Enola Yarn – blogpost 48

The key is stuck in the wall and we’re all looking at it. The next thing that happens, is Calyx making a run for Valentine and me, and hugging us! What the hell is happening? I hug him back awkwardly. Valentine shakes him off quickly. Farryn seems relieved for some reason. 

“Please sit down. This is a long story,” says Calyx. 

Apparently, we went to the Rakshasa in the past, but in our future, found the key, and then ran into some Young Blue Dragons that abducted Valentine and me. They tried to sacrifice us and someone else to perform some kind of ritual. Valentine and I escaped, and we all went to the weapon room. Smokey was missing, but we thought he was safe. We activated the weapon, but Valentine ran out at the last minute and pulled me along. Calyx and Farryn stood in the anti-magical fields inside the room, and we (my sister and I) were disintegrated. Farryn and Calyx went to search for a powerful wizard capable of undoing and activating the weapon, and they found the Merchant in Skullport. They made an unspecified deal with the Merchant in exchange for a wish spell. They wished to travel back in time – WITH their knowledge of current times – to a moment BEFORE we activated the keys.

I’m scratching my horn, trying to understand the story. It’s mental, and I cannot remember anything – obviously – but I think they’re right and telling us the truth. 

“The Rakshasa doesn’t have the key, but it’s in a room next to it,” says Calyx. “And to activate the weapon, we have to get into the anti-magical fields in the room or somewhere on this level, like the prison we passed a couple of hours ago.”

“Arcturia was very mad we used the weapon, so we shouldn’t activate it,” adds Farryn.

We still go and get the final key, making sure no one can find all of them.

We avoid the Rakshasa, not talking to him, but he asks us to set him free and break the seal. We walk to another room, adjacent to the Rakshasas, and find a piano and two dancing humanoids. “Okay, soo… Don’t touch the piano: these humanoids are two Young Blue Dragons that want to bring Arcturia back with an evil sacrifice ritual.” We head out of the piano and Rakshasa-room, and divide the keys Calyx takes one, Valentine takes one, and Farryn takes the rest.

We decide to go to Skullport: Farryn wants to study his Tome of Clear thoughts and deliver the Horn item to Tasselgryn. He gets the mirror from his bag and calls for Tas. Immediately, we’re transported to her shop. Farryn exchanges the item for our payment and tries to get some information. 

“What do we have to get next?” 

“Well, nothing from Arcturia…” she says.

“Is there stuff to find on level 15, the obstacle course?”

“Yes, there are great rewards for someone who takes the course. It’s a nice preparation for things to come…”

“Do you know about a portal with lava on that level?” asks Valentine eagerly.

“I know there is a portal to be called with a sacrifice of a soul if that’s what you mean..? It needs to be a humanoid, by the way.”

“Um, okay, I did not know that,” says Valentine hesitantly. “let’s discuss that later.”

“Adventurers have returned with gold, high-level spells, high-value items, and spellbooks from the obstacle course. You need to do the obstacle course to see the Beholder and get the riches. But beware, the beholder is a Death Tirant and is called Netherskull. He is the protector of the level and treasure. He hates wizards above all…”

Okay, that’ll mean great things for me. Luckily, Tas informs me you can get through the level without walking the course. Maybe that’ll be a solution for me. We decide to go to the pub to say ‘hi’ to Turbulence and Violence. We’ll take a couple of days to study, search for items, and prepare for our descent.