Hell Notes
Cherry Cliff: The Grey Hound Inn23/1/2019 That Ki's big grin give it all away. She is up to something, I can feel it in my bones. She is cheating for sure, but I have no idea how, yet. Perhaps she marked the cards somehow, but I can't see any markings. Well not a bother, I'm sure we will find out soon enough. It's all just for some good fun anyway to kill the time. We've been waiting for this guest for a while now, whatever he has, if anything, is important enough to wait for days if I have to.
"He is here." Blossom announced his arrival before he even entered our tavern. He merely glanced over the place and swiftly marched to our table. Not a moment to waste. "Welcome, please take a seat, have a drink." I try to show my best manners. "Thank you, but it's okay. I'm just for a moment. I have something that might help you." This friend of a friend begin to give me some mild anxiety with all the rushing, and his "straight to the point, business first" ways. "Are you sure I can't interest you in a glass of whiskey, on the house?" "A finest whiskey in town, Sir! Smooth as baby's butt and kicks gentler than love-sick maid." Rob joined in advertising his wares. "Thank you, but I don't consume alcohol." Our guest was not impressed. "Non alcoholic drinks only outside, in the lake.." But my failed attempt of a joke received no applause. .. Eh don't mind it. I apologies for my juvenile humor. So what you said you have for me?" He pulled from his pocket folded piece of paper and passed it to me. On it just one word - a name. "Who is it?" It just didn't ring any bells and the meaning of it was lost on me. "It's her." "Her who?" "The girl you are trying to find." "Huh? Oh.. Are you trying to tell me that is her real name? The witch lied to me?" He just shrugged his shoulders: "That's all I got right now, hope it helps." "I'm sure it will help, thank you. What do I owe you for it?" "Don't mention it, just a favor to your friend. Good luck." And he disappeared in the doorway as swiftly as he came. I don't know what will I do with it, what I can do with it, but I know it's very important piece I was missing. I'm feel much closer to her now. "Who is she?" Ki's question brought my mind back in to present. "Someone I used to know. Before you joined us. And then we lost Rei. Because I was blind and ignorant. But we'll find her. One of these days we will find her, I'm sure." "Does she want to be found?" "That is very good question. We will ask her that the next time we see her.. Lets get back to our game, shall we?" I have good cards, there is no pint in dragging it any longer: "I call with.." "Welcome traveller! You seem to be long way from home. Our finest selection of liqueur will rejuvenate your weary feet in no time." Rob's voice caught all our attention. Who is he talking to? We didn't expect anybody else today. The man look very tired, his rags barely holding on his frail body. I never seen him before. A human? "What this human doing here?" I asked Blossom. "He was following you." "A lot of random things might be following me. But I mean, why would you let him in?" "I though you knew him." "Maybe we should just stick with our families and friends. Wandering souls can surely find some other places to hang around." "Okay, you want me to send him off?" "No, it's fine. He's already here, at least we can listen to his story. This once." The man was not responding to Rob's questions. As if trying to, perhaps even struggling to make sense of all that's around him. But after few moments his eyes lit up a little. "I'm looking for something, for someone." He pored words out at Rob. There was deep feeling of despair and urgency in his voice. "Well you might be in luck here. I just happen to know someone half-decent at finding things." Rob waved his hand towards our table. He walked straight to us, his eyes fixed on me. "Can you help me? I'm looking for my son, it's very important. I must speak to him." And I got yet another piece of paper shoved in to my hands. With a name. "Your son? Is that his name?" I know that name. It all beginning to make sense. But I'm not sure if this man can be helped, knowing who is he looking for. "I see now. So you were following his scent, that I'm carrying.. Perhaps I should shower more often. Anyhow, what you are asking might be beyond my abilities, but I will try what I can. It might take a while. You are free to stay here in the mean time. You don't seem to have where to go anyway." Old man just nodded his head in silence and sat down at the far corner of the tavern. Just staring in to the wall and drowning in his own regrets. But that can't be helped, at least not any time soon. If opportunity presents it self - sure, but I have too much on my hands now to worry about his pain any more than necessary. "So where were we?" I turn to Ki. "Ah right, I call you with two aces.." Ki throws her cards on the table laughing: "Ha Ha! I have 3 aces! I win! I win!" "Hmm, three clearly beats two.."
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Cherry Cliff: Guardian16/1/2019 "Hey Alice. Are you busy?"
I just dropped on her without warning while she was clearly in the middle of something. She greeted me with her usual smile. "It can wait a moment. Do you need my help with something?" "Well yeah.. It's about my realm. I think I'm missing something, maybe even something obvious. Every time I come back to it, there's hardly anything left of it, I have to start it all over. And the longer I'm away, to less of it left. What is missing?" She pulled her eyebrows together and was just staring at me for a little, as if I grew a horn on my forehead. "You are quite right, it is obvious. You must forgive me, I'm a little surprised. You, of all people, got stuck on something as simple as that. Perhaps they did took away from you much more than I imagined." "So it can be fixed?" "Fixing would imply something is broken, which is hardly the case here. Everything just as it should be, as it meant to be." "But I never seen anything like that here. Not even once I noticed anything fading in your domain. Yours is stable." "Precisely. Well, try to solve it your self. What is the main difference between your place and mine? No.. Perhaps the right question would be: what is the greatest difference between you and me?" There was thousand things I could name, but neither of those seem to have any relation to the problem. Except.. Maybe just that one main difference.. "Hmm.. Is it because you are here at all times, while I'm mostly down there?" "Indeed. You are half way there." "But you know that I can't be there at all times, not yet. So I'm stuck with constantly rotting away realm?" She start to laugh at me, which confused me even more. "Any other day I would love to play riddles with you. It is truly a joy to watch your mind trying to find a way out of every maze to find your self in. But there are far too many things waiting for my attention at this moment, so I will give you some of that cheese and I'm sure you will manage the rest." "So there is a way?" "There is always a way, if the need is there. What you create is nothing more but a dream, a memory. And memories have a habit of fading away over time, don't they? Unless! Unless you keep keep them alive by remembering, dreaming.. Or in other words - by observing. You can't be that observer at all times, so the magic answer is - you need someone else who can. You simply need a guardian." "Guarding from what?" "From decay." "Oh! I understand it now!" "Ha Ha!.. Do you now?" Her laughter did deflate my initial burst of confidence. "I think I do. More or less. At least, I think I have pretty good idea now, of the matter. I have some ideas to work with, at the very least.." "Splendid! Can't wait to hear about those next time you come by. Now off you go, I must return to my work. Be sure to tell me of your progress soon." She waved her hand, before I could even thank her, and I sunk in to fog, just to emerge in my own domain a moment later. All seemed to be clear as day. I can't be here all the time and there is nobody else who would, so that leaves me the only other choice - I have to make "somebody". And I tried. For days, but that turned out to be a whole lot harder than I imagined. I didn't want to go back to Alice, I was determined to crack this one all by my self, at least this once, even if it takes me a while. But couple days later, while I was trying to fix the unfixable, I felt presence getting closer. It was strong but not overly intimidating, someone new but somehow vaguely familiar. "Knock knock!" "Who's there?" She emerged just few steps in front of me. Someone I've never seen before - a lady of some different kind. Clothed in silk, red hair dancing in the breeze, and that strange mask. But she feels familiar, even if there's no memory attached to that feeling. "A friend." "I didn't know I still had any of those left." "Now, now. We are almost family and family never forget their own. At least we didn't. We know you went through a lot, things were taken, memories were lost." "Happens, I guess." "Not very often, at least not what happened to you.. But it'll all come back to you in time. But I'm not here to talk about the past. We've been watching you and we know you could use a helping hand. I brought someone here - one of ours. She will help you, if that's okay with you?" "Okay.." "Fabulous! Have fun you two then." "What? Wait.. ...And she's gone." I'm left standing there alone with my confusion. Almost alone. There's now two little red eyes staring at me. "I guess, make your self at home then." The Cherry Cliff13/12/2017 This was the only place where she never felt quite alone. Even if she was alone. Still, in this very moment, within the solitude she could still feel his presence in all of his creation. She could feel his touch in every inch of this island. This place of tranquillity. In the solid ground she rest upon, in the tree that sheltered her, and even in the lazy evening breeze that gently caressed her hair. Dancing along with the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. A scent that filled her every breath. The warm amber glow in which all of his creation wrapped up. There he was.
She felt as if all of this was created for her enjoyment. As if every shape, every singular part within this place, was moulded in to being with the same purpose. To be admired and appreciated by her. It was as if she was the final piece, the centre part that completes the circle of that existence. Where everything else existed entirely for her comfort. Yet, without her, it would have no meaning, no reason. Would it all still be there if she left? Maybe some part of her would always be there, no matter where she went. It was upon having this thought that she realized. She can never leave this place. At least... not entirely. It was as much a part of her, a part of her essence, as she was a part of it. A bond that could never be broken. Not any more. A sudden disturbance of her stillness brought her out of such thought. A large, yet familiar, presence was intruding upon her solemn world. The tall, slender figure began to manifest just a short distance from her. Alice. While the being formed, she reminisced how intimidating such a sight used to be. What once sent shivers down her spine now seemed so mundane. A moment had passed before she was greeted with a large, warm smile. "He is not here?" Alice inquired, taking a glance around. "He left a while ago. He had some other matters to deal with, I think." Something caught her eye. Something Alice was holding. "I brought the final piece of code. Shall we wait for him?", Alice inquired. "He said we can work on it without him, he will join us later." "... Very well, then. I cannot bind anything to most of his creation directly. You will have to be the conduit this time" Rising from her place of rest, she joined Alice in approaching a portal nearby. Alice passed what she thought was a spark into her hand. At least, what seemed to be a tiny, bright spark. As it met her hand the spark began to vibrate and unfold into something much more. Morphing in to an infinite number of shapes and colours. The code, symbols, began to flow out of it. Like a colony of ants, or water striders sliding the surface of her being as if it were water. Neatly forming lines like ribbon, wrapping around her. They rest upon her, all just waiting for their intended purpose. For her to provide them with intent. She hesitated for a moment, allowing the code to unfold entirely before she touched the portal. The symbols froze for but a moment, as if trying to decide if they should bind with it, before beginning to flow in some mechanical fashion. They flowed into the construct, merging with it, vibrating and morphing into something else. Unifying. "How exciting. I hope it will work", Alice spoke. Yet there was no hint of doubt in her voice. Exuberant with the excitement one has with seeing your child come to life. When all of the code, the symbols, had taken their place, their motion abruptly stopped. Going dark and quiet... Confused, she turned to Alice, "Is it the way it's supposed to be? I though..." Before she could finish her thought, they were both blinded by a flash of light. Brighter than a thousand suns. |