Dean's consciousness wavered for a moment as his surroundings warped and changed. A familiar sensation when opening Tatiana's books. The washed out landscape, Tatiana, his spectral form. All of those recent memories faded and returned like a flickering flame. Slowly, they were replaced by different memories. A family, friends, life in a big city. He soon became someone else, the same Dean but with different life circumstances. As he took on the role of himself in the book, he let go of what few memories and feelings he had had in the grey world and embraced his new self.
He realised he was sitting in an enclosed space. No, it was a bus. Something that moved on wheels with its own power. He then remembered why he was riding the bus. Funny, had he dosed off and forgotten?
Dean was running away again.
Feeling the vibrations of the old bus as it trudged through the mountainous countryside, he let out a sigh and gazed blankly out the window. There was no real reason to look out the window as the outside was pitch black. Not a single streetlight illuminated the exterior.
No, he was not running away. He was crawling back on his hands and knees. Although that really wasn't much better.
Ten years of living and working in a city far from home and nothing to show for it. Still, it had been better than living in that place.
In his hand he held a slightly crumpled letter. He had read it many times over on the journey. There was little else to do since his phone had run out of power. He looked at the letter once more.
Dear Dean
Are you well?
Has city life made you a millionaire yet, like you said it would? Where the hell is my share?
Dean sighed. He was never going to hear the end of this when he got back. Well, it was his fault for boasting so much. His eyes glanced over the pleasantries which followed to the section which had made him catch this bus in the first place.
It'd be nice if you could visit us soon. To tell you the truth, things have gotten a little difficult here. It's nothing serious so don't worry about it too much if you can't make it right away. I know how busy you must be!
Yours,
Addi
P.S: If you're not going to bring back a mountain of Cash at least bring me some of those small apple pies, you know the ones!
In all his years of being away, not once did she ask him to return. She wouldn't have unless there was something very wrong. She had phrased it like it was no big deal, but Dean knew better.
"Mount Moore, huh" He whispered to himself. He imagined the feeling of spreading out on a large king-sized bed in a properly heated room. Maybe it would even have an en suite?
"Yeah, think of the positives." He muttered to himself. The hard stuff could come later.
This was a chance to get out of his tiny apartment in the city and enjoy some real luxury.
Mount Moore, where he had grown up, was a bit of a weird place but his standard of living would be much better than what he had built for himself in the city. With memories of a pampered childhood swirling in his mind, Dean's gaze returned to the window. It would be another while before he reached his destination and unfortunately, he couldn't sleep on public transport. A dull few hours lay ahead of him.
Dean blinked a few times as the overhead lights of the bus flickered on, signaling that the bus was nearing its destination. The flat tone of the driver's announcement reached his ears.
"Tallow, this is Tallow, last stop."
The bus creaked to a halt on the side of a lonely road whose only noticeable feature was a dilapidated wooden shed, which passed for a bus stop. A single orange street lamp illuminated the surroundings.
Grabbing his backpack which lay on the seat to his left, Dean made his way to the front of the bus. His footsteps echoed loudly in the otherwise silent space.
"Got luggage in the boot?" The driver asked.
"None, thank you."
The old driver eyed his small backpack with a raised brow.
"I've never seen you come this far, young man. You know there's not much out there, right?"
"What can I say? I like to travel light."
"Don't think there are any hotels out here. Not to mention its pitch black out there."
"Won't be needing one. Someone should be waiting for me."
The bus driver nodded.
"Well, far be it from me to stop ye. Always taking the bus to here, there and everywhere, can't sit still can ye." The bus driver muttered, shaking his head. "A colleague of mine will be back by 9am tomorrow."
Dean nodded his thanks to the bus driver. He was one of many who knew his face, owing to his frequent use of the bus system back in the city.
He handed the driver a roll of banknotes.
"For driving all this way for only one passenger." He said with a wink before stepping off the bus.
"Hey! This is a small fortune!" came the startled voice of the bus driver behind him.
Dean continued walking away as if he hadn't heard.
In the distance, no more than a dozen lights marked the location of the small village known as Tallow. However, even this isolated village wasn't his final destination.
The night was chilly, and Dean stuffed his hands in his pockets before setting off
He walked a little way down the road in the opposite direction of the village as the bus did a u-turn and left the area.
On its way off, the bus passed an expensive black car parked on the side of the road. A young man waiting outside the car greeted Dean with an enthusiastic wave. He wore circular spectacles and had short, curly red hair. His goofy smile had made him a target for every school bully back in his school days.
"Dean, there you are! How was the bus ride? Was it delayed? We've been waiting for a while."
The young man put his hand on Dean's shoulder as he spoke. Dean patiently waited for his old friend to finish before replying.
"Hey Matin, long time no see."
"No kidding, it's been years. Things haven't been the same without you. Not that I blame you or anything!" Matin said, shaking his hands.
"It's fine. You're right, it's been way too long."
Matin nodded and glanced towards the front of the car with a hesitation
"We should probably get going." He said, a nervous edge entering his voice.
Dean nodded and, with a deep breath to calm his mind, he opened the backseat door and entered the vehicle. The interior was spacious, and he appreciated the feel of the leather seats.
"Ah, Dean dear, why, it's been an age and a half. How have you been?" The woman in the driver's seat asked as she promptly started the engine.
Like her son, she had red hair, which was tied neatly in an intricate bun. She wore a light purple jacket over a long blue dress, which would have stood out like a sore thumb in the city. She looked as if she were heading to a ball.
"I'm good, Mrs. Evelyn. And you?"
"Marianne will do, dear. I used to change your nappies, don't forget. Do you not have your own car yet? These buses can't be relied on to get you anywhere within a reasonable time!"
Dean allowed the torrent of words to wash over him. It was best to let Marianne lead the conversation. She would run out of things to say before long, at least he hoped she would.
"No matter." Marianne continued without waiting for a response. "We'll just have to make do despite the late hour.Matin dear, do you have the map ready?"
"Yes, Mother."
Dean bit his lip at Matin's subservient tone. His friend would be twenty five this year and yet the way he spoke to his mother hadn't changed since their younger days.
The car swerved left and right as Marianne navigated the winding country roads. Dean had to hold on to the roof handle on multiple occasions to keep himself from keeling over.
"Matin, are you sure this is the right way?" Marianne asked.
"Yes, Mom, I think so."
"What do you mean, you think so? Either you are or you're not, child."
"Sorry! It's difficult to read in the dark. I'll try harder, so please give me a moment." Matin pleaded.
The atmosphere within the car was getting tense. It was late, and everyone was probably tired so it was no surprise.
"Are you still practicing martial arts?" Dean asked quickly, hoping to distract Marianne while her son desperately scanned the map.
"Of course! Matin and I have attended national tournaments and the like. A strong body is as important as a sound mind. It's never too late. You should really join up, dear."
He regretted asking about Marianne's hobbies. While living in Mount Moore, she had dragged him out on multiple occasions against his will to practice various hobbies and sports.
Luckily, Matin chose that moment to interrupt
"It's the next left! Here, here!" He cried out.
At that moment, Dean was almost thrown out of the car as Marianne took a sharp left.
"Tell me sooner, Matin for goodness sake!"
"Sorry, Mother!" Matin cried, wincing slightly.
Shutting his eyes tightly, Dean tried to filter out the noise and sudden motions. This was going to be a pleasant trip, and nothing was going to ruin that for him. not even Marianne's driving. Gazing out the window, he wished for some daylight if only to have something to look at.
The journey went on for another two agonizing hours until at last the car came to a halt.
Dean practically leapt from the car in his haste to get some fresh air and silence. Taking a deep breath, he tasted the mountain air and felt some of the tension melt away. He shivered sightly, but he preferred the cold over the stuffy vehicle interior. He had about ten seconds of peace and quiet.
"Come, Matin dear, help me with the luggage. You too Dean."
Dean turned back towards the car to find Matin pulling luggage from the car's boot. Marianne stood watching him, a small designer handbag resting on her shoulder
"Are you planning on living here from now on?" Dean whispered to Matin as he struggled with a particularly large roller case.
"What? No, not at all. I think we're staying here for a week or so? Mother's got some business with Oscar."
Matin's eyes rested on the backpack slung over Dean's shoulder.
"It slipped my mind earlier, but where's your luggage?"
"This is it."
Matin ran his hands through his curly red hair.
"I don't think that will get you through the week. How many changes of clothes can you even fit in that thing?"
"Enough." Dean muttered. "You sound like your mother sometimes."
"Boys do come and help an old lady!" Marianne called as she began dragging a second large bag out of the car.
"Allow me, my lady Evelyn."
The low voice startled Matin who let out a small yelp. An elderly man stood in the yard on the other side of the car. Dean hadn't heard him approach.
"Thank you, Methaeus." Marianne said as the man deftly took hold of the bulky bag and pulled it out of the boot with a single hand.
"He's a lot stronger than he looks, eh?" Matin said.
Matin had the right of it. Methaeus was completely bald and was clearly getting on in years, with deep wrinkles and liver spots covering his face.
He had aged significantly since Dean had last been here, but it was clear he had managed to stay in shape somehow. His constitution reminded Dean of an old gnarled oak, which refused to wither and break.
"You will be staying eight days this time, I believe?" Methaeus asked, bowing formally to Marainne. "I invite you to make your way inside and leave the luggage to us."
"Indeed, thank you." Marianne said as she promptly made her way inside.
Methaeus turned to the two young men, his eyes widening slightly.
"Young Master Dean. It has been a long time. Welcome back." He said with a bow.
Dean suppressed the feeling of discomfort and forced a smile.
"Good to see you too. I'm surprised you're still running around carrying all that luggage at your age."
Methaeus smiled.
"I see the city hasn't smoothed that tongue of yours. This is the least I can do for our honored guests."
There was a hint of pride in Methaeus' voice, so Dean knew better than to offer help even as he felt the urge to do so. He didn't feel much like small talk, anyway.
"Well then, we'll head inside too. Thanks, old man."
Dean and Matin left a grumbling Methaeus behind and made their way to the entrance of the building in front of them.
"You should probably treat him with a bit more respect, Dean. He is the abbot after all, even if he does act like a servant sometimes."
"Come on, you know I've never done well with formalities."
"I'm well aware. It used to cause me nothing but trouble!"
Dean rolled his eyes at his friend. Of course, dealing with formality wasn't the only reason he had cut his conversation with the abbot short, but it was a good enough excuse for Matin.
Dean looked up at the building in which they'd be staying. He could barely make out any details in the dark of night, but he remembered the guest house well. It was an imposing building made of finely carved limestone blocks and large windows symmetrically placed. It had probably been a private manor in the past but had since been converted.
Reminding himself that luxury far surpassing that of his city apartment awaited him, Dean made his way inside with Matin.
The large open space of the entrance hall greeted them as they stepped inside. There were two doors on either side and an enormous staircase that was covered in expensive red carpet. It was so wide Marianne could have driven her car up it.
"Honestly, what do they need all this space for?" Dean muttered to himself as he took in the view.
The chandelier above his head was probably worth more than his entire downtown apartment.
"I think it gives a very welcoming impression." Matin said. "Like you're free to go wherever you please."
"Yes, you just have to walk a mile to get there."
Dean wondered how long it took to get to the bathrooms from here.
"Come along Matin, we should get settled in before bedtime." Marianne said from the landing.
She was waving at them while standing behind a banister.
"Shall we finally get these bags off our backs?" Matin suggested.
"Wish they'd install a lift in this old place." Dean muttered as they trudged up the stairs.
"And ruin the beautiful authenticity of the building?" Matin asked, aghast.
Dean simply shrugged and followed his friend up the stairs. He lacked the energy to debate building conservation. They turned left at the top and, after opening a single door, found themselves in a long corridor with multiple doors on either side. Behind each door was a bedroom as far as Dean could remember, kept in pristine condition for any guest who might arrive. Marianne was standing outside one of the doors.
"Your room is the one on the left, dear." Marianne said to Dean, pointing at the next door down.
Dean nodded his thanks and walked towards his own room as Marianne and Matin disappeared behind hers.
He twisted the knob, and the door opened with a creak. Inside was almost pitch black. He reached for the main light switch but when he flipped it, nothing happened.
"You gotta be kidding me." Dean whined. "Bloody old dilapidated..."
Sure, the building was old, but that didn't excuse lazy maintenance. This was a place of high society after all.
"If they can afford a chandelier, they can afford to change a light bulb."
Luckily, the light from the hallway outside was bright enough that he could see a bedside lamp next to the bed. Walking through the darkness, a few floorboards creaked as he approached the lamp.
Ignoring some silly thoughts of ghosts or killers in the dark, he reached out and flicked the switch on the lamp.
The room lit up, and his bed came into view. There was someone lying on it, a girl with a knife buried in her chest.
Dean let out a scream and almost fell backwards. Breathing heavily, he stared at the corpse, his mind gone blank.
"Addi?" he whispered shakily.
Slowly, he approached the bedside. She lay there, her long, wavy, pure white hair splayed out over the pillows. Her incredibly pale skin almost resembled that of a corpse. Almost. He calmed his thoughts and looked at her more closely.
Frowning, Dean grabbed a flask of freezing water from his bag, opened the lid and poured it on the girl's face.
What followed was an ear-piercing scream that made him flinch.
The 'dead' girl bolted upright and slapped the bottle away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, you asshole?" She yelled.
"Oh look at that, I can raise the dead." Dean replied in a deadpan voice. "I must be the Goddess herself."
Before Addi could reply, both Marianne and Matin stormed in, having obviously heard her scream.
"What in the name of the Goddess... Your Holiness, what? Dean, what have you done?"
Marianne's sentence became a jumbled mess as her eyes fell upon Addi and the fake dagger lodged in the chest. Dean realised too late that the current situation looked terrible for him and held up his hands to explain.
Marianne didn't look like she was ready to listen and charged at him, knocking him to the floor. Before he knew it, he was on the ground and held in an arm lock by the enraged Marianne. Dean was already cursing this place and Marianne's shocking martial abilities as Addi frantically began explaining the situation.
It took a while, but Dean could finally stand up again after a long explanation. His entire arm felt numb, and he rubbed it gingerly.
"Addi, you're the priestess now. You simply cannot be going around doing childish pranks. You're a woman now, and women don't go around behaving like that. Hasn't Methaeus thought you better?" Marianne lectured, her hands on her hips.
Addi was crossing her arms and pouting, which reminded Dean of how she had acted before parting ways all those years ago.
"She's probably been planning this for a long time." Matin whispered to Dean with a wide smile.
"She left herself vulnerable." Dean replied. "She still requires much training."
Matin looked at him and shook his head.
"You two are never going to grow up and give up that master and apprentice thing, are you?"
Without waiting for a reply, he walked over to his mother, who had finally run out of things to say. After explaining that they still had some unpacking to do, he managed to drag her out of the room. Dean threw a towel he had gotten from the bathroom at the soaked girl as he spoke.
"If you're going to prank someone, don't use yourself as a prop. You leave yourself open to retaliation."
"Noted." Addi said dryly.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Addi jumped up and hugged him.
"You took way too long." She whispered.
Dean winced as the freezing cold water from her clothes soaked into him. A calculated counterattack, perhaps? He looked down at her, her head only just about reaching his upper chest.
"Get off, you're freezing." He complained as he tried to struggle out of her grip.
"Serves you right, then." She said, refusing to let go.
After a long moment, they separated, and Dean let her dry herself off in the bathroom. When she came back she sat down on his bed and looked up at him without saying a word. Her red eyes were unnerving for some, but to him they were comforting.
"What is it?" Dean asked. "You're stunned speechless at my amazing presence, right?"
Addi shook her head.
"Have you shrunk, Dean?" She asked.
Dean felt his teeth clench together, his pride wounded.
"You've just gotten taller, idiot." He spat back.
Addi's eyes sharpened as she she crossed her arms.
"Careful what you say. I'm the priestess now, I can have you hung up for saying such hurtful things."
"Oh yeah, that happened."
A lot had clearly changed in his ten year absence, and he used the fact that she brought up her new role to segue into a more serious topic.
"How is it? Being the new leader of the church?" He asked, sitting down next to her.
"It sucks!" She shouted, falling back to lie down on the bed. "I mean, I get amazing food and the servants wait on me hand and foot, but almost every moment of the day is planned out for me and Methaeus is always hanging over my shoulder. That old leech is always going on about my dignity and the church's image. it drives me up the wall!"
Dean did his best to listen carefully to her ranting but couldn't resist making a mock look of shock by placing his hands on his cheeks and opening his mouth wide.
"How awful!" He said when she paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Being waited on hand and foot must be so difficult for you!"
"Shut up, you'd feel the exact same in my shoes. Anyway," She said before continuing her rant, "I have to be present at every sermon, I have to water all the plants in the cathedral with holy water I blessed myself and to top it all off, I can't go outside without a guard. It's made hanging out with the others rather difficult."
Dean winced at that, genuinely feeling sorry for her. He knew how many plants and trees they had growing in the cathedral. But there was something else that she said that bothered him or rather, how she said it.
"How are they? The others, I mean." Dean asked.
Addi twisted her body so that she was lying on her side while propping her head up with her arm. For the first time since starting her rant, she fell silent. Dean knew he'd gotten to the worst of her issues.
"They've all started treating me differently, like I'm made of ice or something." She whispered. "I mean, I know I've been so busy that it's partially my fault, but I do what I can to let them know they still matter to me."
This was it. This was probably what made her write the letter that brought him here in the first place. He knew she was hoping he could bring them back together as a group. He did not have the same confidence in himself.
"What about Maria? Surely she still treats you the same as ever?"
Addi made a 'hmph' sound.
"Maria. Yeah, she does to an extent, but she's gotten way too over protective to the point she's almost worse than Methaeus. Every time I go outside, she follows me around and scares away anybody who wants to talk to me. She's fun to be around, but she's gotten a bit suffocating."
"I see."
"Nicolas, seems to have given up talking to me and everyone else for that matter. He just stays in his room and plays games all day. Then there's Rose. She acts downright scared of me these days, Dean. Every time I try to talk to her, she makes up some excuse and runs away."
Dean looked down at her. Lying on her belly, she was staring a hole into the blankets as she continued her rant. Addi was a talkative person, but he'd never heard her speak this much. She must have been bottling these feelings up for a long time.
When she finished, an icy silence filled the room, and Dean struggled to find any words that would comfort her. He knew that his presence would likely make things worse rather than better, but he knew Addi saw him differently. In her mind, he could do anything, a remnant of their childhood relationship when he looked out for her. She didn't know how incapable he truly was.
The silence was becoming uncomfortable, and Dean had no words to say. Unable to take the atmosphere any longer, he grabbed one end of the blanket they were sitting on, stood up and pulled it over Addi who was still lying on her side. Within moments she was wrapped in a roll of blanket and rendered immobile.
"Dean, what in the Goddess' name are you doing, hey put me down!" She scratched as she struggled to break free.
Without replying, he lifted her up, turned her upside down and spun her around real fast as she screamed all the while.
"Quiet, or Marianne and Matin will come running in again." He hissed.
"Why are you saying it like I'm in the wrong here? let me down dammit!"
Who would have imagined, the leader of all the faithful on earth wrapped in a blanket and being swung this way and that and screaming curses that would make a sailor blush. It would be enough for anyone to lose their faith.
After he had had his fill, he dropped her back down on the bed. She took a long while getting free of her restraints, and when she did she clobbered him on the back of the head.
"What was that for, asshole?" She asked, panting heavily.
"You had this sad look on you. I didn't like it." He said simply.
"Sad look? Well now, I'm furious. Is that any better?"
Dean smiled.
"Yes, actually."
Addi let out a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a grunt. He never knew a slight girl like her could make such a sound.
"Addi." he said, interrupting her.
"What?" She spat.
"Let's get everybody together. I'll talk to them, and I'll get them to hang out with us. Just like we used to." He said with mock confidence and a fake smile.
Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly.
"You think we can do it?" She asked quietly.
"Sure we can. Remember what we used to say? When the both of us put our heads together, nothing is impossible."
Addi snickered.
"Yeah you used to spout that kinda nonsense all the time." She said with a fond smile. "But I know you can do it."
Dean had to fight to keep his facade of confidence.
"Try not to look so sad again, it doesn't suit you." He said.
"Right." Addi said with a nod. "I've invited everyone for dinner tomorrow, so we'll use that as a starting point, sound good?"
"Tomorrow at dinner, got it." Dean replied with a firm nod.
He'd have to try and talk to the others before that. Otherwise, it would probably end up as an awkward affair. This wasn't going to be easy but he had no choice now, Addi had placed her hopes in him.
They continued to talk for a few more minutes about more meaningless things like his life in the city when a knock came on the door.
"Your Holiness, it is past time for bed." Methaeus said from behind the door.
Addi rolled her eyes.
"Guess that's it for today, I suppose I should let you rest after your journey." Addi said in a disappointed tone.
"And it looks like her holiness needs her beauty sleep." Dean teased.
"Oh shut up." Addi replied as she got up and made her way to the door.
"Oh and Dean?" She said, turning around one last time.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for not changing how you treat me. It's made my long wait worthwhile." She said with a soft smile.
With that, she left the room. Her smile had left him speechless. She was going to be a dangerous woman in a year or two, priestess or not. With a smile like that, there was no way he could disappoint her. He would have to get the group back together or die trying.
After almost an entire day, he was finally left alone with his thoughts.
"What am I doing?" He muttered as he pulled his phone from his pocket. It was still dead, and the room had no charging stones. His boss had probably called him multiple times by now.
"Wonder if I'll get off with a warning this time," he wondered aloud. "Oh well, I've made my decision."
Tomorrow he would go for a walk. He needed to clear his head, and for him, there was nothing better for that than fresh mountain air.
Later, a servant came with a small plate of bread, cheese and cold meat. He ate that and got ready for bed. Remembering that Addi had been in his room, he double checked everything before using it. There was mayonnaise in the toothpaste tube and an alarm set to four o'clock in the morning lying under his bed. Disabling those traps, he eventually made it to his bed.
Sleeping proved difficult. Tossing and turning, he struggled to find a comfortable position. On top of that, his mind continued to race along. Often times he felt more awake when he was trying to sleep than he did in the middle of the day. As usual, his thoughts wouldn't stop coming.
I need to make this trip worthwhile. How am I going to approach everyone?
All I've done is come crawling back. I don't even have anything to show for my absence.
They wouldn't mind. They're my friends.
Can I really be sure about that after I left them?.
"Maybe going back to the city tomorrow wouldn't be such a bad idea. I can just say I collapsed or something, and my boss shouldn't punish me too hard." He said to himself as if that was ever an option.
Once again he rolled, trying to find a position which would grant him slumber. It was a long time before a rather uncomfortable sleep took him.
"Such a touching reunion," Tatiana's voice whispered in his mind. "Do your best to remember why you're being punished and enjoy the peace while it lasts."
Whether Dean heard the ghostly whisper or not, didn't matter. In the haze of near-sleep, it would be forgotten come morning.