Chapter 34
Jake
'Where am I?' I thought to myself. I was lying on what felt like feathers, but when I looked down, all I saw was white. All around me in all directions, as far as the eye could see, was blank whiteness. 'I'm dead,' I thought. I slowly remembered the sword plunging into the tiger's chest, killing me. It wasn't fair, but it had happened. 'I'm dead, and now I have to spend the rest of my existance in this white purgatory.'
(Ha ha ha!) an oh-so-familiar voice bellowed in my head. (Not true, Jake.) The Ellimist appeared before me as a tall human. He had on a black suit that clashed violently with the expanse of pure white.
"So, what's the deal?" I asked angrily. "If I'm dead, I at least deserve to know how I died. Invisible 'diplomats' Crayak controlled?"
(No,) the Ellimist said, deadpan. All trace of humor had left his 'voice.' (Crayak broke the rules and directly interfered. He was…disciplined. It is over. I have brought you here to grant you a reward for participating.)
I went to scratch my head, and realized I didn't exactly have arms. Or a head. But surprisingly, I was used to this sort of weird thing when dealing with the Ellimist. I narrowed eyes I didn't possess and said, "Yeah. Right. Explain."
He spread his hands. (I mean it. Crayak is gone, perhaps for good, perhaps not. Name your reward, and it shall be granted.)
"First of all, I want all of my friends back alive," I said.
(Done. What else?)
I gaped. Or not gaped. Or whatever. "You're serious!"
(Of course. Things are the way they are for you because of our interference. It is only right that I fix things for you and your friends.)
I smiled without a face and started listing some things I wanted done. It was a relatively short list, and after it was done, the Ellimist laughed. (You are quite wise, Jake. Perhaps as wise as I am. The level of understanding you humans show is astounding. Good-bye, Jake…forever. Good-bye.)
I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear that as I was whisked away.