The fields of flowers faded and slipped into mist, yet I kept holding Sayuri in my arms until the grey fog faded and the chill, fetid breeze rustling through the castle brushed against my skin. Blinking I opened my eyes. A moment later I was driven backwards hard by an ecstatic catgirl, her tail waving wildly back and forth.

“Friend Ashvallen!” Sayuri positively squealed in my ear as she drove me to the ground. “You rescued Sayuri from the fires! No one has ever rescued her before! You are Sayuri’s hero!” I smiled broadly as she rubbed her cheek against mine, making small mewing sounds.

“Ok, ok,” Carrisyn dragged the cat girl to her feet. “There are other people here who are happy to see you also. Sascha, can you give Sayuri a once over to make sure she’s ok? I need to talk to Ash really quick.” Uh oh, I thought. Well, I didn’t care if she was mad at me. I was not going to let anyone die. Sayuri was dragged reluctantly away, arms still straining to hold on to me. Carrisyn wrapped her arm around my shoulders familiarly and escorted me to a far corner of the library.

“I had to do what I did,” I said quickly. A moment later she had wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me in close for a hug, surprising me somewhat.

“You are so fucking stupid,” Carrisyn wept, shoulders shaking. “I can’t believe what you just did. That was the most dangerous, selfish thing I’ve ever seen from anyone.”

“Uh,” I glanced at her bowed head in confusion. Was I being chastised or not?

“She loves you,” A voice said in my head, close, yet somehow far away.

“What?” I asked, cocking my head.

“You could have died! For real!” Carrisyn held me at arm’s length, tears streaming down her face.

“She is also hiding something. There is love there but secrets as well. Ones she will not disclose willingly,” the voice said again, a gentle, soothing sound.

“What?” I repeated. “Say that again!”

“What are you talking about? The ‘you could have died’ part?” Carrisyn cocked her head to the side as well.

“No, no, no,” I shook my head. “The secrets part.”

“What are you talking about?” Carrisyn peered at me suspiciously through her tears.

“She can’t hear me,” the voice giggled. “Only you can.”

“Wait! What happened to you?” Carrisyn demanded, yanking me close, her eyes searching mine uncomfortably.

“You can tell her if you wish but I don’t recommend it. It will complicate matters which, for now, should remain simple,” the voice in my head warned.

“Nothing!” I gulped guiltily, waving her concern aside with a chuckle. “I’m just tired and a little stressed! No need to worry about me! Nope! I’m fine!”

“You suck at lying,” Carrisyn growled.

“Well, when someone puts someone on the spot with things they don’t understand it’s only natural to not know stuff, right?” I jabbered nonsensically.

“What happened to you in there?” Carrisyn repeated, more suspicious than ever. Fucking hell, I sucked at this shit.

“I don’t know the words you’re saying but I understand the gist of what you’re trying to intimate, and I must agree. You do…what was the word? ‘Suck?’ At this a little bit.” The voice agreed with the equivalent of an invisible shrug evident in her tone.

“You don’t have to agree with me,” I muttered.

“Agree with what? What are you talking about? Answer my question and stop spouting nonsense!” Carrisyn demanded with a scowl.

“What was the question again?” I tried to deflect and buy myself some additional time to think of a better lie than “stuff.”

“You’re agitating me,” Carrisyn warned. “What happened to you in there?”

“Oh! Well, let me tell you!” I laughed louder than I intended. “It’s not funny but it was pretty weird. So, there was this giant field, right? And it was on fire and stuff and there was a city and hills and and Sayuri was there, and she was crying because the fire was coming, and she was alone, so I rushed in all Sailor Moon like and put out the flames and saved the day and dragged her back with me! Total hero. Total badass.” Well, it’s not, technically, a lie, I supposed.

“Lies of omission is where the road begins, you know,” the voice chastised me.

“It’s all I’ve got!” I thought back desperately. “You’re confusing me!”

“So you went into her subconscious itself and resolved the poison that way?” Carrisyn still stared into my eyes deeply, as if searching for something.

“I…did I?”

“So it appears,” Carrisyn replied.

“Well, then, yep! Total badass, like I said.”

“Evidently,” Carrisyn’s tone told me she thought everything I’d said was a load of horse shit. “Regardless. Don’t ever do anything like that again.”

“Oh, yeah. Ok,” I nodded, sufficiently chastened.

“How do you feel?” Carrisyn continued to peer into my eyes, and I began to feel like my dog back at my parents’ house who would avert her eyes whenever you looked at her too long. I thought for a second. Best to be honest, here, I thought.

“A little hungry. Kind of cold. Still horny,” I admitted.

“Yeah,” Carrisyn shook her head with a smile. “You’re fine. We need to gather ourselves for this next part.” Carrisyn grabbed my arm and dragged me back toward the others who were listening to Sayuri gush about how brave and daring I’d been.

“You can’t just read my thoughts,” I scowled at the voice in my head. “Those are private things, you know.”

“I had quite a few dalliances in my day, but I must say your libido is quite…healthy,” the voice finished diplomatically.

“Did you just call me a pervert?” I demanded with a scowl. I stopped short as I saw the rest of the party staring at me. “I-I’m trying to invent my own joke. What…uh…why is 88 better than 69? Because you get eight twice. Y-You pervert thought it was because of being a contortion…it’s a work in progress.” I trailed off lamely.

“I don’t get it,” Alarice shook her head.

“What’s getting eight?” Sayuri asked, big eyes blinking.

“It’s this,” Sascha stuck her tongue out and simulated licking up and down, much to the horror of the others. Sayuri cocked her head to the side and began to lick up and down. “Only someone does it to you.”

“Li’ thith?” Sayuri asked, tongue licking the air.

“Little more attention at the top,” Sascha grinned.

“Stop!” Carrisyn snapped, turning a baleful eye toward me as if to say, ‘Do you see what you’ve done?’

“I know I agreed to this ride share thing, but you can’t just keep doing that all the time!” I thought in exasperation. “I have no idea what I’m doing 99% of the time and don’t need you making it harder.”

“I do apologize, dear,” the voice sounded contrite.

“What should I call you, by the way?” I asked as I drew closer to the group who were still trying to get Sascha to stop attempting to explain to Sayuri what I’d meant. “Grnadmama seems kind of disingenuous, I guess.

“My name is Merialeth Venmoira Faetris Miasatra Silverbough,” the voice replied regally. “Queen of the Elves and Sovereign of the Northern Lands.”

“Eh,” I thought, “too long. I’ll call you Meri if that’s good with you.”

“That’s delightful!” Meri giggled. “I feel like a schoolgirl of a mere 300 with you! How absolutely refreshing!”

“So we need to establish some rules or this Uber’s gonna get messy,” I thought, not listening at all as the group began to discuss something else entirely, Sascha having backed off teaching Sayuri inappropriate things.

“Uber?” Meri asked.

“Doesn’t matter!” I thought in exasperation. “First rule: don’t read my thoughts. You’ll find things that will confuse and disturb you. I can’t help thinking these things and would prefer not trying to answer questions about them. It’s best if you simply keep to yourself. If you do happen to read my mind on accident do not judge me for what you find because you brought that shit on yourself by poking around.”

“Your words are very peculiar and quite interesting!” Meri mentioned.

“Moving on!” I thought. “Second rule: If I need you, I’ll think your name first and then think what I need help with. Like this: ‘Meri, I need to find a buy one get one free coupon for dagger cleaning and sharpening services in the greater forest area. Please help!’ Ok?”

“Coupon for dagger…?” Meri trailed off.

“It was just an example! Third and final rule: Don’t take me over and make me do even more stupid, dangerous, or insane things than I already manage on my own.”

“Very well, my young friend, you have my word. I shall be as quiet and unobtrusive as a mote of dust in the dark,” Meri answered. I hesitated for a moment.

“Does Carrisyn really love me, do you think?” I thought sheepishly. There was no corresponding reply, and I was both relieved and disappointed. I’d have to do a Meri says on that question later, I decided.

“I’m very uncomfortable with this plan,” Sascha shook her head. “Too much can go wrong.”

“Please,” Lysabel stared up at Sascha pleadingly. “I need to do this.” Sascha glanced over at Carrisyn.

“I can’t disagree,” Carrisyn shrugged. “She’s earned it, I think.”

“I agree as well,” Zelaeryn and Alarice said together.

“I wanna agree, too!” I announced brightly, feeling like I’d just gotten to school late and missed a pop quiz announcement I would regret not hearing later.

“Friend Ashvallen!” Sayuri exclaimed happily, throwing herself on me again, drawing me into a bear hug, her breasts nearly swallowing my neck. If I had to go, I decided, this was how I’d want it to happen.

“By my calculations we still have several hours of daylight left in Arkbridge,” Carrisyn dragged the cat girl off me with a sigh. “I imagine the guard will still be waiting for us at the manor, but I have another anchor we can use.”

“Then let’s use that,” Sascha nodded.

“Anchor?” I asked impotently. I’d missed the whole conversation and Carrisyn seemed disinclined to go back over things at the moment. I felt I was being punished and, honestly, couldn’t really disagree with the decision to do so.

“Then let’s go, then,” Carrisyn decided, yanking Sayuri back as she tried to run toward me again.

“Yes,” Zelaeryn nodded. “It is best to leave this tomb as quickly as possible.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, hurrying to catch up to Carrisyn as Sayuri wriggled free and grabbed onto my arm, humming joyfully as we walked out of the library. Carrisyn scowled at me and turned away. “Awww! Come on! Tell me!”

“You should have paid attention,” Carrisyn huffed.

“You know you want to tell me,” I prodded as Sayuri purred deep in her throat as she rubbed her cheek on my shoulder.

“I do not,” Carrisyn sniffed.

“You’ll tell me because you love me. Admit it,” I glanced up at her with my best puppy dog eyes.

“I will admit no such thing,” Carrisyn growled.

“So, you don’t love me?” I pouted. “Not even a little?”

“I never said that.” She glanced away.

“So you do love me!” I pressed with a grin.

“I never said that!” Carrisyn hurried away from me.

“You’re so tsundere!” I giggled.

“Don’t label me!” Carrisyn snapped and hurried to catch up to Zelaeryn leading the way.

“She’s tsundere,” I grinned at Sayuri.

“Sun deer?” Sayuri blinked and cocked her head to the side, studying Carrisyn carefully. “Sayuri does not think she looks like a deer.”

“Well, the sun deer is a very elusive and frequently dishonest with itself creature,” I grinned.

“Okie!” Sayuri agreed without understanding in the least.

“Hurry up or you will be left behind,” Carrisyn growled back at us. I grinned at her and we hurried to catch up to the rest of the group.

We retraced our steps back through the castle, most of the husks were gone, vaporized, in the library and the few we did encounter simply gazed at us with blank eyes and shuffled off, their purpose apparently lost. Eventually we found ourselves back in the room we had entered through.

“Everyone stand in a circle and hold hands,” Carrisyn ordered, setting up position in the center of the room and spreading her arms.

“Remember the last time we were in this room,” I asked quietly, holding her hand while Sayuri took my other hand.

“Yes,” Carrisyn nodded, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Me, too,” I sighed, imagining Carrisyn naked. “We should do that again. Lots more times!”

“We have other things to do,” Carrisyn replied coldly before grinning at me slyly. “But I wouldn’t be against it at some point in the future.”

“You are a nymphomaniac in training, I see!”

“It takes one to know one,” Carrisyn winked at me.

“Well, you’re definitely not wro- “my stomach dropped through the floor and the world vanished around me as Carrisyn’s spell activated.