The Tantalus Takes To The Sky

“So would you mind explaining what's going on?” I asked. We had been sitting on deck for a while, and Hideaki had returned with food. Not very good food, but whatever.

“It's a long story,” Tony said. “I've been spending the last few months trying to learn about the Fears. I needed to get away from you for it to work.”

“Um... what?” I asked.

“That fight was fake,” he said. “I was never actually mad at you. I figured it would work out for both of us if they thought we weren't friends anymore.”

“Yeah, that makes makes perfect sense,” I said sarcastically. “So just what have you been doing this whole time?”

“I've been looking for servant hideouts, and trying to get information,” he said. “I ended up meeting a former SMSC agent, and we started helping each other out. Then we were spying on these Dolls, and the pirate and the samurai ended up attacking them. They brought us here and-”

“Wait, why would you be attacking Wood Bitch's servants?” I asked Hideaki. “Don't you work for her?”

“Not anymore,” he said. “I've had enough of her crap.”

“'Bout damn time,” I said. “But didn't you pull us through her domain to get here”

“I can still access it, but I can't stick around too long, and going there too often is dangerous,” he said.

“But can't the fear seal their domains to different people?” I asked.

“They can, but they leave it open for more powerful traitors, in the hopes they'll get a chance to ambush us,” He said. “At least, some of them do.”

“So how do you know Garrot?” I said. “I heard about him once from Black Vice. One of my ancestor's was named after him or something.”

“He's my father,” he said. “He served the Wooden Girl before I was born, but fled from her after obtaining the Godslayer.”

“The what?” Seraph asked.

“A sword that is rumored to be capable of killing a Fear,” Hideaki said. “However, it's power was never actually tested, and my father hid it away and had the memories of its location erased.”

“By the Blind Man?” Tony asked.

“Seems likely,” Hideaki said. “But the Blind Man doesn't have it.”

“How do you know?” I asked.

“It's complicated,” he said. “Anyway, he married my mother, but was kidnapped by the Wooden Girl before I was born. He betrayed her again, and she tricked me into serving her.”

“Well, I'm gonna go talk to him,” I said, getting up.

“You sure that's a good idea?” Kyle asked.

“Don't care,” I said. “I have questions, he has answers. End of story.”

“The door's locked,” Hideaki said, as I approached it.

“Not a problem,” I said. I closed my eyes for a moment. Hey Justin, you there?

Yeah, man, He relied. What do you need?

Can you pick a lock? I asked.

Um... no, He said. I could probably break the door down, though.

Great idea, Captain Subtlety, I replied.

Sorry, He said. Give me a second.

I waited for a few seconds before he spoke to me again.

Found someone who can help, He said.

Who is it? I asked.

Been a while, said a familiar voice.

Servik? I asked.

Hey, man, Servik said. I've been meaning to thank you for getting my soul before the Archangel could.

You can thank me by opening this door, I said.

Alright, He said. But how do I do that from inside your head?

Easy, I said. I allowed myself to transform into him.

“Whoa!” he shouted! “What just happened!”

He wasn't the only one who was startled. Pretty much everyone there was surprised to see me shapeshift into another guy.

I can shapeshift into anyone whose soul I've absorbed, I told him. But it's only temporary, so you might wanna see about that door.

“Right,” he said, examining the lock. “Old school lock, but seems simple enough.”

He proceeded to pick the lock until it clicked and popped open.

“No sweat,” he said, just before I took control again.

“Okay,” I said, stepping through the door.

I though navigation would be easy, but I was wrong. Although I've seen this same ship in my subconscious, the one in my subconscious is different on the inside than the real one. It's stretched out in some laces, scrunched in others. There's rooms missing and rooms that shouldn't exist. So, it took me longer than normal to find the room Garrot was hiding in. I stopped outside when I heard the voices.

“And why would that matter?” Garrot said.

“I think it's something that should be taken into consideration,” another voice said.

“You're too hesitant,” Garrot sighed.

“And you're too reckless,” the other voice said.

“I'm a pirate, what do you expect?” Garrot said.

“Everything will be fine,” said a third voice, which was strangely distorted. “I've taken the necessary precautions.”

“Ugh, that really bugs me,” the second voice said.

“What does?” the distorted voice said.

“The fact that you do that to your voice,” the second person said. “Why are you distorting it like that?”

“Because we're being eavesdropped on and I can't risk Daniel recognizing me yet.”

The door was immediately opened by Garrot, who was smiling brightly.

“Ah, yes, Mr. Ferris,” he said. “I was just about to come get you!”

I caught a glimpse of a glowing silver figure in the corner of the room before it faded away.

“So what, you're just gonna turn invisible?” said a middle aged man in a dark suit lying on a hammock.

“Yes, that's exactly what I'm gonna do,” said the distorted voice.

“I know you!” I shouted at the empty corner. “You're that weird phantom guy that I met in that cult town!”

“Yes, I am,” the voice said.

“Just who are you?” I asked. “And why did we have to get those items from the cult?”

“My name is Marshall,” the voice said. “And as for those items, they are necessary for a ritual I need to perform here.”

“What kind of ritual?” I asked.

“A magic one,” the voice replied. “Now, if you'd be so kind as to meet me on deck in five minutes, that would be great.”

“Wait!” I said. “I have more questions!”

No reply.

“Geez, I hate that guy,” the middle aged man said. “I'm Moss Garden, by the way. Tony's told me about you.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, before turning to face Garrot. “So what's going on?”

“Well, we're currently attempting to turn this ship into a suitable mode of transportation,” he said.

“So how do you know me?” I asked.

“Mostly from your friend, Tony,” he said. “I was quite interested in learning that you're a Devil Killer, like Leo's son was.”

“You mean Garrot Ferris, right?” I asked. “The one who was named after you?”

“Yes,” he said. “I was there when his father Leopold Ferris made the deal with the Jack Of All.”

“He did what!?” I asked, shocked.

“It's true,” he said. “In order to protect their son from the Fears, Leo and his wife formed a pact with Jack to give Garrot Ferris and all of his descendants the power to fight the Fears. Although, there is one thing that confuses me.”

“And what's that?” I asked.

“Why are you the only member of your current family who possesses Devil Killer powers?” he asked.

“Now that you mention it, that's a really good question,” I said.

“And one we unfortunately don't have an answer to,” Moss said. “We can assume that they faded away as generations passed, but why they reawakened in you is a mystery.”

“And what about this ship?” I asked. “Why is there a replica inside my subconscious?”

“Leo sailed this ship in his lifetime,” Garrot said. “Remnants of the ships memory must be inside your soul, along with other places visited by your ancestors.”

“Okay,” I said. “I'll just pretend that makes sense for now.”

“We'd best get up on deck,” Moss said.

“You're right,” I said. “Weird ghost man said 5 minutes, didn't he?”

“Indeed he did,” Garrot said. “Let's be on our way.”

We got back up on deck. A sphere of silver light was floating just beneath the mast.

“Good to see you've arrived,” said Marshall's voice from the sphere. “Now, if you'd be so kind as to approach me.”

“Fine,” I said, walking up to the sphere. As I looked into the orb, an image of a circle of cult symbols burned in the back of my mind.

“Use the cult knife to carve those markings into the deck,” he said.

I did what he told me to.

“Now, place the bone at the edge of the circle.

“Okay,” I said. “Now what?”

“Now, we wait for the final ingredient to arrive!” Marshall said.

“And what ingredient is that?” I asked.

“Fear,” he replied.

That sounded familiar. I suddenly remembered the dream I had, where ParaDan triggered a magic symbol using the Cold Boy's presence.

“So a Fear needs to be here in order for this ritual to work?” I asked.

“Pretty much,” he said.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right arm, and a cut appeared.

“Ouch!” I shouted.

“Sorry,” Marshall said. “I need to draw him here.”

“Draw who here how?” I asked.

“You do know what that bone does, right?” he asked.

I glanced down to see that some of my blood had dripped directly on the bone. Of course. A bone that draws Fears to it. All it needed was blood. I heard a growling at the edge of the ship, and the circle began glowing. I turned to see the Rake crawling onto the ship. It looked at me for a moment, before leaping. I was ready to draw my sword, but I didn't need to. A figure resembling the Vision appeared from no where and kicked it so hard it crashed into the cave wall.

“What!?” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“Why shouldn't I be here,” the figure said, speaking with the same distorted voice as Marshall.

“M-Marshall?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Why do you look like the Vision?” I asked.

“Allow me to explain,” he said. “That ritual has temporarily revived me. After that, I changed my appearance. As I said earlier, I can't have you recognizing me.”

“But why the Vision?” I asked.

“Why not? “he asked.

“Because it's creepy!” I said, rather loudly.

“Oh, so she can possess any of her male Scions whenever she wants, but when I take her form, I'm the creepy one?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“Ugh, fine,” he said. “Anyway, we'd better do this before Claws over there wakes up.”

“Do what?” I asked.

“This,” he said.

A black portal appeared before us, and the ship rose into the air.

“No wind,” Marshall said. “Damn. Guess I'll have to make some.”

A strong wind filled the cave, catching the ships sails and pushing it through the portal. We were sailing in the sky above the Path Of Black Leaves.

“How did you bring us here?” I asked, as the portal closed behind us.

He didn't answer. He raised a hand to his mouth as he coughed up a black substance. He looked into the distance, smiling. I looked in the same direction, although I didn't need to. I knew exactly what was there. Slender Man stood, a distance away, watching us. He was enormous, towering over the trees like a fucking skyscraper, just staring at us. Marshall grinned even broader.

“Long time no see, motherfucker!” He said, delightedly.

He was surrounded in a Saturn-like ring of silver light, which he grabbed and threw at Slender Man. It struck Slender Man's face, leaving a gash that leaked black and blue blood. Slender Man paused for a moment, before turning to watch us again.

“Really?” Marshall said. “You're just gonna take that? You're just gonna let me scar you!?”

Marshall had gone from frighteningly joyful to outraged, as though he was insulted by Slender Man's lack of action.

“I don't think you should antagonize it,” Kyle said.

“Whatever,” Marshall said. “We've gone far enough.”

we were suddenly out of the Path Of Black Leaves and sailing over the ocean.

“The spell that brought me back will be wearing off in a few minutes,” Marshall said. “Use this ship wisely, and make sure you keep Malkator's last words in mind.”

He then vanished.

“What are we supposed to use this ship for?” I asked.

“It's our transportation to Veratis Kalohella,” Tony said.

“What's that?” I asked.

“Garrot knows,” Tony said.

“You'll see when we get there,” Garrot said. “It's kind of important.”

“How so?” I asked.

“It's where the Mirror is,” he said.

“What Mirror?” I asked.

“I can't explain,” he said. “You'll have to see it for yourself.”

So, we're on a flying pirate ship on our way to a place with a weird name and a Mirror. Fucking perfect...