Send Brim back in, alone, to find Mi Iau

Tally told Prennel to go gather wood for a fire, to ensure they’d have warmth come nightfall. “Does that mean we’re staying out in this wilderness for the night?” Prennel asked him. “Possibly,” Tally mused. “Either way, it’s better to be prepared.”

“Alright,” Prennel nodded, and waded away into some tall grass. Tally watched her go, obediently setting to work on the task he’d given her, with no protest at all. Then Tally moved his gaze over to the town, which was still within sight. He could see the gate he’d left through, as well as the tops of some buildings over the wall that had been put there to keep out potential invaders- which was currently being used by said invaders to keep everyone from escaping.

“Whatcha thinking?” Asked Brim, who had just become visible standing next to Tally, startling him slightly. “I was thinking we should…” Tally began, but Brim cut him off with a laugh. “No, I’m kidding, I already know what you’re thinking. I’m in your head, remember. You’re thinking about Mi Iau, still in there somewhere.”

“That’s right,” agreed Tally, even though he knew Brim didn’t need the confirmation. “I feel bad for leaving her behind. She was very helpful.”

“You don’t need to return her loyalty,” said Brim. “She tried to kill you, I brainwashed her, then she helped you escape. She served her purpose. Besides, now you have someone else instead.”

A thought crossed Tally’s mind, and just as it did, Brim glanced sidelong at him. “You serious?” Brim said. “If I do that, you’d be completely defenseless until I return.”

“I'd have her,” Tally pointed out, pointing over at Prennel bending over to pick up a large stick. “You could do it, yes?” Tally asked. Brim nodded. “I suppose I could… Alright, if you’re sure- and I can sense that you are- I guess I’ll see you later, then.” Suddenly, with very little warning, Tally felt the indescribable sensation of Brim’s presence being sucked out of him. Her image faded from his vision, and after a moment, he could sense she had gone. Tally looked around and took in the silence. He’d grown quite used to Brim’s companionship, now he felt naked and exposed without her. Tally jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching behind him- it was Prennel, arms laden with sticks and kindling she’d gathered for him. “Where do you want these?” She asked.

Meanwhile, Mi Iau was just escaping from her obligations as general and was hurriedly making her way back to where she’d left Tally, tied round the neck to the ground with a stake. She felt horrible for the situation she’d left him in. For someone who Mi was supposed to be protecting with her very life, she sure had managed to let him down quick. Left and right she passed the concerned faces of her subordinates in the streets, wondering what their commander was in such a rush for. ‘‘Keep calm’, Mi muttered to herself, ‘must maintain my cover’’.

When Mi got back to the entrance gates, she was mortified to see that Tally was gone. The stake in the ground was still there, as was the neck restraint, but the man himself was nowhere to be found. Mi had been gone so long that the guard who she’d charged with supervising Tally had ended her shift and presumably gone home. In her place was a new guard, who looked slightly nervous seeing Mi rapidly marching towards her.

“You,” Mi snapped, “I left a human tied up over there- what happened to him?”

“I don’t know ma’am,” the guard replied, “there wasn’t anyone here when I arrived.”

“What about the other guard you took over from… what was her name?”

“Prennel,” the current guard replied. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that either, ma’am…” She broke eye contact sheepishly.

“Why not?” Mi pressed.

“She wasn’t here when I arrived either.”

“Why not?” Mi continued, slightly more dangerously this time. There was supposed to be a continuous guard presence on this gate, so in order for this to happen, someone must be doing something wrong.

“Because I showed up late, and she’d already left by the time I got here,” the guard admitted- and then winced, anticipating a vicious reprimand, but it did not come. Mi Iau was suddenly preoccupied, doubled over, looking very nauseous.

Mi was experiencing the queasy sensation that, though she had never felt anything like it before, brought a strong visceral sense of being entered by something. It felt like a presence had just poured itself directly into the very core of her being. She grabbed her stomach reflexively, but that didn’t help, for it wasn’t where the feeling was located- If her mind had a stomach of its own, that would be where she felt it. All of a sudden, she felt haunted by something, like she was being watched. Mi whirled around behind her, half-expecting someone to be standing there. No one.

“…You alright, chief?” offered the guard tentatively. Mi turned back around to look at her, only to see Tally, standing right in front of her, between herself and the guard… minus his suit of armor. In fact, minus just about everything. After his nudity, the second thing Mi noticed about him was a strange translucency, like he wasn’t fully there.

“Tally?!” Mi blurted out, setting her gaze directly on his eyes and determinedly keeping it there.

“Not exactly,” said the apparition, “My name’s Brim. I’m a spirit- I appear to you as your own ultimate sexual fantasy. In your case, it looks like that’s Tally. How cute.”

“Huh?” Mi replied articulately. “But Tally’s not…” she trailed off. Well, maybe he was, now. Mi supposed this must be part of the brainwashing. “Wait a second,” she said hopefully, as she remembered the name. “You’re that ghost only Tally can see?”

“Not anymore,” said Brim, “Currently, I’m that ghost only you can see.” Looking over Brim’s shoulder, she saw the guard on the gate looking incredibly confused. “Who are you talking to, boss?” the guard asked, as soon as she made eye contact. Mi racked her brain for a reasonable excuse to give, but none came.

“Tell her to let you through the gate,” Brim suggested, “Tally’s waiting for you out there.”

Without hesitation, at the promise of being reunited with Tally, Mi did exactly that. The guard obliged, fumbling with her ring of keys until she found the right one. Mi had a strong instinct to berate her for missing the start of her shift- but a lazy guard creating gaps in security might be useful to Tally, should he want to sneak back in here for any reason, so Mi decided to take no action.

“One more thing,” Brim piped up as Mi was walking towards the opened gate, “touch the guard with your hand on your way out.”

“What? Why?” Mi whispered, but even as she spoke, she felt a strange tingle building up in her both her hands. Mi was smart enough to figure out what this meant, and her heart gave a jolt.