Reminiscence

Chapter 7

 I saunter down the hall, rooms on either side of me. Something crunches under my foot, and I don't stop to look at it. I stop at another big room. Dark as usual. I snap my fingers again, more fire in the sconces. A throne, a spear, and more seats. This time these are like regular dining chairs. Another table with glass all over the ground by it. Small goblets covered in dust and, well, other things. The fear is gone now, something new replaces it. I feel like I belong here. I move into the room now acting like I'm talking to people in those old chairs. It feels right as I said. I place a goblet covered in golden ichor on the table, the spear next to the chair. Whoever was in that painting sat here. My footsteps echo through the rest of the hall. I see something shiny on the floor, are those rings? I peer at them. I realize all too soon what or who I'm looking at. Writing etched above them. Something about them being lovely? No, wait. Not lovely although I'm sure they are. My multilingual brain deciphers this too easily. They had been HIDING down here. And it looks like some sort of ambush happened. And they didn't make it. At least they went together I think to myself. I back away slowly, is there anything else here for them, something to remember them by? Does anyone even know about this place under the floorboards, and if so, how?

I feel dizzy. There are so many things to find out about them. So many things to learn. I have to find out their names. Who are they, what did they do to deserve this? Are they remembered? Something needs to be done about this. I feel like I need to take something to remember them properly. I cannot take them physically, so I must take a thing of theirs. But if the language was written before my time, are they older than me? Or did they still use this to communicate? I need to breathe. Something in me needs to leave, to come back later. For now, I will make sure to, to do something for them. I don't know yet but I'll do something. I nod to no one and turn to go. "Wait..." I turn as I reach the corridor. A woman stands there, where her and her husband's writing is. She called my name, I'm sure. "Nesra, good luck. Thank you for being as selfless as we tried to be. We did some things, said some things... you carry us with you." she smiles, her ghostly blue figure flickering with the fire. Her smile is brighter than the painting, her eyes kind and warm. She looks so... real. I bow my head in understanding. "He cannot be seen. Me, dear? I miss him. Say hello to him for me when you find him. Go, dear child. You are needed elsewhere." I stare where she was only a moment ago.

Did she say his name? Nope, not at all. I must not be as old as I thought then. I shrug and take the golden goblet back up the stairs, saying a small prayer as I leave. I didn't notice how wobbly I was until I looked at Matteo and he sat me down. "Dude what did you see down there?" I look down and begin to spill everything. "I saw writing, paintings, I saw people who looked like me!" I say and sigh. He shakes his head and bites his lip in shock. I tilt back in my chair. "And I found this. It has gold blood. Ichor. The blood of the gods..." I trail off and he takes it from me and pulls me up.

"You are crazy. But you wouldn't lie. Let's go." he smiles, small, but it's noticeable and he leads me back to my room. "My family could be there for all I know. I just can't be sure." I say and he nods and sits us down on the couch. I'd hate to tell him that it was my mom who spoke to me, because that's creepy as hell, or to tell him I spoke to a ghost in the first place. He already seems wary of me, and I'd hate to have lost another hopefully useful troop member. I shake off any feeling of dread and move to my computer once I collect myself. "I may be able to trace Victories location. Probably not but it's worth a try." I say just as Merra walks in. "Oh! There you are! Nothing yet, however I don't think they'll be in danger with you two looking for them." Merra says, a small smile upon her face. I nod swiftly, and after she leaves, I pull Matteo to the side, well more like the bed. "Look, there's something I need to share with you. Ichor is the blood of the gods, right?" Matteo nods and I move on "But logically they're just myths, again, but how do you explain the gold on the goblet hmm?" I ask. He just stares at me. I need him to try here and not just stare. "You can't. There's no way to, it's just a way for people to understand the world around them." I nod. This kids not half bad at this game. "Exactly. But do you think they'd change their habits if they were still here?" A shake of the head.

I didn't expect it to be this easy to tell someone I'm an immortal on a mission without them moving me into a strait jacket. Matteo seems oddly calm about this. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. They are immortal after all." He says and looks at me. I laugh in disbelief and shake my head. Honestly, I feel better than before now that I told somebody.

He stares at me. "So, you're the being of loyalty? Never heard of people having one of loyalty. Seems cool though." Matteo and I are still in my room, he's been asking me questions about everything from my job to where I came from and a bunch of other things. I don't mind answering, I find it fun to watch his face light up every time I speak. It reminds me of a certain someone we're no closer to finding.