Chapter 13: On the Run (Part 3)

“Whaddya mean it’s not empty?” Giddeon questioned out loud.

“Oh, is—” Uzari’s voice lowered an octave. “Is ‘Johnny’ speaking to you?”

Giddeon nodded as he untied the pouch from his waist and slid it open. Uzari pressed close to his side, their cheeks kissing as they both peered down into the dark opening. It was completely empty.

“Do you see anything?” he asked.

Uzari pulled away, shaking her head.

What are you talking about? There’s nothing in there.

“It’s a magical storage vessel,” Johnny replied. “It holds lots of things—or it can, depending on how heavily enchanted it is. Enivians call it a Holding Bag.”

“A Bag of Holding?” Giddeon blurted, instantly recalling the spatial inventory bags found in Asteria.

“No, a Holding Bag. I literally just told you.”

“Is it a Bag of Holding?” Uzari whispered, her tone betraying her excitement. She grabbed the edge of the pouch, nearly sticking her nose inside as she studied the stitching. “Do we need to put stuff in it?”

“Can you tell her it’s a Holding Bag, not a Bag of Holding?” Johnny insisted, sounding deeply annoyed.

“Johnny says it’s a Holding Bag, not a Bag of Holding,” Giddeon whispered to her.

Uzari’s brow furrowed. “What’s the difference?”

Giddeon shrugged. “I’ve no clue. He seems incredibly adamant about calling it that.”

“These bags—which are absolutely not Bags of Holding—hide items inside a spatial dimension until you speak the activation word, revealing its contents,” Johnny elaborated. “Or you can simply think of what you want and pull it out. They’re quite handy.”

“What’s the magic word?” Giddeon asked.

Uzari stared at him. “Are you…are you asking me or…”

“Him.” He tapped his temple.

“Oh, of course.” Uzari nodded.

“I’ve no clue,” Johnny answered him. “Check the inside—most Holding Bags have the word sewn there. It’s a failsafe against memory loss. You know, like that person who always forgets their password?”

Giddeon inspected the pouch, even turning it inside out. “Nothing’s there,” he whispered. “They must have forgotten to sew it on.”

“That’s because you have to have magical aptitude to see it,” Johnny said smugly. “Which, you apparently don’t. Don’t be disappointed, though. Only one in every fifty-two thousand Enivians possesses even the smallest shred of magical—”

“Oh, you mean that word!” Uzari pointed excitedly at a bare patch of velvet.

Giddeon peered where her finger was pressed, seeing nothing but empty cloth. He looked up at her, a slow grin spreading across his face. “I think we just won the intergalactic lottery.”

Uzari’s brows furrowed in puzzlement.

“Johnny says you need a rare magical affinity just to see the word,” Giddeon explained, his voice low but excited. He pointed back at the spot. “There’s no writing there that I can see. What’s it say?”

Uzari’s eyes narrowed as she leaned close, focusing. “The lettering’s immensely small,” she whispered. “It almost blends into the fabric. Okay, I see. It says…Yacsom Sepheroth.”

Suddenly, a torrent of items erupted from the pouch, clattering into Giddeon’s lap and spilling onto the dirt.

Caught completely off guard, Giddeon fumbled with the cloth, managing to yank the pouch right-side out. The barrage stopped instantly.

Their eyes shot to their sleeping teammates. Giddeon held his breath. Uzari slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with rising panic. After a few agonizing seconds of silence, they both slowly exhaled. Everyone was still fast asleep.

“It’s a good thing we’re all dead tired,” he whispered.

“What is all this?” Uzari asked in wonderment, eyeing the scattered objects like spoils from a hidden treasure chest.

“It must be everything she—” Giddeon gestured subtly toward the back of the cave “—had stored in here. Let’s put it all back until we figure out what’s actually useful. I still don’t trust everyone.”

“I agree,” Uzari whispered.

Both began silently gathering the loot: books, alien garments, a silver flask, and a small, closed wooden box were among the many curiosities lying in Giddeon’s lap or strewn about on the stone floor.

“What a pretty comb,” Uzari murmured as she lifted the glossy item off the ground. Carved from a single piece of blue-white coral, two elegant mermaids adorned its spine, surrounded by tiny sea creatures painted on the sides. “Into the bag,” she murmured with a frown, dropping it inside. The comb vanished as soon as it cleared the lip.

Uzari’s eyes widened. “D-did you just see…” She gestured toward the empty interior.

Giddeon thrust his hand into the pouch, feeling nothing but empty space.

Is it in the bag? he mentally questioned.

“Of course it is!” Johnny exclaimed. “Just focus on what you want to retrieve, or you can say that phrase again and dump everything. Your choice.”

“Comb,” Giddeon murmured aloud.

Instantly, the cold feel of coral pressed against the palm of his hand. Uzari cupped her cheeks, her mouth agape in absolute delight.

“Neat trick,” Giddeon noted, tossing it back in. The comb disappeared a second time.

“It’s sooo cool!” Uzari whispered, her spunkiness emerging as they rapidly began loading the remaining loot into the pouch.

A thought struck Giddeon as he picked up a thick, carmine cloak. “This goes well with you,” he said, holding the bright cloth up to her and eyeing it over.

Uzari blushed. “Imagining what things look like on me…again?” She gently bit her lip. “At least this time it’s more clothes, not less.”

Giddeon’s face reddened, and he quickly shoved the cloak into her lap. Reaching down, he picked up another one. It was dark sable and featured a billowing hood. “This looks comfortable,” he commented, eager to change the subject.

“And magical,” Johnny chimed in. “The red one’s magical, too.”

So, detecting magic is just one of your “things” too? Is this some kind of program that analyzes items that emit a certain substance in the air?

“I told you before, I’m a special entity. Or was. Mind’s still fuzzy—probably the dying thing and becoming primordial ooze. Anyway, those two objects clearly emanate magic. Look closer. I might be able to determine what they do.”

Giddeon narrowed his eyes, leaning forward to focus entirely on the carmine cloak in Uzari’s lap.

“W-what are you doing?” Uzari’s blush deepened. She shot a panicked glance at the others, ensuring they were all still sleeping. “If you’re going to make a move, all you have to do is—”

“Johnny says the cloaks are magical,” he murmured, trying to detect any visible trace of an enchantment in the threads.

“Magical?” Uzari’s eyes widened. Holding the cloak up, she spread it out, inspecting every inch of the fabric.

What a pretty smile. The thought came completely unbidden as Giddeon stared at her. Uzari had always loved magical things in Asteria. She even kept a wardrobe bursting with mystical oddities she could never bear to part with, even the low-level cosmetics.

“Yes, she does look quite pleased,” Johnny commented dryly. “Anywho. It’s a cloak of protection and disguise, enchanted to be as tough as armor and resist low-level spells and minor elements.”

Tell me about the disguise part?

“The wearer can imagine any type of clothes—the cloak conforms to their imagination.”

Sounds like a powerful item. How does it work?

“Like all magical things,” Johnny replied. “Same as the Holding Bag. Most crafters imprint the activation word somewhere on the item, but—”

Only someone with magical affinity can see it?

“You’re not half as dumb as your ten intellect implies. Luckily, you only need to know the command word to make it function, so even those without magic can still activate them.”

What else in this pile is magical?

“The flask, the box, and one of the books,” Johnny listed off.

“That’s quite a bit!” Giddeon blurted in surprise.

Uzari jumped slightly from examining the velvet, glancing at the sleeping crew before staring at him. “What are you talking about?” she whispered.

Giddeon returned his focus to her. “He says it’s a cloak of protection.” His head tilted toward the carmine fabric still resting in her lap. “And he says the flask, the box, and a book are magical as well.”

Uzari’s eyes lit up. “Oh?” She immediately reached down and picked up the flask. The container was white and smooth like polished bone, with a slight curve to its base and a deep, wine-colored stopper. “Johnny appears quite handy, AI or not,” she murmured as she inspected the seal. “I don’t think an AI would know how to quantify magic.”

“I appreciate intelligent women,” Johnny beamed inside Giddeon’s head. “She seems significantly smarter than you.”

She is.

Giddeon shrugged as he watched her. “Who knows? Vibane obviously knew more about this planet than they let on. A whole separate database and restricted protocols could be locked inside our AIGES, and my meddling freed it to do what it can actually do.”

Uzari tore her gaze away from the flask to look up at him. “We can test that theory. You can just hack into my AIGES and do what…” Her words slowly trailed off, and her mouth closed. Her expression tightened. “I forgot. No…you can’t.”

“Let’s see what these other items do first,” he told her, casting a brief glance at their sleeping teammates. “Before anyone else wakes.”

“I already got the flask.” She smiled, wiggling the item in her hand before tossing it into the bag. “Get the book.” She bent over. “I’ve got the box.”

Giddeon frowned, looking down at no fewer than eight volumes on the ground.

Tell me when I grab it.

He began picking them up one at a time.

“No, no, no—that one,” Johnny rattled off in his head.

The targeted book was moderately thick, with a light burgundy cover and no visible title. Briefly flipping through its pages, Giddeon saw nothing but empty parchment.

“Empty.” He frowned. “Doesn’t even have a title.”

“What do you mean?” Uzari asked, shoving the box into the bag before leaning over to examine the book. “It’s right there, in big red letters.” She pointed directly at the center of the cover.

He stared at her for a moment. “I think it’s just like the bag—only you can see it.”

Uzari’s brow furrowed. “Magical affinity?”

Giddeon nodded, looking back down at it. “What’s it say?”

Uzari peered closely at the cover. “Lilivivesseoneon’s Spell Book,” she read, her tongue nearly catching on the name as she carefully enunciated each syllable.

“Well, that’s pretty straightforward. Except for the name.”

“Do you really think this is a spell book? Just like in Asteria?” Her eyes danced with barely contained excitement.

“It’s a book I can’t even see the ink on, and you’re telling me the title calls itself a spell book.” He shrugged. “One way to find out.”

Her face beamed like a little girl let loose inside a candy store. Uzari’s hand shook with nervous excitement as she cautiously opened the front cover. Staring at the first page, her eyes widened in absolute fascination. To Giddeon, it remained completely blank.

“Bedtime!” Giddeon suddenly shut the book, pressing it into her lap.

Startled, Uzari looked up just as Oomah rose from her bed of leaves. The woman stared at the two of them, bleary-eyed, before letting out a massive yawn.

“Is it our shift yet?” she asked, wiping sleep from her eyes.

Giddeon took a few steps toward the cave entrance, looking back with a nod. “It’s time. I’ll wake your brother.”

“What’s all that?” Oomah asked, gesturing sleepily at a few loose objects still scattered on the ground.

“I found some things hidden behind a tree when I went to the bathroom earlier,” Uzari spoke before Giddeon could answer. “The…person over there probably dropped them before hiding here.”

“Oh, good,” she mumbled, half-awake as she shifted her weight uncomfortably. “I’ve got to go.”

Uzari gave her a blank stare. “Go?”

“You know, go.” Oomah pointed outside. “I’ve got to go. Bad.”

“Oh!” Uzari hastily stood up, pressing against the cave wall to clear the path. “I’ll come with you,” she offered.

“Thanks,” Oomah replied as she stumbled past into the cold night.

“The bag,” Uzari hissed under her breath, tossing the carmine cloak into Giddeon’s arms. Snatching up a random pouch still lying on the ground that had dropped out of the Holding Bag, she hastily shoved the spellbook into it. To both her and Giddeon’s utter shock, it briefly flashed with a a light green glow, shrinking to a quarter of its size and fitting quite easily into the pouch. Uzari froze, her eyes locking with Giddeon’s.

He merely shrugged, nodding toward Oomah’s receding silhouette.

Uzari left the cave with a dazed expression, leaving Giddeon to hastily sweep the remaining items back into the Holding Bag. Despite the number of items going inside, the pouch remained as light as a feather.

“They certainly are impressive,” Johnny commented proudly. “A find like this is once-in-a-lifetime.”

Is it my Luck?

“Luck’s hard to nail down,” Johnny replied philosophically. “Luck might have played a role in finding the cave, for example, but the corpse might be random happenstance along with the loot. We’ll never truly know.”

I’m thinking it’s too much luck for it to not be…well, luck.

“That’s logical. Not that luck is ever logical, but you get it.”

Finished before the women returned, Giddeon woke Orion. The man grumbled but got up. As he left the cave to relieve himself, Giddeon took his spot in the corner on a leaf and fern bed, still warm from its last occupant. Lying down, he closed his eyes for just a moment. That was when it hit him just how tired he was—mentally and physically.

Johnny?

“Partner?”

What’s a good stat to sleep on?

“I’d suggest Endurance to heal up and feel refreshed. Maybe a smidgen into Dexterity, in case you suddenly have to dodge something.”

Dodge something?

“You know: an assassin’s dagger, a rampaging monstrous boar returning to its lair, an undead ghoul trying to eat your head—that kind of thing.”

Undead? Never mind, forget I thought that. I don’t even want to know at this point. Put ten into Dex and the rest into Endurance. Good night.

“Night, partner.”

As he floated in the realm somewhere between awake and asleep, he suddenly felt a warm body snuggling into his side. His eyes popped open, shifting downward to see Uzari’s arm resting across his chest. Swiveling his head, he found himself staring into the most beautiful, hazel eyes he’d ever seen.

“What are you doing?” he mouthed more than whispered.

“What you should be doing,” she whispered back. “Unless you don’t find me pretty enough?” She arched one eyebrow, then turned away from him, curling up against the cold.

Staring at the back of her head, his feelings welled up. This was Irazu—his wife from Asteria. It was also Uzari, from Earth Two. This was the woman he loved, be it in a game or real life. And he had ruined it all, blindly thinking he was protecting her from…himself.

“What are you waiting for?” Johnny popped into his thoughts. “I’m medically dead and I’m saying go for it.”

Go compartmentalize yourself, or whatever it’s called.

Johnny never replied as Giddeon turned and awkwardly placed one hand around Uzari’s slim waist. As he did so, she snatched his other arm, placing it firmly beneath her head. Pushing back into him, her soft frame nestled against his chest.

“I like this,” she whispered. “These were my best memories. I’ve never forgotten them.”

Giddeon waited a few heart-pounding moments before replying, “Neither have I.”

“Mmm,” she murmured. “It reminds me of the night before we took out the Black Sage’s Guild. Speaking of which, I forgot to ask you something.”

“What’s that?”

“Did you ever tell Eddington why you destroyed his guild?”

Giddeon was silent for a moment. “No.”

“I see,” she murmured sleepily. “You should. He should know.”

He yawned deeply. “I’ll do that sometime.”

Uzari’s body was warm against his. Even with his pulse racing from their physical contact, her question lingered heavily on his mind. As his consciousness dwelled on the past, his awareness drifted, sinking at last into a deep sleep.