No. 16 Lost and found

General Summary

”What happened? Where am I?”
At one moment tiefling stood right in front of the pedestal and in the next it´s all dark. Except window like opening in the darkness. There she sees her companions in same place where they fight against enemy so powerful. But now, tiefling is somewhere else. Something run down from her face. It´s blood and it´s her own. It flows from her eyes and ears. Suddenly it´s hard to keep eyes open. This can not be the end. Her consciousness fades away and then, tiefling floats in the all-light-eating darkness.
”There´s a memory. A happy one. I´m running in the courtyard of the temple. I´m five years old. Plum and cherry trees are blossomin. We are playing together. Me, Mielsi and Caio. In the distance stoods Kerr, keeping an eye of us. Mielsi had found shimmering rock and she wants me to have it. After that day we became best friends.”
Memory starts to turn yellow. Heat slowly fades away details that made that day special. It turns from yellow to brown. People and place disappears. There is no more a memory of that happy spring day.
”It´s almost evening. My first procession. In front of me four sisters carries a body of an old man. Sudden gust of the wind catch the cloth that covers the departed. It moves fabric so I can see his face. This is the first time I see someone dead and it scares me. I turn around, still walking, to see mans relatives. Only an old lady walks behind us. Caio and Mielsi laugh to something and I turn back. One of the sisters quietly scolds those two: ”Respect the late ones and their family.” We arrive at the sacrifice shrine where death ones sacrifies their mortal body so they can continue their travel to afterlife. Mielsi turns and hands her torch to the old lady. Lady takes it and goes stood above her husbands head. Caio comments something quietly. Something why should we care about these poor people and we should help only better and wealty people. I don´t like that comment. Caio stays behind mans feet and I go in the middle. High priestess gives us a sign and we lower our torches. Only a moment and the flames reach the dead man. Then I hear a gentle sigh and a raven feather falls right next to my face. This is why I believe and serve. To help souls continue their journey. To find peace. But –”
Like that first memory, also this one fades. It comes darker and darker until flames burns hole to it. First procession. First sign from The Raven Queen. Gone.
”I´m moving fast. But it´s not me who is running. Warmth of the body next to mine. I reach my arms and touch something hot, like coals, but it doesn´t hurt me. Angry screams behind us. She knows she have to be fast. Running stops and woman lays a little moving bundle down on the cold stone steps. Warmth disappears and that bundle starts moving and crying. She need to go but not just yet. Just give little more time. She hushes that small creature and strokes its cheeks. Tear falls down from her face. Shouting is getting closer. She has to go. She don´t want to but she has to. One last kiss. Her scarf falls a little from her face. She has the most beautiful purple skin and the saddest eyes of flaming ember. They are so close. She needs to run away from here. In a minute two souls are separated forever.”
Starting from the corners, a hidden memory slowly starts to fade. But no –
"This one you are not going to take away. This one is mine and I won´t let you have it. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!!"
A violent gasp of breath. Eyes open wide. Lilith. My mother.

”How long have I been here? Did they managed to escape? I really hope they did. It feels really odd to be anywhere by myself. Normally I would be enjoying this kind of calm. Now it feel like it´s suffocating me. I won´t be able to walk anywhere in here. I have think and tried all the possible and impossible ways to get somewhere but all in vain. Did I die? If that so, I don´t like this. This is not what I imagined afterlife would be. Did I even lived my life at fullest? I honestly don´t know. ”Hold no pity for those who suffer and die, for death is the natural end of life. Bring down the proud who try to cast off the chains of fate.” There was time when I truly believed in every words of those phrases. Now I have been the one who have cast off the chains of faith. But then again hasn´t my actions been part of the bigger plan? There is no pity in me. But sorrow? Yes. That sorrow followed me and grew bigger every year. Without Mielsi, I don´t think I would be here today. Did I ever tell that to her? Even when we saved her from that bitch. No, I didn´t. I don´t know how to do that. And now it´s too late. Did I tell my oddly weird and wonderful new companions how I have appreciated their help in every turn in our adventure? No. Is this a punishment O Thy Raven Queen, Bringer of the Death, Keeper of the Afterlife? If it is, then I shall take it without regrets and a smile on my face. Cause without life, there is no death and without death all life are meaningless. I have saved my friends from the death and I would have died for my friends. Guess today I did.”
Suddenly the light so bright and blinding fills the darkness. It takes a moment for the tiefling to adjust to that light. Are those Thia and Eliana? Eliana speaks but she can not hear what she´s saying. And as fast as that light came it also disappears. Tiefling stands again in the darkness.
”Where am I? I´m not dead? That book? Could it be? But how? Maybe I can still go back. There must be a way! I need to go back! I can not help them if I´m trapped in here.”
Light comes back and a familiar face stares back.
”Nilbert! Oh, it´s so good to see your face! Don´t worry, we figure out something. Eliana and Orik surely will figure something out and then I get out of here. Nilbert. Nilbert? What are you doing? No don´t – Don´t touch that book! I have always told you to not touch strange things! Please Nilbert! Stop! Take your hands off that book! Oh my goddess, there´s so much blood. Drop that book! Stop Nilbert! Nilbert! Nilbeeeert!!”
For a second they just stare at each other. Tiefling is once again flesh and bones, standing right in front of that little shaking gnome. She grap him from the shoulders and yell:
”Why the hell you have to do such things! Are you fucking crazy! I have told you times and times again you can not touch every objects that you see! You stupid little gnome!”
Shouting reach all rooms of the strange house. Eliana and Thia rushes back to the kitchen where they left that sinister book only to see the familiar tall tiefling hugging that little gnome so his feet won´t touch the ground.
And she´s whispering: ”You crazy gnome. My little crazy gnome.”

Report Date

12 Aug 2023