Chapter 186: The Dark Fringe

 

  Stryg floated in a pool of utter darkness. He felt numb, even with his night vision he could see nothing. There was no sensation of touch nor sound. He drifted in emptiness, unaware of how he had come to be. Why was he here? What had happened? He couldn’t remember…

  Water droplets echoed amidst the sound of faint footsteps. A small figure trudged through the darkness, its faint visage became clearer as it neared. 

  The figure stepped next to Stryg and looked down at his prone form. 

  “There you are,” the voice said.

  Stryg slowly looked up, “You’re…?”

  The small stranger was dressed in rough hide garments. Her black hair was short and fell down to her slim shoulders. Her green pointy ears twitched every few seconds to some unheard noise and her yellow slitted eyes stared inquisitively at Stryg.

  She smiled, revealing sharp teeth, “Nice to meet you, abomination.”

  “You’re a goblin?” Stryg’s eyes widened.

  “Mhm. That’s good, this place hasn’t completely robbed your senses yet.”

  His throat felt parched, he licked his dry lips, “Who are you?”

  “You can call me Ann. I mean you no harm.”

  “…I’m Stryg. I think? I can’t remember very well.”

  “Hm, makes sense,” she nodded.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means instead of asking who I am, you should be asking where you are.”

  “...Where am I?”

  “I’m glad you asked!” Ann sat down next to his prone body and flipped him over, face up.

  Stryg groaned in protest, but he couldn’t bring his limbs to move on their own.

  “Better?” She grinned.

  “Yes,” he mumbled.

  “Great!” Ann looked around the pitch darkness as if surveying a beautiful landscape, “In case you didn’t notice, this isn’t the Ebon Realm. Technically, we aren’t even here, at least our bodies aren’t. Our souls, on the other hand, are very much here.”

  Stryg swallowed, “...Am I dead?”

  “Fortunately, no. I found you in time.”

  “Where are we exactly?”

  “A place between the Infinite Null and the Ten Realms. We are in the Dreamscape, specifically in its outermost edge, the Dark Fringe.”

  “Am I dreaming?” Stryg blinked.

  “Many in the past have used dreams to enter the Dreamscape. I suspect you have done the same, but not today. No, today, what you are, child, is dying.”

   “What?” Stryg frowned.

  Ann patted his head, “Don’t worry, that’s why I’m here. Now, where was I?”

    “I’m dying?”

  “No, not that part. Ah, yes, the Dreamscape. In simple terms, I guess you could see it as another realm, except far larger and without its natural boundaries. Things here are never what they seem. The Dreamscape is chaotic, unpredictable. Thoughts and ideas often take physical form.”

  “Physical, like they’re real?”

  “Yes, very much. Even symbols affect reality here,” she plucked a silver feather from his shoulder.

  “What is that?” Stryg stared at the feather.

  The feather withered away and crumbled to dust.

  “That right there is our cue to leave. We’ve been here too long.”

  Panic leaked into his voice, “We’re in danger?” 

  “A bit, yes. The Dreamscape as a whole isn’t inherently dangerous, but the Dark Fringe is. This place is the boundary between the Null and the Dreamscape. Were too close to the Infinite Null, its power erodes everything it touches, including us. Normally, no one would ever dare near the Dark Fringe.”

  “So why are we here?”

  Ann slipped her arms under Stryg and lifted him up into her embrace, “Excellent question. My best guess is that you were wounded terribly, mentally and physically. Your mind, in an effort to escape such pain, rejected reality and threw itself into the Dreamscape. The problem is, you were too desperate, you fell too deep, and landed all the way down here in the Dark Fringe.”

  “I don’t remember being hurt,” Stryg bit his lip.

  “The Null’s presence is affecting your mind, including your memories. If we stay here, we will both eventually cease to exist.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  She blinked, “For you, of course. I came to find you, Stryg. I couldn’t simply let you die here. Luckily, I found you, and believe me, that is no small feat in such a large place.”

  Stryg felt the air shift around them, their bodies began to rise amidst the darkness.

  “...Thank you,” he whispered.

  “Don’t mention it. Truth be told, if I didn’t save you, someone very dangerous would be very angry.”

  “Who?”

  A small crack of light pierced high above the darkness.

  “We’re almost there,” she said.

  Ann kicked off the darkness itself and quickened their ascent. The light grew brighter and colder as they neared. The wind howled through the spatial crack. Stryg squeezed his eyes shut and winced. He felt as if the cold torrent would freeze his blood and tear his body to shreds, but Ann held him close and shielded him.

  Suddenly, the wind died and Stryg felt warmth once more.

  “You can open your eyes now,” Ann whispered.

  Stryg slowly cracked his eyes open. They were surrounded by an indigo sea, the water was still with only a single ripple echoing from where Ann stood. The sky was a clear shade of grey, yet there was no sun nor moon. 

  Ann gently lowered him down.

  “I can’t swim!” Stryg flailed his limbs around.

  “No need,” she winked.

  His body fell into the water and sank. He felt his legs touch the soft sand, the water barely reached below his knees.

  “It’s not deep? Wait, I can stand,” Stryg stumbled up to his feet.

  “We are no longer in the Dark Fringe, you should begin regaining your strength and memories fairly quickly.”

  Stryg kicked the water with child-like innocence. He laughed brightly, “I’m alive. We’re alive!”

  “...Yes,” Ann nodded. “Now, if you could tell me what exactly happened between you and the dire human Marek, I’d very much appreciate it.”

  Stryg faltered in his steps, “W-what?”

  “Marek, the war lord, chieftain of the Cairn Tribe. What happened between you two?”

  Stryg held his head, “I… I don’t… I don’t remember.”

  “Try to remember soon,” she smiled coldly.

  “I was… ugh,” he grimaced.

  The simple locket around his neck began to shake.

  “What is that?” Ann narrowed her eyes. “Give it to me.”

  “What, why?” He took a step back.

  A silver feather squeezed out of the locket’s lid. The necklace began to rattle uncontrollably. The locket shattered, a thousand silver feathers burst forth in a storm of light. He recoiled and covered his face. The ebon coin that had been hidden inside the locket floated above him.

  A soft touch rested on Stryg’s shoulder. 

  “I’m glad you held on to the coin.”

  Stryg turned around, a familiar face looked back at him. Her curly black hair fell over olive-toned cheeks. Her thin lips formed a warm smile. He knew this face, he was certain he knew this person. What was her name?

  “...Captain?” Stryg whispered.

  “Nice to see you too, little one,” she winked.

  “~Who would dare have the audacity to come here, I wonder?~”

  “Hello, you fucking Monster,” Captain glared at Ann.

  Ann placed a finger to her chin, “Hello, Captain. Captain… Captain? Captain. Hm, is that really the name you’re going with now, ‘Captain?’ It’s quite stale. Oh no, please, for the love of gods, tell me you haven’t become boring with old age, Holo.”

  “What did she say?” Stryg frowned.

  Holo stepped in front of him, “Stay behind me, little one.”

  The Monster looked Holo up and down, “Well, at least your current appearance is soft on the eyes.”

  “I wish I could say the same, yet no matter what form you take, whenever I look at you all I want to do is vomit,” Holo sneered.

  “It seems time hasn’t dulled your sharp tongue after all, good. I always liked you over the other mishaps.”

  ”We both know I’m not a mishap,” Holo tilted her head.

  “Darling, to me, none of you should have ever even been born.”

  Holo shook her head, “I can’t believe I once actually admired you.”

  “Let’s be honest, you’ve made many horrible decisions in your life.”

  “This is not one of them.”

  “Oh? And what is this, exactly?”

  “The first step. The beginning of my vengeance,” she said somberly.

  Ann laughed, “Really? Revenge? Is that what this is about? What, do you think there is some epic grudge between us?”

  Holo narrowed her eyes.

  Ann clicked her tongue, “Why is it, do you think, I simply haven’t hunted you down and ended your miserable existence? I’ll let you in on a little secret, it’s because I don’t care about you.”

  “You are insignificant at your worst and a minor nuisance at your best. History will not sing your deeds, the world will not remember you, even your own city has forgotten your name. Because the stark reality is you are nothing, Holo. And you are so very alone.”

  She smiled wryly, “Maybe you’re right, maybe nothing I do here will ever really matter… But let’s give it a try anyway.”

  Holo snatched the floating coin from the air and wrapped her arm around Stryg, “Hold on.”

  Ann’s eyes widened, “Don’t you dare!”

  Ann’s goblin hand shifted and stretched into a long winding limb of shadowy fingers, clawing towards Stryg. He flinched. The world erupted in a roar of orange light.

  Stryg opened his eyes. The scenery had changed. He was no longer in the middle of the sea. He was in a forest, with lush greenery all around. Pink bubbles rained down from the sky. One popped on his nose, it smelled like laughter. Stryg frowned, how did laughter have a smell, and why did he know what it was?

  Holo stepped back from him and leaned on a tree. She took a deep breath and whistled.

  “That was terrifying, ey?” She laughed shakily.

  Stryg shook his head, “W-what just happened? That goblin lady wasn’t a goblin? She was a monster?”

  “I thought you already knew that.”

  “...How the fuck would I know that? I have so many questions. What is happening?”

  Holo sighed, “Look, I don’t know how much of this stuff you’ve already been told about. I want to trust you, but you won’t even tell me your name. Which makes me think… nevermind.”

  “My name is Stryg.”

  “Yeah, whatever. Listen to me, you’re still too young and inexperienced to remember what transpires in the Dreamscape. When you wake up you won’t remember any of this.”

  “What? Why?”

  Holo placed the black coin in his hand, “There is no time to explain, the mana I infused in the orichalcum coin is running out. Once it does our connection will be severed. The coin could only store enough mana for one charge, it was a last resort to keep you safe. I won’t be able to find you again in the Dreamscape. You’ll be on your own.”

  Stryg stared at the coin, “It’s like a magestone? If it runs out of mana it’s useless?”

  “Orichalcum is never useless. Worst case scenario you can always sell it for funds. Ah, shit, none of this is important right now. Listen closely, it doesn’t matter if you forget everything else, but please try to remember these next words.”

  “Okay?” Stryg said hesitantly.

  “Tell Maeve Mora to stay out of the Dreamscape. Her synchrony magic is like a beacon to the Monster and many others. I barely managed to save her from Its grasp last time. I probably won’t manage to do it again.”

  Holo’s form shimmered, the edges of her body began to fade away.

  “We’re out of time, Stryg. The Monster has eyes and influence even in Hollow Shade. Now that the Monster knows I’ve interfered, It will be keeping an eye out and trying to stop anything I do, but you still might have a chance to act outside of Its sway.”

  Stryg cocked his head to the side, “Who’s Maeve?” 

  “You’ll understand when you wake. Just know you might be the only one left who can keep her safe. Remember Stryg, remember to warn Maeve. Promise me!”

  “...I promise,” Stryg nodded.

  She smiled, “Very good. Stay strong, little one.”

  Holo’s form dissipated into the air.