Getting into the hole wasn’t the hard part. Ryza crafted a series of platforms for them to walk down like a spiral staircase. Snow was unsteady walking it and definitely didn’t enjoy the heights aspect but Ryza held her hand the entire way. The lower they got the cooler it became until by the end Snow actually shivered.
She flattened her ears and shook her head, “I wish I had stayed transformed.”
“Well it’s too late for that now,” Ryza replied.
Behind them was a pool with essentially a miniature waterfall filling it. The majority of the cool air came from that direction. As for where the water came from it was from underground. The ground was mostly sand but got more solid the more they got away from the walls.
In the opposite direction was a stone archway. It looked carved into the stone itself but it wasn’t handmade. More like sloppily blasted away with magic. It was shrouded in vines and layers of flora but Ryza was sure there was more behind it. She walked forward and brushed aside the vines and there was a hole in the wall.
But as she reached toward it Snow grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Seconds later a sword swiped through the vines cutting it into pieces. Both women stared as a creature dug itself out of the hole. It was a skeleton, wearing a hodgepodge of armor along its arms, legs, and chest. An old helmet rested on its head covering its face. In one hand was a chipped sword.
It stood a little taller than Snow and approached them both pointing at Ryza. It hissed and she heard the voice in the back of her mind. It reminded her of the voice of the ghost but heavier, weightier than before. “You. You come here seeking knowledge. Knowledge that does not belong to you.”
“It doesn’t belong to me but it is mine to claim,” Ryza replied.
“Presumptuous to believe that. What makes you make such an audacious claim?”
Ryza stepped forward and turned her shovel around. She brandished it in front of the skeleton and it glowed white. She thrust her hand forward and her magic latched onto the skeleton. It stiffened and moved rigidly beginning to swing the sword at her.
“Ryza!”
Ryza held her hand out to stop Snow’s advance. She wasn’t fazed and continued using her magic and tying her strings along its limbs. The sword stopped just inches away from her neck. Its eyes settled on Ryza and tilted its head back and forth. “Your magic. It is of a similar ilk to my creator. You are of his blood. ”
“Yes. I have come to retrieve what he left behind. To reclaim that lost knowledge,” she said almost sadly. “May I pass familiar?”
The skeleton lowered its sword slowly and then took a step back before bowing down on its knee. “You may. My duty is finished.” It said and then whatever magic kept it going faded away and it sank to the ground in a heap of bones.
Snow brushed her toe through the piles and then back to Ryza. Ryza let out a soft sigh. “What was this thing Ryry?”
“A guardian. Likely formidable knowing my brother. But its job is over. I wonder what it was in life. Or who. I may never know,” she turned back toward the wall and walked toward the hole. She was more careful this time though so as to not trigger any additional traps that might be waiting.
A simple illusion protected it now, projecting the idea that it was a solid wall. Dispelling it revealed a pristine wooden box. She would have thought that it would be rotten or even moldy. But it was solid. She tapped the box and slid the lid off.
Gingerly she pulled an old leather-bound journal out. There were no markings on the front and a simple string tied it closed. Just touching it made her shiver. She picked it up and immediately pulled the string off and started pouring through the pages. She recognized the handwriting of her brother. Sitting down and creating a ball of light beside her head she started reading.
They were notes, mainly meant for the necromancer himself. Though there was a lot of shorthand she was able to pick up on the general gist of it. He’d been writing in this journal for a very long time. Since before he’d escaped from the Ouroboros. Theories on necromancy, on zombie control, and towards the middle was the beginnings of his research on creating a lich.
The first time he discovered what a lich was. The study of life beyond death. Keeping the consciousness of a person beyond their natural life span. How to store it. Traditional means via a phylactery. Notable lich’s through history. It was strange to see his own personal annotations. His own theories on things, how their mother’s lesson plans for him and goals delayed his research.
But then there was the point in time in which he escaped from their mother and the entire back end of the book was filled with his research. His theories from the beginning, scratching out and adding more, modifying them. Referencing later pages because he’d run out of space. His experiments were the truly interesting thing.
He failed many many times along the way. Botched attempts to preserve life. Many phylacteries that he’d broken. Time wasted and the things he’d done for the sake of his research. But then she found it. The first pseudo lich that he had created. It had been a bird but he had done it. Saved it on the cusp of death and prolonged its life. That motivated everything for her brother.
She skipped ahead toward the end of things and saw the final piece of information that was her brother’s research. Tracing her fingers along the lines she frowned and held a finger over the final line and read it aloud. “‘Storing a soul within a crystal has proven to be the strongest container. Most durable as well. It has also been the best at channeling a soul’s energy.
“’I can thank the book of Daze for that. Finding his journal filled in many of the gaps of my research. It was all so simple in the end. I was just looking in the wrong places. Now that I’ve perfected the spell to bind the soul to the crystal it’s time to truly test it on a human subject. I leave this behind as the final entry for this location. I leave the next set of my research near the no man’s land in the Free City along with Daze’s research. I look forward to new results.’”
She closed the journal and looked up at Snow. Snow had sat down her legs folded. She had leaned back, her head against one of the walls and eyes focused on random things. But as Ryza finished she looked at her curiously. “Good read?”
Ryza looked up and saw that it had gotten significantly darker than she anticipated. She didn’t realize just how long she had been reading. Climbing back out might actually be difficult. “Sorry to keep you here this long Snow. But yes. It was all fascinating. Insightful too.”
“So, does that mean you cracked it?” Snow asked wagging her tail. “Are you going to become immortal?”
“Not quite. My brother references the book of Daze. I don’t know who that is but they’re integral to his research. I can understand my brother’s research and the answers to his own questions but they don’t answer my own. For that, I’d need his book. However, that one is near the Free City.”
“The Free City?” Snow repeated. “That’s on the other side of the Sanctum.”
“I know,” Ryza made a face closing the book and tying it safely. “But that’s where I need to go next.”
“Then I guess that’s where we’re going,” Snow stood up stretching her arms. Fighting back a yawn she said. “It’s going to be a long run to get us there. A long long run. Oh man I’m not looking forward to this one.”
She laughed and Ryza blinked quickly, “You’re serious?”
“Course I’m serious,” she flashed her a grin. “We’ve been over this before.”
“I know. Just making sure,” she smiled. She started walking over to her and then grunted. She put a hand against her throat and then shut her eyes tightly. Stumbling forward she tried to say something and then cried out.
“Ryza!’ Snow rushed to her side.
She sank to her knees dropping the book and curled up against the ground. Pain wracked her body suddenly like she was on fire. She grabbed and held her arm and her hip tightly. Her face also burned. She grinded her teeth together grunting and trying to block out the pain but it just got worse.
Snow hovered her hands over her looking back and forth not sure what to do. She was frozen hearing her pain and feeling it like it was her own. But more than that she smelled the air. Ryza smelled strange again and she could finally understand what it was. She smelled like Dioh, Caius, and her gran. She smelled like a wulf. More than that. She smelled like home.
Ryza rolled onto her back and she arched. Her fingers dug into the ground and her eyes opened wide. She let out a strangled cry and her body spasmed. Snow moved on top of her immediately, grabbing her wrist and trying to hold her down against the ground. “If you’re anything like I was, you need to breathe Ryry. It’s going to run its course. It’s not going to be pleasant. But I’m here. I’ve got you.”
Ryza looked directly at Snow, and met her eyes. Snow saw the silver of her eyes narrow, and turn animalistic. She grinded her teeth together and growled, baring sudden fangs at her. She struggled against Snow’s grip and Snow was surprised at how much stronger she suddenly was.
Her arms bulged and she fought against her grip as she snarled again. The pain inside her was getting worse and she felt something inside her. It was like a being that was eagerly trying to burst from inside of her. Her bones felt like they were breaking and melting underneath her skin.
She could see the ghost hovering over her and it wasn’t in any better shape. Its hands were clasped against its head covered in anguish. It shifted shapes going from her brother, to Gest, to her father, and back in rapid succession. It kept going until it started to turn into a shape she’d never seen before.
A wolf. A large black wolf with silver eyes towered over her. It showed its fangs to her and walked forward pressing a paw on her chest. It pressed down, growling at her and she growled back at it. Even Snow could sense that a new presence was beside her. The wolf inside of her made its presence known now, reacting to Ryza’s changing scent.
And then the wolf dove into Ryza’s body like she were a pool of water. Her eyes widened, shrinking to pinpricks and she screamed. Her magic exploded like a bomb, throwing Snow across the cave. She bounced on the sand almost sliding into the water.
Groaning she got back to her feet glad for all the sand. Turning around she looked for Ryza and her eyes widened. Ryza wasn’t as muscular as Snow had seen in herself or Caius. She was also shorter, on eye level with Snow as she was now. Her fur was black, bushier, and thicker than Snow’s. Her claws and teeth didn’t seem to be as long but no less sharp.
She looked at herself crouched low and then darted forward in a blur of speed. Snow’s arm was almost torn open as she rolled across the sand. She sprung to her feet and thought back to her first transformation. Her grandmother kept her occupied and tired her out and talked to her through it. Ryza howled snapping her out of her own thoughts.
“Look Ryza I know you’re in there. I know you’re scared and confused. I’ll get you through this. I promise!”
Ryza howled in response and was on her in seconds.
She darted at her swinging with her claws. Snow did her best to jump and dive around them, blocking where she could. She was careful not to attack her back, not wanting to accidentally hurt her. But when Ryza swung her claws and hit Snow in the chest sending her flying, she was starting to regret that choice.
But she committed to it. She did her best to entertain Ryza, avoiding her swift claw strikes, talking to her, and in some cases telling jokes. She wasn’t perfect at dodging though, are arms and back getting hit. But she could see Ryza getting tired, her eyes attacks getting slower. It was also getting much darker but Snow could see almost perfectly and she was pretty sure Ryza could as well.
Ryza lunged at her face first and Snow stepped into it. Her jaws missed her but Snow wrapped her arms around her furry body. Ryza struggled but it was sluggish. She growled and pawed, her claws gently scratching down her back. She was huffing against her back and then sniffed the air slowly. Snow buried her nose in Ryza’s fur and it was so different. She smelled like Ryza but now she smelled like home.
Snow gasped when she felt the intake of air shake her hair gently. She could feel Ryza’s muzzle against her back, sniffing her and she laughed. She stroked her fingers through her fur slowly, tangling her fingers in it and smoothing it down when she could, “That’s it Ryza. You know who I am. You know me.”
She went down slowly, guiding Ryza along with her. First Ryza went to her knees and then slowly lay down, resting her head on her lap and shut her eyes. Her breathing was labored and she was whimpering but she was relaxing. Like a big puppy. She continued brushing her fingers through her fur and started to feel the tingling in her fingertips. The hair on her arms began to stick up.
She looked around rapidly but then focused on Ryza realizing it was her. It was so sudden. The fur faded away, the claws disappeared and she shrunk in size. She was huddled against Snow shuddering like a leaf. Snow put Ryza’s own cloak around her this time and held onto her. She noted immediately the pair of ears hidden within her curls now, the same texture and flat against her head.
Snow stared at her waiting but she could smell her. Her wonderful scent that she wanted to roll around in but there it was. That underlying scent of the forest, of fur, of home. It made her scent infinitely better in ways that couldn’t describe. Brushing her fingers against her head slowly, she noted Ryza’s hand.
The scars from her claws were still there. Deep permanent reminders. The one along her cheek was also there in similar fashion. She barely saw the ones at her hips. She stroked her jaw slowly and frowned hard. Ryza stilled in her arms and Snow immediately focused on her. But it was nothing, Ryza began to sit up, shaking back and forth. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at Snow and groaned. She held a hand to her head as if fighting off a massive headache.
Opening her eyes slowly she looked at her hands back and forth. They were the same hands that she’d had just an hour or so ago. But she felt it, the odd sensation as she moved her ears atop her head. Air touching something that didn’t exist before. The sensation of a fifth appendage that she’d never experienced before.
Her heart rate accelerated as all the new sensations assaulted her ears and nose. Her rising temper at all of these new things to comprehend. She held her hands out though, forcing herself to slow down. Forcing herself to breathe and think. To work her way through things as they were.
She was aware of Snow beside her. More than just her presence though. She felt her, truly felt her. It wasn’t just the sound of her breathing and heartbeat or the ambrosial smell that now covered her. It was beyond that. In ways she only just barely had the words to describe.
So, she focused on what she could. Knowledge. And she had a plethora of that right now. She could see just beyond them her ghost, which she realized hadn’t been a proper ghost at all. Touching the scar on her cheek she shook her head.
The wolf morphed turning into her brother again. It walked over to her and crouched looking her in the eye.
“You were never a ghost were you?”
“No.”
“And you knew that?”
“Yes.”
“You never explained that.”
Its lip quirked into a smirk, “You never asked the right question.”
She scowled at that, feeling the condescension from her own magic. If she truly wanted she could control it, make it behave differently. Take another form. But in the back of her mind, she was fine with the autonomy. A conversation was easier to parse through.
“So then you’re my brother’s necromancy intertwined with whatever demon is spawned from Snow’s curse.”
The not ghost laughed openly at that and that made Ryza growl. She snapped at it and then paused realizing what she’d done. She looked at her hands again and shook her head, “That’s. That’s something I’ll have to get control over. Explain yourself.” She said narrowing her eyes at the thing now that she knew I wasn’t a curse, demon, or ghost.
“Are you talking to the ghost Ryry?”
Ryza looked at Snow and saw the concern in her eyes, felt the hesitation in her movements. She touched her face, pressing her forehead against hers and meeting her eyes. Taking a slow breath, she dizzied almost immediately and felt Snow shudder against her as well. Pushing herself away she shut her eyes tightly. Snow smiled goofily leaning back on her hands.
“Yes I am. And clearly that is something else I will have to get used to.”
“Do you want some time. I can come back.”
Ryza glared, forced herself to pause, and motioned at it. “Tell me what you know about our shared condition.”
“I’m not a demon. The magic that transformed Snow and the others is more primal. To the point that I wonder if it doesn’t belong to a God. It took your soul and changed it, transformed it into something fierce and dangerous. But you were right to believe it was one in the same as her. Because it is.”
“So that’s what you are? A manifestation of my new magic?”
“Correct. The wolf and the necromancer bound together.”
“How did you come to be?”
“She made it happen. After the first time she struck you with her claws. And every time afterward. She changed you. I told you she was dangerous.”
Ryza frowned hard and glanced at Snow who still basking in whatever had entertained her so. She looked back at the manifestation of her soul and asked, “Does the name Luthagen mean anything to you?”
“Home,” it replied.
“Home?” Ryza repeated though even as she said it, it felt right.
“Indeed. “
Ryza nodded and waved her hand at it, narrowing her eyes. The spectral copy of her brother stared at her a moment longer and then morphed. Morphed into the black wolf that she’d seen before her change. On instinct, she flinched but realized that it was just her. Another facet of her now.
As she thought she felt her tail swishing behind her and the way it swept across the ground was so odd. She’d gotten used to it faster than she thought but the ears. She scratched at them and flicked one ear away from her own hand. Scowling she tried to remain still to scratch her itch. After the third instinctive flinch, she pouted and looked away.
“What did the ghost thing say?”
Ryza turned to face Snow and moved over to her. She’d been loosely positioned in her lap and got comfortable, pressing her back against her chest. She made sure to move her tail to not sit on it. She felt Snow wrap an arm around her shoulders and she touched her wrist.
“You transferred your condition to me,” she started with. “But it’s not a curse. It’s potentially something special. I haven’t directly seen it but I’ve seen something like it once before.”
“You’ve seen a lot of things Ryry,” Snow said teasingly but Ryza was already nodding. “Wait. I gave you this? How?”
“Any number of the cuts or bites when you were transformed is my guess,” Ryza replied. She felt her stiffen and Ryza turned around to look at Snow’s face. She looked like she was fighting tears. “Do not do that.”
“But. You’re like this now. Because of me.”
“Being like this is interesting and definitely unexpected but it isn’t without its uses Snow. And benefits,” she said. “I look forward to exploring said benefits. But they start with going to Luthagen.”
She sniffled confused, “Luthagen? Why there?”
“We’re in a similar position now,” she said standing up slowly. “I don’t like not having all of the answers. And Luthagen will have the answers I want. So we don’t really have a chance to relax and rest.” Snow stared at her with starry eyes and Ryza made a face, “What?”
“Nothing,” she shook her head quickly and stood up kissing Ryza. “Just glad.”
“Mmm,” Ryza smiled. But as she looked down at herself, she scowled hard. “As comfortable as I newly find myself with nudity, I believe clothes would make our lives easier when it comes to traveling.”
That made Snow laugh openly, “Are you sure? I think I like this look for us both?”
Ryza looked back at her sternly, “No. Come along or I will leave you behind here in this grotto.”
The Harlequin Library 