A/N: I OWN NOTHING OF DREAMFALL/DREAMFALL CHAPTERS OR STAR WARS REBELS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THEIR CREATORS!
Chapter 4: Information
Ezra hurried after her and was shocked that she had gotten to the library so fast and was already looking at the books for the words he had spoken of. She kept asking the books to not fail her and reading off the names of the books for the words.
"Hey, Enu," Ezra greeted.
"Hey! There must be something in one of these books that'll help you find what you're looking for. I'm going to keep looking until I find it!" she told him.
"Thanks," Ezra responded. He slowly walked out to look for Crow, try to talk to him. He was quick to find him in a corner on a barrel. "Sorry about that, Crow. I thought you knew."
"It's fine. It's not your fault. I just can't-" he stopped. He then continued not too long after, "I can't believe she's gone. But I sort of knew, you know? I felt it… in my heart. And that final time we were together, it wasn't… It wasn't like what it used to be. It was weird. Like too much time had passed and we'd drifted apart. I should've known it wouldn't last."
"I know that feeling. It's just something that you just have to learn to live with," Ezra told him. "It isn't in the same way as you, but I do understand."
"I know. And I will," Crow responded. "Were you there when she…?"
"No, I-" Ezra paused. "They said it was quick. I'm sure she didn't suffer."
"She was already suffering. She was lost after she saved the Balance," Crow responded. "We wandered the same paths for a while, had some adventures, saw some sights, but then… things happened, and we lost each other. Anyway, did I help? With, you know, the rebel thing. Did they believe you? That you're not a spy?"
"You did and they do. It's fixed now. They'll help us," Ezra replied.
"Good. Good. Good," Crow responded. "They're not going to cut your head off?"
Ezra gave him a shocked look. "What? No!" he replied.
"Good. Good," Crow responded again. "I wish I could've been more helpful. But it was ten years ago, and I didn't really pay attention to what April said about that Abnaxus chap."
"It's okay," Ezra assured.
"If you don't mind, I need to be alone for a little while. Clean my feathers, sharpen my beak, reflect on the nature of life. Bird stuff," Crow told the Padawan.
"I understand," Ezra responded.
"I'll find you in the city," Crow told him before taking off. Ezra sighed and found his way back to Enu who was still digging through the shelves.
She turned to him. "I've been trying to find a book or scroll or manuscript or map or torn note page or ancient magical tome or pamphlet or piece of cloth that mentions the Purple Mountains or the Oular, but…" she trailed off. "No luck. "It's really frustrating! This library has never let me down before. Bad library!" She sighed. "By the way, what do you do when you're not saving the world?"
"I'm usually fighting the Empire and getting on their nerves," Ezra answered. "I don't do much else except for Jedi training."
"Sounds like me nowadays. Only, I'm not training to be a super powerful magical," Enu responded.
"I'm not really a magical. I'm just lucky," Ezra corrected. Enu gave an enthusiastic nod. "So, you just joined the resistance?"
"Oh, yes. No. Not really 'just'. About half a year ago? Wait, more than that. Time flies when you're having fun! Well, 'fun'," she explained putting quote around the final "fun".
"Sometimes you need to make the best out of bad situations," Ezra told him. "It's not easy, believe me, I know."
"Right. And it's my duty. We're doing good, important work here," Enu agreed. "Also, I didn't want to end up living the life my parents wanted for me."
"I can identify with that. Kind of. I lost my parents to the Empire when I was eight," Ezra responded.
"You did?!" Enu exclaimed.
"Yeah," Ezra replied. "Before I met Kanan and the others, I lived on the streets on Lothal. Even then, I was doing things to get on the Empire's nerves. But I met the other rebels and they became my new family."
"And how far has the Empire gotten where you're from?" Enu asked.
"So many planets are under its control. It won't be easy to undermine the Empire," Ezra explained. "It's a bit complicated. I can explain better another time."
"Yes, please!" Enu agreed.
"So, no luck on the books?" Ezra asked.
"Nothing. Sorry. And I've read most of these before. I can't remember coming across any of those words you mentioned," she replied. "There's not much else to do here in the evenings except read. I don't really have any female friends or friends my age. It gets lonely. Anyway, I've been through all the encyclopedias and travelogues, but…"
"Nothing about the Purple Mountains or the Oular?" Ezra finished with his question.
"Nothing. I mean, the Purple Mountains sounds colloquial. It may have a different name officially. But the Oular, there should be something about them. It's a magical race?" Enu replied.
"They didn't look human, at least," Ezra answered.
"Weird there's nothing about them. They must be very isolated, or…" Enu trailed off.
"Or?" Ezra prodded.
"Or someone's trying to hide something," Enu suggested. "Which would be weird and very hard to pull off. Forget I said that."
Ezra chuckled. "Alright," he agreed. "I guess I'll have to look elsewhere, though."
"Oh no! I'm so sorry. I really thought I'd find something. I feel terrible, I-" she stopped before quickly continuing, "Do you want to be my friend? I already asked you that. I'm coming on too strong, aren't I? I am, I can tell. Stop it, Enu!"
"Not at all, Enu. It's… It would be great to be your friend," Ezra reassured. "Thanks for the help."
"Much good that did. I really wish I could-" she was cut off when a old man that Ezra remembered as Blind Bob called out walking in. They turned to the events taking place.
"For the love of the festering demon-shrimps of Jaharva… Do I have to do everything in this place?" the man asked. "I didn't spend all those years living on the streets of Marcuria, pilfering food and liberating fat purses to deal with this shite. I swear, I'd be better off going back to sleeping in Abnaxus' stone tree, if I can't even get a mattress that isn't flea-and-maggot infested. Do your bleedin' jobs, people! Is that too much to ask?"
"Sorry about that," Enu called. "Disregard him. Not important. There must be something in this library. I'm not giving up! I'm going to keep digging until I find something!"
"Alright. I'll go talk to him. See if the old guy knows something," Ezra stated.
"Okay," Enu agreed before turning back to her work.
Ezra walked over to the old man. "Blind Bob?" he greeted.
"Eh? What? Who's ask-?" he stopped for a moment. "Well, blessed be me striped breeches! You're the lad who brought me mulled wine back when I hit rock bottom in Marcuria! What in the name of the Eight-Eyed Octo-God of Tartillus are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask the same question. But… not in the same words," Ezra replied.
"Oh, I left my life of beggaring behind. Cleaned meself up, joined the resistance. I'm a general now," Blind Bob answered. "I'm making a difference!"
"What happened to your theoretical blindness?" Ezra asked. "The last time I saw you, you said something about that."
"Cured! I was blind, theoretically, but now I can see," Blind Bob answered. "To be honest, some days I wonder if I ever was theoretically blind, or if it was hypothe metaphysical." Ezra gave him a confused look, not knowing the word. "You know, just in my head, like."
"Oh, uh-" Ezra began but the elder cut him off.
"It was simpler being Blind Bob and restorting to beggaring and vagrancy than taking a long, hard look at myself in a speculum. Particularly on account of the blindness. I wish my old pa could've lived to see me. He always believed in me, even when I didn't. To the bitter end, he told me I had potential. I nodded and wept and promised him I'd try my best. Then, as he drew his last, ragged breath, I stole his purse and his breeches. Well, pa, I'm sorry about the breeches. I'm making something of life now. Making something of myself! I'm no longer Blind Bob! Call me Bob-who-can-see," Bob interrupted.
"Alright," Ezra agreed slowly. "Are you an actual general?"
"Aye. See these stripes? General Bob, that's me. I takes care of the logic-sticks around here, so the place don't crumble to pieces," Bob replied. "Shepherd's busy with the strat-ee-gering. Kian sorts out who to murder, and how. Likho makes a fine job of being contrary. And Enu keeps everyone's spirits up. I mean, when she's not shooting Azadi soldiers in the eyeballs with her bow-and-arrow. Me, I make sure the larder's stocked, the sheets are cleaned, relatively speaking, and that the piss pots are empty. Can't go to war on a full bladder."
Ezra gave a small, singular, amused laugh. He then returned serious and asked, "How did you even end up here? With the rebels, I mean."
"Not long after you and I met, I overdosed on mulled wine. Spooked me good, that did. I figured I had two choices. Either spend the remainder of my days in the gutter, stinking of foreign spices and currants. And, to be honest, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of days left. Or I could clean myself up, try to amount to something after a lifetime wasted on wine, women, and various gutters. The moment I looked up, I saw how the Azadi were running magicals out of Marcuria. I couldn't ignore it. It was disgraceful! I mean, magicals always treated me with kindness and respect. I felt I owed them. So here I am, doing my part and paying my debts. Aside from the gambling and bar tabs, mind you. And I feel twenty years younger to boot!"
"That's always a plus," Ezra responded. "Just wondering, but have you heard of the Purple Mountains?"
"Oh, aye! Aye, of course. Everyone's heard of the Turtle Mountains. They're-" Bob replied but Ezra stopped him.
"Uh, no. 'Purple', not 'turtle'," the young Padawan corrected.
"That's what I said, turtle," Bob retorted.
"Um…" Ezra trailed off.
"Right, of course, you don't know. Why would you?" Bob responded. "My apologies, laddie. See, I have a serious P-deficiency. It's been a lifelong struggle. The Turtle Mountains? No, never heard of them. Sorry."
"What about someone called Abnaxus?" Ezra asked.
"Abnaxus? Now there's a name I haven't heard spoken in years. Where do you know it from?" Bob replied.
"Sorry, I just overheard-" Ezra stopped and sighed softly. "Actually, I met Abnaxus. Kind of. I dreamed about him. Or maybe it was more like a vision. It sounds crazy, I know but-"
"Sounds completely sane to me, lad. Abnaxus turning up in visions? That's exactly the sort of fellow he was. Persistent, unpredictable, and not a little annoying," Bob interrupted but the response relieved Ezra. "I met him when he was the Venar ambassador to Ayrede. This was before the gutters, when I was still a dapper chap on the Marcurian party circuit. We hit it off, seeing as I was going blind, theoretically, and he saw everything, past, present, and future. Years later, as he was leaving town, he entrusted me with a key to his home. Said to take care of it. I'd sleep there from time to time. Very uncomfortable bunk. Musty smell of ancient books and foreign weeds. I didn't care much for it, to be honest."
"A key? To Abnaxus' home?" Ezra questioned.
"They called it the Abode back then. Abnaxus' Abode," Bob replied. "Primitive accommodations but luxurious location. Prime real estate. Central, with a garden view. Very quiet at night."
"Do you still have the key?" Ezra asked. "Sorry, it's important."
"Oh, aye. I carry it with me everyday. After all, it is a magic key. Figured it might do my lumbago some good," Bob replied.
"What about his Abode?" Ezra pressed.
"Also still there, and not hard to find. Sits right circle in the center of the City Green. Abnaxus carved it out of a petrified tree with his own, morbidly huge hands. A few years ago, the authorities turned it into a historical landmark. Of course, no one can get inside, on account of the Venar magic," the elder explained. "Not without the key, at least."
"The key… Can I-?" Ezra began but Bob cut him off.
"Oh sure," he answered to the uncompleted question and handed it over. "Heavier than it looks, ain't it? More powerful than iron. Worth its weight in precious stones, and then some. This magic goes back to the first magic. None of that modern hocus pocus. You feel it in your fingers when you hold it. Tingles, don't it?"
"It… does. Sorry, I know this is asking a lot, but can I-?" the boy was cut off again.
"Borrow it? Aye, why not? It's done the lumbago no good, and I don't have much use for the place now that I've a proper bunk here," Bob answered, once again to the unfinished question. "But keep it safe. Abnaxus left most of his belongings behind and entrusted me with their care. I'd hate to betray his trust."
"I will," Ezra assured.
"Good," Bob responded. "Well, I had better get back to work."
Ezra nodded before heading back to Enu. "Hey, I made some progress. Blind Bob- I mean, the General gave me the key to Abnaxus' house. I might find what I'm looking for there," he told her.
"That's great! Oh, I wish I could come with you, but there's this whole furry thing I've got going on. It's a big no-no in the city these days," Enu responded.
"Sorry, Enu," Ezra told her.
"It's fine," Enu responded.
"Thanks again for the help," Ezra told her.
"Are you leaving? Already? I mean, we just met, and… and-" Enu began. "You'll come back though, right?"
"Probably," Ezra replied.
"Okay, because there's so much I want to talk to you about and I'll let you go now, thanks for talking to me, Ezra. I miss you already. Shut up now, Enu! Okay, thanks, bye!" Enu responded.
Ezra gave her a small grin before running out to talk to Shepherd about his leaving. When he met her, she asked, "You spoke with the General. Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I got a start," Ezra answered.
"Good. I've asked them to ready a boat for you. Whenever you're ready, it'll take you into the city," Shepherd informed. "I may not fully understand your role or exactly where you're from, Ezra. But there's something about you that- I've learned to have faith in the Balance. The Balance provides. The Balance guides. It's guiding you now. Though, if I remember correctly, you called it 'the Force'. But you must let it take you wherever it leads, like a leaf on the river. Bend to its will."
"I'll try," Ezra responded.
"May your gods favor your journey. You'll be in my thoughts and dreams," Shepherd told him.
"Uh, okay. Thanks, I think," Ezra responded before she turned back to her task at hand. Ezra turned and headed down the tunnel he came through and to the waiting boat.