|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2023 9:41 pm
“I should have brought my phone,” Amarynthos said. He’d stopped for the fourth time this hour because he knew he’d seen something. He wished he could have recorded it just to get a better chance to see it. He ran his thumb over his ring he’d gotten the last time he was here. He and Ephesus had already spent a chunk of time sending each other messages and getting used to the device, and when they’d told Soleiyu about it he’d shown up to give them even more to work with.
It wasn’t the first time Soleiyu had upgraded something for them, and between him and Ephesus, they always had plenty of questions to ask him about what he was doing.
In this case, he upgraded their rings–with more features than either seemed to need, but they both subscribed to the ’Just in case’ train of thought.
Except, he couldn’t just hold his ring out and try to record ghosts.
When they’d spoken to Michael, he’d given a very practical answer–he’d told them that if it had happened to him on Sessrumnir, he’d assume it was a memory. He said it might have been the Moon’s way of sharing things with them. He’d also told them that if they just relaxed and focused that maybe they’d learn more. It made sense and seemed easy enough.
That was easier said than done; both he and Ephesus had seen the strange, foggy shape that faded in and out. It seemed to lurk in the gardens and was never there for long enough to make out much detail.
When they’d talked to Devyn, he’d given them candles to burn, and a ten minute long story about some of Alastor’s superstitions. Two were burning nearby on either side of where they were working, and whatever was around wasn’t coming close, but it was there.
This time, Amarynthos stood up straight to see it, and finally he caved. “Does it look like a bear to you? Because it looks like a bear to me. And it’s not just because this whole area has bear stuff.”
They’d been in this area before, but now that they were cleaning up some of the withered vines and making room for the new plants to grow, and he’d already found a few more engravings and small stone busts carved into the wall here than anywhere else they’d found. A few had been easy to clean up and a few still needed some scrubbing.
But, he was pretty sure there was a bear here–a ghost bear, maybe–and that made it really hard to focus on anything else. Even if this was something the Moon was trying to show him, it would be great if it could maybe point him in the right direction, or actually show him something.
The ghostly thing hadn’t left the area, it just kept circling when it did show up–so if it was trying to show them something, it was probably supposed to be over here.
Or the bear was hunting them, he wasn’t really sure right now.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:31 am
Ephesus wasn’t scared exactly. He just wasn’t sure what they were going to see, or what they would run into. He was grateful for Solieyu’s help with the rings they got, and now he and Amarynthos could do a lot more than just write messages to each other. Which was nice because he was pretty sure his handwriting was horrible and he wasn’t that great with spelling.
“A bear?” Ephesus squeaked and turned to look where Amarynthos was looking. He hadn’t gotten a good look at what the ghost was, but he was pretty jumpy about the whole thing. He’d seen the foggy shape, but if it was a bear…
“Aren’t bears dangerous? Do you think it’s hungry? Do ghosts get hungry? Maybe we should have asked your dad -- no, he would have just been worried about a ghost being up here,” Effie decided.
His arms were full of the dead vines that he’d been gathering up, but had stopped for a few moments to look around. Amarynthos was right about the bear stuff. It seemed like whoever was in charge of Amarynthos before was a big fan of bears.
And Ephesus would be lying if he didn’t think the engravings and busts were kind of cute.
“Maybe we should light a few more candles…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:02 am
Bears were dangerous. He’d never seen one up close but he knew what they could do. Well, Earth bears at least. Not Moon Bears.
“Yeah, there’s a couple more in my bag, we can light them. It just–here, let me help,” he said, and scooped up the other end of the vines Ephesus was carrying so they could move them to the wheelbarrow. It was probably getting close to a good time to take a break from all of this.
“I don’t know if ghosts can get hungry but I’ve seen some weird horror movies, so maybe. Probably not,” he said, more for Ephesus’ sake than because he believed it.
“We should have gone to the big Code and asked. I thought maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks,” he sighed, and tugged at one of the withered vines that was stuck to the wall. The faster they filled up the wheelbarrow, the faster they could be done with this place.
Although, they could just leave. There wasn’t anything stopping them.
“It’s weird though, the bears? I mean, not weird weird, but–you don’t decorate a place, a garden, with statues to something you’re afraid of, right? And none of these bears look scary. Like, it can’t be to keep people out. Or to be tribute to some scary monster. I would get that, but these bears look so regal.”
He brushed his hand across the top of the stone bear they’d just cleared off. It was a little bigger than the matching pair they’d seen before; those lined the walls past the archway leading to this garden. The back wall they were clearing off looked like it had some slots for lights to be hung, so their priority had to make space for that. There seemed to be some artwork hidden behind the vines and Amarynthos wanted to see it once they got the dead and withered vines pulled down.
They still had a long way to go; only half of the wall had been cleared but would need a good scrubbing to get the dirt come off well enough to see what they’d uncovered. Maybe more bear art.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 1:42 pm
“Oh, thank you,” Effie sighed in relief when Amarynthos helped him with the vines. He tucked everything into the wheelbarrow, and then patted his gloved hands off -- because of course Michael gave them nice gardening gloves so they wouldn’t hurt their hands. Although if they did, Effie would have been happy to heal them.
“They do look very regal,” he agreed. “Probably why you look so regal, too.”
Ephesus smiled at Amarynthos, hoping to give him a little encouragement, even if he was now worried about bear attacks. But no, the Moon was supposed to be safe, and the Code wouldn’t let them be in danger, right?
“I have my brush set over at Ephesus,” he continued as he watched Amarynthos, but paused so he could wrap his arms around his waist from behind, pressing his face against Amarynthos’ back. Just for a few moments so he could let Amarynthos inspect the stone bear.
“My set I used to clean the statues there, I mean. So we can get all the dried pieces of plants off him.”
Michael got the set for him, of course. He’d mentioned wanting to clean some statues and Michael went out and got him a set that he claimed was from Peter, since he was into digging around in the dirt for artifacts and things like that, but Ephesus knew.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 2:11 pm
The closeness wasn’t so unlike their usual hugs, or laying on each other while curled up on the couch. Yet, something about it felt so much more personal. So much closer. Ephesus’ warmth was welcome against him, and he found himself relaxing back against him easily.
“Oh yeah, we should do that,” he agreed. “Maybe on our next trip though. I was kind of thinking that after we finished getting this next load out, we could head over to Ephesus. I don’t want to hog all of our free time just on my–”
The bear was there again, closer than before. Watching them.
Amarynthos could see it clearly now. Unlike before, it wasn’t walking in slow circles. It was just standing there.
He felt uneasy but couldn’t quite place the emotion. His heart was pounding but it felt more like the rush he got just before he crossed the finish line in a race, not anything born of fear.
And yet, he couldn’t move.
He didn’t know if Ephesus could see the bear, and if he hadn’t yet then he didn’t want to spook him.
Except, the bear took a step forward–slowly, like it was looking at something.
Just, not them. It was looking behind them.
Amarynthos wanted to relax, wanted to trust the Moon, but bears? Ghosts? Those weren’t things you were supposed to turn your back to!
A small breeze blew through, and between one blink and the next, the pale figure dissolved into glitter on the wind.
If he’d had to guess, it felt like he was waiting for something. Like there was an expectation that something was about to happen, or that someone wanted him to do something, but he just wasn’t completely getting it.
Amarynthos cleared his throat and scanned the area to see if it had reappeared somewhere else. “It’s getting kind of demanding, isn’t it?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:10 pm
It was easy to hug Amarynthos. Easy for Ephesus to tuck his arms under the front, floral panels of his cape. He couldn’t help but smile as he squished his cheek against Amarynthos’ shoulder, especially when he could feel him relaxing against him.
But he didn’t get a chance to respond to him about moving over to his Wonder next, because Amarynthos paused and froze, and Ephesus did as well.
He could see it too -- the bear. Majestic and still and wise in a way that Ephesus couldn’t explain. How can you look at someone or something and be able to tell that they just knew more about… everything.
His arms tightened around Amarynthos, but he slowly lifted his head off his shoulder so he could get a better look, staring with wide eyes.
In a way… something about it reminded him of Amarynthos, but he didn’t know why.
“It… I don’t think it wants to hurt us,” he whispered, still not letting go of Amarynthos just yet. “Maybe it wants you to… I don’t know…. Follow it? Maybe that’s silly. I mean, people don’t usually follow bears, right? Maybe we should go talk to the big Code.”
He didn’t want any of his ideas to end up getting either of them hurt!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:30 pm
Amarynthos pressed his lips together tightly and considered for a moment before he finally nodded and relaxed. “I feel like if it wanted to hurt us, it probably could have done so any time before now. It’s never been so close, though.”
Come to think of it, every time he’d seen it, it felt like it was–what, looking for something? Sometimes it seemed like it was just walking the perimeter, or just watching them to see what they were doing.
This was the closest it had ever been. And this was the longest he’d seen it. And this was the first time it had looked at him, through him–
He half turned, not so much that Effie would have had to move. The only thing behind him was the wall–with the largest bear bust, he couldn’t help but notice.
“It would be easier to follow it if it ever stuck around for long enough for me to figure out where it was going. What was it looking at?”
He reached his hand to rest on the cool stone of the bear’s head. “Doesn’t seem like it’s a secret lever or anything.” He began to pat around, though, working his hand around the bear’s head, poking at its teeth, and then finally, he sucked in a breath and pushed his hand in.
His lips pursed together again and he paused, frowned, and tilted his head. “Effie, can you see something in here? This feels weird, where my hand is. There’s something smooth in here.”
He didn’t want to move and disrupt how Ephesus was holding onto him, but he couldn’t see the shimmering, milky white stone his fingers kept brushing over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:37 pm
Ephesus didn’t mind being moved around a little. He still had no intention of letting go of Amarynthos, especially not when there was a bear wandering around. Or a ghost of one. Or something. He kept his arms around him, but glanced over where Mary was looking and shuffled himself a little closer to the wall to make it easier for Amarynthos to reach the bear.
He sucked in a breath when Amarynthos did, not sure what to expect, but he seemed a little relieved when Mary didn’t immediately respond with pain.
As for him seeing anything…
“I’m not sure,” he frowned, and for a moment he was going to keep holding onto Amarynthos, but bit his lip and drew up the courage to reach his hand in as well. It was a tight fit with both of their hands in the bear’s mouth, but maybe it was better that his hand was a little smaller so he could help get whatever it was out.
He groped around as well, but playfully entwined his fingers with Amarynthos’ for a moment, before letting go so he could help with the smooth object.
“Try pushing it up the same time I am? Maybe it’s just stuck,” he suggested, trying to be serious and not smile at how content he felt next to Amarynthos.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:49 pm
Amarynthos was trying to be serious, but Ephesus’ fingers laced with his own made him smile, even if he was still thinking about ghosts.
“Okay, trying that,” he said. He resisted the urge to lean over and kiss Ephesus’ cheek. It took a few seconds of adjusting his hand and trying to find a good grip before he could try pushing it up. He planted one hand on the wall to give him a bit more balance.
It was stuck. It almost didn’t even feel like it was accidentally fixed to the wall, and after another few seconds of pushing up against it, the clay holding it in place crumbled and it popped out. Amarynthos’ arm hit the teeth of the bear’s open mouth and he made a noise of brief surprise–not at that, but at the sudden movement behind them.
Before he could turn, the ghostly figure of a bear was coming towards them. Its head was upright and mouth closed, and though it didn’t seem to have any aggressive intentions, it still moved so quickly that he braced for impact.
It was cool. Light. It felt like sitting in front of a water jet blowing bubbles in a pool.
The apparition passed right through them and disappeared into the wall.
Instinctively, he’d wrapped his arm around Ephesus, but there didn’t seem to be any real threat to them.
He held his breath for a moment and, only when he was certain that they hadn’t been hurt and the ghost was gone, he examined the oval gemstone he held. It was milky and pale, but he ran his thumb over it and was surprised to see amber underneath it. Even the dust that covered it was pretty enough to deceive him into thinking it was just some shiny white gem.
“Are you okay? I don’t know what this is, exactly.”
The more dust that came off, the more color returned to the gem, and as he broke off more of the clay that had held it in place, the more its true form took shape.
The golden orb fit easily in his hand, and through the amber stone he could see a golden honeycomb pattern inside.
“Bears like honey, yeah? Oh, maybe he was looking at you all this time. Your wand has that honeycomb on top. And you smell like honey. Do you think this is edible? To ghost bears, maybe.”
He was talking to fill the silence, and rolled the gem around in his hand. “...I don’t know what this is, or why it was so interested in it. Michael says sometimes he has memories when he finds something, or Sessrumnir is trying to clue him into things, but I’ve got nothing.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:04 pm
Oops. He could tell that Amarynthos was trying to be serious, so he did his best to behave and focus on getting the piece out. But the moment of relief was short lived when the bear suddenly changed them.
Ephesus squeaked and hid his face against Amarynthos as he waited for whatever the bear was going to do--
But there was nothing. Just a cool feeling. And then the bear was gone.
“I’m okay,” he promised, looking up at Mary once he had a moment to let his heart calm down. “Are you? Did you hurt yourself?” He’d seen how Mary had to use some extra force to get the gem, or whatever it was, out. He just hoped he wasn’t in a lot of pain. But he could heal that if he needed to!
“It’s very pretty,” he gasped in clear awe at the orb Amarynthos managed to get out of the bear’s mouth. He had no idea why it was there in the first place, but it didn’t seem like a place to keep such pretty things.
He couldn’t stop the quiet, shy giggles when Amarynthos teased about the bear looking at him, but he shook his head.
“I hope not. I don’t have any honey to give him.” Maybe he could look around Ephesus more to see if any honey was still around. Did honey last a thousand years? Maybe he shouldn’t give any honey to the ghost bear.
“Maybe the Code will know?” he suggested, a little helplessly. He felt bad for relying on the Code so much for things, but they were new at this, so it had to be okay, right?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:37 pm
“I’m okay. Really okay,” Amarynthos insisted, before Effie could doubt him or question if he was just saying what he thought he wanted to hear. “It felt weird but not bad. I–yeah, I think we can finish up here.”
He glanced at the stone he was holding and ran his thumb over it once more. “We can stop by the Code on the way out, and if mine doesn’t have anything to say, maybe we can make a detour and go visit the big one.” Although, he really hoped that this was something easily resolved. He didn’t want to go back to the Code just to report that they’d accidentally unleashed ghost bears during their cleaning.
The amber orb disappeared into his pocket and he wiped his hands off on his pants. Sucking in a great breath, he smiled at Ephesus. “And it was getting close to lunch time, anyway. I really wanted to finish more of this wall, but I guess I’d rather know what’s going on first, in case I wasn’t supposed to touch this area or something. I don’t remember the bear showing up before we got back to this area, but the Code didn’t tell me anywhere was off limits.”
He sounded confident, but there was a small part of him that worried that he’d done something wrong. And, if he had, he wanted to fix it as quickly as possible.
The gem in his pocket had an odd weight to it and he was keenly aware of it in a way he couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t just the weight, but he felt something in it.
It wasn’t bad, he just didn’t understand it.
If anyone would know, it’d be the Code.
“Let’s go pick up the candles. I’ll put on my bag and then we can wheel these out to the compost pile and stop by the Code on the way out, if that’s okay? I figure we can have lunch while we’re there, too. I’m sure it’s safe by the Code. And the flowers blooming over there smell really pretty.”
…And having something good to look forward to might make the idea of ghosts around them a little more bearable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
