Elegy for a Star

“You want to live on Auwra?” Tess asked.

Joyona rose to her feet and took a couple steps back. Wydwyn nodded his head, “Yes, please.”

“Why?” Miren asked.

“Do I need a reason?”

Miren cut, “Old Gods do.”

“Very well,” Wydwen replied, “I no longer wish to sit idly in this pocket. I want a life. I envy what I had as a god, yes, but I’d rather have some sort of life than sit here.”

“But why don’t most Old Gods choose to do that?” Tess asked.

Wydwen licked at his flank before turning back to Tess, “They aim to devour the world and recreate it, once again being the ones in charge. I’m sure that they will succeed, but I want my life now, not later.”

“How do we know you’re being truthful?” Miren asked. Tess appreciated Miren’s wise questions. She really knew what she was doing.

Wydwen’s tail swished behind him, “I’ll give you your advancements now and then I’ll have nothing else to offer you. I’ll be no stronger than a normal cat. You could slay me and leave.

“All I ask is that you take me out of here.”

“Will the pocket close if we do?” Miren asked.

Wydwen nodded, “I believe so, but I’ve never left, have I? Still, if I’m powering it with my essence, then it should close once my essence has departed.”

“Why can’t you take us to the exit right now?” Gwen asked.

Wydwen tipped his head toward the stairs, “I walked here, didn’t I? Even if I could slip around willy-nilly, I couldn’t rightly bring you all with me, now could I?”

“I don’t see why not,” Mairaela groaned, “But alright. Can you do something about this tail?”

Wydwen very sternly replied, “No.”

Mairaela huffed in frustration.

“So,” Miren spoke with some haste and frustration, “Where do we go from here? Is this whole place so cramped?” Tess wasn’t used to Miren showing a lack of perfect composure.

Wydwen shook his head, “No. You’ll take a few floors and then be transported elsewhere for a trial. Completing that, you’ll return to the tower and take another few floors until there is yet another trial.”

“That seems unnecessarily complex,” Tess replied.

“Could be worse,” Mairaela responded. Joyona nodded her head.

“It seems easy. It can’t be that easy, can it?” Gwen asked.

“You won’t be together for all of the trials. They may separate you. Failing a trial means that the Black Sun gains custody of your soul. You won’t leave, and you’ll be obliterated if the pocket closes,” Wydwen replied, causing the hearts of each of the party to sink, by the looks of it that Tess could see.

Mairaela sighed, rubbing her forehead, “And I have to do these high stakes situation with a plug shoved up my ass?”

Miren couldn’t help but snort in laughter again, covering her mouth once more.

“Oh, fuck you,” Mairaela replied.

Miren only nodded her head in agreement, “The plug is doing enough of that for now, I think.”

“I’ll say,” Mairaela sighed.

“Can you tell us how to win the trials?” Miren asked, turning back to Wydwen.

“No,” he replied simply, “They’re different for each person, each time. Personalized. Meant to test you.”

“Well, let’s get going,” Tess said, “No point in waiting around, if we can’t plan ahead.”

“Wait,” Miren said, “What about those advancements?”

Wydwen nodded, “Do I have your word that you’ll escort me, safely, to the exit, and that you’ll allow me to live a peaceful life on Auwra? I do not wish to be turned in and imprisoned or studied once I return.”

“Of course,” Tess replied. The others seemed to agree.

“Thank you,” Wydwen said, “As for your advancements…”

“Wait!” Mairaela began to shout.

Tess was blinded by a white light that engulfed her. She was in a place of all white, endless expanse all around her. “Hello,” Tess heard, spinning around to find Wydwen sitting on the floor and looking at her.

“Uh,” Tess murmured, “Where am I? Where are the others?”

“Each are in their own advancement. This is where I will give you yours,” Wydwen explained, “What is it that you would like?”

“I.. don’t really know how this works.”

“You don’t? You’ve never received an advancement?” Wydwen asked, “They sent novices to deal with me? I’m hurt.”

“Sorry,” Tess said with an apologetic shrug.

“Listen,” Wydwen began to explain, “Normally you just get what you get. Be it an item, an ability, some enhancement of some kind. Some sort of boon, right? But since I’m on your side, I’m giving you a choice. There’s only so much that I can do, but I’ll do what I can.”

Tess thought for a moment. An ability might be useful, in case she couldn’t use her magic and had no gift, but having only one thing? And maybe it wasn’t even going to be that useful. It was a gamble. An item could be nice, especially if she could suggest what kind of item. She wished she knew if she had a gift in knives now. She knew she didn’t have any with her. Would she have knives with her if she had a gift? She wasn’t sure how all of that worked out.

“Can you see if I have a gift?”

“No,” Wydwen replied, “Don’t tell me they sent someone after me that had no gift. Now I am truly insulted.”

“Sorry,” Tess repeated, “Can I pick what kind of item?”

“To an extent.”

“How about a pair of knives?”

“I can do that,” Wydwen replied, “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

The light of the room seemed to be sucked together to a singular point, which popped into nonexistence, leaving Tess back in the room exactly where she’d been standing a moment ago. Nothing—absolutely nothing—appeared to be different, except that in her hands were a pair of blades. Black handles, they fit her hands perfectly. They had short grips, but with a loop that fit around the little finger. The blade itself was of some boney material, deathly sharp as though it were properly quenched steel. The boney material curved outward, away from Tess’ hand, resembling a single cat’s claw. Both knives were like this.

“Oh… wow,” Tess said, enthralled by the sight of these knives.

Wydwen nodded, “I’m glad you like them.”

Tess looked around at all of the others, who seemed to have come out of their own respective reveries at the same time that Tess had. Tess seemed to be the only one with a new item.

Mairaela sighed, “I didn’t get a chance to explain to all of them what I’d learned about advancements.”

“Apologies,” Wydwen replied, “I explained the basics to Tess, at least.”

Tess acknowledged that statement with a nod.

“What did all of you take? I took an item,” Tess held up her catclaw knives.

“Nice. I like ‘em,” Gwen replied, “I took an ability.”

Mairaela nodded in agreement, “Same.”

Miren answered, “Enhancement.”

Joyona nodded in agreement.

“So, now that I have given each of you my power, and I am, in strength, naught but any other housecat, I would ask that you uphold your end of the deal,” Wydwen explained with a calm demeanor.

“Yes,” Joyona replied, picking Wydwen up and setting him onto the spot between her gorget and pauldron. Wydwen found a comfortable perch and took a seat, loafing upon Joyona’s armor.

Gwen said, “Everyone comes home today. We’ll get this done and prove ourselves to the Corps.”

The others nodded. Well, except Miren, but she probably heard her.

“Let’s go, then.”