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Bard and Audrey quietly stood at the entrance of the cave where Miriam’s spirit resided. While Bard looked uncertain and fearful of what was ahead, Audrey held her sword to the side, with a tight grip as her steely gaze peered deeper into the cave. The crystal-like rocks within reflected sunlight well enough that one could find their way without trouble.
The longer she stared into the cave, the more she had a bad feeling about this. Caves usually had at least some manner of life within them, whether animals or plants. But she couldn’t see or hear anything. It seemed like nothing wanted to come in here. And truth be told, she felt a strange compulsion to stay out. But she wasn’t going to let that stop her.
“You’re sure this is where she is…?” Bard asked, looking into the same cave, doubt creeping into his mind.
“Absolutely. Everything we’ve heard points to right here.” She said confidently, though still not coming any closer. There was just… something about this place that put her on edge. No matter how many spirits she had killed so far, as if the cave itself was trying to hold her back. Well, she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. “Come on, let’s go.” She commanded as she entered the cave and cautiously went deeper.
Bard stayed back for a few more seconds, doing his best to overcome his fear. Just for the briefest of moments, he thought he’d heard a very faint echo of wailing from the depths. This was so very wrong. But it wouldn’t get better if he didn’t go in. With trepidation, he followed Audrey into the cave.
As they slowly descended into the earth, the light became dimmer until it settled on a gentle glow that continued as they carefully navigated through crystals and rocky ground. As he traced Audrey’s steady pace, he kept thinking he could hear someone’s voice, very quietly, like another presence in the air itself. But every time, as suddenly as the suspicion came, it vanished.
“So… why do you think she’s down here?” He asked, trying to ease his nerves. As soon as he spoke, however, his echo bounced between walls, going down both ways up and down the tunnel. Audrey turned around with a scowl upon her face, a fierce silent scolding. “Sorry.” He apologised, very quietly this time.
“I don’t know.” Audrey responded, her volume barely above a whisper. “I don’t care. All I know is that she must be taken care of.”
“But… she isn’t doing anything.” Now he was definitely hearing some kind of noise, it wasn’t just his imagination. It was this deep sound, like something large was moving…
“So?” Audrey asked, not even turning around to look at him, her focus squarely on getting to the bottom of this.
“She isn’t terrorising people in the surface like the monsters are. And she didn’t hurt anyone.” He could see an opening at the end of the rocky corridor. Light was pouring out from inside. What was that? “Audrey, I think she’s hiding. I think she’s here to be away from people, not to harm them.”
“It doesn’t matter. She has to be taken down.” She asserted while approaching the opening, before Bard rushed up ahead of her and blocked the entrance. Audrey simply stood there, eyeing him up and down, severely unimpressed. “We both know you don’t have a chance against me in a fight. Move aside.”
“Audrey, this is important. We can’t kill her.” He implored, hoping this time, of all times, she’d listen to him.
“Why? Because you like her?” Bard said nothing but a blush slowly formed on his cheeks. “Oh don’t give me a look, it’s obvious you do.”
“It’s not just that!” He said, too tense to even bother denying the implication. “Audrey, please. This isn’t like the Overseers. Miriam was a person, she’s just been turned into an upset spirit.”
“An upset spirit with all the power of a witch, and none of the self-control!” She said, as loudly as possible without creating a loud echo.
“You don’t know that! You don’t know what she’s going through, and how she feels!” Bard wasn’t controlling his voice anymore, and so it reverberated clearly through the underground air.
“And you do?” Audrey asked, and to this, the bard had no answer. No, he didn’t know. He wasn’t sure, and he couldn’t be. All he had was faith, and hope. He doubted she’d consider those good enough reasons to not be aggressive.
“Audrey, please. We don’t have to kill her. We just have to turn her back to her old self.” He was running out of ideas to try and stop her, but he couldn’t give up. He had to try.
“And I take it that you have a plan for that?” She replied, looking and sounding very skeptical, as she peeked from over his shoulder into the chamber. Something in her gut told her that she was right on the other side, quite close.
“I… might have an idea…” He said, in a manner that wasn’t even remotely convincing. “Please, let me try it out first. I don’t think she’s become evil, just…” He could hear strange sounds from behind him. They sounded human… and at the same time, not at all.
Audrey was still staring at him, wondering how on Eya’s world this guy had any hope whatsoever that this would be resolved peacefully. Though part of her was faintly curious as to what this “plan” of his would be… if the worst happened, then he’d be the distraction, the bait, and then she’d go in for the perfect strike. “Fine. We’ll see what happens. Now let’s stop wasting time, she’s definitely close.”
That was as good an answer as he would ever get. He let out a sigh as he walked through the entrance, Audrey right behind him. After a few steps through a narrow passageway, they both emerged on the other side and found themselves in an enormous, hollow chamber, the ceiling extending far above their heads. Ragged rocks and shallow crevices could be found on every surface. The walls were covered in crystals from top to bottom, reflecting every bit of light to create an eerily luminescent room. And right in the center, the source of the light itself… Miriam’s darkened spirit.
A huge, shadowy entity, its shape and outline recognisably Miriam’s, but all finer details were impossible to distinguish as they morphed and vanished into the figure. What were once her clothes were now ragged drapes, and all of it seemed to be emitting black smoke that vanished into nothingness. Still identifiable, and readable, was her face. Sharp eyes, pointy nose, and an open mouth from which emerged some ghastly sound. Even as a magically-twisted shadow spirit, she was nonetheless glowing brightly in the chamber, creating many deep shadows with every jutting rock and nearby crevice.
Her completely blank eyes pierced straight into their souls. Bard and Audrey could do nothing but meekly stand their ground for a few seconds. Bard’s face was one of sorrow and worry. Audrey put on her defiant scowl, readying herself for a confrontation.
“Well, I hope this brilliant plan of yours works out, and quickly.” She said, knowing better than to make a sudden move, or threaten it. If his suspicions were right, and this was still Miriam as opposed to some horrific amalgamation in her image, then it would be wary of her every move and word.
Miriam let out a wail that shook the entire chamber, causing the bard and swordswoman to cover their ears, then duck behind a jutting rock. “Now’s your time to shine.” Audrey said to Bard. He was terrified, and it was easy to tell. His face had become noticeably pale, and his muscles had only a fraction of their usual strength.
Nonetheless, he gathered his courage, took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind the rock. Taking yet another look at Miriam, it was difficult to be not be intimidated by her inhuman form. At first glance, she seemed to be angry at their presence, growling and summoning magic from her fists, creating menacing glowing orbs of power.
But the more Bard looked at her, the more he sensed that it wasn’t the whole story. She wasn’t attacking him, she wasn’t making any moves or escaping, she was just… floating in space where she’d been all along. And when he took a better look at her face, she seemed… almost… sad…
“Hey, Miriam…” He spoke softly, hoping that being gentle with her would put her at ease. That she wouldn’t smite him or anything. She let out a low grumble, but otherwise didn’t react to him. “I’ve been really worried about you. I haven’t seen you in what seems like forever.” He was slowly taking small steps towards her, trying to not look so terrified of her. He had to keep reassuring himself, this was Miriam. She would recognise him, she would know that he would never mean any harm to her.
“I know you’re not quite yourself right now, but that’s okay. I’m here to try and bring you back, Miriam.” He tried to sound confident, to be fearless for her. He needed to show her that he still believed it was her inside the shadow, that he saw through it, past the twisted transformation. That she was still in there somewhere.
Audrey was peeking from behind the rock, examining the scene. Perfect, he was distracting her. Now she had to stealthily approach it to make the strike. She didn’t know what it was capable of, so it best not to take any chances. Overseers were more predictable beings, but she had no experience fighting such a monstrosity. The only way to be sure was to get up close and let out one very powerful blow.
While the bard talked, she very quietly slid out from her spot, and keeping her head low and her sword hidden, she imperceptibly crawled to the edge of the chamber, hiding beneath any protrusion she could find, and looking back to see if she had been spotted. Somehow, the ex-witch seemed to be engrossed by the bard. She had no idea how or why, but it didn’t matter. It meant that she could move in for the kill.
Once she felt like she had slipped past far enough, she started approaching the spirit from the side, as it hovered in the spot, and gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, and got ready to beckon the sword’s energy to strike her down in one swing. She only had one shot at this.
“Miriam, do you remember me?” Bard asked, as he came ever closer to Miriam. He was now standing on the edge of a small horizontal spire of rock, sticking out onto the center of the room. “Do you remember the music we heard together?” She still looked like a fierce creature assessing whether it was confronting a threat, or something harmless, uncertain, unsure. “I think I know what can help bring you back, Miriam.” And with that, he struck his singing pose.
Bard begun to sing at Miriam, recalling melodies and songs that they had heard together throughout their adventure. He was creating a medley on the spot, combining all the elements he felt would reach out to her the most. As he looked at her, trying to stare into her blank eyes, he could see that she was listening to him intently. She hadn’t let down her guard, but she was definitely paying attention. Yes, yes, this was what he was hoping for. He just had to keep-
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a small flash of light. He stopped singing and gasped in shock as he saw Audrey charging her sword very close to Miriam, aimed directly at her.
“Audrey!” He shouted, his sharp cry echoing through the chamber. Audrey looked at him, her face twisted in anger and defiant determination. But Miriam had also turned around, and recognised her. And immediately, the spirit screamed a deafening roar, that forced Audrey to cover her ears, and the sword’s charge to misfire and barely graze Miriam. “Watch out!” Bard screamed, too far away to do anything else.
Audrey saw Miriam’s arm send out a magic attack. She tried to jump out of the way, but the explosion hit the ground beneath her. It still had enough energy to hurl her all the way to the back wall of the chamber, the sword following and landing just within arm’s reach.
Audrey groaned as she got up, and tried to grab the sword. But Miriam was too quick this time, and blasted the spot before Audrey could jump away. This time, she was blown all the way to other side of the cave, and the sword thrown the other way, scraping the cave floor as it slid and fell into one of the shallow crevices.
Bard could only follow Audrey’s body as she was attacked. After the second impact, she seemed to have taken real damage. She was struggling to get up, hissing in pain and trying to use her limbs, but she looked too weak to do anything at the moment. The witch was already charging up a new spell, and it was glowing even brighter this time. He had to do something, anything!
“Miriam, listen to me!” He shouted, hoping he’d let Audrey go. She’d been incapacitated enough. “Miriam! Focus on me!” He was practically jumping and down, trying to get her attention. She looked at him, and shouted again. It was a sound of sadness, of dejection… was it also one of pain? “Miriam, I know still you’re in there somewhere. I know you’re still the same witch from Delphi. This isn’t you, but it’s okay, because I’ll save you!”
Her expression was unreadable. He really couldn’t tell if he was getting through to her. But he had to keep having faith, to hope that this would work. This time, he wouldn’t hold back at all. If he was going to do this, for Miriam, then this would take as much as he could muster. Feeling brave, he extended his arms once again as he let his voice do its magic again.
Oh, how much have I suffered and longed
To see your face once more, my Miriam
And though your fate has been wronged
I couldn’t let you go, and so, here I am
Ever since you have traveled by my side
And shown me so much I’ve never known
I’ve been so ceaselessly tested and tried
But never felt I had to endure it all alone
Miriam’s spirit was now very still, taking in the bard’s song. Her expression had softened, her shadowy form ceasing to flow and weave, but frozen in space, spellbound by his voice.
I’d give up all I have, just for your smile
You’re the one I have dearly wished for
And made all my sacrifices worthwhile
I can’t go back to the way it was before
All my life, I’ve given others my spirit
But when I am with you, I finally feel
Like a fire within me is so warmly lit
I can confess all the burdens I conceal
Her shadowy figure was gently shrinking, fading away, as she took on a brighter, softer color. She was slowly returning to who she was, looking more and more the way she used to with every second.
So please, return to me, my true dear
This world is too empty without you
All I wish, to have you safe and near
I hope you can hear, my love is true
The way you make me feel, it’s magic
And you keep me from falling apart
For life without you is sorely tragic
You are the one I trust with my heart
By now she was almost fully transformed again, bathing in magical light, as his voice echoed in the chamber, the sound surrounding her, enveloping her, covering her in waves of sweet tones.
For I am just a cheerful but lonely bard
Who laid eyes on a most special witch
And who heals me where I’ve scarred
And makes my nights bright and rich
I never thought I would feel this way
But now my heart just yearns to sing
And awaits that joyous, wonderful day
When we join our lonely heartstrings
And with that verse, he held a tone for as long as he could, letting the power of his voice wash over Miriam, until he had no more air in his lungs. As he finally stopped, the echo in the chamber seemed to hang in the air for several seconds, as Miriam, looking just the way he remembered her, gently floated downwards, until she was softly resting on the cave floor.
Even if he was worn out by the intense singing, Bard ran down the chamber, barely avoiding tripping and sliding a few times in the now dimmer cave, the only light now the reflected sunlight coming from crystals. Soon enough he was right beside where Miriam laid. She looked… okay. Like she had just fallen asleep here, no sign or trace of her shadowy form.
He knelt beside her and gently rocked her shoulders, trying to wake her up. “Miriam? Miriam, can you hear me? I know you’re there…” Her face looked so peaceful… then he saw her eyebrows moving, and letting out a low groan. “Miriam, wake up…” He needed to know that it worked like he’d hoped. Please let her be okay.
Miriam’s mind slowly drifted back to the waking world, as she slowly opened her eyes. They took a few seconds to adjust to the darkness, but as soon as they could focus, she saw… Bard.
“...Bard?” Her voice was just like how he remembered it. He let out a huge sigh of relief as he stayed beside her, grateful beyond words that she was back at long last. “Miriam… you came back.” He said, unable to hide the smile on his face. Or be bothered to do anything about the tears that were starting to pool in his eyes.
“...it wasn’t just a nightmare, then.” She said, sounding very grim.
“No, it wasn’t… but you’re back now, that’s what important!” He tried to get her to focus on the more cheerful news. “Can you stand up?”
She only groaned in response. “My head hurts… real bad. But I think I can walk. Maybe.” She extended her hand out, and Bard stood up to help her get back on her feet. She wobbled, unable to find her balance. She almost feel back to the ground, but Bard caught her in his arms. There was a brief moment of silence as she realised that he was now full-on hugging her, embracing her tightly.
She wanted to protest, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The memories of the experience were haunting, dark, and terrifying. With less reluctance than she’d ever felt, she hugged him back. She felt too vulnerable right now. His reassurance, his optimism, his warmth… it was just what she needed right now. “Thank you.”
“I could never abandon you, Miriam. I had to come back, and save you.” He didn’t want to let go, not now, not in five minutes, not ever.
Miriam was staring into space, trying to get the dark visions out of her mind. She needed to get out of here, as soon as possible. Someplace better. “I need to go home.”
“Okay. I’ll stay with you until you get there.” He said, finally letting go of her, feeling the urgency in her voice. As much as he wanted this moment to last, she was clearly shaken up, and needed to be in a good place.
“...and… maybe… stay with me, when we get there,” she pleaded, quietly. She hated feeling vulnerable, and that she needed someone, but she did. And there was no one else she could trust right now.
“I’d love to, Miriam.” His response was met with a very subtle smile from her. He’d missed her so much, and he was glad he finally got around to confessing-
“I hope you haven’t forgotten about me!” They both heard, turning around to see a battered Audrey, but still standing up with confidence, and thankfully not bleeding. “I don’t know if you bothered to mention it, but I was the one who brought you to this place, you meddlesome bard! Your precious little witch would still be howling at crystals if it weren’t for me taking the time and work to locate her! So you better believe that when we walk out of here, the first thing I’m going to do is tell everyone that-”
She was swifted smacked across the face by Miriam’s broom, magically summoned and swung across her face. Audrey barely had the time to process what happened before she fainted on the cave floor, this time lacking the effort to even drag her limbs.
“Do not. EVER. Speak to him. Like that. Again.” Miriam growled between gritted teeth as she looked upon the collapsed “hero” that laid upon her feet. She had half a mind to just let her rot here and find her own way out for all she cared…
“Is she going to be okay?” He asked, hoping Miriam wasn’t too upset just now.
“She’ll be fine. She’s just going to be taking a nap. Hopefully a long one.” She was still holding a tight grip on her broom. It was nice, at least, that she could do this at will. And that in came in handy at least once. “Let’s go.”
“But… we can’t just leave her here.” He wasn’t happy about her attempt to attack Miriam, but he wasn’t sure abandoning her like this made him any better…
“If you care so much, you can just tell the locals she’s here and to come rescue her, if they admire her so much.” She offered, and stared at the bard. He was about to protest, but thinking about it, he realised that it was the best he was going to get out of her at the moment. Miriam wasn’t going to carry Audrey’s limp body, and frankly, he didn’t have the strength to do it. So he simply nodded in agreement. “Okay then. Lead the way. I don’t remember how I came in…”
And so the two of them very laboriously worked their way out of the tunnel. Little by little, it became brighter and brighter, until they finally reached the exit, bathed in the dusk’s rainbow light. The two of them sat just outside the exit, tired from the climbing, and taking a moment to enjoy the spectacle together.
“Hey.” Miriam piped up, catching his attention. “That song of yours.” Bard had a feeling as to where this was headed, and felt his cheeks get warmer. “Did you… actually mean all of that?”
There was no point in denying it. Not after he sang it with all of his heart’s might. “Yeah.”
“So you really feel that way?”
“Yes. I’m… sorry if it was a bit much. But I felt I had to try, if it had any chance of bringing you back.” A bit of an awkward pause lingered in the air.
“I liked it. And… thanks for saying all that stuff. About me. It was… really flattering.” She replied, and now unable to look him in the eye. Even with all the nightmarish memories and feelings she’d experienced in her shadowy form, those verses somehow made all of that vanish, made her feel safe and stable.
Her thoughts and feelings were a complete mess and she was in no condition to sort them out right here, right now. “Anyway. Enough of that. Ready to go?”
“Oh, but we’re supposed to tell people Audrey’s down there…”
Miriam wanted to just drag her face across the ground so much at this point. “Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh, fine! But after that, we’re going home! Got it?”
“Got it!” He cheerfully replied, as they slowly walked away from the cave. Even if she was irritated and tired and frankly a complete mess right now, deep down, Miriam was immensely grateful. She thought she’d never be saved. She thought she’d be forever trapped in that prison of darkness and misery.
But then again, she’d never thought she’d meet someone as wonderful as this bard. In her heart, she was really glad he’d come for her. She might’ve been twisted, but the light coming from his heart gave her the strength to break out of that horrid spell, and be free to live another day with him.
She couldn’t ask for a better companion in her life.