A little while later, Lyriana came to tell me that the house had come to a stop. I was about to ask how the house had been moving, but then I remembered that the house had chicken legs and laughed. She waited for me to finish, then patted my head. “We’re going outside to go fight some bad guys,” she said. “Greta’s gonna stay here with you, and I’ve arranged for a new friend of ours to keep an eye on the two of you as well. He’s gonna come by later, and he looks a little scary, but he’s nice. Please try to be respectful,” she said. “And mind Greta. She’s in charge.” Her tone was friendly, but firm. I knew I’d be in trouble if I disobeyed.
“Okay,” I said. I wasn’t sure if I was going to listen to Greta, but it was smarter to hide that fact.
She pulled out another one of those little mirror things and handed it to me. On the back was a pretty drawing of a little white cat dressed in people clothes. “I had the magic box make this for you,” she said. “If you need anything, you can use it to contact me while I’m gone. Just press right here and say my name and it will reach me as long as I’m no more than about thirty miles from the hut. You can also call Burin, Gregor or your dad if you need to by doing the same thing, just saying their names instead.”
The kitty walked into the room. “They’re almost ready,” she said to Lyriana.
“Tell them I’ll be right there,” she responded.
“Can Nebula stay with me?” I asked.
Her face became a little sad. “Sorry kiddo. But the truth is that Nebbie’s not really here. Her real body is somewhere else and the form you see is a projection using me as a conduit.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s not really here,” she said. “If I get too far away, she disappears.”
“But I can see her,” I protested.
She thought about it for a moment and pulled out a normal mirror. She set it into my hand, turning it so I could see her reflection. “Am I in your hand right now?” she asked.
That was a silly question. “No.”
“But you can see me in your hand, right there,” she said, pointing.
“That’s just a reflection in a mirror.”
She nodded. “Exactly. Nebbie’s like that. What you see is similar to a reflection, and in a way, I’m like the mirror.” She took the mirror from my hand. “And now that the mirror is gone, you can no longer see my reflection in it.”
I guess that made sense. An idea formed. “Then, maybe I could become a mirror and be able to see my Mom again, even though she’s not here?”
“I…” She blinked. “You know, that might be possible. But I’m not sure how to do it. I’m pretty sure it’ll take a lot of work though.”
I nodded. “I’ll find a way. Maybe I’ll work on that while you’re gone.”
She patted my head again. “It can’t hurt to try, I guess. I look forward to hearing about any progress you make while I’m gone. Do you want to say goodbye to everyone?”
I thought about it. “I’ll come, but is it okay if I don’t say anything?”
She shrugged. “If that’s what you prefer. Oh, yeah, and after we go, I left some crayons and paper on the table for you if you get bored and want to draw or something.”
I didn’t know what those were, but I’d just look on the table and try to figure out what she meant. I followed her out, keeping her between me and “Dad”. He looked at me and seemed like he was about to say something, but changed his mind. “I’ll be outside,” he said to Lyriana.
“I’ll go with him,” Gregor said, following behind.
Once he was gone, Lyriana walked over to Greta, who was sitting at the table drinking a cup of that bitter liquid. She leaned over and kissed the other woman goodbye. It lasted too long and I got embarrassed and looked away, feeling my cheeks turn red.
“You try to be careful,” Mister Burin said to me. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Okay,” I said, picking up the kitty. “And you be careful too,” I said to the cat.
She reached out and patted my nose. “I am in no danger,” she said. “But I will watch over the others.” She then flew over onto Lyriana’s shoulder. I didn’t know cats could do that. But maybe she could do that because she was just an image?
After they left, I sat down by Greta. “Can I have some?” I asked, indicating what she was drinking.
She looked up from the book she was reading and pointed to a pot on the table. “Help yourself. Try not to spill any. I don’t want to have to clean it up.”
I served myself some of the steaming drink and took a sip. I must have made a face, because she glanced over at me with a smirk and pushed a small jar over to me. “What’s that?” I asked.
“Milk with vanilla and sugar,” she said. “Put a little in your coffee.”
“How much?” I asked.
“One or two spoons of it. Or half the cup, if you really want to dilute the flavor of the coffee, like Lyriana does.”
I considered it and settled on two spoons. After stirring it in, I took another drink. “Wow!” I said. “That’s good!”
She didn’t say anything. She just nodded and went back to her book. Left to my own devices, I looked over the remaining food on the table. There were more of those syrup cakes, but Mom would have scolded me if I ate only sweets, so I grabbed some kind of meat dish and ate a bit. It was really good, though it had too much pepper.
After that was done, I finished my coffee and went and sat in the corner. “What are you doing?” Greta asked me after a moment.
“I’m trying to become a mirror,” I said.
She lowered her book and looked directly at me. “You’re going to need to be shinier if you want to do that.”
“Not that kind of mirror,” I said, laughing at how serious the woman was.
“Well, try not to hurt yourself,” she said, returning to her book.
I don’t know how long I was at it. I tried focusing, reaching out with my brain. I tried whispering and praying. I begged for my mom to come to me like Nebula did for Lyriana. Eventually, I got frustrated. “It’s not working!” I said, stamping my foot after I got up.
“What makes you think it would?” Greta asked, sipping her coffee.
“Lyriana can do it,” I said, pouting.
“Lyriana is a powerful wizard,” she said. “And you are a child.”
“But…” I protested.
“She told me that she studied for years before unlocking her magical power. How long have you studied?”
I hadn’t thought of that. Wait. Was she actually trying to make me feel better? “I haven’t,” I admitted.
“Then you will not accomplish it today,” she said.
I sighed. “I guess you’re right. It’s just… I miss my mom.”
She nodded. “You are a pup. It is only natural.”
“Do you miss your mom?” I asked.
“I am seventeen,” she said. “I moved from my mother’s home four years ago.” Seventeen? She looked older, like as old as my mom. She must have realized what I was thinking, because she spoke again. “I am a winter wolf,” she said. “We age faster than humans.” She gave me a sad smile. “I am past due to have a litter of my own.”
I imagined a bunch of fuzzy little puppies and really wanted to play with them. “But two girls can’t make a baby,” I said without thinking.
“Lyriana is a wizard,” she said again. “She will figure something out for us. Or we will find a man to help us.” Then she returned to reading her book.
I looked at the table and spotted some paper and a box filled with little colored things. Realizing those must have been what Lyriana had mentioned leaving for me to draw with, I had a seat and began drawing. It was kind of fun, and I got so focused on it that I didn’t notice Greta get up to come see what I was working on.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“You drew it, but you don’t know what it is?”
“I saw it once,” I said.
“You saw a creature with the body of a cat, the wings of a dragon and the tail of a scorpion? Must have been frightening.”
“Not a real creature,” I said. “I saw it drawn on something.” It had been on the metal of a sword and on the belt with the metal clothes Mom kept locked in the special trunk that I wasn’t supposed to open.
She nodded. “Well, now I’m curious. Let us see if we can discover the nature of such a creature.” She pulled out one of those little mirror things and pointed it at my drawing. “Spirit, what is the nature of the creature that the child has drawn.”
A voice spoke from the box. “Analyzing. Analysis complete. Likely match found. Identification: Manticore.”
“What is this manticore?” Greta asked.
“On Earth, the manticore started as a mythological creature known to the Persian empire. It was brought to European folklore by the Greeks, most notably the work of Pliny the Elder. It was said to be a fierce winged creature with the body of a lion and tail of a scorpion that delights in dining on the flesh of humans. On Golarion, notes indicate that the manticore is a real creature. Adventurer’s Guild regulations classify the standard manticore as a challenge rating of five, suitable for experienced adventurers only.”
That was weird, but cool. “Why would my mom have a manticore drawn on her sword and armor, though?” I asked.
The spirit answered. “Heraldry involving the manticore is uncommon on Golarion. The only known example is the Kingdom of Melos, where it serves as the symbol of the royal family.”
“Interesting,” Greta said. “Tell us more about Melos.”
“Melos is a city-state located on an island. Its primary exports include olives and flax. The current king is named Hercules. His heir-designate is his daughter, Hecate. He has a second daughter, Persephone, who went missing over a decade ago. It is believed that she was kidnapped by agents in the employ of Typhon Lee, who is said to have had his sights on the kingdom. Alert: Personal annotation found. Would you like to hear it?” Typhon Lee? The man who killed me? And Persephone? Wasn’t that Mom’s name?
“Yes, please,” I said. I had to know.
A man’s voice spoke. “The official position of King Hercules – by the way, it amuses me that the king’s name matches that of an ancient Greek hero – is that his daughter was kidnapped. But my agents have uncovered information suggesting that in truth, she ran away with a vagabond of some kind. They haven’t confirmed the identity of the man, but evidence suggests that it was Terry Guiser. The funniest part, of course, is that Typhon Lee hasn’t figured out that it was Terry she ran away with. Speaking of Typhon, I should probably do something about him, eventually. But that has little to do with this entry. End Recording.”
Mom was a princess?! Why hadn’t she told me that? And more importantly, what did that make me? “If I’m a princess, then that means everyone has to do what I say!” I said, voicing my thoughts aloud.
Greta snorted. How could she laugh at me? I’m a princess! She had to listen to me, obviously.
“Those are the rules,” I said.
“I’ll play along,” she said. “Tell me to do something.”
“Pour me more coffee,” I ordered her.
She turned to regard me with her full attention. “No.”
“But… princess…” I protested.
I was suddenly very aware that Greta towered over me. “If your conclusion is correct, then you have a title. A title is a form of power. Your ability to command those who recognize your authority gives you power. However, no one like that is here now. I am bigger than you. I am stronger than you. And I was left in charge by a wizard who could destroy both of us with a wave of her hand. In this current situation, your power pales in comparison to mine. And as such, you can pour your own coffee.” She could be terrifying when she wanted to be.
She then patted my head – why do people keep doing that? – and sat back down, returning to her book. I pouted for a moment, then got up and served myself more coffee. From the corner of my eye, I could see Greta smirking at me, which was super annoying.
I sat back down, took a sip – why was this so good? – and thought for a moment. “If I can’t tell people what to do, then what is being a princess good for?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.
Greta shrugged. It’s weird seeing someone shrug with only one arm, by the way. Then, without looking up from her book, she gave me an answer. “You should ask Lyriana.”
“Why would she know?” I asked, curious.
“Spirit, explain to the girl who Lyriana’s father is,” Greta said.
The little mirror thingy responded. “Lyriana is the daughter of Kyle O’Halloran, the Runelord of Generosity and Ruler of Xin’Shalast.”
What? “Ruler? Like a king?”
“The Runelord serves a function similar in power and structure to a king,” the mirror replied.
“So Lyriana’s a princess too? That’s so cool!” On the other hand, I guess that meant I couldn’t boss Lyriana around either.
“While the title of princess does not exist in Xin’Shalast, as the daughter of the ruler, many other nations would recognize her as such.”
I didn’t have any other questions, so I went back to drawing. This time, I drew Lyriana and me in fancy princess dresses waiting to dance with handsome princes at a ball. It was based on a story my dad had told me once when I was little, so I made sure to get the details right, like the little fairy looking in the window to make sure we were protected from the evil goblins.
A while later, when I was almost done with my drawing, there was a polite tap on the door. A few moments later, the door opened a bit and there was a really scary looking man there. He was a skeleton, with horns and glowing eyes, and he wore black robes and a really big fur hat. Actually, at first, I couldn’t be sure if the horns were part of his head or part of the hat.
Not that I was really worried about that part. Instead, I dove behind the table, desperately trying to grab anything to protect myself with. “The demons are here to hurt me!” I screamed. I knew it was all too good to be true. I probably wasn’t even a princess.
That thought hurt me more than I want to admit.
“Calm down,” Greta said. “This is the friend Lyriana said would be coming to visit us.”
“I’m a bit offended she thinks I’m a demon,” the skeleton man said. “Those idiots have absolutely no chill.”
I peeked out from my hiding place. He was sitting down next to Greta. He seemed to be smiling at me, which was hard since he didn’t have any skin. “So you’re not here to hurt me?” I asked, warily.
“Oh, I intend to beat you mercilessly,” he said with a laugh. “But only at cards.” To make his point, he set a deck of cards on the table.
“And you’re sure he’s okay?” I asked Greta.
She shrugged again as she set down her book, carefully putting a ribbon in between the pages with her only hand. “Lyriana said he was, and that’s good enough for me.”
“O-Okay,” I said, climbing up and back into my seat. I discovered to my annoyance that I had knocked over my coffee in my rush to hide.
Another voice spoke over my shoulder. “This is why I hate having children in my house,” it said. “They’re always making messes.”
I turned to find a weird duck lady standing behind me. “Ack!” I screamed as I hid under the table again. For some reason, I was certain she was going to hit me with a broom.
“The child seems pretty high strung,” the skeleton man said. “Hello, Zorka.”
“She’s been through a lot,” Greta answered. She looked under the table at me. “You can come out. That’s just Zorka, who serves Baba Yaga.”
“Hello,” the duck lady answered the skeleton. “It has been long since you’ve visited.”
“My dear cousin forgot about me,” he said. “I fear I’ve wasted away to nothing but bones.”
“Very funny,” Zorka said. I could hear her wiping the table as she spoke.
I carefully climbed back out, making sure I was sitting next to Greta. I wasn’t sure how safe I’d be with any of them, but she seemed the safe bet. “Who is Baba Yaga?” I asked.
“The most powerful witch to ever live,” Greta said. “She’s the one that the others are trying to rescue.”
“A witch?” I asked. “Aren’t witches evil?”
“Witches are powerful, and that goes double for Baba Yaga.” She didn’t even bother answering my question.
I got some more coffee and we played a couple games of something the skeleton man called “Old Maid.” I lost three of the four games, which made winning the one game even better. After that, the skeleton man suggested we try another game, one he called “Spades”.
But, as he was explaining the rules, everyone started staring at me. “What?” I asked, as I reached for my coffee. When I touched the cup, I felt a sharp pain in my finger. “OW!” I said.
“How are you doing that with your hair?” Greta asked.
“Doing what with my…” As I spoke, I reached up. My hair was sticking straight up. But before I could react, I felt that same pain all through my body and everything went black for a minute.
After that is when things got really scary.