trans_9 | Leaving a Trail [Closed]

Being given a little bit of freedom (finally), Sherry had elected to go exploring in the City by herself. There were still places she hadn't wandered through, after all, and she might find something that Vega would be interested in. She trusted him more than the other kidlets, and it was just logical to show off something new to him before the others.

She could almost recall a time when there were other kids that she trusted, and would've wanted to take with her, but when she tried to think about just who it was, it would slide off. So, she was by herself. She discovered the Garibah Tree, and marveled at it for just a moment before something else caught her eye. It was just so dark over there.

Sherry tilted her head up at the sky. It wasn't dark yet (though "dark" could come whenever it felt like it), so she probably had time to do a little exploring. She scurried around the tree, and down before the gate. The little girl exhaled slowly, and reached inside her bag for a little lightstick and cracked it into working. There, at least she wouldn't be wandering around in the dark.

Into the Labyrinth she went: around corners, backing out of dead ends, and into the center. "...There's nothing here," Sherry sighed as she knelt down at the edge of the large hole and peered into the dark. What a bust. "I guess looking down there wouldn't hurt, though." She scooted around to the stairs and sat there for a second, gathering courage before heading down.

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There was a sound like whispering from the hole. The more quiet she was, the louder it got.

Sherry stopped in the middle of the staircase and held her breath. Was she just hearing things? She reached up and rubbed her ears, and listened, looking up at the top of the hole. Wind passing over the top, maybe? Sometimes, Stacy had wind. Not always, but sometimes.

Carefully, she passed her light over the path before her.

When she reached the bottom, it was just an empty space, nothing there.

She chewed her lip, looking around. "Alright, I'm going crazy." It was empty, and dark, and the dull green light from her stick cast strange shadows across the walls. She edged closer the to statue at the center, holding her light high to see better.

That wasn't a statue.

Because it moved.

There was a faun there, peering down at her. He looked very...tired somehow. Worn.

"Are you her?"

Sherry made a noise that was something like a muted horrified scream and fell back, landing on her bottom with a thud.

That.. thing was moving. And it sounded like Dr. Sera. Her chest rose and fell quickly, "A-Am... Am I who?"

His voice rasped, "Her. Are you the princess? My eyes, they've gotten so much worse in this place of sinew and bone. They brought this place here from where it once was and where it belonged."

He peered at her, tilting his head oddly.

There were princesses on the ship, but officially, the only Princess Sherry acted as was her father's princess. So... was that right? Should she say yes. If she didn't, would it try to eat her? The light played dangerous shadows over the faun.

Well, fortune favored the bold, according to all the stories in her reader. She desperately wanted to cry and run away, but to do that, she had to stand up first. So she did, on shaky, skinny legs. "Yes?" Oh, if she was wrong, she hoped she could outrun the faun.

He peered even closer.

"No," he said sadly, tiredly, "you are not my princess."

There was a deep breath like the wind through the leaves.

"But you'll do. A princess, a princess, someone's princess."

The faun stepped forward, limbs creaking like branches in a strong wind, and he bowed.

"I would give you my name," he said, "But I've had so many names... old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am a faun."

He bowed lower, creakcreakcreak.

"I am Your most humble servant, Your Highness."

Well, he wasn't trying to eat her. Sherry could live with that; too many things had tried to eat her lately in her very short life.

"Are you going to break?" She felt the muscles in her legs tense, ready to flee at the first sign of the creature lunging at her. "What do you want me to do?"

"I am old, old and very far from where I'm supposed to be."

He was weak, so weak.

"I want--what I want is for what's lost to be found. It was given to me and I hid it away and refused to give it back, but it could serve you. I wanted to wait for my princess to be the owner of it, but any will do, any that look with the right eyes. It is a powerful thing, and it must not be lost."

Sherry fingered her locket, the warm metal comforting in her hand. A powerful thing? Why would he hide it? She hated when there were more questions then there were answers. It made her want to fix things. "What does it do? I wouldn't lose it... Why did you hide it?"

"It is a thing that can be held in the hand. It answers questions. Important questions. It tells the truth." rasped the old faun. "I have no word for what it is. I hid it because they told me to, to keep it safe, but then I didn't give it back. Eh heh heh heh. I did not trust them, but you--you may be different."

Another tilt of his head.

"For you see, you're young, little princess. The young aren't like the old. They are honest little liars, cunning and innocent."

The faun reached into his bag, and pulled out a book.

"Time is growing short. Soon what I hid away will be lost forever. Do you wish to find it? An answerer of questions? Or must I wait for another little princess and hope they come in time?"

Sherry gave the faun a long, long look. She didn't want something that could answer questions be lost. There were so, so many on the ship. It would be important.

She shook her head, "No, you don't have to, I'll find it." Never let it be said she didn't pick up something from her parents. She held her hands out for the book.

There is another sigh, like grasses rustling, but this one is of relief.

"You must complete three tasks." He held out the book. "This is the Book of the Crossroads. It will help lead the way. Open it when you are alone, and it will show you your future, show you what must be done."

With that, he bows again, creakily, and falls back into the shadows, melting into them and disappearing completely.

And she was alone. Clutching the book to her chest, Sherry hurried up the stairs with her lightstick and sat on the steps at the rounded mouth.

Well, she was alone now, wasn't she? Better to start now, then to go back to her room. Sherry looked down at the Book of the Crossroads and took a deep, steadying breath. She pulled open the cover and looked down at the pages, through the fingers on one hand.

Blank. The pages were blank.

Not yet, Sherry. Not yet.

But soon.

Leaving a Trail [Closed]

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