The Wayfarer’s Request to Garrick

The Wayfarer’s Request to Garrick

The man known as The Wayfarer stood in the doorway and looked toward Garrick. “You are Garrick? I have come to talk with you about your friend, Patsy Palmer. I fear she is in great danger.”

“I will start from the beginning. She came upon me several days ago, pleased to have finally encountered me. Her excitement at finding me, however, diminished rapidly as she discovered my situation was similar to hers. For while I can normally breach the dimensional barriers and traverse the Megaverse, I, too, have found myself trapped in this dimension. All my attempts to leave have been for naught.”

“Allow me to demonstrate.” He extended his arm and a polearm weapon appeared in his outstretched hand. He muttered a few soft words and glyphs upon the polearm began to glow a pale blue. They lit from the bottom first, then cascaded up the length of the handle until the blade itself glowed the same hue. He grasped the weapon and sliced forward through the air, parting the fabric of space in front of him to reveal a shimmering, reflective mercurial portal.

“My travels within this dimension work perfectly fine. It is merely all my attempts to leave which reveal this reflective barrier instead.” He pressed his hand up to it to illustrate the solid nature of its surface. “When I showed this to her she was despondent. I encouraged her to talk with me and explain her situation more fully.”

“She explained to me the events which led her to become trapped in this dimension, bereft of her former powers. Of her spiral of depression which led to a final act of desperation.” He paused for a moment while retelling the story, as if this part resonated with him somehow in a way he could not quite recall. After the brief pause he continued. “Then she talked of meeting you, Garrick. It was here where her story finally took a positive turn.”

“Patsy Palmer spoke nothing but the highest praise for you. Praise for how you opened your home to her… for your exhaustive efforts to try and help her… for how you opened your home to so many displaced youngsters… and for your respect of both her and her space here with you. She held a great deal of trust and affection towards you. Because of this she greatly feared becoming a burden upon you. She sought me out with the hope that I could send her home and alleviate one of the many stresses you have incurred upon your life.”

“I was taken aback by all this. I am a stranger to this world, but not to people, and she seemed to be building up the courage to say or do something. I knew not what. Had I but known I might have acted differently. Instead I asked her what she would do now. She looked straight at me and said, ‘There’s only one thing left for me to do.’ She stood up, thanked me, and started to walk away.”

“Before I could call out to her to wait she stopped. I watched as a snake-like form twisted its way out from under her clothing, down her arm and over her hand. She grasped it and for a brief moment it was if another stood in her place. The image of a golden, winged spirit holding an intricate sword made of diamond appeared superimposed over her form, then burst in a flash of blinding light. I shielded my eyes and when I looked again, Patsy Palmer was transformed.”

“She stood taller. Her hair was a radiant yellow, her skin golden. Wings like an eagle’s spread from her back. Sparse armor covered her body strategically. In the hand which had grasped the snake-like form was now a sword unlike any I had seen before.”

“She was looking over her transformed body with what seemed like wonder when a voice that was not hers spoke from her mouth. ‘Finally. Free after all this time. Not what I expected, but it will do.’ She finished inspecting herself and turned back to face me.”

“‘Patsy Palmer?’ I called out hesitantly. Fearfully, even. This was not my first time encountering posession.”

“‘Not anymore,’ the being possessing her responded. ‘Do not interfere, lost traveller. My business here is none of your concern.’ She raised her free arm towards me and before I could react the ground rose up and completely entombed me. I attempted to shout back at her, to call to her to fight whatever this was, but my words did not appear to reach her. By the time I broke free from the earthen prison she was gone.”

“My first thought was to come find you, Garrick. I regret that it has taken me so long. I fear I do not have the power alone to find and free her from this force which has overtaken her. Despite whatever it is that controls her, I believe she is still somewhere within, and I fear she will remain lost without our help.”


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