Chapter Text
“So is this your home?” Luz asked as she dismounted Precious. “Wow. That horse was fast!”
“That is because he has echoes bound to him,” Tessa explained.
“Yes,” Prescia said. “Can’t get by in Necronum without binding a few echoes to your service.”
Luz then let out a yawn and began to walk toward the cottage’s front door, only to be grabbed by her robe’s collar from behind.
“Not so fast,” Prescia said. “I will be the first one to enter.”
Luz turned around and looked at Prescia funny. “Why? Are you superstitious?”
“Because I’m suspicious,” Prescia hissed. “The only reason you’re here is because I was able to confirm that you are indeed an escaped slave from the outside by looking at Tessa’s memories.”
Luz’s eyes widened. “Wait. We have the power to read minds?!”
“That kind of ability usually takes years to understand,” Prescia grumbled.
“Well, it did take you a while to figure your power out, didn’t it?” Tessa asked.
Prescia turned around to face her. “You and I will both enter before Light Girl.”
Luz raised an eyebrow. “Uh, my name is Luz.”
“Yes, Light Girl,” Prescia said, taking Tessa’s hand and leading her inside the cottage. Luz followed them inside. The door led into a living room with a bench, a bookshelf, a trapdoor, and a wooden rocking chair. There was also a doorway that led into a bedroom.
“Why did you call me Light Girl?” Luz asked.
“I’m getting some rest and I suggest you two do as well,” Prescia declared. “Tessa, you get the rocking chair while Light Girl gets the bench.” Prescia then walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
“Whoa. Your aunt is something,” Luz said.
“Yes,” Tessa said. “She was mentored by the legendary Serbus Kingsley, who is said to be the most deadly weaver to ever live.”
Luz’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes,” Tessa said. “Although, try not to bring it up to her. I’ve tried to speak to her about how she feels to have been mentored by the most ruthless fighter among weavers before, and she always demands not to speak about it.”
Luz raised an eyebrow. “Huh. Guess she must not…” Luz let out a yawn. “Oh well, that was a long ride. I think I’m gonna…” she then walked over to the bench. “Settle down now… here.” She felt frustrated that Prescia had given her a hard space as a sleeping spot.
When Luz woke up, she rolled off the hard bench and flopped onto the hard floorboards. She groaned and crawled over to a nearby rug. She looked back across the room and saw that Tessa was fast asleep on the rocking chair. She smiled, and drifted off again. When she woke up, she found Tessa sitting next to the bookshelf, gazing at a paperback book with excitement.
“Tessa?” Luz asked. “What… what have you got there?”
“Oh, Luz. You wouldn’t believe it,” Tessa said, sounding more excited than ever before. “Prescia has The Fabled Regions! All four books! And I’ve only read the first two!”
Luz perked up. “That fantasy story you were telling me about? Can I read it?”
“Sure!” Tessa replied, handing her the book. On the cover was the title The Fabled Regions on on illustration of a wooden slab with the subtitle Monster Region on a smaller slab beneath it and the name “Brendon Yu” in light brown letters at the bottom. Between these, there was an illustration of a young boy standing in front of a giant creature that looked like a hybrid of a spider and a squid. It had the head of a squid with a giant round eye surrounded by seven smaller ones at the center, walked on eight spider legs, and used two giant tentacles as arms. The boy clutched a battleaxe that glowed a teal color in his hands.
“Whoa,” Luz said, taken aback by the artwork. “Stylish.”
“I know,” Tessa replied, taking another book from the shelf. “I can’t wait to talk about it with you.”
“Alright,” Luz said, opening the book. As she opened it, a great feeling of excitement began to unfold inside of her. She had escaped a grand prison and was now living with the most powerful magic user in the land! And the land was huge! While traveling on Precious, Luz had glimpsed many fancy things before they entered the desolate area that contained Prescia’s home. Not to mention she had access to a book series that an interesting young girl like Tessa was excited about. Could this book series surpass The Good Witch Azura as her favorite? She was about to find out.
As Luz read through the book, she was quite impressed. The book followed a young boy named John Goldberg who was established as just an ordinary kid on Earth in the opening pages until some kind of magic portal opened nearby. When he saw that it led to a fantastic land, he seized his moment and leapt through, only to immediately regret it as he was instantly abducted by shady figures. He was then sent to a mine where human slaves gathered the remnants of dead monsters by living ones and repeatedly got attacked and eaten by them. After nearly sixty pages of this, John escaped the mines and found a battleaxe dipped in the blood of an ancient creature that he used to fight his pursuers off. He then found out that he was in a land called the Fabled Regions, where four areas used their resources to battle over the area in between, where all the powers could exist. John then went on a quest across Monster Region, the region he was currently in, and battled the leader of the region, a creature known as the Squider, and won by striking it in the central eye with the battleaxe he had acquired. The end of he book then revealed that there was a figure in the next region, known as Warrior Region, that was requesting John’s presence.
“Well,” Luz said as she closed the book. “That was pretty interesting.”
Tessa looked up from the book she was currently reading, which was titled Spirit Region, and looked to Luz. “It’s great, isn’t it? I think that the writer may have been told about the Outskirts by someone from here and got inspired by it.”
“Really?” Luz asked. “That’s… interesting.” She then looked down at her book. “I don’t like this as much as The Good Witch Azura, but I did find it more captivating than Cynthia Coven.”
“How come?” Tessa asked.
“Well,” Luz said. “The Fabled Regions does have a much more interesting world and story potential than Cynthia Coven, but I just didn’t get attached to the characters there like I did with the ones in The Good Witch Azura.”
“Oh. Alright,” Tessa said sheepishly, bowing her head.
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Luz said, walking over and placing a hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “You were the first real friend I made here. I couldn’t be more happy.” She then held out a hand. “By the way, is there anything you can tell me about messaging?”
Tessa nodded. “Messages can normally only be read by echoes that give off the same type of music, but advanced weavers can change the music to match specific echoes.”
Luz nodded. “Is there any way I can contact my deceased father?” Luz asked before something awkward suddenly occurred to her. “I mean, can people from the Outside come here?”
“People from any world can come to the echolands,” Tessa said. “Although, most echoes come from other places in the Outskirts. Though, there is a natural law that allows a mortal to find their most important figure that resides there when they express their genuine greatest wish.”
“Really?” Luz asked. She then stood tall and proud. “In that case, my greatest wish is to become a witch like Azura or a hero like John Goldberg!” she said, sweeping her arm through the air in a dramatic fashion. Nothing happened.
Tessa regarded her with a hint of sadness. “Are you sure that was your greatest wish?” Tessa asked.
“Well, yes. At least I think it is,” Luz replied.
Tessa sighed. “Well, maybe you just don’t have a most important figure here.”
“What?” Luz exclaimed. “Isn’t this place huge? How could I not-”
“Light girl,” Luz heard Prescia declare. She looked back and saw Prescia standing at the front of the living room, still holding the lantern staff in her hand. “You haven’t done anything to Tessa, have you?”
“I… I… uh…” Luz stammered.
“She’s fine!” Tessa said. “She’s actually been-”
“I didn’t ask you,” Prescia interrupted. “And I don’t need your input. As I said earlier, I already have all the information on her that you could provide. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to get some rest in my room while I get Light Girl’s input.”
Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Her name is Luz, Prescia. Not Light Girl.”
“Lose?” Prescia asked. “What did she lose, exactly?”
Luz groaned. “It’s Luz!” she shouted. “L-U-Z!”
Tessa turned to Luz. “It’s one of the driving elements of the Outskirts. Here, we all here our native language, and Prescia’s clearly been living in isolation for a long time. Does your name mean Light Girl in another language?”
“Well, yes,” Luz admitted. “My name does mean light in Spanish.”
Tessa nodded. “The force can be unstable at times.”
Prescia grumbled. “Yes, yes, yes. Can you just let me speak with this Luz girl like I ordered, Tessa?”
Tessa nodded. “I suppose this is your house, Aunty. I ought to follow your rules.” She then walked over to the door to Prescia’s bedroom and went inside. As soon as she was out of the picture, Prescia turned to face Luz.
“Hold out your hand,” Prescia ordered.
“So you want to read my mind?” Luz asked, getting excited.
“Indeed,” Prescia replied. “I must make sure that you are the type of person I would trust to live with me.”
Luz giggled and held out her hand. “All yours, madame.”
Prescia rolled her eyes back and accepted the hand. She traced Luz’s palm with her finger, then turned her hand over a few times. Colors flickered in her amber irises. Suddenly, she released Luz’s hand with a look of disgust.
“I knew you couldn’t be trusted!” Prescia shouted.
Luz regarded Prescia with shock. “Wh-why?” she stammered.
“I saw your memories!” Prescia spat. “You’re in love with a girl! And you’re naive enough to see it as normal romance!”
Luz stared at Prescia in shock. Was the most powerful weaver in the land really like this? Whatever the reason was, Luz was in no place to argue. “I… I like boys too…” she stammered.
“Not an excuse,” Prescia snarled. “Not to mention that your feelings for this girl are particularly special. Such behavior always leads to jealousy and exploitation.” She then grabbed Luz’s arm. “You’re going in the corner until you can learn the errors of your ways. Be glad I’m compassionate enough not to throw you out into the cruel landscape of the Deadlands.” Prescia then pulled Luz over to the trapdoor, opened it, and tossed Luz inside.
After hitting the rock-hard ground in the dark room, Luz attempted to get back up on her feet, but Prescia landed next to her and yanked her up by the arm. With Prescia’s lantern staff lighting up the place, Luz could see that she was in the middle of a hallway that dead-ended both ways with stone blocks on all sides. There were four doorways up ahead and three doorways behind. Prescia dragged Luz to the farthest doorway up ahead and into an empty room with nothing but a wooden stool in the corner. Prescia dragged Luz over to the stool, pulled some rope out of her robe, and sat Luz down before tying her to the stool.
“Hey!” Luz cried. “Why are you doing this?!”
“I don’t want to live with a child who believes corrupt ways are acceptable,” Prescia hissed. “Therefore, I am leaving you here to think about the potential consequences of such actions and will not release you until you come to the proper understanding. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Luz fell silent as Prescia put the finishing touches on Luz’s bonds and then strode out the doorway. Was she really trapped in this cold basement room all tied up? She tried to thrash around to move the stool, only to find that it was either glued or bolted to the floor. She thought of Prescia’s words. What exactly did Prescia mean by “leading to jealousy and exploitation”? Was she worried about gay people being jealous of straight people? Or was there some kind of policy in the Outskirts where people would get paid just for being gay? Maybe there was. She could assure Prescia that she didn’t support it.
“Prescia!” Luz called. “I think I understand you now! Can you come back down?” Prescia did not come back down. “Prescia!” Luz called louder. “Can’t you hear me? I think I know what you’re talking about!” Still, no one responded. Luz sighed and bowed her head. “Please… come… back…” she whimpered.
About an hour later, Luz heard a creaking sound and perked up. Within seconds, Prescia arrived in the room.
“Prescia!” Luz exclaimed. “Is there some kind of policy that pays people just for being gay here in the Outskirts? ‘Cause if so, I don’t support it!”
Presica’s face twisted with disgust. “What in the torivor are you talking about?” Her expression suddenly became even more disgusted. “Do you have one of those in your world?!”
Luz shrunk down sheepishly. “Uh… kind of.”
Prescia glared at Luz. “Then perhaps you need more time than I expected,” she declared, turning to leave again.
“No, wait!” Luz pleaded. “I’m not jealous of straight people! I thought I was one myself for a while!”
Prescia, however, did not respond and once again left Luz alone, tied up in the basement room. After several minutes, Luz once again heard a creaking sound and felt a glimmer of hope. Had Prescia reconsidered? When Tessa entered the room, both hers and Luz’s eyes widened.
“Luz?!” Tessa exclaimed. “What are you doing down here?! Prescia told me you ran away!”
Luz was instantly filled with disgust. “She lied to you?!”
“Apparently,” Tessa sighed. “Why… why did she do this?”
“Well…” Luz said, not sure how she would be able to explain this to a girl as young as Tessa. “Prescia saw that I had a crush on one of my friends, and she didn’t like the way that I liked them.”
Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know,” Luz said. “I don’t know.”
“Tessa!” Came the voice of Prescia as she strode into the room, not carrying her lantern this time around. “I told you not to come down here!”
Luz glared towards Prescia angrily. “You lied to her!” Luz yelled. “What kind of caring aunt does that?!”
Prescia just glared back. “The protective kind!” Prescia snapped. “Too much knowledge can ruin a child’s innocence!”
“Yeah, I know!” Luz yelled. “But lying about my circumstances is nothing like that!”
Tessa suddenly turned to face Prescia and both her eyes widened. “A fire usually requires materials to burn,” she declared. “But some fires can come together and burn each other, warming all.”
Luz and Prescia both stared at Tessa for a few moments before Prescia spoke up. “What… what do you…” Prescia began before her eyes widened. “No. You cannot be sincere.”
“I don’t know,” Tessa replied, shrugging. “It just came to me.”
“What just happened?” Luz asked before she remembered what the people at the Temple of Still Water had said about Tessa. “Hey, she’s saying something about my future, isn’t she?”
“No,” Prescia said. “There has to be… wait. Warming can mean burning can’t it?”
“I don’t think that’s what it meant,” Tessa said. “I felt relaxed.”
“Don’t… don’t you always feel relaxed when these things come to you?” Prescia asked.
“No. I’ve felt fear before,” Tessa said.
Prescia then began grinding her teeth and twitching her eyes in every conceivable direction, letting out frustrated groans. After nearly a minute of this, she threw her arms into the air. “Alright, very well!” she burst out. “We can go your way, Tessa!” She then walked over to Luz and removed her bindings. She then took both Luz and Tessa’s hands and led them out of the basement.
Luz’s optimism began to return. “Hey, can you teach me something new now?” she asked Prescia.
Prescia glared down at Luz. “I don’t need you to be able to threaten me,” she grumbled, walking into her room.
“Hey, wait!” Luz protested, following her inside. “I’m not going to threaten you! You’re my mentor! The only way a chosen one fights their mentor is if they turn into a villain!”
Prescia regarded Luz with confusion. “Chosen one? What’s that?”
“Well, you have Fabled Region books, don’t you?” Luz asked. “John Goldberg is the hero of that story because he’s the outsider! And he’s the protagonist!”
Prescia still looked confused. “Fabled Regions books?”
Luz groaned, walked back into the living room, retrieved the book she had read, and went back into Prescia’s room. “This,” Luz explained, holding the book up for Prescia to see.
Prescia sighed. “The only reason there are books here is that they provide material for writing messages if I need to.”
“What?!” Luz exclaimed, instinctively holding the book away. “You can’t tear up things like these! They’re important!”
Tessa then walked into the doorway and saw that Luz was holding the Fabled Regions book. “What?” Tessa exclaimed. “Prescia wants to rip that?!”
Prescia let out a low-pitched groan. “I spend most of my time in the echolands,” she said. “I don’t have time to read things.”
“Why do you have a bookshelf, then?” Luz asked.
“To store them,” Prescia said.
“You can’t rip up books!” Tessa protested. “They could hold important information!”
Prescia let out another groan. “Important information buried under heaps of worthless information.”
Luz perked up. “Wait a minute, Prescia! If you read my mind, why were you surprised about-” she suddenly remembered Tessa was present and decided to try and word her claim in a way that wouldn’t make Prescia furious. “How… how did you not know about the special time?”
Prescia rolled her eyes. “I can read minds, but I’m not the best. My powers are tuned towards a variety of weaving abilities. But I’m not the best mind reader. I can only see the important stuff.”
“Wow,” Luz said, bowing her head. “I’m… I’m kind of disappointed.”
Prescia snorted. “Not exactly surprised, given your clear excitement regarding your fantasy stories.”
“You saw the fantasy stories?” Tessa asked.
“Yes. And I don’t care,” Prescia grumbled. “Thinking you’re special only makes disappointment more intense. I’m one of countless Grand Shapers, not to mention the one who was in the position when the worst High King of all came to power. It’s not a helpful idea.”
“Come on!” Luz protested. “I started out as a regular slave, but then I met up with the Grand Shaper’s niece and then her herself! Is that not enough to believe that I, Luz Noceda, have a predetermined path of greatness? Just like Azura and John?”
“Could have just been one massive coincidence,” Prescia said. “Now quit pestering me. Otherwise, I might actually change my mind about you and throw you out in the middle of the Deadlands. Which is essentially a death sentence. Understood?”
“Echolands are an essential structure,” Tessa said. “Dirt from which green life sprouts from.”
Luz turned to Tessa, looking confused. “The echolands are the place the echos live, right?” Luz asked. “Is it possible to go there alive?”
“You’ve been there alive,” Tessa said. “Remember Gamat Rue? Remember how we both glowed brighter than the other echoes there? That’s because we still had our lifesparks.”
Luz stood silent for a few moments before Prescia spoke up. “Lifesparks are what give humans life. Echoes are the bodies they take on in the echolands when they die. Here in Necronum, echoes can be removed from the bodies of living humans, where they are bound until the mortal dies. When the mortal dies, they will become one with their echo and gain all the memories it had after it was removed on top of their own. There is also a way in which the lifespark can be removed, which is what you experienced at Gamat Rue.”
Luz’s eyes widened. “I… I only thought that the prison was in a special dimension. You’re saying that I actually went to the echolands? Can I go there again?”
Prescia sighed. “Girl, the echolands around here are flooding with hostility. The Deadlands are a place where echoes that were killed in their echo states gather. Echoes like that love to bathe themselves in the warmth of echoes that still have their lifespark.”
Luz was struck with confusion. “Wait. Echoes can be killed? Does that mean there are two afterlifes?”
“We think so,” Tessa said. “Killing echoes does weaken them, but it doesn’t send them out of the echolands. The only way to leave is to ride a slipstream. We believe that slipstreams are the way to another plain of existence.”
“A slipstream?” Luz asked. “Like some kind of demented river?”
“Precisely,” Prescia said. “If you ever go to the echolands, you must avoid these at all costs. What flows in them is not water. It is a substance called ether. When you get close, you’ll hear a demented kind of music. Though, if you try to listen, you’ll here music that expresses the feeling of home. Don’t listen to it. It kills.”
“Home music kills?” Luz asked in confusion.
“Yes it does,” Prescia said. “I know it sounds absurd, but it does.”
Luz nodded. “Right. Avoid pretty music.”
“Excellent conclusion,” Prescia congratulated. “Now, will you leave me to rest?”
“Hang on,” Luz said. “Can I go into the echolands?”
Prescia groaned. “What did I just say? It’s too dangerous. You could suffer a fate worse than death out there.”
“I don’t want to go into the Deadlands!” Luz protested. “I just want to see what this place is like out there!”
Prescia sighed. “If you want to see it, it won’t last long. The paradise is small.”
“I don’t care!” Luz said. “I just want to see it!”
Prescia sighed. “Alright. If you’re so insistent.” Prescia then reached down and picked up her lantern staff. She then placed her hand on Luz’s shoulder. Luz then felt the same great sensation she felt at Gamat Rue and then felt herself in the same room only Prescia and Tessa were not present. Not only that, but she was experiencing some gentle music. She then exited the bedroom and found that the living room was the same, only the bookshelf and basement hatch were missing. Luz looked down at her hands and saw that they were gleaming white, just as they had been at Gamat Rue. Thinking back to what Prescia had said about lifesparks, Luz wondered if they had any kind of magical properties she could draw upon. Of course, she had been able to use her powers at Gamat Rue, Luz wondered if she could use her lifespark in a similar way. She then focused on her glowing skin and tried to grab hold of it the same way she grabbed hold of her power, but she could not feel anything. She then tried to thrust her arm forward to shoot energy out of it, but that didn’t work either. Apparently, none that Luz knew of.
Luz then sighed in defeat and exited the house only to be shocked at what laid in front of her.
When she had arrived at Prescia’s cottage, there had only been four trees around it with everything else being a barren wasteland. Here, there were massive fir trees all around, exuding the fresh smell of pine sap and the greenest grass Luz had ever laid eyes on. Her eyes lit up. Prescia had been right. This place was a paradise! She then stepped off the porch and looked up at the sky. It was bluer than any sky she had ever seen. The multiple suns shown down like spotlights. As Luz continued on, however, she came to a point where the blue sky abruptly ended and a misty dark sky began. Luz then slowed down and peaked out between the trees. Beyond them, she saw a desolate wasteland covered in ridges, outcroppings, and sinkholes. Countless figures wandered the area. Just then, every single one of them turned her way.
“It’s that slave!” one of them shouted.
“She’s exposed!” another one yelled.
“Quick! Get her before she can get back inside!” another shouted.
Luz then instinctively leapt back. These people were clearly not friendly.
A massive crowd then gathered at the edge of the trees. “Come out here!” one of the echoes yelled. “We mean no harm!” another cried. “You’re very special!” another pleaded. “We love weavers!” another yelled.
Luz narrowed her eyes. She remembered what Prescia had told her about dead echoes. Apparently all these people wanted to bask in her warmth. She sighed. Apparently, Prescia’s paradise really was small. A few steps later, however, an idea occurred to her. Her music did attract people like her, didn’t it? What if one of those dead echoes was like that? She then reached into her power and withdrew a string. She then dispersed it and many of the dead echoes fell back. One of them, however, a man in a trenchcoat, dress shoes and a wool hat disappeared and was now standing right next to Luz.
“Whoa!” Luz exclaimed. “You share my music! That must mean you’re a friend!”
The man looked down at Luz with narrowed eyes for a moment, then shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, I do love fantasy literature.”
Luz’s eyes lit up. “You do?! Like The Good Witch Azura or Cynthia Coven or The Fabled Regions?”
The man’s eyes widened a bit. “Well, I have read The Fabled Regions. It was good. What’s your favorite part?”
In the depths of a canyon, a massive, nightmarish creature that looked like a hybrid of a spider and a squid stood over a young boy carrying a glowing battleaxe. “Foolish child!” the creature bellowed. “I could squash you like an insect!”
“Do not think low of me, Squider!” the boy declared. “I am John Goldberg the human! Traveler and conqueror of worlds!” After a brief pause, he got down on one knee and held the battleaxe above his head. “Now eat this, sucka!” he shouted, hurling his weapon at the Squider’s central eye.
“No!” the Squider cried. “My only weakness! Blindness!”
“And that’s the end!” Luz declared.
The man looked at her funny. “Really? That’s your summation of the first book?”
“Yeah! I think I did a pretty good job!” Luz replied.
“You really like John Goldberg, don’t you?” the man asked.
“Well, yeah,” Luz said, feeling unsure as she couldn’t really recall any special character traits John had. “He’s… pretty cool.”
The man placed his hands together, stared for small while, then nodded. “Well,” he said. “If you’re that much of an adventure lover, I have this for you.” He then reached into a pocket on his trenchcoat and pulled out what looked like a rolled up piece of parchment. He then unraveled it and revealed what looked like a map with multiple forms of terrain split up by rivers with a glowing dotted line that led to a drawing of a banjo on top.
“A map to a banjo?” Luz asked.
“Not just any banjo,” the man said. “Harvan Kane’s banjo. You have heard of Harvan Kane, haven’t you?”
“Uh, no…” Luz admitted. “I am kind of new here. Wait. Is he some kind of awesome hero?”
The man winked. “Indeed. Renowned across all five kingdoms. His banjo is said to be able to project nightmares for all kinds of hostile echoes when strummed. It is said that he made it with the help of the Grand Shapers Serbus Kingsley and Denshi Ridal.”
“Hey, I think I’ve heard of one of those people!” Luz cried. “One of them mentored Prescia and was the most dangerous weaver to ever live!”
“Aw, yes,” the man said. “He is-” the man suddenly stopped short. “I need to go. Good luck.” He then turned and ran.
“Hey, wait!” Luz called. “What’s your name? I didn’t even get to know your name!”
“Having a conversation with a stranger?” a familiar female voice asked from behind. Luz turned around to see Prescia behind her, also gleaming white and carrying her lantern staff.
“Prescia!” Luz exclaimed. “You’ll never believe this! I summoned someone here and he gave me this!” She then held up the map. “It’s a map to Harvan Kane’s banjo!”
Prescia winced and rushed forward, tearing the map from Luz’s hands and tearing it up. “Don’t accept messages from echoes!” Prescia yelled. “Do you not remember what happened in the temple you got kicked out of?”
“Hey! I never gave him one!” Luz protested.
“Well, accepting messages like these gives him knowledge of our location!” Prescia yelled, tearing the map in half. “And we don’t know who he could be working with!”
“No!” Luz cried, grabbing the remains of the map. “Don’t do this! It’s my only chance!”
“Girl, no one knows where Harvan’s banjo lies!” Prescia snapped, hurling the last of the torn map to the ground. “And even if someone does find it, it’s cursed so that no on except Harvan can pick it up! And he’s dead!”
“R-really?” Luz asked.
“Really,” Prescia growled. “Now don’t accept messages like this ever again or I’ll cut your hands off and use the bloody stumps at the end to paint warning signs at the edge of my territory.”
Luz winced at Prescia’s threat. Would she really do that? If so, she was possibly even worse than the slavers! And the temple denizens! And she was the Grand Shaper! And one who outright opposed the High King! Why was she so mean? “Well, can I at least stay out here and try to explore for a little longer?” Luz asked.
“No,” Prescia immediately replied, grabbing Luz by the wrist and dragging her back to the cottage in spite of her protests. Once they got there, Prescia pulled Luz into her room and Luz immediately found herself lying on the floor, feeling a variety of sensations that had been absent in her bright echo form. She felt hunger, thirst and soreness. She tried to get up, but couldn’t. Then she found Tessa standing over her, looking concerned.
“Did you do something to make Prescia mad?” Tessa asked.
“Apparently,” Luz muttered.
“Indeed,” Prescia declared, rising from her bed with her lantern staff in hand. “She accepted a message from a shady echo.”
“Hey, I summoned him!” Luz protested. “He responded to my music!”
“Just because he liked your music doesn’t mean he’s your ally,” Prescia muttered.
“Indeed,” Tessa sighed. “I’ve made the same mistake before. You really have to careful in Necronum. Echoes are all around. You may not be able to see them, but you can feel them. In many ways. It could be a chill up your spine, the air getting colder, or just the feeling of being watched. You have to be careful.”
Luz blinked her eyes in confusion. “You mean they can kidnap you?”
“Yes,” Prescia said. “If they’re desperate enough. Usually though, they need to make a deal with the mortal before they do so.”
Luz gave a slow nod. “Is there anything you can teach me about how to deal with them?”
“Maybe if you earned my trust,” Prescia snorted. She then began to speak under her breath. “If the Mare supported you.”
“What was that?” Luz asked.
“None of your concern,” Prescia replied bluntly. “Now leave me and don’t try to influence my niece in any way. Otherwise, I’ll track you down and you will be severely punished. Either that, or you’ll lead her out of this place, you’ll both be captured, and I’ll have to go and save her.” Prescia then flopped down in her bed, still clutching the lantern staff.
“I’m sorry about my aunt,” Tessa said as they left the room. “I’ve never seen her this bitter before.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Luz replied before an idea sprung into her head. “Hey, can you tell me how to get into the echolands?”
“Focus your power on the light that radiates from your body and remove it,” Tessa replied.
“Uh… thank you!” Luz said, beginning to focus on her inner power.
“Wait!” Tessa protested. “I didn’t actually know. It was just my power! It just came to me!”
“Huh?” Luz asked, losing her concentration. “It just… came to you?”
Tessa sighed. “It’s my power, remember?”
Luz nodded. “Well, I guess I ought to thank your power. But still, thank you. I mean, I wouldn’t have that information if you weren’t with me.” Suddenly, something else occurred to her. “Hey, that thing about fire earlier. Were you talking about me and my friend?” Luz began to feel excited.
Tessa remained silent for a few moments before responding. “I’m not sure,” Tessa replied. When I said that, I could only feel the warmth of some flames. I couldn’t feel people.”
Luz nodded again. “I’m still going to assume you were talking about us. I mean, I was there when you said that. Anyway, I’m going to go back to the echolands now.”
“No!” Tessa said. “Don’t… don’t go to the echolands! I’ve heard about the Deadlands! It’s dangerous out there!”
Luz raised an eyebrow. “I was just out there.”
“Only to get a look around,” Tessa replied.
“Yeah,” Luz said. “And that’s… I’m gonna do that again.”
“You didn’t see everything in the time you were gone?” Tessa asked.
“Well… no…” Luz half-truthed. “I was… thinking about The Fabled Regions.”
Tessa nodded. “I can’t wait for you to finish it.”
“Me neither,” Luz said, focusing back on her power. Looking in, she found her power, but she thought about what Tessa had said about the light that radiated from her body. How could she sense it? She looked all around her insides but found nothing. Then an idea occurred to her. She searched for an outline. When she did, she noticed beams of light that shot out of her innards right beneath her skin. She looked around and found that they were all over her. Luz then focused her power on the beams in her nose and pushed them out. They resisted. Luz then gritted her teeth and pushed as hard as she could. She then felt all the insane sensations of having her lifespark removed and once again found herself in the room as it was in the echolands. Luz then turned and ran out the door. She then ran over to the remains of the message that Prescia had torn up and desperately tried to piece it together. When she did, she noticed glowing words appear on the page. They read, Harvan’s banjo lies in the House of Heartlings, Only those worthy of lifting the banjo will be capable of reading this message, and Whoever holds this message will be protected from the hostility of dead echoes.
Luz’s eyes then widened. “That’s it!” she exclaimed. “I can wield the banjo! I am a chosen one! Just like Azura and John!” She then remembered Marcy’s favorite series. “And Cynthia!”
Luz then picked up the shredded message and ran in the direction that the map provided. She then exited the oasis into the Deadlands. A large group of dead echoes then started to come her way, but halted once they came within five feet.
“Put that paper down!” yelled one of them. “Stop! You don’t know where you’re going!” cried another. “You don’t need that banjo!” yelled another dead echo. “You’re already the most beautiful girl to ever live!”
Luz continued to ignore them as she ran up a steep hill. Surprisingly, she never had to stop to catch her breath as she ran. However, she did have to be careful not to let the map fall apart. After following the map across the barren plains and over several steep hills, the depressing music that played in the Deadlands began to fade and the sky began to brighten up until it looked like duskday, with the sky sporting colors brighter than Luz ever could have imagined. Eventually, she came to a large gash in the ground that contained what looked like an abnormal stream inside. It gave off music that sounded like an orchestral windstorm and made Luz feel chilled. She then looked back at the map and saw that she had to follow the channel in the opposite direction of its flow until she came across a cluster of black rocks. Then she had to go to the left in a straight direction until she came across another. Then she had to go in the opposite direction of that stream until she came to a mill-like building that was built over the stream. Then she had to follow a nearby road until she came the House of Heartlings.
Luz then ran along the stream adjacent to a stretch of sand dunes, a colorful swamp and an unnaturally flat brushland until she came to the rock cluster. She then turned left and began to run across the prairie only to eventually be confronted be a mysterious woman. She was about the same height as Luz, with a yellow shirt, overalls and dirty sandals. She had brown eyes, a mole on her right nostril, and fluffy gray hair.
“Aw. You’re different,” the woman greeted. “What’s that message you got there?”
“It’s a map to my ultimate destiny,” Luz said. “For I, Luz Noceda, am a chosen one and have been chosen by this map to embark on an amazing quest!”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Really?” She then took a look at he torn parchment Luz was holding. “That paper looks… plain.”
“Well then, ma’am,” Luz said. “That’s simply because I’m the one who it deems worthy.”
The woman grumbled. “Well, if you do become famous because of it, can you credit me as a person who spoke to you as a nobody?”
Luz sat hesitantly for a few moments, then nodded. “Sure! I can do that.”
Luz then continued across the prairie, repeatedly catching the attention of multiple traveling echoes because of her brightness. When they tried to speak with her. She always responded, “Sorry! Big important mission here!” and kept on running. Eventually, she came to the stream and began to follow it as the map directed. As she walked along, she felt enamored by the appearance of the stream. The stuff inside seemed to contain every shade of gray between black and white. A few times, she thought she heard a glimmer of beautiful music but willfully ignored it as she remembered Prescia’s warning. Eventually, she came to the mill-like building that the map described as the “Time Protector Channel House”. Luz then stepped onto the road and caught the attention of many echoes.
“Hey, she’s bright.” one said. “Delivering a message?” another asked.
“Well, kind of,” Luz replied bashfully, beginning to sprint. After nearly an hour of running across the road with several other buildings scattered across the prairie and ignoring the chatty echoes, Luz came to a fancy isolated building with a sign the read “House of Heartlings” attached to the side. It was wide in both directions, with four turrets like a castle and banners of all
Luz began to squeal with delight. “This is it!” She gushed, clutching the torn map against her chest. “I’m finally going to get the banjo!”
Luz walked up to the entrance and knocked. No one answered. Luz shrugged. “Must be abandoned,” she concluded, opening the door on her own. She then found herself in a room where every surface was composed of gleaming white bricks. In the center there was a pedestal with a fancy banjo mounted on it. It had rainbow colored strings, arcane runes painted on its body, and weirdly shaped tuning knobs.
“There it is!” Luz exclaimed, dropping the shredded map and running over to the banjo, picking it up. “I am worthy!”
“Indeed you are,” a deep female voice declared. The entrance then slammed shut and three of the four walls collapsed, revealing a larger room with dull gray brick walls covered in decaying moss. In one corner there was a large cage with four people inside. They all cried out with joy as soon as they saw her.
“Don’t worry!” Luz called, hefting the banjo. “I’ll free you guys!” Suddenly, the banjo in her hands transformed into a misshapen tree branch. The rainbow strings leapt off and bound themselves around her, causing her to fall to the ground.
“Aw, I knew I would find one,” the voice declared again. A woman then appeared in the room alongside the man that had given Luz the map. “Well done, Larry. You will get the most helpings.” She was also a bright echo, with short hair, a fancy ballgown, and a wide head.
“What?!” Luz exclaimed. “Who are you?”
“My name is Helki,” the woman replied. “I am a special kind of weaver. One that the citizens of the Outskirts like to call a hoarder. I collect special kinds of echoes for my entertainment. My interest lies in fantasy lovers, and you are the perfect candidate to feed my dead subjects.”
“Feed?!” Luz shouted in disbelief.
“Sure,” Helki replied. “Most of my subjects are dead echoes and crave feeling life again.” She then turned to grin at Luz. “Bright echoes like you are an exponential help with that.”
“This was a trap?!” Luz shouted. “You’re a horrible woman! You know what? I’ve been with the Grand Shaper Prescia Demorri before! If you don’t let me go, she’s gonna come and destroy you!”
“That may be true,” Larry cautioned. “I found her in an unusual oasis in the Deadlands. The only person capable of producing such a thing would be the Grand Shaper.”
Helki’s face then displayed a look of worry. She then placed a hand on Luz’s head and chuckled. “I can sense your uncertainty,” Helki said. “You may know her, but it doesn’t seem like she appreciates you. I don’t have to worry.”
Just then, a new figure appeared in the room. It was a tall woman that gleamed white and held a lantern staff. It was her! Prescia Demorri had come for Luz! Prescia then pointed her lantern at Helki. “What do you think you’re doing, hoarder?” Prescia growled.
“No!” Helki cried falling back and tearing the cage in the room open. Get her, minions!”
Prescia snorted and opened the shutter on the lantern and all the echoes that weren’t bright fell back, crying out. “No!” one cried. “Make it stop!” Larry shouted.
Prescia then held out a hand. “You hear that?” Prescia asked. “It’s the homesong. Get out of here and follow it! It’s the ultimate reward!”
The writhing echoes then gave faint smiles and tore through the entrance, running at supernatural speed in the direction Luz had come from.
“You,” Helki growled, glaring at Prescia with her fists clenched. “You will pay for this. When the High King-” She was cut off when colorful strings surrounded her mouth.
“We’ll see about that,” Prescia sneered before disappearing. Within seconds, The brightness that Helki radiated vanished. She now looked ordinary, with auburn hair, gray eyes, and a bright pink ballgown. In addition to this, the strings around her mouth fell away.
“No!” Helki cried. She then glared down at Luz. “That woman won’t get away with this. Not after I take away her-”
Helki was once again cut off by strings surrounding her mouth as Prescia appeared again. “This woman won’t harm anyone ever again,” Prescia assured Luz. She then approached Helki and held her lantern staff above her head. “Listen up, hoarder,” Prescia threatened. “Do you desire to continue living in the echolands?”
The strings binding Helki’s mouth suddenly disappeared. “Yes!” Helki burst out. “Please don’t make me a dead echo!”
“Well in that case,” Prescia said extending a hand. “Take my hand.”
Helki nodded and grabbed Prescia’s hand. The hoarder then disappeared and Prescia turned to face Luz. “Why did you come here?” Prescia demanded.
“I’m so sorry!” Luz burst out. “That message you tore up- it said it knew the way to Harvan’s banjo and that only those who could lift it could read the map. I didn’t know it was a trick! Please don’t cut my hands off! Please don’t throw me out for real!”
Prescia snorted. “Girl, I wasn’t being sincere when I made that violent threat. It was only a parental expression. Do you really think I would harm a child like that? Of course not. If so, I wouldn’t have taken you to my hideout. Not to mention my niece seems to have formed a genuine friendship with you and she would definitely be upset if she lost you.”
Luz narrowed her eyes. “You really think horrific violent threats are parental expressions? How’d you find me anyway? You didn’t put some kind of tracking spell on me, did you?”
Prescia then chuckled. “Actually, I did. When you first went to the echolands. I was worried you would wander off into the Deadlands and I would be forced to save you, so I placed a special string that only I can see around your echo. It has the ability to see through it and alert me if you are in danger. When you crossed over, Tessa came to me and said that you had crossed over for some unknown reason. When I heard that, I looked through the string and saw you running up a hill in the Deadlands. At first I decided to ignore you since I couldn’t feel any real danger, but after some time, I looked again and saw you looking at that torn up message and found out you were heading to the House of Heartlings. The few times I’ve went out in Necronum over the decades, I’ve made sure to take note of the activities of hoarders, and I knew that one of them resided here. Naturally, me and Tessa rode Precious here. You might be curious as to how we managed to get here so soon, but don’t worry. The explanation is simple. Time moves slower in the echolands. A day here is a day and a half in the living world.”
“Wow. That is a lot to take in,” Luz commented before something else caught her attention. “Tessa’s here too?”
“She is, but she is in the mortal world,” Prescia explained. “And I’ll take you to her once you undo your bindings.”
“Why can’t you undo my bindings?” Luz asked.
“Because I want to preserve my power,” Prescia replied. “And I know you can undo bindings on your own.”
Luz sighed and concentrated her power on her bindings, snapping them. “Okay. Can you take me to Tessa now?” Luz asked.
“Indeed,” Prescia replied, taking Luz’s hand. Suddenly, Luz was no longer in the same building. The building she was in was ruined, with no ceiling, torn up walls, and stones scattered about. It was nighttime, with grassy hills all around. Just outside stood Prescia’s horse, Precious. Nearby was the unconscious body of Prescia, sprawled out near a fallen stone. On the other side of the building stood Tessa, who was looking down at what must have been the body of Helki. It had its throat cut open and was oozing blood.
“Tessa!” Luz said in excitement.
Tessa turned around, displaying a horrified look. “Luz!” she exclaimed. “Prescia killed someone!”
“I certainly did,” came the voice of Prescia. Luz then turned to see Prescia rising, holding her lantern staff in one hand. “If I hadn’t, she would have given my whereabouts away to the High King’s agents. Anyway, she’s now bound to Precious.”
Luz felt nauseous looking at Helki’s body. Was Prescia really that kind of character? If so, Luz was definitely in the kind of story where the protagonist was in over their heads. “Happy to see me again, Tessa?” Luz asked.
“Yes,” Tessa said. “I was so worried when I found out you were going into a trap set by a hoarder.
“Yeah, and your body’s still at the hideout,” Prescia said. “And we can’t just take you back on Precious. Echoes, bright or not, are vulnerable in physical Necronum. His speed could damage you.”
“So what can we do?” Luz asked.
“I’m going to send you back to your true body,” Prescia declared, but be warned, the air of the place you wake up in will almost certainly be suffocating.” She then held up her lantern staff. “Without this, my oasis becomes vulnerable to the influence of the Deadlands.”
“What is it about that staff anyway?” Luz asked. “You’re always carrying it around and even hold onto it while your sleeping! Is it some kind of magic artifact?”
“It’s the most powerful talisman in Necronum,” Tessa said. “The Weaver’s Beacon. Wrought with countless unique abilities, it is an heirloom passed down by Grand Shapers.”
Prescia snorted. “That is not something our guest need to know.” She then turned to face Luz. “Anyway, in my bedroom underneath my bed, there is a small harp. When you strum it, it increases the volume of your music. If you repeatedly disperse small musical strings using your power while you strum the harp, you will be able to ward off any hostile echoes. Is that understood, Luz?”
Luz felt conflicted about how to respond considering Precia had referred to her as her and Tessa’s guest. Eventually, she decided that she really didn’t have any other options. “Yes, Prescia.”
“Excellent,” Prescia declared, taking Luz by the hand. Just then, Luz was no longer in the ruined building. She was lying on the floor of Prescia’s living room. Several sensations struck her that she hadn’t felt outside of her body. Soreness. Hunger. Thirst. Exhaustion. On top of that, the air around her felt dense and ice cold. She thought she could here devious and depressive whispers in her ears. She groaned before remembering what Prescia had told her.
Luz then slowly sat up and began to crawl in the direction of Prescia’s room. It was hard with the suffocating air, but she managed to get to Prescia’s bed and reach under it, where she felt something thin and light. She then pulled out a harp made of polished wood with eight strings. She then strummed it and heard her music for a few seconds. She strummed it again. More music. She then looked inside of herself and felt around for her power. Grasping it while she strummed the harp, she pulled out a small string and dispersed it. The air around her became less suffocating and she could no longer hear the eerie whispers. Keeping Prescia’s warning in mind, she repeatedly strummed the harp, dispersing strings of her energy as she did so. Eventually though, she felt tired and ached and couldn’t feel her power anymore and collapsed, closing her eyes as the suffocating air began to return. Several minutes later, she found herself waking up sitting on the rocking chair in the living room with Prescia and Tessa in front of her, the latter looking overjoyed.
“She’s waking up!” Tessa squealed. “I knew she could do it!”
“I’m glad too,” Prescia muttered. “Now, are you going to make deals with any other echoes out here, Luz?”
“No,” Luz promised. “I’m sorry. I wish I had told you, Tessa.”
“Please don’t worry me like that again,” Tessa pleaded. “I hate seeing people die.”
“Me too,” Luz said. “Though, I wish Prescia would train me.”
“Well,” Prescia said. “If you want my training, I need to be repaid in some way. You’re already living in my hideout, so there must be something I can use you for.” Her eyes then widened. “Aw. I know something.”
Prescia then walked over to the bookshelf, pulling out a large hardcover book and tearing out a large page. After fluttering her fingers over it for a few seconds, she looked up to face Luz.
“Luz, I need you take this message to Daniel Virgo. He’s the leader of the Unseen in Necronum and resides at a place called the House of Jazz. He needs to know Tessa is with me. This is very important.”
“Uh, okay,” Luz replied accepting the paper only to find that Prescia was still holding onto it.
“Not yet,” Prescia declared. “First, I need you to make a vow. Do you, Luz, vow to bring this message to Daniel Virgo?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Luz replied.
“You’re supposed to repeat after her,” Tessa pointed out.
“Oh. Right,” Luz chuckled awkwardly. “I, Luz Noceda, vow to bring this message to Daniel Virgo in the name of Prescia Demorri!”
A fancy yellow string then formed around the wrist which contained her bondmark. “Well done,” Prescia congratulated.
“What is this?” Luz asked, holding up her arm and pointing at the string.
“That’s a slave errand’s shackle,” Tessa explained. “It’s what slavemasters in Necronum put on their slaves when they need them to go on errands when they’re too lazy to go with them.”
“It will prevent anyone from thinking you’re an escaped slave and allow you to perform your task,” Prescia said, reaching into her pocket. “And while you are out will you collect some fresh clothes for the three of us?” She pulled out a gold ring. “The house of Jazz is not far from a town called Spirit’s Ice.”
“Spirit’s Ice?” Luz asked, accepting the gold ring. “Nice name.”
“Not important,” Prescia said. “If you try and deliver the message to anyone besides Daniel or destroy the message, you’re echo will be removed and be bound to Precious. Understood, Luz?”
Luz’s gut began to cinch up. “Um… yes, Prescia.”
“The message will alert you if a person you try to give it to isn’t him,” Tessa added.
“Uh, thanks, Tessa!” Luz said, trying to sound optimistic.
“Excellent,” Prescia declared, taking Luz outside where she helped Luz get on board Precious. “Now listen,” Prescia said, getting close to Precious’ face. “Luz will be the one give you orders until I speak to you again. Understood?”
Precious neighed in response.
“Excellent,” Prescia said. She turned to face Luz. “You remember what to do, right?”
“Sure thing!” Luz replied.
“Then tell him where to take you,” Prescia said, going back inside her cottage and shutting the door.
“Right,” Luz said. “Um, Precious! Take me to… uh… the Jazz House to see Daniel Virgo!”
Precious then took off across the barren landscape. As he ran, Luz thought to herself. Would she really like it here? Was she really a chosen one? Only time would tell.