Repurposed | Quirrel x Sheo x Nailsmith

Chapter Twenty Three: In Which Quirrel Returns To His Graveyard

Quirrel was quite anxious for the trip.

They didn't waste much time packing their bags. Even though no one spoke it aloud they were all eager to be getting out of the hut, Quirrel especially. He always did grow antsy if he stayed in one place for too long. Sheo was excited to simply have a change of scenery beside his friends, while The Nailsmith was happy enough with doing whatever Sheo and Quirrel wanted to do.

But even though Quirrel was excited to go, (it wasn't as if he had been lying about Blue Lake's beauty and wanting to share it with his friends, because he had absolutely been telling the truth about that,) but he couldn't ignore the obvious glaring issue with this trip.

Of course, it wasn't as if either of his friends knew what was up. Wyrm, if The Nailsmith had known he wouldn't have even allowed him to go to the city, let alone straight to the lake. But the trip was on now, and even though Quirrel had a strong feeling that he should've, he made no attempt to call it off. The lake was calling him, not unlike the way he'd been called to The Archives. What he would do once he got there, well, he wasn't sure. In fact, that curiosity was one of the reasons he wanted to go.

"Now, which would be the fastest way?" The Nailsmith had asked, studying his maps carefully. "It looks like there's a tram close to the station in the Crossroads, but there's also an elevator we could take if we go to King's Station."

Quirrel would have preferred avoiding King's Station, but before he could say this, Sheo spoke up.

"We'll need a pass for the tram," Sheo said, "and I'm not so sure where we'd find one of those."

"Hmm, through King's Station it is then," The Nailsmith muttered.

With their bags packed they left the next morning, (after all there were no reasons to wait,) and set off for the Greenpath station. The journey was about as expected, with The Nailsmith complaining about the walk the whole way, while on the stag all three of them ended up falling asleep. Even Quirrel, who had thought his nerves would keep him awake, had found his breathing fall into the same rhythm as Sheo's and The Nailsmith's after not too long.

King's Station, of course, was just as they had left it. As Quirrel stepped off the stag, he finally began to understand just what it was he was about to do. With the Blue Lake just an elevator trip above him, the sound of his heart pounding was deafening. He was really about to go back.

"Quirrel, are you alright?" Sheo's concerned voice brought him back to reality. He hadn't even realized they'd stopped right in front of the elevator. "You look tense."

Quirrel felt himself holding his nail with such tightness he was sure he was leaving a deep mark on his hand. He took in a deep breath to try and relax himself before nodding, "I'm alright."

"Hey, we could always go back home if you're not up for this," The Nailsmith told him. Hearing him sound worried never ceased to make Quirrel feel strange.

"I'm telling you two, I'm just fine." Quirrel got onto the elevator first to try and prove his point. "So hurry up and get on, or I'll flip this switch without you."

Quirrel hoped his voice sounded lighthearted enough for them to drop their concern, and even though their expressions were still slightly worried, they smiled at Quirrel's joking and got onto the elevator. Quirrel flipped the switch, and with a rumble, they were rising.

"This elevator isn't going to like, break or something, is it?" The Nailsmith said as he began to look down. Because of the machine's age, it was shaking and making a lot of noise. "Who knows the last time this thing was used."