PANACEA-Book One-By Hell or High Water

6. The Rod

Expecting to once again see the sand that covered the bottom of the lake, instead I saw rays of light streaming into an otherwise dim room. I sat bolt upright, feeling a blanket fall off of me. Looking down, I could see my clothing had been switched for lighter garments. I was on a thick, soft rectangle, sewn up like a pillow. I took in my surroundings.

The first thing I noticed was the other person present. Across the room, Hero was hunched over, sleeping. He sat in a chair against the wall, and had a tray in his lap. None of it's contents had spilled, luckily. A steaming teapot sat on it, with a bowl of sugar and a cup, already done up with leaves for a cup of tea. He couldn't have fallen asleep too long ago, judging by the heat the pot gave off.

I let my eyes drift away from him, and looked at the rest of the room. From what I remembered, we had only just been returning from the village as night started to approach. Light was coming through the single window now, which gave me the feeling that quite some time had passed. This room looked fit for sleeping, and given the two other giant pillows, I assumed this was where Hero, Edmund, and Corbin usually slept. There was no trace of them being there, though. They must have already gotten up, assuming they had even gone to sleep.

Trying to remember coming back and falling asleep, I took another good look around. The door was shut, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary. I tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling.

In the middle of it, there was a mirror. I almost jumped at the sight of my face in it. Once again, my hair was white with an opalescent sheen. The colors were less prominent, though. And it didn't float in unruly curls. It was straight, presumably brushed free of its knots. My eyes didn't have the same glow, either. They were red, but somehow dull. They almost looked grayed. I waited for the colors to be restored back to black. They weren't.

Had my time spent with the Mistress done this? Was this what she meant by overcooked? Confused, I tried to push those thoughts back, and focus on where I was, and how I had gotten there. My razor sharp focus was averted by what surrounded the mirror on the ceiling. It appeared to be a type of tapestry, woven from thin string. It formed rings. Three, to be exact. They weren't even, though, and their edges weren't exactly what I deemed a perfect circle. It was mostly done in greens within the first ring, with patches of brown here and there. Blues, aquamarines, whites. The patches where the colors varied, were oddly detailed. Different squares, shades and parts to them led me to believe they weren't as random as they appeared.

Something clicked in my mind. White for ice and snow. Reds and browns for sand. Green for forests. This was the first layer to the Ethers surface, exposed by the part of the second one that didn't jut over it. Most of the icy areas were covered by this jut, which mostly block out heat from the sun. It all made sense when I looked at it with this mindset. Continuing to the middle of the tapestry, I saw the cities and buildings built up, woven in greys and deep blues. Then, parts of the more important cities on the top, with the mirror acting as a centerpiece. It was a map of the Ether, hung up on the ceiling. Beautifully woven, too. I couldn't imagine how long it would take to do something like this. Probably because I had no idea how.

I heard the door open, and saw Corbin standing in the doorway. He didn't say anything for an unsettlingly long time. Then, he glanced over at Hero.

"Asleep?"

I nodded.

Corbin went over and took the tray, before he sat on the ground with it in his lap. He was beside my bed now. I could smell the familiar, spice and sweetness of the tea he had made me when I had first arrived. He poured the still warm water into the cup, and the aroma became almost intoxicating. He dumped abit of sugar into the cup, and looked up at me.

"Edmund and Hero told me about your little episode."

By episode, I assumed he meant the appearance of the rod, and me falling out of the boat.

"How did I get back here?" I asked him.

"Edmund pulled you out of the water. You seemed to be in some sort of sleeping state. Your hair had changed, and glowed like before. Once we laid you down, it mostly subsided. It seems it hasn't changed back completely, though."

I grabbed a strand of hair between my fingers. "No, it hasn't."

Corbin nodded slowly. "What do you remember from your visit with Pip?"

I began to recount the general journey down. When I got to the actual visit, I went further into detail, but stopped. Something wasn't quite right.

"How did you know Pip was there?" I asked him. "You sent us down assuming Ruby would be greeting us. Did Edmund or Hero tell you that?"

Corbin nodded. "I'm just seeing if you're remembering things differently."

A little more assured, I continued, knowing I shouldn't dodge any bits or pieces that he may find important. When I got to the part where Pip mentioned that woman, I paused, wondering how I should phrase it.

He raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" He passed me the cup of tea.

I held the warm drink in my hands, looking into the amber liquid for only a brief moment, for fear of what might happen. "Pip mentioned someone who looked like me. She said she came down to visit Ruby with you. I don't know how long ago that was, though." I looked up from the cup. Corbin gave me an incredulous look.

"I don't recall such a thing ever happening."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm quite sure."

I shrugged it off. "She probably didn't know what she was talking about, then. She was just a kid."

Corbin nodded. "It would appear so. Go on."

I finished the story, taking sips of the tea in between. Corbin listened without interrupting, and as soon as I had finished, he waited just to be sure I had nothing else to say.

"So the last thing you remember is falling into the water, then."

"And reaching out to the rod in the water." I remembered it's shine, and the jewels that crusted its surface. "Did Edmund and Hero happen to bring it back?" I asked him.

"The staff? They did."

"Have you seen it?"

Corbin nodded. "As a matter of fact, that's what I wanted to discuss."

"Really?"

"I've seen something like it before," he replied. "A long time ago I...found one. I never knew who the owner was."

I gave him a look that urged him to continue.

"Staffs like that aren't uncommon for people down here to carry. This layer of the Ether has many designated spots where Star gates can be opened. They offer fast ways to travel from place to place, given how large this place is. The design was lavish, however, unlike anything I had ever seen. I wonder who would have made such a thing, especially in such an...overdone way, I suppose. Really, you could open a Stargate with a fallen branch if you're in the right spot. The jewels and such were unnecessary."

I remembered the Mistress telling me Corbin could help me with what I needed to do. "I think I know who did."

Corbin looked incredulous. "Do you?"

I took a deep breath, and set the tea down. "The Mistress did. She must have sent it up to help me with what she sent me up here in the first place to do."

Corbin's eyes widened to a degree. Something must have been going on inside his head. "You mean...?" He didn't finish his sentence.

"The Mistress of the Realm visits me in visions."

Corbin moved the tray to the side.

"Tell me everything."