We Can Be Heroes ...?

33

And then the light was gone, winking out almost as soon as Shion stepped into the column and everything became darker in the absence of those pillars of light. That darker period didn't last long and Shion's eyes adjusted in time to see a chest appear from nowhere, right in front of everyone, with one of those revolving quest marker sigils above it. She looked to the others, but Jova had already rushed toward the chest.

"Is tha' i'?" Dave leaned over, looking inside the chest at the contents, supporting himself with his hands on his thighs. "I was expec'in' somethin' more, you know, impressive. Tha's no' impressive. 'Ow does i' wor'?"

Jova had lifted the item from the chest, holding it on her flattened palm for all to see and Shion had to agree with the old, gangly man. It was a stone. A lovely white, smooth stone, but a stone nonetheless. It wasn't even a gem stone, or looked like one. A white stone, not too different from sandstone. Shion felt a little disappointed.

"Oop! The beautiful princess has more to say." Jova, stone in hand, moved across to the princess, grabbing her bottom to make the contact required. Definitely not a paragon.

Shion didn't see the sigil above the princess' head that indicated she had something to say, though the sigil above the chest had disappeared, soon followed by the chest itself. After a minute or so, Jova moved again, tossing the stone to her sister and Mila moved forward to touch the princess. A minute later, it came to Dave's turn and then Shion's.

As soon as she touched the stone, she saw the sigil appear over the princess' head, spinning and turning, pulsing with a strange light. It appeared she had to hold the stone itself to reveal the next part of the princess' quest. The others had witnessed it, now Shion had the opportunity to see what the princess had to say. She reached out, touching the woman's hand and the princess turned toward her.

"Congratulations! You beat my father's fiendish puzzle. I never truly believed anyone could, but you have shown yourself both strong and wise. Two abilities you will require again 'ere the end comes." The princess made several descriptive gestures with her hands that didn't quite work with the words she spoke. "No, to use the Scourge, all you need do is hold it out toward the ghost of one of my subjects. That will release them from this infinite prison, but also give more strength to the stone, but only charging the stone in the Well of Forever will give you enough power to free all my people. For now, accept this gift."

The princess held out her hand as though offering something, then pulled her hand away before Shion could move her own to take what was offered. She heard a tinkling sound, a sound she had heard before and knew something awaited her when she opened her parchment. As for the princess, it appeared she had said all that she wished to say.

"Thank you, your highness." She tried to curtsey, but didn't know how. "You honour us."

"Shion." The princess moved, grabbing Shion's arm. She looked at Shion more directly than she had before, eyes looking into Shion's, a little smile upon her lips. "We're doing everything we can to fix this. Don't worry. We'll soon have you back on that little farm with your Papa."

The princess changed demeanour again, looking slightly away from Shion, hands returning to clasping at her waist. She looked less real. Bearing in mind she was a ghost, of course, but those last words, the ones she had spoken directly to Shion, had shown a completely different personality. She had sounded like a real person, not as though she were reading the words of a play.

"Wait! How do you know about my Papa? What do you know of me?" Shion stepped forward, but the princess shimmered before fading away. "Please! Help me get home!"

"Steady on, gel!" Dave, yet another cigarette dangling from his mouth, patted her on her shoulder, taking the Scourge from her hands. "These NPC's don' 'ave th' dialogue optio's t' answer ques'ions."