Day 2: Year C-009

...

"Well, excuse you, stranger, we have just met. Don’t you think requesting a crying kid to deliver a message is a bit much?" Billiam questioned as his one good eye glittered with irritation, "Examine him, will you, madwoman? He's clearly in pain-"

"B-Billiam. I need to hear her out," Mikey rebutted between sobs, his wings exposed to the cold, shuddering. "I-I have no one left to turn to..."

“You silly thing, at least there’s me-”

“No. Someone who knows where I come from can help me more than anyone else right now.”

The surgeon emitted a heavy sigh and let go of the choir boy.

"Very well then. But just so you know, I won't let you die on my watch, understand? So don’t let the spirit talk you into something dangerously stupid," Billiam expressed solemnly for once in his life.

The Spirit on the lake noticed the surgeon's overall change in attitude, which made her sincerely smile at his tone.

"I appreciate your willingness to listen despite your terrible heartache," the spirit waved her hand around the cold water. “...Now then, please permit me to visualize my message."

"...I'm ready."

The nearby ripples turned into shadow-like visuals, fascinating the surgeon to the point he couldn't hide his excitement. Though Mikey remained hushed, tears froze in his eyes.

"When I was alive, just like both of you, the final memory I recall is being face-to-face with Head Priestess Allucia. I was running for my life alongside the remainder of my trusted friends..."

Images of seven people fleeing in terror and a fearsome silhouette of the late Allucia splashed in the water.

"We had heard rumours that the so-called Lady of Funerals, Allucia, often wandered into the forests late at night. The seven of us sent a letter, cordially requesting to hold a proper greeting between our people. We intended to kindly inform her of the history of the Mediums, as we had been wrongfully demonized in the past and driven into the forests for protection. However, our people genuinely wanted to start a proper conversation for peace between the common folk and the Mediums of the Western forest. We wanted to be seen as human, even if we did not believe in the same principles as the other civilization of Grand Island."

The water had turned blood red as a startling close-up of Allucia appeared with a wrathful expression plastered on her pale visage. The former Head Priestess was inaudibly screaming as the memory demonstrated her violently attacking the frightened group of people. Her magic targeted the people’s heads as their eyes flashed an eerie blue. The final memory replayed the woman tripping into the very same lake, as Allucia watched the woman drown with complete apathy.

"...However, once we mentioned we did not believe in the Goddesses, she declared us nothing more than demonic visions. She toyed with our memory gaps and inability to predict where she would attack from. She watched my friends and me perish."

The images faded away as Mikey was visibly shaking. The silhouettes of the frightened people were quite haunting, leaving him to wonder if his parents met a similar, dreadful fate.

"Hm. Allucia declared multiple times she could remedy any injury with her unique healing technique blessed upon her." Billiam commented, raising a brow.

"We had heard that rumour as well, but we were heavily misled. I refuse to dwell upon the violence for the young one's sake, but know this. Allucia relished playing the role of a brutal monster..." The spirit of the woman seriously warned before calming her tone, "Now then, Mikey, was it? Learning to utilize your magic will set your troubles free and represent the otherworldly magic our people specialized in developing. Go, and channel your magic here and now, young Medium," the Lady of the Lake gently encouraged.

‘Now that I think about it. I've never seen Mikey use magic, ever.’ Billiam silently thought.

Mikey appeared unsure of himself, glancing around and flapping his bat-like wings about. However, he gently held his hands together and calmly imagined what his power would be like.

He struggled as little sparks of light momentarily flashed within his palms.

"...I never once used my magic and only occasionally heard the dead whisper, so this is foreign."

The young Medium made another attempt to summon his magic. A minute later, within the palm of his hands, a tiny soul appeared in the shape of a sphere. Mikey's eyes lit up as the tiny soul felt incredibly warm. However, the shape kept losing its accurate form.

The Lady of the Lake felt her form be pulled and appeared surprised.

“Ah, so you are a gatherer of distant souls? Quite a common ability for our people, but a skillful one nonetheless. So long as you hear the spirits around you, their souls are yours to aid your quest and push you in the correct direction." The Spirit of the lake smiled and gently patted a happy Mikey on the head. "Thank you for attending to my ails. As compensation for your efforts, watch the lake closely.”

The Lady of the Lake dove into the freezing water, confusing Billiam and Mikey. In an instant, a flash of light illuminated the entirety of the lake, causing the fish to swim toward the surface. Billiam quickly aimed and jabbed at the fish with his sharpened fishing rod.

Mikey quickly grabbed onto some leaping fish and tossed them into the snow.

"Ah, this is much better than just waiting for the fish to swim to us. Thank you for the meals! Now Chenille's going to be eating their words for making fun of my equipment," The surgeon chuckled as he piled up the fish within the ice box.

"I do not know who you speak of, but it is the least I could do..." The Lady of the Lake exhaled with relief, "Now then, there is one important part of my message you must relay. To effectively complete your mission of spreading the truth, you must first visit the resting place of Head Priestess Allucia and confront her. Spirits of those who have passed are genuinely harmless, so there is no risk of her wailing a brutal attack, only the Guards who assuredly protect her grave."

“The resting place of Allucia? Hm...” Billiam remained silent and appeared troubled.

Mikey finally made direct eye contact with the stunning Lady of the Lake. Instead of crying tears of sadness, a single tear of relief, accompanied by a small smile, was plastered on his face.

"I see...Thank you so much for this conversation. In your presence, I didn't have to hide my identity, which was a breath of fresh air. How could I ever repay you?"

"But you already have repaid me, young one. Setting my lonely soul free from this cold, barren lake was the one thing I looked forward to, and you finally granted my wish..."

The Lady of the Lake shimmered a gold hue, indicating she was ready to disappear. Her form slowly melted into the lake as she looked ready to cry.

"Thank you..." Both Mikey and the spirit murmured in complete unison.

Billiam finished storing the fish and glanced at Mikey with a grin of relief.

"This was an incredibly fascinating moment to witness! I was always secretly a massive skeptic of our Island's religion, but I had no idea I was completely justified in tuning out Zanna's scriptures-"

"That's not it. If you paid attention to past teachings, they taught us about kindness, generosity, and forgiveness, which aren't inherently immoral to learn. No, what I can't stand is the hypocrisy of Allucia. Killing should never be above anyone, yet the former Head Priestess hid her actions from the public for so long," Mikey immediately debated. "Who knows what other deadly secrets the Head Priest, other Royalty, or even the people who live on Grand Street continue to hide?"

"You make a good point there. Because of their high-class status, they can easily bribe Guards with a pretty penny... Not to mention, that assassin will be tracking us down no thanks to the Head Priest..."

The surgeon had something on their mind that Mikey couldn't quite read from facial expressions alone. No, an air of unfamiliar coldness seemed to emanate from Billiam as he looked the other way.

"You already know one of my deepest secrets, so would it hurt to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Hm? What's that now?" The surgeon grinned and gained a relaxed posture, "Ha! Fine, fine, I'll tell you about why I call Chenille a Lone Wolf!"

Billiam grabbed his box of fish and began to walk back toward the cabin.

"That's not what I wanted to"

"It all began when I first met Chenille! They were quite an anti-social prick in our teenage years! Barely learned any ethics of stealing or social cues!" Billiam laughed to himself, dancing around Mikey's attempts to ask a serious question.

"I meant-" Mikey grumbled, picked up his fish, and ran after Billiam.

"Their sharp teeth reminded me of a north-forest wolf, and Chenille hated being talked to, so naturally, I nicknamed them a Lone Wolf for their horrendously cold attitude!"

"Billiam!" Mikey sighed in complete annoyance.