CHAPTER 405: ARC 6, CHAPTER 21: MEMOIRS OF A DEAD MAN

Jotou’s eyes widened and she took out a sparked blade, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?" Her sword slashed through it, but the giant eyes just split into two and all of them darted to look at her.

"Ah... tis you," the voice unhurriedly replied. "Harming this ocular visage will yield no benefit."

"Who’s the kid, what’re you doing!?"

"You need not have concern, he is disposed of."

Jotou turned and saw no child behind her—it was just the room.

"My gratitude. Locating that one has always been such a hassle," the voice then yawned. "So you are here? You look well. A little dishevelled perhaps. The noble beauty is still hard to hide however."

"I’m speaking to the spirit-mage aren’t I," Jotou glared at both the masses of eyes floating in space.

"I have not introduced myself? Hm... I am Ceridwen. Now, I must depart... You are a fascinating one indeed. If we are to meet again, do not shriek at me. I loathe it.

It would also delight me if you were simply to prostrate yourself without protest. However, that may be too much to ask," a sigh came out. "You now know my name—you will note me as a new God as well."

"You’re not gonna stop me? Seems this place is important," Jotou replied.

The masses of eyes vanished as fast as they came, with but a blip of noise.

The blonde’s eyes glazed over, "I wasn’t done talking you little..." She let her shoulders fall and glanced around the room. She pursed her lips. "Sorry," she uttered. ’I hardly learned anything about that kid. He could be the key to who knows how many answers.’

No sounds echoed through the halls either. Jotou made her way towards the desk, examining each corner of the room with a look. She placed a finger delicately on the corner of the page of the book she wrote in.

The ink on the quill and pot had dried out completely; fortunately dry ink on a page was merely text to be read. With knitted brows she reread her prior conversation.

’A child and not a child? I supposed if you’re dead you’re not technically a child, you’re the corpse of one. Is that what he meant?

He doesn’t remember his name. Well, from what I know, ghosts aren’t exactly overly sentient. In fact, this was probs the most intelligent ghost I’ve met.

Home... Is, was he bound to this castle? It would add up with him saying he was trapped. But surely if you’re bound here, you’d have to have some connection here when you were alive, no? Sigh... I don’t know the rules, but I have to assume.’

She glanced at the shelves around her. ’Something about you must be hiding within these walls.’ She thumbed the page corner unconsciously. ’He couldn’t aid me cause the fragments won’t listen?

The fragments of his soul? That would explain how he’s all over the castle, but then again, ghosts have supernatural- Well no. Ghosts I’ve seen in this world are a lot more singular. They affect things sure, but never on this scale.

Was that boy a particularly powerful spirit? The clothes, the accent—is that an indicator of how old that ghost really is? Speaking of the accent, why does that new god have it?

The boy was one of the many that were here; many that were out of his control. He did too much and couldn’t control his power? Which led to his presence being noticed by Ceridwen, which would then explain why she said what she said when she appeared.

He was hidden for a long time and we might’ve...’ She held the bridge of her nose. ’He was scared of them... Them being the cult. What did you have to do with them? If you’re a spirit, were you born from that spirit-mage? And managed to escape her control to then hide from her?’

"Woosh!"

"Detective," Jotou addressed and looked up.

"Where is it? Did you find it?" Fumeko swivelled her head all over. "The sounds stopped, is it gone?"

"Yeah, he’s gone," Jotou shut the book and picked it up.

Fumeko lowered her guard and stood upright, "You killed it?"

"No. Ceridwen appeared and ’disposed of’ the boy’s soul."

The brunette furrowed her brows, "Who appeared...?"

"The spirit-mage—a new god. She had the decency to introduce herself after she killed his soul. He did too much and got noticed by her."

"So she is a new god," Fumeko held a hand to her chin.

Jotou gave a half-shouldered shrug in agreement.

"Did she tell you anything else? How did she appear here?"

"As some horrifying mass of eyeballs floating in space. She said ocular visage, I’m assuming it’s some sort of spying eye. I think she has eyes on this place or anywhere ghosts can be found, so we better be quick here. As for anything else, she disappeared rudely."

Fumeko grumbled.

Jotou walked up to her and handed her the book.

"What’s this?" Fumeko flipped it open to a page with the corner bent.

"A conversation I had with the ghost. I can fill in the rest of the details after he showed himself," the blonde crossed her arms.

"Found them!" Tiffany yelled from right outside the door. Hotaru and Asobi were right behind as Tiffany had used her echolocation.

"What happened? Did you kill it?" Hotaru was out of breath.

"Not exactly, but we can search this place in peace," Fumeko replied while her narrowed gaze was fixed on the book.

"I’ll explain, but first, let’s get anything we can find worthwhile in here and get out. The cult knows we’re here. We don’t have to rush, I don’t think they’ll make a move, but let’s speed up any investigation," Jotou instructed.

_

"These pages are nearly flaking off the spine," Hotaru flipped through pages as they all walked down the path away from the castle. "The dates on here are centuries old," she skimmed the page tops.

"That’s why we took them," Fumeko pointed out the obvious.

Hotaru scoffed, "I’m just saying that these are ridiculously fragile, we can’t expect to take them all the way back to the guild."

"We’ll just have to wrap and tie them up tight," Jotou said.

"And who’s gonna carry them for hours while walking?" the redhead’s ears pricked.

Jotou glanced down to the makeshift knapsack made of old tablecloths holding several old books that she carried along with each hand. "Point taken."

Fumeko and Tiffany had a handful of books each and a couple of scroll cases. Asobi carried a small chest that jingled with jewels and an amulet on a chain dangled out of. The elf shook the box to hear it jingle again.

"Stop that," Fumeko side-eyed.

"I wonder if what’s in here’s cursed... You did find it in a hidden compartment Meko," Asobi replied.

"Why would someone curse something and then hide it that well?" Fumeko queried rhetorically in exhaustion. "It’s not cursed."

"Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t check it," the wolf-girl added.

"With who? The dead kid?" the brunette raised a brow.

"Perhaps a sorcerer dwells within the countryside afore us," Tiffany supposed aloud. "Tis a land not barren of bastions and towers of olden days. One would presuppose witchcraft is bountiful."

"There’s other adventurers here too. Plus, we can start asking around town about the castle," Jotou told as they now entered the town of Alänschäf.

Dusk befell them and the sunrays sparkled just enough to bathe the town in an orange glow, making the shadows that much more darker.

Shops were closing up and children were headed home. Ivy crawled up the bricks and walls of the bricks and stone. Pubs and taverns however were beginning to crowd—a pattern of popular occurrence it seemed for entertainment around South End.

Lamp lighters lit up the streetlamps one by one and the people’s footsteps were galore. A group of adventurers walked into an inn, right as Jotou and party followed suit.

Asobi waved to them with a bright beaming smile and two of them waved back awkwardly. Getting their rooms for the night, they settled in after a meal and a bath, hoping the next day would grant them further discoveries.

However, one person had not gone to sleep yet. She stood there in front of the door at the end of the hallway on a creaking wooden floor. Soft music played from downstairs of the inn, by some bard up late at night.

In the sound of some mugs clinking and light chatter, Hotaru raised the back of her hand towards the door... Her lips tightened and the two fingers that were about to knock paused.

She was in a usual simple blue nightgown, her hair a little tousled. Her eyes waned and her ears fell, staring at the door. She took a few more inhales, steadying herself. She turned and brushed her tail gently, trying to make it look nicer and unruffled.

The wolf-woman then took a deep breath, looked at the door, raised two fingers and... All the breath was lost in a sigh. Her eyebrows creased and she shook her head, raising her hand to the door once again-

The door simply opened as Hotaru’s ears and tail bristled. "You know I can see the shadow of your feet through the door seam right?" a blonde popped her head out, hair down and ready for bed.

"I..." Hotaru’s brilliant blue eyes darted away.

Jotou looked at her with half-lidded eyes, "Were standing here for the past five minutes? I know. So, how much longer were you planning to not knock on my door?"

"I would’ve gotten to it," Hotaru uttered with a pout.

...

"Listen, I... can’t sleep," the redhead admitted and faced the blonde. "I tried to, but after that ghost just..." she exhaled through her teeth.

Jotou waited for her to continue, but she did not. "You realize I’m gonna make you say it," Jotou replied.

Hotaru could not stop the small grin from curling up. "I’d be worried if you weren’t catty about it. ...Can I stay with you tonight?"

Wordlessly, Jotou pushed open the room door and walked back to the slightly bigger bed than the last one. Hotaru sheepishly entered and closed the door behind her.

The blonde crawled into bed and under the covers. She lifted the blanket up, inviting the redhead in without looking. Hotaru took a moment, her tail low and ears hugging her head as she watched the open spot under the blanket.

It was hardly spacious, but that was not what she desired anyhow. She silently sat on the bed and pushed herself under the covers so Jotou could lay it over them.

Before the wolf-girl could say anything, two arms slowly wrapped around her head and pushed it under Jotou’s chin. Hotaru’s eyes widened and her ears bristled in surprise, before she forced her ears down, knowing it would bother the blonde’s jawline.

Both shut their eyes, with soft music still seeping through the floorboards and a small flame flickering in a lamp on the nightstand. "That ghost made me remember the velatos in Kria, when I almost died," she hushed against the other’s skin.

"Which one?" Jotou whispered back.

A single crude chortle escaped from Hotaru’s voice.

Jotou’s arm settled above the other’s waist and her other hand held Hotaru’s back gently. "I’m here—all night."

Hotaru’s arms snaked under the blanket and her hands slowly pressed against her shoulder blades and waist, more so to comfort herself.

"We’ve got things to do tomorrow," Jotou hushed to her, her own voice drifting away into slumber. "I want you to be at your best, so get some sleep."

Hotaru pressed her nose against the other’s neck, inhaling gently till she synched her breathing and gradually fell asleep.