THAMRO

#35 Coins For The Ferryman

Omar K. Mills

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0:00 | 12:21
SPEAKER_03

Angelica, this place smells putrid.

SPEAKER_00

Well, to be fair, it is hell, Ollie. What'd you expect it to smell like? Roses?

SPEAKER_03

Someone should burn incense or something. Scented candles, perhaps.

SPEAKER_00

Come on, grandpa. We need to head towards the mouth. And we are in the spine of hell, if memory serves.

SPEAKER_03

Hell Yon's beard. It is all true. Hell is laid out like the shape of a human body.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah? Not exactly the best time for a tour, Ollie.

SPEAKER_03

My apologies. You are right, of course. I will focus. Where are we headed?

SPEAKER_00

Here, you'll need these.

SPEAKER_03

Coins? Ah, the ferryman, of course.

SPEAKER_00

His boat pulls up here. Keep your eyes peeled for wayward spirits, loose souls, and any other random demons. Oh, and collectors, too. We get caught by one of the caravans, and we might be stuck here for a while.

SPEAKER_03

Duly noted, the provost and Angelica made way towards a position on the edge of a river so black it may as well have been tar. Every so often a soul would float to the surface of the dark waters, gasping for air, only to be dragged down, screaming. This is not exactly what I imagined it would be, my dear.

SPEAKER_00

What? A vacation spot? Not enough palm trees for you?

SPEAKER_03

Something like that.

SPEAKER_00

I thought you wanted to rule the nine hells. I thought you wanted power.

SPEAKER_03

If this is power, perhaps I do not. I see now the point you were trying to make to me.

SPEAKER_00

All pursuits of power end up in the same place. Right here, Oli. The only real power is love. Elyon's love.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, you are right. I see that now. There's all of the nine like this.

SPEAKER_00

Pretty much. Do you know what serves as currency down here? Peace itself. They call it shalom.

SPEAKER_03

Interesting. I wonder how peace makes it in here in the first place.

SPEAKER_00

That's a great question. It may in fact be counterfeit peace. Nevertheless, it is the only thing of real value here. All anyone here wants is to forget they're here at all. Taking down Ursula is a strong first step towards keeping other people from eventually ending up here.

SPEAKER_03

Speaking of which, we need to figure out how my abilities work.

SPEAKER_00

Have you asked Elyon?

SPEAKER_03

Why would I ask Elyon?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know, Dr. Science. Maybe because Elyon gave you the new abilities in the first place.

SPEAKER_03

He also gave me a brain. Elyon is the god of gods, not a genie in a bottle. I cannot rub the bottle and make a wish every time I face a new dilemma. He expects me to figure this out and I shall.

SPEAKER_00

I think your pride expects you to figure it out, whereas Ellion would just tell you if you asked him.

SPEAKER_03

I note in his very presence, Angelica. He is not exactly shy. If he wanted to give me step-by-step instructions, then he would have done so then.

SPEAKER_00

Have it your way. I'm not the one who's run out of magic dust. That'd be you, Grandpa.

SPEAKER_03

Stop calling me grandpa. I was not there when you meet Methuselah. You were.

SPEAKER_00

The ferryman is here. Hand him your coins. Take us to the mouth of hell.

SPEAKER_03

The ferryman accepted the coins and began navigating the raft towards the shores of the mouth of hell. Nemo Dawn. I sentier. It's no use.

SPEAKER_00

Are you ready to talk to him now?

SPEAKER_03

I do not need to talk to him, Angelica. I can figure this out myself. I became the most powerful magic user in all of Welcome on my own. I can figure this out on my own as well.

SPEAKER_00

May I make a suggestion?

SPEAKER_03

No, you may not.

SPEAKER_00

I'm going to make it anyway.

SPEAKER_03

Of course you are. Why do you even ask me then?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I wanted to see what it was like to be polite. It's overrated. Anyway, my suggestion is that perhaps you need to rethink your approach. You're trying to cast a spell using magic that you no longer have.

SPEAKER_03

What do you mean? Elion has restored me, and I felt my strength and power beginning to return the moment he embraced me. Now even my robes have regained their rainbow colors. I just don't know how to tap into my power.

SPEAKER_00

First, you might want to stop calling it your power. Haven't you learned yet that this need to be all powerful is what got you in trouble to begin with?

SPEAKER_03

You know, I was there when Ursula stripped me of my abilities, and as luck would have it, the memory is fresh. So, yes, I believe that particular lesson is one that I will not soon forget.

SPEAKER_00

How did we contact Elyon? Did you use rooms or any summoning magics?

SPEAKER_03

No. We knelt together and we prayed to him. You held my hand. You have calluses, incidentally. You should moisturize more often.

SPEAKER_00

First, shut up. Second, yes, we humbled ourselves. I think the key to tapping into your real power is understanding who the source truly is. Ollie, it is Elyon. Apart from him, your spells just fizzle out.

SPEAKER_03

Hmm. Perhaps you have a point. But that does not help me practically, and I need something more than philosophy and theory to take down Ursula.

SPEAKER_02

I know what you seek, Provost.

SPEAKER_03

For the love of Welkenman, you cannot sit here saying absolutely nothing, like some sort of paddling mime, only to then speak and scare the living daylights out of us.

SPEAKER_00

What do you mean us? The ferryman did not scare me.

SPEAKER_03

Then why does your armor smell soiled all of a sudden?

SPEAKER_00

That's that's your top lip that you smell.

SPEAKER_03

Hmm, yes. Well that must be it. Anyway, you have something to get off of your whatever that is that serves as a chest under all of whatever that is you're wearing, Perryman.

SPEAKER_02

What you see is the book of El Yan. Those that follow him must do so in accordance with his teachings, and those teachings are written in his book. Once you have obtained this home, simply speak the words. There are teachings for every situation you will encounter.

SPEAKER_00

That sounds like a quest. I dislike quests, Verryman.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, I'm sorry. Is your calendar suddenly full? Do you have a hair appointment to go to?

SPEAKER_00

You wish you had a hair appointment to go to, Baldy.

SPEAKER_02

Eryon's book is easily obtained for those who seek it. I happen to have a copy of it here. Take it and do what you must to set things right.

SPEAKER_03

I I do not know what to say. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00

Why would you just happen to have that, Fairyman? We're supposed to just trust you.

SPEAKER_03

Well, in his defense, he could have tipped this raft over long ago, my dear. He seems trustworthy enough to me.

SPEAKER_00

Ollie, how did he get a copy of Elion's book down here?

SPEAKER_02

You believe this coup by Ursula is the first of its kind? I once lived in Elysium, served Elon as you do now. I foolishly believed in the one who wanted to be like the Most High, and the result of our attempt at ultimate power was to be cast out of the heavens and thrown into this pit where I have served as hell's ferryman ever since. Take this book, vanquish Ursula, and please tell Elyon what I did to help.

SPEAKER_00

You're assuming we're going to survive this. Take a look at it, Ollie. Is it what you need?

SPEAKER_03

It is written in Greek. Admittedly, I haven't studied this particular language in years. Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.

SPEAKER_02

For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you, ferryman. Ellion will know what you did to assist us.

SPEAKER_00

We're pulling up to the shores of the Malfoli.

SPEAKER_02

Well, fancy meeting you here, sister.