Outside Wispyri's chamber

  "It isn't. Now, let's plan what we do once you have the book."

  -

  -

  Aurelia slowly makes her way down into the dark antechamber. More than once she almost slips and falls on her butt. However, after what seems like an eternity, Aurelia finally reaches level ground again.

  Unlike the other cavern chambers, Wispryi's chamber is mostly free of rusting parts and debris. Aurelia tiptoes her way around the few scraps of girgogh bodies she does find. Her breath catches in her throat as she lays eyes on the queen of the girgoghs. The spider queen is staring directly at her, bright red eyes sending chills down Aurelia's spine. Captain Hilyard silently chastises herself.

  "There's no way this plan is going to work," Aurelia mentally rages. "No way I get that book without her noticing. Why did I let that Cthulhu traitor talk me into this? Couldn't have been his smooth charm? Or his...Uh. Mmmm. No. I'm a captain. And he's a Cthulhu traitor. When I get out of here...I'm gonna--."

  "Stop talking to yourself and get the book, Aurelia. Every moment we spend down here is a moment your crew is exposed. I had to weaken the spell of invisibility over your crew to ensure Wispyri doesn't see you. It's your life or theirs. Hurry up!"

  "What the hell? Are you in my head?" Aurelia thinks, anger building in her chest.

  "Uh. Well, yes. That's kind of how this works. I have to see where you are going in order to cast my spells. Since I can't go in there right now...I have to use your eyes."

  "That's creepy!" Aurelia mentally says, rolling her eyes. "So what else can you see in there? You're not like...Messing around in my head, are you?"

  "No. Of course not. I mean...Unless you want me to. But that really won't help us right now. I really need you to hurry and get the book. I can sense someone coming. I believe it is Lud. He and Wispyri are closer than most on Yuktovy. He acts as her spy, keeping tabs on everyone. Including me. We don't want to be in here when he comes to give his report."

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  "Great," Aurelia thinks. "I know who Uiowky is. So which one is Lud? The bug lady or the rat with the weird spider legs?"

  "The rat....As you call him. He is special to Wispyri because he acts as her assassin as well. Some time ago, one of the former zifawid's made the mistake of challenging Wispyri's authority. With Wispyri's blessing, Lud put down the silly fool. He pounced upon him and tore out the zifawid's throat with his sharp yellowed teeth. Lud's reward was to be given Wispyri's legs from her old exoskeleton. He wears them proudly. And it is a reminder to all not to cross Wispyri."

  "But that won't stop you, Zifawid Lilchta. Hmm. That's why I'm here," Aurelia mentally complains. "To be the bait for your trap, eh? How nice of you."

  "Oh, you are much more than that. You are the savior of Yuktovy, Aurelia. If you could've seen what this world was like before Wispyri and her kind took it over. It was once a beautiful world; covered with waterfalls, colorful foliage, and teeming with wildlife. The girgoghs exploitation of the planet's resources is what you now see. Barren land and endless desert. Very few natural creatures remain. Many of the creatures you will encounter were species brought here by the girgoghs as experiments. Uiowky, Dudra, and Lud were all experimental subjects. As I also believe am I."

  "What?!?" Aurelia nearly says aloud before catching herself.

  "What?" she mentally whispers. "What do you mean? You mean...You might not actually be a Cthulhu cousin?"

  "I don't know. Like I told you before, I remember waking up in a hatchery with two strange beings hovering over me. I don't know if they were girgogh caretakers. I have not seen them in quite some time. With everything I know about the girgoghs...And Wispyri...I believe I am just another of their odd experiments. They needed a Cthulhu cousin in order to use the spell book they stole. So they made one."

  "Wait! The girgoghs stole a spell book? From whom?"

  "I don't know that either. But they have a book they had no knowledge how to use. Stands to reason that they stole it. They have stolen so much else."

  "Wow. Sharp thinking. You're not as dumb as I thought you were," Aurelia mentally quips.

  At that moment, Lilchta materializes in front of the captain. She nearly plows into him. Wrapping both strong arms around Aurelia's middle, Zifawid Lilchta smiles down into her face. Aurelia peers around him in surprise. Staring straight into the multiple glowing eyes of Wispyri.

  "What's the big idea? I thought you weren't going to come in. You know...Because the damned spider queen might see you."

  "I am not in the antechamber with you, Aurelia. I am inside your mind. Only in your mind. I will walk beside you. I will show you where the book is."

  "Okay. This is really kind of creepy. I don't really care for you being in my head."

  Lilchta only smiles, dropping his left arm from Aurelia's waist and grabbing her right hand. He speaks to her without a single motion of his lips.

  "Let me show you where it is," Lilchta whispers in her head.