Book 2: Chapter 43
The process to remove a threatening mysterious artifact was easier than Garrett had originally anticipated. He knew that the Dreamers Throne had a pretty strong suppressive effect on anything related to the dream, so he sat Collette, Roy, and Julie down in his office one at a time, and unleashed his soul spark, using it to lock them in place. He had asked each of them to wear a blindfold, which they had been happy to do, and then, once the mysterious artifact cursing them was subdued by the energy of the Dreamers Throne, he had a large dream flower suck the curse out of them.
It went smoothly for both Roy and Julie, and after taking the plate and the needle, he tossed them into the Hollow Space in Isabelles mirror. There, they joined the strange skull, which had somehow been shrunk down into a small ornament that Isabelle had taken to wearing in her hair. Garrett wasnt sure if he should be worried that the Dire Spirit was excited to collect mysterious artifacts, but there didnt seem to be any ill effect on the guardian flower, so he just let it be.
Collette was a much more complicated issue, since she didnt dislike her curse. She agreed that it would be convenient if she didnt have to maintain contact with the teddy bear all the time, but at this point, Garretts only options were to strip it away or let it be, so he thought it best to leave it be. He sort of thought, if he had a giant murderous teddy bear, that he would make the same choice as Collette, so he didnt blame her. Once the three exorcists were settled down, Garrett called Isabelle and stepped into the mansion inside the mirror.
He was curious about this Dire Spirit that had been transformed into his new guardian, and what she was capable of, but he had not been able to complete his investigation before the whole situation with Carraway started, so now he wanted to make sure that he knew how to best use her. The space she controlled was extensive, and Garrett could think of a lot of potential ways to use it, but right now, he was most interested in her powers. The last time that he had a conversation with her, she had answered his questions about linking mirrors to space, but he realized that it had sent him down an incorrect line of thinking.
He had asked if it was possible to add more mirrors to the space, and she had informed him that it would require him to possess a manifesting level power. What he had not asked about was whether Isabelle herself could leave the space, or if there were ways to access the space besides the main mirror or the small hand mirror. The fact that the necromancer had used the small mirror made him suspect that the necromancer was actually using part of the mansion, but upon further thought that didnt make much sense. However, it did mean that she had some way to project her contagiousness through the small mirror.
Master, you didnt bring the teddy bear? Isabelle asked, her hair drooping.
Somehow, Garrett, who was in his dream form, found himself feeling bad at the sight, despite reminding himself that Isabelle was a terrifying killing machine.
No, not this time. But Ill keep an eye out.
Thank you!
Sure. Now, can you tell me about your powers? Are you trapped here? Or if I wanted you to come out, can you do that?
Master, I am a Dire Spirit, meaning I can pass through any reflective material. I can leave this world without issue, though only at night as exposure to the sun would corrode my form.
What about your powers? How do they fare outside this Hollow Space?
They are weaker by a considerable margin.
What does that mean?
Thinking for a moment, Isabelle held one of her hands near her head and the other near her waist.
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Thats still pretty scary, Garrett said, remembering how overwhelming she had been when he fought her.
Thank you, master.
It will be night soon, so get ready. Were going to go out.
Master, I am a ghost. I am always ready.
Coughing into his hand, Garrett nodded.
I mean, did you see him? That exorcist was so thin that even you could have beaten him.
Hey! What are you trying to say? Listen, if Olem is out, then someones going to have to fill his space. What do you say? I bet you could do it.
And end up in a cell like Olem? No way. You havent been around here long, but it seems like anyone who climbs the ranks ends up getting pulled down into the abyss. Im fine right where I am, thank you.
As the conversation tapered off into meaningless drivel, Garrett considered his next move. He wanted to find Olem the jailer, but he wasnt quite sure how to go about it. After thinking for a moment, he decided to take a risk and activated Dream Seed, sending a spark of compressed mental energy into one of the men. Following it up with enough energy for four blooms, he watched cautiously as a rainbow sheen flickered across the mans eyes.
Take me to where they are holding Olem without alerting anyone.
Slapping the table, the man stood up, startling his companion.
Heh, look how jumpy you are. Im going to the bathroom, but Ill be back in a minute. If anyone comes in, tell em Im running an errand for the boss.
Grabbing a lantern from the table, the jailer strode out of the room, carrying Garrett with him. Once the door was shut, he carefully put out the lantern and then walked in the darkness, treading quietly through the twisting passages of the prison. Coming to the top of a staircase, he paused and listened before creeping down. There he opened a door and headed in, only to freeze when he heard some voices up ahead. There was a single cell at the end of the passage, and after walking forward a few steps, Garrett could see two men standing in the doorway, staring at something. In a flash, he appeared on a buckle holding a sword to one of the mens belts.
Place your button on the ground and retreat, acting as you were. Ill call you if I need you.
Inside the cell, Garrett was able to work his way around until he could see what the two men were looking at. There lay Olem, the jailer who had beaten and threatened Garrett, in a bloody heap, his body little more than strips of flesh. There were various torture tools around the room, all of which had been used recently, but there was no need for them anymore, as Olem was completely dead.
He was a tough one, Ill give you that. But we got the confession in the end.
Heh, always do. Though, what good a confession like this will do, I dont know. Everyone knows that these confessions are planted.
Its just a matter of playing the game. The exorcists complain we beat up their guy, we claim that Olem was possessed and that he confessed it was the necromancers that cursed him to do it.
Do you think that he was telling the truth?
About the necromancer? Hah, necromancers arent real.
No, I mean you know
I Im not sure. But if he was, then trouble is brewing.
Garrett had to resist the urge to immediately plant another flower to try to dig out the secret that they were talking about, and instead, he decided to retreat to find Captain Fernek. He had assumed that someone would silence the jailer, but the thought that the city guard would do it themselves had not crossed his mind. It made him worry that he had made his move too late, so he hurried to retreat, using the silver button in the hall, and then a glass lantern outside, to jump out. Just as he was wondering how he was going to get up the stairs, he spotted a drop of water on the bars set up high in the wall, and heard the patter of rain outside.
Jackpot.
Skipping to the surface of the drop, Garrett sped through the rain, jumping from drop to drop. According to his research, the Captain worked at the guard office that was close to where Carraway lived, so Garrett flew across the city, using the opportunity to test how far Isabelles ability could take him. Once he hitched a ride on a drop of water clinging to a bird winging through the dark rain, jumping from it to a carriage down below, and finally coming to a stop in a puddle outside of the guard post. He could hear the sound of voices inside, but when he flitted to the window, he didnt see the captain.
The guard post was a two story building with a large open area on the first floor that contained a bathroom and some shelves and cubby holes. Upstairs there were beds and the officers quarters, and it was here Garrett went next, appearing in the dark window and looking in. There he found the man he was looking for, sitting on his office chair, a dozen bottles of wine scattered around him and a half finished bottle in his loose grip. He stared blankly into the air as his left hand, which clenched a dagger, pointed at his throat.
