The day passed with little incident and evening brought a beautiful array of colors and hues. As the group set up camp for the night, Teagan had walked off to gather some firewood though her mind was elsewhere. Though her eyes were into the sights of the skyscape, her mind was molding over the past week.
All the things she had experienced and what the near future would hold. All possible outcomes, who might be behind it all, and mostly… where would she go? Teagan hadn't exactly run away from home, but she really had no place to go back to… even with Terra.
"Why not stay here?" A voice questioned from her mind.
"Where would I stay, Mystic Man? Can you see that?" Teagan asked back.
"Why not with DG and her friends?" He countered, "They are your friends, are they not?"
"Not exactly… I mean I ran off for a week…"
"To save your niece. Now you all are together, fighting to save the O.Z." The Mystic Man replied, "But I came here for a reason… they're getting closer."
"Closer? Who is getting closer and to what?" Teagan asked as her voice was laced with worry.
"The man trying to resurrect the witch." The Mystic Man replied grimly, "I found out more of what is going on, but I can't tell you."
Teagan heard the old man start to giggle and she sighed, knowing he was going on a Vapor trip again. She felt a pull on her body and dropped the branches she had gathered. Teagan wavered on her feet and heard someone calling out. Turning, Jeb was in a nearby clearing and walking towards her. She tried to call back, but another pull sent a wave of darkness over her and everything faded away.
Gasping, she found herself lying on a metal floor with the Mystic Man hovering over her. He was smiling and she had the notion to smack it off him. He helped her up and motioned for her to be quiet, but to follow as well. Nodding, Teagan and the Mystic Man made their way from the dungeons to the upper levels.
"Wait, what are we doing?" Teagan whispered, stopping the man, "Plus, if you've done what I think you have… no one here will see us."
"I'm taking you to see something. We have to be careful for they have their own… spiritual guards." The Mystic Man replied.
"They have what?" Teagan's eyes grew wide.
"Yes, but it's easy to know when they're around. The sounds they make, eerie backwards talk and screeching." He added with a smile.
"You are a curious man." Teagan noted, "What could they need banshees f-"
She was cut short as the Mystic Man covered her mouth and pulled her further into the shadows. Teagan couldn't hear anything making a sound at first, but slowly a shrill voice echoed through the hallways. She watched as both alive and dead alike disappeared.
A spectral form floated through the middle of the hallway. Teagan nearly pressed her hands into her ears to keep the shrill out. She looked to the Mystic Man who was in the same position, hands pressed into the side of his head. Teagan turned back to see the form disappear around a corner, but could still hear it.
Eventually, the noises were bearable and the Mystic Man motioned for her to follow him again. The two made their way quickly through more levels and she noted just how many living and dead there were in the Tower. Either way, everyone seemed to be completely and utterly miserable. That was, until she saw her brother in one of the upper levels, above the dungeons and boiler working floors.
He was in a room that appeared to be like a grand living room for a mansion. He and other Longcoats were busy drinking and… well partying. Aaron barely could stand and kept falling flat on the floor. Causing uproars of laughter over and over, but Teagan felt only sadness and embarrassment.
The Mystic Man ushered her away and up another level, where he had found the culprit. Teagan could see a man hunched over a table, marking some parchment while some screechy old woman hover around him.
"That is the witch that possessed Azkadellia." The Mystic Man said, "And that man is the one behind all this. We can't stay long, she'll eventually noticed us… always does."
"So you get send back into a spiritual, yet Vapor filled area?" Teagan wondered, "That is why you still act that way?"
"Yes, Vapors are… vapors though the effects are different." He replied, "I have no idea who is really in charge here, yet both seemed to be wanting something. They keep going over that paper like some lifeline. Listen…"
Teagan and the Mystic Man settled in the shadows, behind the door to listen. The two were arguing over the scrap of paper, both reasoning that their interpretation was the right one. Teagan listened as the man read off the paper, stating that the words were 'voice is corrected and tongue entwined'.
"No, no, NO!" The Witch cried back, "It reads that 'voice cursed, tongue in time'. I thought you could read that gibberish!"
"Well, if you know it so well, YOU read it!" The man yelled back, throwing the paper at the specter. It drifted through the air and out by Teagan and the Mystic Man. Carefully, Teagan took the paper and folded it before stuffing it in her shirt. They heard the man sigh and storm towards the door to the room and looked for what he had thrown.
"Damnit, it drifted down the hall. Probably to the lower levels…" He crossed across the room again and the sound of him falling into the sofa filled the air.
"Get off your lazy ass and find it. If you want this world as we want it, you will not be so… hesitant in doing so!" The Witch screamed back.
"We aren't getting anywhere with that. Nothing, but nonsense anyways and plus, I know what do you. That dust I created it about ready for testing."The man shot back, "Nothing more than propaganda."
"If you are so sure, then how long until this world succumbs to its death."
"All according, less than a week and guessing that it will be less than a month before everything is gone… So, you going to reveal to me your secret yet, of how to rule?"
"Not yet, not until I see and get what I want. The suns gone for good." The Witch replied, "My guards have found something, be right back…"
"That's our cue to go. She will make her rounds and can find us easier than those spectral things of her's." The Mystic Man said, nearly shoving Teagan to her feet.
"How do I leave and what about you?" Teagan asked, looking around.
"Same way I brought you and I know how to get around here. Now, you know your time limit, hurry and stop this." He said and kissed her forehead before she felt the same pull from before, as everything turned dark.
/\\//\OZOS/\\//\
Cold… the first thing she felt as she gasped. She shivered as consciousness returned and she opened her eyes. Teagan felt something heavy being put across her body and voices echoed around her. Looking around, Teagan saw the sisters coming out of a tent, Raw and Glitch stoking a fire and roasting some meat, and Cain was setting up two more tents.
Looking up, it was Jeb that had put his coat over her. He was glancing over her form and settled on her face, "You okay there, Teagan?"
"What, she's awake?" DG asked, walking over to her.
"Barely." Jeb replied, "Teagan answer me."
"I have no idea if I'm okay." Teagan joked, "I just had the weirdest experience. I'll tell you about after my head stops pounding." She said, rolling to her side, but stopped when she heard something crunch. Moving slowly, she pulled out a piece of paper.
"What's that?" Cain asked, "I don't remember that…"
"I took it from the man and the Witch…" Teagan said, sitting up, "The Mystic Man took me to the Tower."
"What?" Glitch asked, staring at her in disbelief, "You went where. You never left and your lips were turning blue! Lips were turning blue. Lips were… thanks Raw."
"Glitch welcome. Teagan taken to spirit side." Raw replied.
"Yeah, there is some guy behind this. I didn't see who, but he and the Witch were arguing over what was written on the paper." Teagan said, rubbing her head.
"You can tell us later, after dinner." Jeb said, helping her lie down.
"Go back to sleep, we'll wake you later." Cain added, watching Teagan easily drift off, "This is getting weirder and weirder. I'm just glad you all didn't have something happen at once."
"Same here." DG added, "But this does help, admit it Cain."
"Help, help how DG?" Cain sighed, knowing his own headache was forming.
"The Mystic Man can take her there and we get an advantage." DG smiled.
"May work in theory, little sister, but look at her." Azkadellia added, "She nearly died and she's weak."
"Didn't look like she went by choice." Jeb interrupted, "She just seemed to blank out. Think we need to watch her closely in case that happens again."
"Are none of you getting what happened? She went into some other realm of consciousness and brought something back." DG stated, "Maybe we could also reverse this!"
"DG… one headache at a time please." Cain groaned, as the rest chuckled.
A few hours later and everyone, including Teagan, was around the fire eating. She had already explained her little trip and now the focus was on the parchment. Glitch was the only person who somewhat understood the language, but still couldn't understand it all.
"Sorry shorty." Glitch replied, handing back the paper.
"Well, whatever you can read is a positive." She smiled, "We know that we have at least a week before they're completely ready for their attack."
"I don't want them to make any advancements." Cain added, "Anything they get closer to is a bad thing for the rest of us."
"Look up buzz kill, you have a picture of Wyatt Cain." Teagan turned to DG, knowing she would be the only person to understand, which she did. DG tried her best not to laugh, but the look plastered on the others didn't help.
Teagan whispered to Jeb that is was an expression of words. The young Cain just shrugged to the others who shook their heads back. Allowing the two to have their own little inside jokes. It seemed to help both ladies feel comfortable in the O.Z. so no one really wanted to spoil their moments.
As the skies darkened into lovely hues of blues, blacks, and purples, the gang settled down into the tents. The woman all in one, Cains sharing another and Raw and Glitch in the third, though Wyatt stayed awake to take the first watch incase of Longcoats or other unwanted visitors.
He listened as the night sang on with it tunes of bugs, birds and other noises. Only to be interrupted with the nightmares that haunted the Gale woman the young girl from the Other Side.