It did what it felt was necessary, I told myself. Phaedra rarely left anyone with many choices…
[And now,] the creature’s voice echoed in my head, [you must return to the surface.]
I looked at the eye, watching me. “What will you do?” I asked.
[I will remain here,] it replied. [Return to my slumbers. But first, you must destroy the glyph,] it said, as it rolled its eyeball upward toward the now-familiar carving. [I must never be freed.]
“But that means you’ll be trapped!” I cried.
[Yes, my physical form will remain here. But do not think me trapped, child.]
Frowning, I stared up at the glyph. The thought of taking away the creature’s only form of release was terrifying.
“I don’t know,” I said. “What if you survive an apocalypse, and we’re all toast, and it’s just you and the cockroaches, and you could be free again? But the sigil’s gone? I would feel awful.”
[First of all, you’d be dead and would feel nothing. Second, we all must make our sacrifices. This is mine.]
“But you’ve already given up so much,” I whispered, knowing its eons trapped under the earth and ocean…
[I am the only surviving member of my race. I have been both blessed and cursed, living as I long as I have. And that life is my own, to give or to take. Besides, it’s really not so bad. I live among your people’s thoughts, experiencing far more in their minds than I ever could otherwise. You humans are fascinating creatures.]
“That’s kind of you to say, but still…”
[Jane, trust me on this. You cannot spare guards to keep my lair safe. And while I have means of protecting myself, I do not want to have to be awake and alert all the time. Can you understand that by keeping that glyph in place, you’re also trapping me? I will always have to be awake and watchful. I would rather dream and play.]
I remembered then the creature’s memories that I’d experienced while in my coma. They’d been so vivid, and so peaceful, for the most part. No wonder it wanted to return to its sleeping mind.
“I think I understand,” I said.
[So will you help me?] it asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “How should I do it?”
[Direct magic will not work. It will only set off a trap. Something physical must destroy it.]
I frowned. “I’m afraid I forgot my chisel, and while this ax looks sharp, it’s magic.” Looking around, I tried to find something to use. All I could see was water.
Well, I thought. Water does erode…
I carefully laid my labrys on the floor and then approached the eye and the sigil lurking above it. “A little help, please?”
One of the creature’s larger tentacles slid across the floor toward me. It wasn’t the one that had speared Phaedra, thank the gods. After an awkward few attempts, I managed to slide myself onto the sucker pad of the tentacle, and then the creature lofted me up in the air and toward the sigil.
I meeped, clinging to the sucker, which helpfully clung back. When I was at eye level with the sigil, I called to the water floating on the cavern floor.
It snaked up the tentacle like a living thing, till the tip of the thick cord of water rested in the palm of my hand. Then I directed it at the rock face of the sigil, increasing its force until it was successfully drilling at the stone.
It took a long time, and a lot of power, but eventually the stone where the sigil had been was worn down to smooth, bare rock.
“It’s done,” I said, sad for the creature even if this had been its choice.
[Thank you,] it intoned. [I may sleep, now.]
When the creature set me down on the floor, I swayed wearily on my feet. I pulled power into me from the water still lurking in the air, but it barely took the edge off my sudden exhaustion.
This has been a long day, I thought.
[And it’s time for you to go home,] the creature thought back at me. [You need your rest. War is coming.]
War? I thought, muzzily. Real war?
[Yes. My child knows what to do. Trust her. Her thoughts for you are strong. She will take care of you.]
War? was my only, disjointed, response as I bent, wearily, to pick up my new ax.
[I will send you home now, Jane. And I want to thank you.]
“Wait,” I asked, finally able to get my thoughts back on track. I knew there was something I wanted to ask. “What about Anyan? Can you turn him back from being a dog?”
The voice chuckled. [Already done, child. He did not need to be out of the way anymore. Nor the gnome. They are both back to normal.]
I breathed an audible sigh of relief. Anyan! I thought, thrilled to know he’d be waiting for me. And hopefully no longer applying his own mouth to his junk.
As that is my job, snickered my libido. Both the creature and I ignored it.
“Wait,” I said, suddenly realizing what the creature had just admitted. “Did you let them get changed on purpose?”
[You needed to do this for yourself, Jane.]
“No wonder Blondie kept telling me there were things I needed to do alone. You scared the shit out of me, changing Anyan and Nell like that. And do you know where Anyan’s mouth has now been?”
[It was the only way to remove them from the picture, short of killing them. You inspire loyalty in your friends.]
I blushed at that, not able to think of a better compliment.
[Now, are you ready?] it asked.
“Yes,” I said, laying a hand on the tentacle still next to me. “But will I see you again?”
[I will always be there, in your dreams, should you wish to talk,] the creature responded, and I could feel pleasure suffusing its thoughts.
“Good. Then I’m ready.”
[Excellent. Oh, just one more thing…]
“Yes?”
[When we talked earlier, about feeling out of control…]
“Yes,” I said, feeling embarrassed about my outburst.
[Life is never in our control,] said the creature’s voice in its rich tones. [And it’s never easy. For most of us, survival is the only option. But it’s how we survive that counts. Does that make sense?]
I smiled, thinking of the choices people around me had made, including poor, dead Phaedra.
Yes, I thought. That makes sense.
[Good. Now let us be off…]
And with that I felt the creature’s immense power wrap around me, and that familiar lurching sensation of apparation.
[Be well, little Jane. And dream of me.]
I will, I promised, knowing it was true.
* * *
The town square? I thought. Really?
[I wasn’t sure where to put you,] the creature replied. [So I looked for people looking for you.]
“Huh?” I said, out loud, just as I heard a shouted “Jane!”
Peering around our darkened square—I had no idea what time it was, but it was clearly evening—I saw my dad running toward me.
Despite my weariness, and everything that had just happened, I couldn’t help but grin like I’d won the lottery.
My dad is running, I thought. He’s really, honest to gods running.
“Where have you been?” he asked, when he found me. “I came home to find you gone, and the house was a wreck, like there’d been a party. And no note! I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought maybe you were doing inventory at the store, or something.” Suddenly, he stopped chiding me as he finally got a good gander of me.
“What on earth have you been doing? You’re filthy. Are you all right?” My dad took a step toward me, placing a concerned hand on my shoulder.
I placed my own hand over his. “I’m so all right, Dad. It’s been a long night, but I’m very, very all right. And you were running!” I exclaimed, squeezing his fingers.
He grinned back. “I know. I ran twice today, without even thinking about it. Once to grab a runaway paper, and just now, to get you. I can run again! Not too fast, but still.”
“It’s awesome,” I agreed.
“Now what on earth have you been up to, young lady? Is that an ax?”
“Oh, you know… just saving the earth and stuff. Well, some of the earth. A corner of the earth. And yes, I now own what’s actually a labrys. That’s fancy for ax.”
My dad gave me a funny look. He’d been healed by goblins, but I guess he still wasn’t ready for some truths.
“I’m just kidding, dad. I was training. We were doing some… mud exercises. With axes. Sorry I forgot to leave a note. We were all hanging out, and it seemed like a fun idea to do some night training.”
“Night training, huh? Well, as long as you’re safe… Although I don’t like the idea of you playing with axes. That looks like a serious weapon.”
Definitely safer, I thought, remembering Phaedra, dead.
“Totally. And yeah, I know it’s dangerous and I’m careful. But I am really tired. Can we get home?”
“You’d better phone or stop by Anyan’s, first. He has been freaking out. He’s called the house and my cell about forty times in the past hour.”
A chill floated up my spine as I thought of Anyan once again able to make phone calls.