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During the nights, when the souls of the dead were for the most part asleep, Stella liked to come up to the roof of her ship, her pet cat Daffodil purring alongside her, and watch the night skies. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was mentally healthy for her, as the constellation signs up there attested to, but in a sense, she felt like she was honoring the memories of those she had taken on board her ship, fed, hugged, tried to help, and sent them through when their time came.
She had to admit however that those that were coming on board were becoming few and far between. The last one, a self-loathing hyena called Jackie, had given up and went through the Everdoor, and no matter where she went, none of the souls on the settlements which dotted these seas seemed interested in getting on her ship, their faces, and souls a portrait of unrecognisability.
She heard soft footsteps behind her patter up towards her. She smiled knowing full well the owner of those feet.
“I’m surprised you’re up this late, Buck.” She said, shifting herself a little to the left to allow the strange basilisk to sit down beside her.
“My sincerest apologies Commander, but sleep has eluded your most humble servant. Clearly, I have rolled a one in my ability to depart for the dreamlands of Phabberea!”
For a couple of minutes, Stella and Buck watched the stars. It wasn’t as if there was much to say after all, the both of them being in that state where they were too sleepy to do much, but too alert to go to sleep. After a while, Stella diverted her gaze from the stars and studied Buck’s face. She knew that he had been a very busy fellow in this place and wondered how many of her friends he had met on his travels. Did they ever play an RPG together? Did they share snacks and went looking for treasures?
Maybe she would ask Buck another time.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Buck diverting his attention to her, his face notably downcast as if he had something serious to say.
“Stella! Look… I… I have something to tell you.”
Immediately, Stella began shuffling through what Buck might have to say to her. She guessed he now wanted to go through the Everdoor. True, there hadn’t been many warning signs, but there hadn’t been many for Astrid when she had wanted to either. It was either that, or he had some crazy treasure quest he wanted to go through again.
“Now that there are only the two of us in here. You might’ve guessed already, but… yeah, I can’t really go through the Everdoor.”
Now that was surprising – never in Stella’s life had she ever come across someone who couldn’t go through. In fact, she had drifted these seas with the understanding that everyone had to go through at one point.
“Why?”
“It’s really hard to explain, but my guess would be that… I’ve already been through it. In a weird, strange way?”
Stella nodded her head and tilted her head back up to the sky, once again taking in the constellations of her former friends, patients, and loved ones. Now that she thought of it however, one of the constellations did look an awful lot like Buck.
Funny how truths can be hidden in plain sight.
Beside her, Stella could hear Buck take a deep breath.
“Sorry to break it to you, but…. I don’t think there is more to it. You. Me. Us. This world. Listen, I really don't want to push you towards it! Frack, no! But, you know, I think you... should try accepting your fate?”
And there it was. She supposed she should have known for a while now that this was finally it, especially after hearing from her sister Lily, but even then, she had wanted to live in denial. There were still people out there. People who needed her.
But she knew now that she had helped all she could and it was almost time to let go. But at the same time, although she had her suspicions that this was simply her final dream before she succumbed into the embrace of death, she got the feeling that this world was also real somehow, had existed before, and would continue after her.
“You’re right Buck.”
“I’m really not one to… wait, I am?”
“Yeah, I’ve been feeling it for some time now. I can feel my body getting weaker, my memories getting murkier. Yet, something is holding me to this realm. I need to find the new Spiritfarer.”
Buck put a claw to his face in deep thought.
“I must say, Commander, that is a momentous dilemma, comparable to that of the time that Roghar the Brave had to make the tough decision to either save his bond partner or to protect his kingdom!”
“You have any ideas then?”
“Unfortunately no, Commander, but I can provide what may be useful advice! You need to go forth and seek out the new Chosen One, one who wants to do more with their life and who wants to reach level 100.”
“Hmmmm….. you know, I actually have an idea.”
“You’ve come across an idea? Oh, Commander, I hope it provides a shining beacon blessed by the gentle touch of the Radiant Fae!”
“I’m thinking of taking you on as Spiritfarer.”
One of the advantages of being in this world is getting to see how expressions looked on different, more animalistic faces, and Buck didn’t disappoint. His eyes shrank until they were mere dots and one of his arms slipped, causing him to slap hard onto the ground.
“You’ve picked me to follow such an endeavor? Why Commander, I understand that the most successful adventures come with your closest acquaintances, but I do not believe myself worthy of taking on such a momentous task. What if I am like the Jigpip the Imp, who doomed his world through his failed exploits as a knight of the seven realms?”
Stella picked the smaller boy in her arms and pulled him closer for a hug. “You will be great Buck. I’ve seen you with those kids, you’ve made them happy. I think you’ll make a good Spiritfarer.”
Buck nestled in closer and Stella could feel him relax. “By the Moons of Dor-Umin, you may have a good understanding there Commander. I’ll make sure the ship maintains its condition.”
“Thanks, although we’re going to have to do some training first.”
***
“First things first. We need to train you to use the everlight.”
The Sun was now high in the sky, and Stella and Buck were out in the middle of the ocean. Stella preferred it here – she still wasn’t quite sure that she had apologised enough to that poor soul who got hit during her training sessions with the light burst activity the other day.
Still, she didn’t expect this to take too long. If she just could get Buck to learn the basics of his new role and maybe even get a fellow soul on board, she would be happy enough to finally move on.
A small ball of light floated in front of Buck, who stared at it in a look of childlike curiosity.
“Now the first thing you need to know about this job Buck is that the Everlight will be your friend. Without it, you’re going to cough up a lot of glims buying the necessary equipment, and the boat won’t move at all. As Charon told me, it is the last remaining hope of the departed.”
“So it’s like a personal Fire of Tondor!”
“Exactly. Only hopefully without attracting the attention of Ghomghota and his lackeys.”
“It’s okay, Commander. They have been completely vanquished into the depths of history!”
“That’s good. So let’s come this way then.”
Stella directed Buck through the bleating of sheep and the buzzing of bees into the field. The healthy stems of corn poked up through the soil, big enough that they could be scythed to pieces without the risk of becoming sick. Maybe.
“Now I want you to form your Everlight into a scythe and slash them. I’ll make sure you’re not injured.”
Buck slowly went up to the plants, the light slowly floating up in front of him again.
“Right then…. By the Mighty Sword of Kriazexus, these plants shall be obliterated and the soil freed from their corrupting influence!”
It didn’t quite work that way – true, it did form into a scythe, but the form dissolved the moment it made contact with the crop, leaving little more than a slight cut on one of the plants.
“Well, you’re definitely doing better than me when I was starting out.”
“Really Commander? It’s just with you being the Chosen One, I would have assumed that you already were able to achieve such seamless power with mighty ease!”
“No, it's something which takes time to achieve, although in this case, it shouldn’t take too long. You need to maintain your focus throughout it, not just as the beginning.”
Buck nodded in confirmation, then formed the light scythe once again. This time, the form was maintained, and several crops of corn dropped to the ground with a slight thump.
“By the Seven Graces of Immalda! I have wielded the Mighty Sword of Kriazexus, a weapon of such power that I thought that only the Chosen One could wield.”
Stella could only smile at that.
***
The rest of the training came and went rather mundanely. No loose sheeps, no explosions, just a girl teaching her basilisk passenger how to row and what the different parts of the ship were used for.
When Stella was satisfied that Buck could row from the ship to a settlement and back, she knew that it was time for the final test. The ship was currently moored at Hummingberg, one of the bigger settlements of this strange world. Stella had chosen this town mainly because, of top of its idyllic nature, it was the one closest to the Everdoor.
And, as the aches in her body assured her, she didn’t have much time left.
Beside her, Buck was uncharacteristically quiet, the Everlight pulsating in his slightly shaking hands.
“You’ll do great, Buck. I believe in you.”
Buck nodded and then walked up towards the bench. Sitting inconspicuously on it was what seemed to be just another spirit, their face nothing more than simple eyes hidden behind robes.
“I see that you are enjoying the activity of relaxation, no doubt to prepare yourself for a major battle.”
From her position behind an unremarkable building, Stella almost expected the spirit to flinch. Buck’s overly wordy way of speaking could occasionally surprise people after all. But none of the sort happened to this spirit.
“Yes, yes, I am trying to relax. I will say to you though – I have been feeling quite… bored with life. My hobbies have gotten boring and I find this place to have gotten very dull.”
Buck tapped his chin thoughtfully.
“Well then have you ever tried immersing yourself into the world of Demons and Ghouls 2nd Edition?”
The other soul’s head swiveled in shock.
“Wait, that exists in this world?”
“That would be an accurate statement, and it can allow you to battle the armies of the Shadow Orcs and be accompanied by the lords of Wa-Eron in great duels.”
“That sounds rather awesome, actually. I might join you there.”
The duo removed themselves from their position on the bench and began walking over to the ship. It was at this point that Stella revealed herself.
“Ah, my fellow warrior. She is the Chosen One, the one handpicked by Hades himself to bring us to hope and glory!”
The soul took a look at Stella, their eyes panning from the bottom to the top of her body.
“Woah. Cool.”
“Let us return to our Mighty Ship then, with its glorious white sails, and sail the wide seas!”
Stella knew that she had picked correctly when, upon return to the ship, the spirit’s form had changed, and they became an orange cat with a lily on top of their head. His name was William, and he had been in life one of Buck’s friends.
***
Despite Stella’s reasoning for picking Hummingberg, the trip to the Everdoor still felt like it took eons. Perhaps it was the knowledge that she was about to almost take a step into the unknown. Perhaps it was the fact that she could feel herself getting colder, as if her body was slipping away.
She saw the seas turn red and a small group of butterflies congeal at the side of the rowboat. Stella produced a small smile at it, knowing that it meant that Lily was there at the very end of her life.
It was a smile which stretched further the moment she turned around.
All of those she had lost were watching her. They weren’t solid in any form, resembling spectral blue echoes, and they said not a word, but it was still them, and even Elena was willing to give her one last hug. Despite their incorporeal appearances, they felt true-to-life, and as Stella hugged them in turn, she couldn’t help but miss the slimy texture of Atul, or the fluffy fur of Giovanni and Astrid.
Once she had hugged the last of them, she prepared to go to her rowboat, the knowledge that at least she wasn’t going out alone now firmly ingrained in her.
“Commander wait!”
Her last real passenger stood behind her, his red-rimmed eyes showing that he had already cried and will likely do so again.
“Buck, I…. I…. don’t know when I’ll see you again.”
“I… know that you must now go on to your eternal slumber, but the people of this realm will forever thank you for your efforts.”
“Thank you.”
“However, I’ve also got something to tell you. You know how I couldn’t explain why I’m… still here. I think I can now. See, I was only a teenager when death came for me. It was abrupt at least – one minute, I was there with dreams and aspirations, the next, they were being snuffed out in a car crash. I had embraced my fate at first and went through the Everdoor willingly because, after all, there wasn’t anything I could do to change fate. As time went on, however, I realized that maybe I shouldn’t have been too quick – maybe I could have done something in that other world, maybe to fight back into the Land of the Living. Maybe then, I could have achieved something with my life, rather than have it snuffed out so soon. That’s when Charon came to me, and he told me that he was looking for the next Spiritfarer and wanted me to help. I took the option and ended up here, and I have to say that they were the best years of my afterlife.”
He wrapped his arms around Stella a final time.
“I will say Commander, I will miss you. Maybe we’ll meet again in another realm.”
“I will miss you as well, Buck, and I hope that you take good care of your passengers.”
No more words were said as the ropes were cut loose and the rowboat dropped into the water. Beside her, Daffodil purred, and Stella put her onto her lap as she began to row. She had to admit, she was dreading this moment, but she knew that her job and the lives of her friends, family, and patients were in better hands now, and she could peacefully move on to the next great adventure.