The Reader - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

“I’m not sure I quite understand,” Emmeline said, which was an understatement. 

She could change the future? That was new, no one had ever told her so she had never considered the possibility. 

Ibenily smiled sadly. “I - being of the Goddess of Knowledge - knew that there would eventually be things we didn’t want to happen. So when we created the Readers and their Reading, we also have them the power to Write. A Reader can unlock this dormant magic almost, and I can’t quite explain how it works.” 

Ibenily leaned closer to Emmeline. 

“Listen, child, I know much more than you. Find the boy called Beckett - I have already told you where he is. Then seek out the most ancient Reader there is - one of the first ones. Take any of these books and you will be gifted an interactive map.” Ibenily beckoned to the wide walls of books, and Emmeline nodded gratefully. “The Ancient Reader will teach you Writing and you - and only you - can change Beckett’s markings. Stop the war before it starts.” 

“Why can’t the Ancient Reader just Write Beckett?” Emmeline asked. 

“I cannot give you the reasoning, only the Reader can provide that. I must wish you farewell now, my sisters are calling for me,” Ibenily smiled. “I hope we meet again, little Emmeline. May your powers guide you.” 

The Goddess sat there like a statue as she began to dissolve from the inside out. Within moments Emmeline was alone again, and it stayed that way for mere seconds before Newt and the others burst into the Library. Forrest had his sword raised for attack, but lowered it when he saw there was no immediate danger. 

“So, what did we miss?” Newt asked, placing a crossing his arms. “I filled in the others on what Ibenily told me.” 

“Nothing much,” Emmeline answered quietly. “Does anyone know where Eclipse Lake is?” Forrest nodded, pulling his satchel off of his shoulder and tossing it to the ground as he began to rummage through it for a map. 

Newt got closer to Emmeline and began whispering in her ear. “You will tell me what Ibenily said?” Emmeline nodded, but she wasn’t so sure. 

What if Newt made her Read him and then Write him too? Besides, Ibenily had told her it was a secret magic, not one to be shared openly. Maybe Emmeline could lie and make something up instead. 

“Wait,” Emmeline remembered as Forrest began to stand with a map in hand. “Ibenily told me we can take one of the books that will function as a map.” 

“Good thinking,” Coral smiled brightly as she glanced at the walls of books. “Will this do?” She selected a book with a leather cover, and Emmeline nodded. Coral opened the book and held it up for the others to see. 

The map of the kingdoms was painted across it in bright colors, several small dots labelled with names placed in Ibeni. 

“Emmeline, Newt, Clara, Coral, and Forrest,” Newt read aloud. “We’re all here on the map.” 

“Maybe it’s in case any of us get lost or separated,” Clara suggested with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter, we can figure it out along the way. We best get going before anyone shows up. I’d prefer not to be captured by soldiers.” 

“Lead the way,” Emmeline said to Forrest, who was now holding the book in his hands. 

The boy took the lead and the group walked straight back into the forest of which they had come. 

Nightfall came in a rush and Emmeline could feel her eyelids drooping in exhaustion. Clara was nearly falling over with every step, and Coral made her sit while Forrest checked their location. 

Newt kept an annoyingly close distance to Emmeline, which made her feel imprisoned. Every time she attempted to move away for space, Newt would follow her. He was obviously eager to hear what Ibenily had told her in private. Luckily, Forrest announced that they were in the Crossover Forest by now and would make it to Eclipse Lake in the next day. Newt nodded and backed off from Emmeline, finding his blanket and leaning against a tree. 

Coral pried at Emmeline a bit but when it became clear that the Reader was in no mood to talk, she stepped back as well. 

Before long, everyone but Emmeline was asleep. No one was to keep watch because no one ever went in the Crossover Forest. The kingdoms forbid their citizens to step foot in the forest, so only travellers like Master Zoro’s circus ever crossed it. And even then, the forest was so wide that people rarely saw each other. 

Emmeline still couldn’t sleep. She was worried about what Ibenily had told her. 

Writing seemed like a large burden to bear. How could she decide who to Write and who to leave. 

Stop, Emmeline told herself, inhaling deeply. We will find Beckett and you will Write him once you learn how. Until then, don’t worry - it doesn’t matter until you know for sure you have the ability to Write. Maybe it will be too hard and you won’t be able to Write. 

But if she wasn’t able to Write the kingdoms would go to war and everyone would die. 

Stuck in her thoughts, Emmeline was oblivious to the mysterious shadow that seemed to be creeping up on her. 

So when the person placed their hand on her shoulder Emmeline had to stifle a scream. 

She wheeled around, heart pounding, her scream dying in her throat as she realized it was just Newt. He looked rumpled and exhausted, but his expression was filled with determination. “Ready to share?” 

“Share what?” Emmeline asked, hoping maybe Newt would just go back to bed. She wasn’t in the mood to talk. 

“You know, what Ibenily told you?” Newt was staring at her and Emmeline felt uncomfortable. He wasn’t really blinking, nor did his expression change. “You promised you would tell me?” 

“Really, Newt, I think you should get some rest,” Emmeline tried, inching away from him. “You look tired, I feel tired, and tomorrow morning we can…” 

“Tell me now!” Newt burst, lunging at her. His voice didn’t belong to him anymore and he tackled Emmeline to the ground. They rolled a few feet - at first Emmeline was on top but then Newt flipped them and they rolled further. 

He wrapped his fingers around her neck and Emmeline could feel her body begging for air. “Newt,” she choked. “Newt!” 

“Tell me what Ibenily said about the Readers and the boy!” Newt yelled and the others in the camp began to stir. “Tell me or I will tear out your throat with my own bare hands.” He increased the pressure on her throat. 

Emmeline flet the terror cursing through her veins. Something was terribly wrong with Newt - he seemed … broken? Possessed? 

Emmeline’s vision was beginning to tunnel and she could just make out a blurry figure moving swiftly towards Newt. There was a loud sound of a crash and then the pressure released itself. Emmeline rolled away from a now nearly unconscious Newt. 

Forrest was standing not far away, a sword in his hand. He had evidently used the hilt of his sword to slam the back of Newt’s head and knock the boy down.

“Something’s gotten into him!” Emmeline cried out, crawling away from Newt. Forrest didn’t say a word, he knelt down beside the boy and began to feel for a pulse. Then, without hesitation, Forrest slashed a vicious cut with his sword across Newt’s forearm. 

Blood poured from the wound and Emmeline watched in a mix of shock and horror as the blood seemed almost black in some parts. 

“Clara!” Forrest called, and the girl came bounding over. She saw the blood and pressed her fingers to Newt’s arm. The wound began to close, leaving nothing but a small scratch. Newt began to stir and Forrest helped him into a sitting position. 

“Emmeline? Are you okay?” Newt yelped as his eyes opened. He scrambled away from her, backing against a tree as he inhaled deeply. “I’m so sorry.” 

“What’s happening?” Coral asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. 

“I think Newt got possessed or something,” Clara mumbled with a small smile. “He nearly killed Emmeline and woke me from my beauty sleep.” 

“It happened when I left the Library,” Newt explained. “It was like a blanket was draped over me, or a cloak of darkness, for lack of a better phrase. It cut me off from the world and trapped me in my own head. It was like someone took my body and used it as their own.” 

“Forrest sliced you open and black goo came out,” Clara exclaimed. “It was epic!” 

“You kept begging for me to tell you a secret about the Readers,” Emmeline whispered, her voice nearly inaudible. “Ibenily told me that Readers …” 

“Stop,” Newt interrupted. Confusion surfaced in Emmeline but she remained quiet for Newt’s explanation. “If you tell me and I get … taken … again then the people who tried to control me will know the secret. It’s best if I don’t know - and maybe none of the others either.” 

“That’s a good thought,” Coral agreed. “You obviously have enemies, and if this secret is a weakness - or even if it isn’t - it’s probably best that we don’t know.” 

Emmeline nodded. Although she knew Coral and Newt’s argument was perfectly reasonable, she still didn’t want the burden of Writing all too herself. But then again, her entire life was different. She wasn’t a Normie, or even a Cursed or Blessed. She was a Reader and that was her challenge to overcome. 

“Still, we should find out what was wrong with Newt,” Clara pointed out, looking at Newt in an odd way. “You said you felt this so called “cloak of darkness” the second you left the Library?” 

Newt nodded. “That’s exactly when. But I don’t know what you mean about me being broken, I’m perfect!” 

Emmeline smiled at the joke, yet another sign that the old Newt was returning. 

“We should pray to Ibenily and see if she can guide us. After all, she is the Goddess of Knowledge,” Emmeline said. 

“How do you propose we do that?” Coral mumbled, placing her hands on her hips. “The Goddess of Knowledge made us compete for her attention last time. What do we do now, offer her mushrooms?” 

Forrest snorted. “Cause that’ll go well. ‘Hey, Ibenily, all powerful Goddess of Knowledge. Can we bother you for a second? For your troubles we can offer you some mushrooms we picked from the forest floor. I hope you enjoy them while you tell us what in the blazes is going on here!’ Do you want to be zapped dead?” 

“Who is zapping people dead?” a voice purred from not too far away. 

Emmeline froze as something began to buzz. Forrest glanced at the map book, discarded with his supplies pile. He picked up the book, holding it as far away from him as possible like it would attack him. He sat it down in the middle of their tiny circle and flipped open the cover. 

Out of the book popped a ghostly figure like the one Newt had summoned, only she wasn’t dead and her mist was pure white. 

“Hello, Ibenily,” Emmeline said quietly, a soft smile on her face. “How are you?” 

“Terrible,” Ibenily shrugged. “My sisters are fighting again, and you’re the first one in over a century to ask how I am feeling. So what can I do for you, darling?” 

“You just popped out of a book,” Coral gasped. Ibenily rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, darling, I heard you talking of me so I appeared to eavesdrop. Life as a Goddess is boring, you know. I heard the part about mushrooms,” Ibenily said. 

“Sorry, ma’m,” Newt began timidly. “We were just wondering if you could…” 

“Explain what happened to you, dear boy,” Ibenily interrupted. “Why of course! Sharing knowledge is what I do and I haven’t had this much fun in forever. However, I don’t quiet know the answer. You have been shielded from me, so I can’t see what happened.” The Goddess frowned and Emmeline was confused again. 

“But no one can overpower a Goddess,” Emmeline stated blandly. 

Ibenily sighed. “Another Goddess can overpower me - unless it has to do with Ibeni, my patron land.” 

“But none of the other Goddesses want this war either,” Coral said. 

“Long story short, the secret of the Readers is one secret that could change the future - maybe end the war,” Ibenily explained. “There are certain Goddesses that would want this secret to kill all Readers and have their war because it would mean war with the Goddesses as well.” 

“Yes, but none of the Goddesses want war,” Coral repeated. 

“Unfortunately, there are some who might,” Ibenily sighed. “My sisters and I may be the patron goddesses of the lands, but there are our children - born from our thoughts and ideas - that are not so easily persuaded. They wish to rule the land. Any one of my children could have usurped my power while I was speaking with Emmeline.” 

There were other Goddesses that wanted Emmeline dead, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It would make finding Beckett and the Ancient Reader much harder than the group had anticipated. 

“I cannot provide more guidance, not now,” Ibenily told them. “My power drains as my sisters fight. Please, Emmeline, find the boy and find the Reader. Stop the war. And watch out…” The rest of Ibenily’s warning was cut off as she was sucked back into the book. A darker figure seeped out of the pages. 

The figure had no face, it was simply a blob of darkness. 

And then it began to speak. It’s voice was feminine and low, like a girl pretending to be a boy. “Good evening, fellow travellers. I hope you found my … surprise quite pleasant, especially for the boy who carried my ‘pet’. This is your warning - turn back now and ignore the other Goddesses. We will spare you if you leave now.” 

Newt seemed to be infuriated by this dark blob. He jumped to his feet and began pummeling the black mist with his fists. “Your ‘pet’ nearly killed me!” 

“No need for such melodramatics,” the voice laughed. “I gave you your warning. Continue on this journey and, well, I can put an end to all of you.” Then the dark mist dissipated leaving behind only the map in the book and a group of shaken teens. 

“And on that note, I’m going to bed,” Clara said, her eyes wide. 

The younger girl walked back to her blanket, flopped down, and closed her eyes. Coral and Forrest shared a look before copying Clara. 

Newt was still trembling so Emmeline took the time to calm him. The mysterious voice’s “pet” was writhing on the ground. Emmeline kicked it aside into the bushes and grabbed Newt’s shoulders, steering him back towards the camp where she tucked him in. 

“Thanks,” Newt mumbled, turning over. 

Emmeline waited for a punchline but none came. She went to her own blanket and wrapped it around herself tightly. The embers of the fire died out and Emmeline drifted off to sleep where the visions could take hold. 

By the next day at noon the sun was sweltering and Emmeline was sure her face was going to melt off. Sweat poured down her back and she was ready to quit and eat something to satisfy her grumbling stomach, but Forrest kept leading them through the dense trees. 

Forrest had been following the map in the book ever since they had woke up. Clara had cooked up a small breakfast from berries - and thanks to her experience with deadly flowers, she knew which plants to use. Because Coral was a Blessed of Nelith the Water Goddess, she was able to find clean water and filtered it into their canteens. 

Newt kept quiet mostly, Emmeline was pretty sure he was still scared of the rogue goddess. She tried to comfort him but he shut down all conversations. 

By midday they had travelled into the Green Kingdom, but there was still a good bit of Crossover Forest to go. Clara seemed exhausted but the girl didn’t complain at all, so Emmeline decided not to either.  

They walked on for about an hour before Clara suddenly disappeared. She had been walking right in front of Emmeline, one second she was there and the next she was gone. 

“Clara!” Coral called out, a hint of panic in her voice. 

“I’m fine!” Clara’s voice called out. Emmeline overcame her fear and glanced around. In front of her was a patch of leaves, but in the center was a dip like the leaves had been sagging. Forrest hadn’t walked over it, he had walked around. 

But Clara had walked right through and it appeared that she had fallen. 

“Help me pull these leaves aside,” Coral ordered. Both Coral and Newt reached into the leave pile and began to pull.
Newt stumbled backwards and a rope net covered with leaves fell to the ground beside them. Emmeline peered downwards. 

There was a hole no deeper than five feet. It was small, and Clara was curled in a ball at the bottom. She shielded her eyes and look towards Emmeline. “I think I twisted my ankle but my Blessing is working!” 

“Look, a ladder!” Forrest pointed out. It was in the very corner of the tiny hole. Without hesitating, Forrest grabbed the rungs and began to climb down. “There’s a tiny door down here!” 

“Open it,” Coral called.

“If I get attacked by a troll or something,” Forrest mumbled. 

“You have a sword,” Clara said with a smirk. Forrest rolled his eyes and opened the door. Emmeline, Newt, and Coral descended on the ladder while Clara and Forrest made their way inside. 

Emmeline was amazed by the ginormous chamber that the door opened to. 

Upon further reflection, Emmeline realized it wasn’t as big as she had previously thought and it was probably once a temple. Underground temples had been a part of the world since before anyone could remember, and the walls were made of unknown material. 

But someone had inhabited this abandoned temple and lived in it. 

There was a large canopy bed, the canopy made of leaves and sticks. The blankets were soft as Emmeline ran her fingers over them - definitely not the cloth of a normal villager. 

Everything in the room seemed natural, made from sticks and other forestry things. The table was small with only two identical chairs carved from pale wood. There was little furniture otherwise, with the exception of a tea set with emerald jewels embedded into the lid. 

“That’s from the Green Kingdom,” Newt whispered, running his grubby fingers over the gemstones. 

Emmeline placed the seat set back on the tiny table. It seemed to clean in this dirty room. 

Cobwebs had infested most of the corners and everything was coated in a layer of dust. And because the temples had originally been built by none other than the goddesses, there was no wonder that eternal flames danced in torches placed not far apart. 

“Look at these,” Clara called from the corner. 

Emmeline followed her voice and found a small wardrobe, the wood painted blue. The paint was peeling, and Clara was picking at the chips on the door. 

“What’s inside?” Emmeline asked. 

Clara pulled open the doors revealing a small variety of tunics and dresses. Emmeline pulled one of the dresses off the hangers and held it up. 

The cloth was silk and pale gray, the waistband lined with tiny jewels. The hems were perfectly sewed and someone had obviously put a lot of effort into making the dressed. The collar dipped low and sleeves were long and loose.

“It’s beautiful,” Newt mumbled. Emmeline couldn’t tell if he was staring at her or the dress. 

“You want to wear it?” Forrest smiled as he joined them. 

“Nah, it would look better on you,” Newt retorted, breaking his stare. 

Coral began inspecting the dress, her long, dark hair falling over it as she picked at the seams. “This dress is about a century old, if I had to hazard a guess,” she decided. 

“And how would you know that?” Newt crossed his arms. 

“Easy,” Coral said, holding up the dress. “The cloth is silk, which we don’t use anymore. The dress also has diamond embedded in the waistband, which we stopped using roughly ninety years ago. Not to mention the sleeve and collar patterns are from an era long ago.” 

Coral caught Emmeline staring at her in amazement. “Before I ran away I planned to be a seamstress. It was a family business.” 

“Well the dress belongs to someone royal,” Forrest added. “No one - whether this century or the last - would use such expensive supplies on a villager.” He crossed his arms like Newt did and closed his eyes like he was waiting for an applause. 

“Really, I wouldn’t have guessed,” Coral groaned sarcastically, which earned a frown from Forrest. “Anyways, the person who wore this is long dead.” 

“So what do you suppose this place is?” Emmeline asked. 

“A secret place where two traitors met,” a voice answered from the doorway. “And now the location of your death.” 

Emmeline turned to see a general garbed in emerald, holding a wicked sharp sword in his hand and an evil grin on his face. 

The soldiers had found them.