and Eliza both felt hopeful that they might reach their destination in time.

The ride was going as smooth as could be expected, and they seemed almost seventy-five percent the way there from the feel of it. Then, from out of nowhere, the reins and riding equipment linking the horses to their carriage ripped out from its bindings and their carriage slid straight down into the sand nose first.

“Ahhh!” Eliza flew headfirst from the carriage and Fover got dumped somewhere off the side. Their Reaper outpaced them by a freakishly inhuman pace, and before they knew it, she had disappeared before their eyes in a disturbing flash of her brief presence, she now faded rapidly as she tore off after the ghost horse, who himself leapt up towards the pitch-black night, until the purple light could no longer trace them.

“Eliza! Are you ok?” Fover ran over to her, and he had a skidded knee and was bleeding from his forearm as well. But he didn’t seem to care about tending either as he was just concerned with Eliza. She had smacked her head on something, and now a small drizzle of blood trailed from her hair to her collarbone. Fover recalled where he had hoped his fingers might trace her collarbone, but now he just wanted to run his hands over her not to trace it but to heal it. He hated seeing her injured.

“I am, are you? What was that?” Eliza looked and felt just as concerned for Fover and looked him over the same.

“I mostly am, just a few scratches. Nothing that cannot be healed with a few stiff drinks.” Fover laughed for a second, and even given the perilous supernatural situation, even he had to admit, “Finding a good drink of any kind in here would be an impossible task in itself.”

“But as to what that was...we seem to have suddenly lost our Uber all the way back to the portal, which is going to close if we do not get back there in time. What caused our horse and driver to just split like that?” Fover walked over to the carriage and looked at the reins and other tethering equipment the Reaper had used for a carriage. “It looks like it was cut clean straight through...Eliza....Fintanan...did you see him? Was he dead?” Now Fover looked at her in alarm. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that they were not alone, even though this was one of the loneliest places this side of the Universe.

“Fover, no, he most definitely did not die. I didn’t see him here though when we arrived, so I don’t know if he just got here first, or if he arrived in a different part, and perhaps we were all deposited by the great whirlpool at the Springling Steps.” which served as their only way back home.

“Eliza, stand up against my back, so that we make a better wall. Do you still have your sword?” Fover looked at her earnestly hoping that she did, he had been so relieved to see her mostly unaffected by the fall, with only minor injuries sustained. She stood up and withdrew the sword from the sheath. It had felt so heavy when she originally had picked it up, and she had needed to share it with Fover then. But now, she withdrew it with strength, and she cradled the hilt in both hands. The sword stood up tall against the dark sky around them, in the purple twilight.

Eliza pressed up against Fover’s back and protected his side as he protected hers. “What did that? What could cut the reins like that?”

Fover shrugged and his shoulders tightened back up, “I don’t know. But I think its fast, and sharp from the looks of it.” He glanced at the shredded reins at their feet.

Suddenly, Eliza was knocked down from her feet, and their protective stance was broken. She was flat and her back, and her vision swam as she took a hand to her head, whatever it was had used a strong hand or object to slam into her and throw her on the ground. Consequently, the sword was ripped from her hands and tossed on the ground.

“Ugh! Something kicked me over or pushed me” Eliza rubbed her head and looked up, and she waited for Fover to reply back, and complain too about how his back hurt or how he had better things to do than getting their behinds kicked by a second invisible all-powerful force.

But Fover could not speak, instead he was being held down too, by a huge strong arm, that pinned his chest so he was unable to get any advantage trying to sit up. That big arm just happened to be connected to a bigger man, and to their horror, Eliza recognized the voice of the deep growling voice that Fintanan had. Fintanan had intercepted them trying to get back to the Springling Steps portal, and their chances of making it on time had just vastly diminished.

Eliza’s eyes grew wide, she had never seen confrontation like this before. How I am I supposed to handle this? “Fover, reach!” Eliza threw herself up and went straight for the sword. She tossed is straight to Fover, who had his hand reached out to grab it. Fover was breathing heavily, struggling to stay conscious long enough to fend off his assailant. Fover gripped the sword at the hilt with the one arm he still had managed to keep somewhat free of Fintanan’s grasp. He nailed the butt of the sword into Fintanan’s face, and it was enough to get Fover the few seconds he needed to escape the creature’s grasp.

“No! We will return to the portal, you cannot have her!” Fover thrust the sword again into the air, this time with both hands, and Fintanan threw his hands up, and instead of parrying with a sword, he had some sort of power within him, and he cast a kind of spell. Somehow in the Land of Eternal Night, he had gotten more powerful.

“She is mineeeee, the Reader Beyond Words. I need her to read my Question back out of the Portal Steps so I can return with my power, without a Reader a creature like me cannot return like you. I will have her return me!” Fintanan raised his giant hands and swung large punches. Fover used it against him and managed to use his weight against him and grabbed his arm as he lurched forward, and then kicked a boot straight into his back. Fintanan fell to the ground and gave a ferocious growl. The sky behind them began to crack and rumble with thunder and lightening, splitting open the sky and shedding light on the battle.

Eliza was not about to be a sacrificial lamb in an unknown world. She got busy trying to break off one of the wagon wheels, and use the stake at the middle of it. In the meantime, with Fintanan on his back, Fover held the sword at his neck. “You will have no one else, not Eliza, no strangers, no one!” Fover felt himself rising, just about to finally find closure and put an end to this terrible man.

“Have no one else just like I didn’t have Emmeline?” Fover’s eyes grew wide and into a dark scowl, and the sword pushed so hard on Fintanan’s neck that it drew some blood.

“What. Did. You. Just. Say?!” The blood in Fover rushed as adrenaline pumped through his veins. *How does he know about Emmeline?!* Fover panicked; he had asked his one Question and made pace with never knowing who Emmeline’s killer was. He had made peace that the version that was now left in his mind was given the courtesy of seeing her whole and well, he did not want to visit the dark places he had visited her ghost in all these long, lonely years.

“Emmeline demonstrated such promise, she seemed like she was perfect to be a Reader Beyond Words. She had Read her dreams into a wonderful life, and it seemed like it almost indicated someone who could read my Question into this world. But no matter, I got what I needed from Eliza; she helped my way into this world. After arriving here, I have gained extra abilities, or should I say what naturally was within me already was amplified. I was already strong, and able to move the natural magic in the air around me to encourage motion, like I did to you.”

“Let me outtttt!” Fintanan had cleverly used that few seconds it took to explain about Emmeline to get the time he needed to recharge his natural magical movement ability. Fover had been well distracted because it had taken him so off guard.

Fintanan threw off Fover and lunged for Eliza, but she had been ready for her friend, and ready to help. She took the spoke of the wagon wheel that she had grabbed and smacked it across Fintanan’s head, and a loud *thwack* could be heard against his head. Then another *thwack*. Eliza would not Read for anyone, and she certainly was not letting this monster back into the Real World. She certainly wouldn’t let him get back to a world with Mel.

Just as Eliza’s luck was going to run out as Fintanan recovered his footing and came after a very tired Eliza yet again, Fover had himself recovered just a few seconds faster. He took the sword and got ready to swing, as Fintanan was obsessed and distracted trying to hunt her. Eliza connected eyes with him and saw Fover standing behind Fintanan, who was facing Eliza with his back to Fover.

“You know, I was going to help you, I was going to help you find Mel. You want to know where she is don’t you? I know where she is, among my many powers is the wisdom I have gained from both time and from the many supernatural connects I’ve made. If you help me back through the Portal, I’ll tell you where she is, and you can find her. Isn’t that what you want after all?” Fintanan’s voice was like honey, and it coaxed her to reconsider all the good in her, the logic that had paved the way for her threatened to give at the easy out. Her heart did ache, but she knew she could not take him back to the waking world.

“No. I cannot take you back, but tell me, please, where is she?! For that price, we will not destroy you, and allow you to live here within this world without having to go back to your life as a fish. At least here you can be a full form. Fintanan please!” Eliza had expected him to say no readily, but he looked like he was going to possibly consider it.

“If...if I told you this, then we would have to strike a deal, I may require more than...” Just as Eliza strained to hear what he was saying, Fintanan’s eyes grew the widest as any of theirs had yet, and Eliza wondered what could have brought his slimy salesman-like tactics to an abrupt stop.

“Fover, no! It’s not right, not to mention illegal to kill someone! He might know about Mel!” Eliza turned around to see Fover’s arms raised with both hands on the sword, and had a crazed bloodlust look in his eyes. Fover could not hear Eliza, he could only make sure that the blade did not fall on her. This evil creature was done spreading his charismatic lies, and he would never do to someone else what had been done to Emmeline.

“Its not about legal, its about capable.” With one last look at Eliza, he parried a hard swing from Fintanan, now in his whole manly form, with overly sharp claws. He had been healed by the waters of the Land of Eternal Night. Just as Eliza herself had enjoyed the benefits as her restored visual sight.

He swung Courageous Truth hard; he swung with every bit of tenacity he had hung on with these many hard years for the last five years. He felt Cessian’s sword hit Fintanan hard and heard the disturbing sound as it sunk into him, carving its retaliation into the liar, serving the courageous truth of what had happened to these families and victims. The wet blood slipped out of Fintanan’s newly minted human form and felt warm on Fover’s boots. He had helped save so many lives, and he had just taken one. But he felt no remorse for this. His heart would ideally have the emotional capability to forgive Fintanan for his crimes, but even if it meant that he went to hell, Fover would make Fintanan pay the price.

Fintanan flopped over, very much dead, and very much incapable of hurting anyone ever again. Eliza stared at Fover from across the space, where they had, both been trying to hold Fintanan off.

“Fover....he may of had information on Mel, on her location. We don’t know why he took Emmeline, how he spotted her, and how these plays into a bigger grand scheme. Didn’t you want to ask him about Emmeline?”

Fover studied the dead corpse laying on the ground and reflected on whether he regretted his decision at all. There was no more information, but now he knew for a fact that Emmeline’s killer was dead and that she and him were at peace. “No, I really did not. Honestly, even what he knew about Mel, I think he was touting that in front of you, like he did when he got you to open the entrance for him at the Steps. He would have only brought you more pain if you had allowed him any further into your life.” Eliza nodded silently, honestly, she did agree with him, though her tired and anxious heart desperately wanted to chase after every lead. But they knew roughly which direction she was, and that was more of a start than they had had previously. They also knew she was alive, that was everything.

Eliza ran to Fover, and finally, after everything they had endured, by the very fact that they were alive - they finally kissed one another. Odd time indeed, with a floor of wet blood, but as they had both seen a million times enough to learn the lesson, life was short. Life was right here, in front of them, at a good time, at a bad time, at every time. Fover took Eliza’s hand and wound hers within his, he had made sure that they were safe, and that when they went to sleep at night, they would know that the coward that had taken Emmeline’s life, and now risked the chances that Eliza would ever see Mel again alive, was in his grave.

They looked at the body; then they looked at each other.

“What’s next, Eliza?” Fover looked over at Eliza and studied her face. She was looking back at the horizon the carriage had come from, at the fading horizon, where their chance to return to the Real World was fading with the light, as the sun in this world set on Hallow’s Eve - the sword would return to Cessian in the Spring, but would they ever really live if they stayed here?

“I think...I think the adventure lies out there. After all, we didn’t get this far to just stay in the safe harbor, we got this far to take our own ship out to sea and let her fly. Come with me, find Mel, and…take a new adventure with me?” Eliza looked so fervently at Fover now; almost begging with her heart; she had found a partner and friend; she wanted to see where they could go.

“Emmeline...I finally found her for the first time in a lifetime it feels like...and I could make all the time in the world with her.” Fover broke his gaze from her and looked away and then at his feet.

“I see....I understand. I came to the very edge of the underworld here to find Mel, and I would never fault anyone for choosing to stay. I am so happy for you and... you and...” Eliza struggled now, to cover the tracks of her heart, and to let her friend go. But she forced herself to love him anyways, even this way, “...you and Emmeline.” Emmeline’s voice nearly broke at trying to give him back to this world and support him no matter what she felt.

“But then I wouldn’t get to see you or be with you, and that seems like an awfully big adventure to take without my friend. After all, who is going to find you those mangos?” Eliza ran straight towards him and they hugged, and together, they started to make their way back to the portal.

“Fover, if we don’t get back to the Springling Steps in time, then it closes, I don’t know what happens to us, but we would be stuck here. What’s worse is we would have no chance of seeing Mel or Emmeline again in the Real World. We have to make a run for it.” Eliza hadn’t run in a long time since she was young, but she could see her path in front of her now. Fover took her hand, and they sprinted like hell for the closing doorway. The purple twilight had all but eclipsed the horizon, and the blackness overhead had nearly swallowed the entire landscape. Their legs stretched out before them, and they ran at top speed, as if Fintanan himself was still chewing at their heels, and not dead at all.

They could hear the roar of the whirlpool as they approached. Rather as though look like it was from above, and they had to find a way to climb up or fly, there was another mirror whirlpool there in the Land of Eternal Night, there on the ground. They could see it in the distance, and then they could hear something. Large chimes, they could hear a pulsating sound, almost as if someone had decided to turn off the water.

“The whirlpool is closing! Eliza hurry! Hallow’s Eve is almost over and we’re about to get stuck in this spooky undead lost land forever.” With great panic the two launched themselves at the Springling Steps, and their hearts nearly burst with the effort to reach it in time. Sadly, their Reaper and horse were nowhere to be seen.

Just as they were nearly there, they had almost reached the shore of the underland whirlpool here, Fover tripped behind them, and the whirlpool had nearly narrowed down to the size of two people. It was obvious that they were barely about to make it.

“Go, Eliza go! Run!” Fover threw his hand out at her to motion her towards the water. “Jump in and find Mel!” He had twisted his ankle and his leg also was positioned at a funny angle, that no leg should be at.

“I will not leave you.” Even in the face of possibly, essentially re-losing Mel all over again, she would not leave the one partner she had right in front of her behind. Her life was still right in front of her, and that included Fover. She spun back for him, her eyes leaving the whirlpool that had now shrunken its way to the size of a single person. She knew in her heart she would not make it now that she had turned back. But she also knew she could never live with just leaving Fover behind, even for a reason so strong as her little beloved sister. Buster turned too and went straight back for Fover, whining.

Then, unmistakably was the whining sound again in the air. Eliza barely had time to perceive it, and then before they could understand what was happening, there was a giant *whoosh*, and they were both scooped up by something giant. Not knowing what to see, they look up and saw the familiar friendly face of Cessian! Though now she was not invisible in her cloak as she had been before. She was beautiful, a literal giant own, with large almost goat like horns atop her head. Her feathers were gold and brown, and looked a lot like a chocolate mocha, which Eliza still had the capacity at that moment to register that she missed it.

“Cessian its you!” Eliza hung on tight to her talons as did Fover. Buster just flailed his tongue out of the side of his mouth, just as any happy pup thinks about a ride outside. Eliza was pretty sure this whole thing probably felt like a hot-dog induced dream to Buster.

“Children, there is no time! Through the Steps you go, time to leaveeee!” Just as the whirlpool was about to collapse unto itself, and all hope possibly lost, Cessian bird-dove through the portal, and tucked her wings around her, protecting them as well and tucking them against her body.

They all landed somewhere they did not expect - the spring on the outside of the cave. It was right back where they had started. They were safely out of the cave, and everyone, including Buster, was safe, and could never be better.

“Cessian, you saved us! Thank you!” Fover had not been dropped but had instead been placed at the side of a rock, and he was tenderly favoring his leg.

“I kept an eye on you the whole time, as I am the Guardian of the Land of Eternal Night. I could not intervene, but I had to fly back this way anyways. I could not leave my two new favorite people there. The first two people in the many centuries I have now lived and been made to see the cave, to prove me wrong. Your hearts intention were pure, and you deserved to return to the Real World.” Cessian had perched herself on a nearby rock and was gently tending her own large feathers as well.

“Cessian, I can see you! How is that possible?” Eliza looked around, and to her astonishment, the trees came into focus, Cessian came into focus, and... Fover. Fover came into focus. She could see her friend, and there was Buster too!

“It is a product of the Springling Steps, the water passes wisdom, actual particles like the sword, and healing powers too, all through the water. You were healed, just like Fintanan was healed too. I do have the ability to restore your vision to the state it was in beforehand; would you wish that? If you did, you would be able to see the special characters as you did before, be a Reader, I cannot guarantee that will return if I do not give you back what you had before. You may have to give up the Reader ability.” Cessian did not look like she was trying to persuade Eliza either way, but she did look curious.

Eliza felt curious herself. It had been amazing to see the characters in her mind, to have the ability to open a doorway like that, that she never knew could exist. She could possibly find out other great mysteries, even become a legendary hero if others knew of what she could offer the world. She looked up at Cessian.

“I see your point.” Eliza chuckled. “It’s a beautiful gift I have, the Reading, but...” Now Eliza’s eyes traveled to Fover, and he connected with her; he held her gaze steadily.

“I think I want to stay here, and keep my vision, because I can finally see Fover, I can see Buster...and I might have a chance to see Mel again. I choose to stay the way I am, even if it does mean I lose that, thank you though Cessian.”

“I understand young one. Well then, Fover, I will take my sword back off your hands, though I do see you both put it to good use Reading and slaying. Please stay safe.” Cessian warmly spoke, and took out her great wings and prepared to take off, demonstrating the great power of her full wingspan. Before Fover could unsheathe the sword, it disappeared from his side, and reappeared back atop Cessian’s back. “Until we meet again children.” With that Cessian flew away.

“What do you say Eliza, are you hungry? Want to come back to the cabin for a fire and dinner with me and Buster?” Fover looked over at his friend.

“I think dinner with a side of mangos, would be great. Lead the way.” Eliza now walked alongside Fover, and she left her cane there on the way side. She could see her own way back to the cabin.

_Epilogue_

Fover decided upon returning from their grand adventure underground, that a change in career was needed. While professional adventurer seemed fun, maybe something subtle, like a stay-at-home dog lover would bring more peace to his life.

What’s life like when the lights go out? Is it sort of like, when the last one to leave the room walks away, there’s always a last glance over the shoulder before they turn the lights out - before the door is closed? To look back and remember the evolution, the journey that it was to be a human being, this is a miracle and a marvel. What time it takes to curate such a life to look back on, and Fover had assumed he would meet his end sometime soon.

He was not looking for an end, but he had not been looking for a beginning either. Then he met his Eliza. His heart had been shocked into existence when she breathed life into his purpose. Now they had purpose together. He was going to make sure that he stayed around if possible, if he had any say in it at all. He was going to make sure he used the second chance he had been provided and take Emmeline’s advice to sail. He would set the course of his ship to find Mel. She was out there, and Fintanan had not gotten to her. But it did not mean that others were not out for her.

Life was a journey to be taken on your own, and if someone is lucky enough, to have the luck to meet someone who brings that life to a rich color, then it is a moral imperative to run straight at it, and not to let go for anything. It is hard to trust that river raft ride, but it is a risk worth taking. They had learned this - the things we believe will kill us, will not.

However, what would kill them - is no coffee. They could not go long without that. But the otherwise painful truth in the face of any loss, they would live on, despite both of their familiar experiences of wanting to die in a hopelessly dark time.

First, more mangos, dog treats, coffee - maybe a nap too. Or more like five. Then maybe another kiss or two to the beautiful woman who he had made it out of literally, legendary hell with.

“Hey Eliza, you have something on your face there.” Fover laughed and turned towards her. She spun wildly around.

“What?! Why didn’t you tell me? How long has it been there? Geesh.” Eliza faced him too but was busy trying to wipe her face. Fover grabbed her chin instead and she looked up at him in surprise.

“Its right,”, Fover paused to lean down, “here.” He pressed his lips up against her, and it felt for a moment, in the chaos that tore at their lives around them, there was a stillness, that was uncommon. She kissed him right back, even in the midst of the turmoil of finding her sister, she had learned enough by now, to be present with him right now. She knew that even though Mel was out there, her life was still happening right now, in front of her very eyes.

As Fover kissed her, he fumbled in his back pocket, tracing ever so slightly the edges of his wallet. Who knew what the future held? He kissed her deep, and kept his hand on hers. He would be needing that hand for more than holding down the road, he would have to ask Eliza a Question of his own - but it was one only she could answer.

But that was the excitement of it, right? Fover and Eliza were about to find out.

The End?