The Call of ||||

Help me…

Maura was never one to have nightmares. Most of her dreams were well… non-existent. If she did have a dream, it was mundane.

Despite that, when she awoke to whispers in the dead of night, she assumed she was having a nightmare. At first, anyway.

She half expected to stand up from her bed, see a shadowed figure with glowing orange eyes, and fight it. But there was nothing.

Please… Help me…

The lack of a clear threat had Maura pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming first, then checking all corners of her room second. After throwing open the closet with fists raised and tossing aside green curtains and seeing nobody, she returned to her bed with a sigh. 

As few nightmares as she had, she definitely was not one to hear voices. 

She wasn’t spiritually inclined and didn’t even know any magic. Perhaps she was just mishearing the wind outside.

Help me…

Save me… I need your help…

The voice was louder now. Still a whisper, but a more clear one. And there was a pull in her gut.

It must be a magic user sending out a signal for help. What if she was the closest finley? What if she ignored someone in danger?

Mind settled, Maura creaked open her door and snuck out of the Spring Leaf house.

A cold chill seeped in her bones as she made her way through the dark streets of Whistler Crest. Normally, she would expect to see a few of the town guards out and about. 

Help…

However, the sleepy village was silent save for the breeze whistling between the houses. The pull she felt, the voice, it all pointed like a compass’ arrow straight at the Whistler Crest museum. She placed one paw on the steps.

The storage room in the back. 

I need your help…

Whoever it is must have been injured, or something similar. Something that prevented them from calling out for help physically. Maura quietly made her way through the museum, muscles tensed and ready for any attackers. Past the displays of artifacts, through the hall, down where only Tobias and Council members were allowed… 

Was it one of the Council that was injured? The voice wasn’t clear. It wasn’t a voice she recognized… but at the same time it felt familiar.

… Right to a door tucked in the back. She placed a paw on the handle, hesitating for just a moment.

Help me…

Help me…

I need your help…

It felt as if a powerful magnet was drawing her in. Her hesitance was gone. 

She opened the door.

The light in the hall behind her illuminated a cluttered storage room. The shelves were piled with various boxes, books, scrolls, and other trinkets. In the center of the room sat a pedestal, covered in a glass case. A smooth black orb sat within.

It was dark.

Help me.

HELP ME.

The voice filled her thoughts, her mind. It shook her very being. It was hard to thi-

SAVE ME.

FREE ME.

Maura stepped forward, approaching the case. By her own will? It was hard to tell under the crushing presence.

FREE ME.

SAVE ME.

Despite how smooth the surface was, the orb reflected no light. The only change in the surface was the pure white lines etched upon it. 

THEY TRAPPED ME HERE. 

The glass broke easily under her fist. 

She reached a single paw out. 

YOU CAN FREE ME.

YOU CAN BE THE ONE TO SAVE US ALL.