Adjusting to sit more centered in the boat, Sean shakily uttered out to Illinois. "W-w-hat is t-that?" Illinois turned around just a few seconds too late to see the tendril slink back under the surface without a ripple. Shrugging, Illinois asked him curiously. "What? What did you see?" Sean gulped, whispering back. "It looked like... like the thing from my nightmare. It was... big." Illinois took a slow breath, choosing to whisper now as he said in return. "The nightmare you had while in the machine?" Sean nodded, causing Illinois to shift uncomfortably as he picked up the paddle and tried to paddle slowly but eagerly to leave. Sean locked scared eyes with him, asking in a whisper. "What? That's not possible, right?" Illinois' eyes scanned the dark lake, whispering nervously. "It could be... if they managed to get a black pearl out of you." Sean gripped the seat under him, shakily whispering out. "So... the water level being so high. It's because... it's here." Illinois nodded, his slow paddling coming to a stop as the dim glowing light from the rock highlighted something on a wall. Looking it over, Illinois stared at it completely confused as he said. "That's new... and it can't be good."

Picking up the rock, Sean stared at the picture that was painted on the wall in blood. There was a human handprint and in the palm of it was a large eyeball. Written over the fingers were the words. 'Enlightenment can drive you mad.' Sean cautiously reached out to hold his hand out over the handprint. Seeing that his hand matched the print, Sean gulped and told Illinois gruffly. "This was done by one of my family... Blood Hunter. What did he do...?" Setting down the glow rock, Sean raised his other hand to hold it over a second handprint. However, the second handprint looked like it had been smeared, like someone had tried to erase it. Leaning closer, he tried to read it and eventually read aloud. "Don't trust the Eldritch Blood?" Glancing at Illinois, he asked him curiously. "What do you think that means? It can't mean that they have...?" Illinois' eyes went from the wall to Sean, shrugging out uneasily. "I don't know. The only Eldritch Horror that I can think of even being here is the one possessing Mark... but even then. I doubt he'd give up blood to people." Sean took a moment to think and mumbled out to himself. "Unless..." Sean locked eyes with Illinois about to tell him how an Eldritch Horror could be in Wonderland, but he didn't get the chance.

Something struck the boat, knocking it away from the wall. Sean nearly fell in the water but managed to fall onto all fours in the boat. Illinois tried to paddle them away, when thin black tendrils curled up around it from the murky water. Afraid to touch it, Illinois released the paddle with a yelp, allowing it to take the paddle under. Sean lifted the glowing rock, watching a ripple circle the boat, causing the boat to start slowly spinning. Illinois removed his knife from his boot, whispering out. "Stay away from the sides." Sean huffed, shakily whispering back. "Sure thing..." A thick slimy tendril started to curl up over the side and Sean held his breathe. He could see the bright green veins on the thick black tendril and as it slid over the side, the veins rose off the slimy flesh like heat sensors. Sean leaned away as three green veins stretched out in his direction, coming inches from his neck and face. Illinois leaned away from the veins seeking out his side, while the large tendril slithered across the floor of the boat. Sean lifted his hand to avoid touching the large tendril, only to have one of the veins touch his cheek. The vein jerked back in shock, causing all the veins and the tendril to go still.

Sean slowly started to inch back up, his heart beating so fast that he thought he might pass out. He wondered if this creature would be like the one in his nightmare. Just the thought of the veins piercing his skin gave him goosebumps and made him sick to his stomach. Illinois raised his knife, leaning closer as he got ready to stab the large tendril. Just as he jerked forward to stab the tendril, the tendril jerked away toward Sean. It tried to grab him but since he had moved, it missed. The tendril thought fast, straightening out to sweep across Sean's side of the boat. Sean yelped as the tendril slammed into his arms and quickly wrapped around them. Illinois rushed forward to slash the tendril, but the cut only made it yank Sean off the boat and into the water! Barely getting a breath, Sean struggled as the tendril curled around him to keep him from getting away. The tendril constricted on him like a snake, squeezing the air from his lungs as his bones felt the pressure of the creature's increasing strength. Trying to stay calm and save his breath, Sean's eyes widened when he saw a bright green glow within the dark water. The bright light slithered through the water and then stopped before him.

Sean couldn't believe what he was looking at. It was a massive black eyeball with a bright neon green cat like iris that stared at him like prey. The green veins along the large black eyeball sprang off to point at him like thin needles. The eyeball drew closer, causing the water to vibrate like the eyeball was growling with agitation. Unable to do anything except stare into the eye, Sean suddenly heard a strange inhuman voice tell him inside his mind. "Hungry. Feed me... and I'll share the secrets of the universe. I'll help you transcend your pathetic fragile form. Power and knowledge shall be yours. Immortality and divinity shall be yours, Empyrean." It scared Sean with how tempted he was to except it. It sounded like such a small price to pay for everything humans strived for. He felt like he was almost in a trace when he started to nod, but before the eyeball could rejoice in his victory... a large green tendril slammed into the side of the large black eyeball. The black tendril lost his grip on Sean, when a bright green eyeball with bright blue veins headbutted the black one over and over. The long black tendril lashed out to wrap around the green one's tendril, the bright green veins surging out to pierce the green eyeball.

The green eyeball jerked in pain, then let its own blue veins spring off to stab the black one. The two twisting and thrashing like entangled snakes, sinking deeper into the water as they fought. Sean tried to swim for the surface, but it was impossible to tell in the dark water how close he was, or even if he was going in the right direction. He searched for bubbles but without a light, he just couldn't tell, and his loss of air was making him start to panic. The more he freaked out, the more air he lost until he started to feel his body give up. That's when he felt arms wrap around him and rush him toward the surface. Bursting out from the water, Sean felt his body start to go limp. He felt so numb and tired. Illinois managed to get him in the boat and hopped in using the rocky wall. Laying him on his side, Illinois leaned over him to give him mouth to mouth. Sean's hand jerked up to hit his arm, before tossing up water across the floor of the boat. Illinois stroked his head and rubbed his chest, cooing over his ear. "Oh, thank goodness..." Illinois coughed and spit water of his own but held Sean for a bit. Sean enjoyed the close comfort, before straining out. "There's two... I think... They might be..." Illinois let him catch his breath by finishing for him. "Eldritch Horrors? Ya. I got that impression too."

Sitting up a little, Illinois coughed out. "You said you saw them in your nightmare?" Sean lifted a hand to gesture with one finger as he corrected him in a wispy voice. "Just one... The other... I didn't." Illinois put his hands on the wall, steadily pushing the boat forward as he said gruffly. "Then where did the other come from? And why did it charge in here like a bat out of hell for the other one?" Sean smirked, trying to lighten the mood by half-joking out. "Maybe they both wanted to eat me?" Illinois scoffed, muttering out without humor. "Ha. Ha. Very funny. That doesn't explain where the other one came from." Sean shrugged, answering reluctantly. "Well, I mean... There were a lot of mini ones in my nightmare. But only one big one. Maybe they grow up fast?" Illinois kept the boat moving, when the eyeballs broke up from the surface and splashed around, sending waves and water flying everywhere. Getting up, Sean helped Illinois keep the boat steady and helped keep the boat moving along the lake. Together, they managed to get the boat across the lake. Climbing out of the boat and onto the top of a set of stairs that were partly submerged, Sean helped Illinois out.

Standing up and taking a breather, Illinois panted out softly. "If it is an Eldritch Horror... What does it want? Why would Mark release it here?" Sean took a deep breath, telling him openly. "I know it is hungry... and what it wants to give in exchange for it. But... I don't think the King of Hearts released it here. I think someone else did." Illinois coaxed Sean away from the lake edge and snatched up the glowing rock. Upon leading the way down an enclosed spiraling staircase tunnel of stone, Mark asked him curiously. "Then who would? Anti?" Sean shook his hand, holding Illinois' hand as he told him. "I think Blood Hunter did... What that creature said... I think Blood Hunter made a deal with it. I think he might be using the creature's blood and kept it here because no one would mess with it and those that would come here on foot hoping to sneak in-" Illinois cut him off to finish for him grimly. "Would end up being fed to it. But why did it offer you a deal? Why didn't it just eat you?" Sean was about to say that he didn't know but stopped himself to say instead. "It called me something. It called me an... Empyrean? Is that like an Oyster?" Illinois shrugged, mumbling out. "I don't know. My knowledge of Eldritch Horrors and Outer Gods is... lacking. Most that pursue that field go mad... or vanish."

Sean frowned, but Illinois casually added with a smirk. "However... We may be able to find out." Venturing down through the deep dark tunnels, they finally came to the exit that laid at the very bottom of the canyon. Crossing a stone bridge that arched over the massive river, Sean stood in awe of the large life size Trico statues that sat at the ends of the bridge. Their eyes and horns lighting up as they approached. Crossing over and into the stone city that rested beyond, Illinois asked for directions in a language that Sean only vaguely recalled pieces of. Pulling him into a large building, Illinois waved to an old woman behind the large front desk, before leading Sean deeper inside. Sean's jaw dropped when he saw the sheer size of the five-story library. The bookshelves acted as long pillars that held up the floors above them and were filled with more books than he'd ever seen in his lifetime. Walking down the center, Illinois read the labels on the shelves that were in many different languages, before he stopped to ask a humanoid looking dragon with gold glasses for directions in one of the isles. The pink dragon lowered her book and ruffled her leathery white wings against her long blue robes before pointing with a taloned finger of clear white.

Illinois thanked her in another language, starting to walk away. While Sean stood by her, saying completely startled. "You're a...? I can't... You're so cool!" The dragon didn't appear to understand him but gave him a friendly smile that showed off sparkling white teeth. Her long tail curled around her sandaled reptilian feet, and he started to ask her some questions, but Illinois grabbed his arm and pulled him along. The dragon woman giggled quietly, lifting her book to read on about jewelry making. While Sean stated to Illinois excitedly. "What are you doing? I wanna talk to her! She's a dragon! That has to be the coolest thing I've ever seen! I have so many questions!" Illinois rolled his eyes, shoving Sean into a little caged elevator as he told him in return. "We don't have time. I want to look up something before we go." Sean pouted a little, mumbling out. "You could go look it up and I could have talked to her. I don't like reading..." Illinois chuckled softly, informing him nicely. "I highly doubt she speaks english. She looked like a student." Sean blinked, gasping out in horror. "Oh no! There are schools in Wonderland? What kind of dreamland is this?!"

Illinois smirked, whispering to him. "Some people dream of schools. The perfect kind of schools. Ones you want to go too." Sean relaxed, mumbling out. "Oh... Maybe I'll look into one or two." The elevator stopped, prompting Illinois to state a bit grimly. "Are you saying that you'd stay just to go to a decent school? No other reason..." Illinois briskly walked out, causing Sean to wince in guilt. He hadn't meant it to come out like that. Following behind Illinois, Sean tried to keep his voice down as they passed people reading and studying. "Don't be like that. Please understand. I'm... I don't belong there. Ever sense we came here... we've been messing with things and... Well, look at what has happened. I'm afraid that if we stay... We may ruin Wonderland altogether. I don't want that to happen. I love you. I don't want you to lose your home." Illinois stopped at the end of the hall before a large wooden door, whispering back firmly. "Don't you get it? My home is where YOU are. I wait for you all the time with nothing more than a simple promise that I'll see you again. But now... you're asking me to let you go. To stop waiting because you want me to be happy... but I'm only happy with YOU. Wonderland isn't my home. It's where I was made."

Turning away from him, Illinois exhaled out as he opened the door into another room. "Maybe instead of doing what you think will make me happy... You just ask me." Sean stepped inside the dark dusty room with him, taking his arm to stop him as he told him in a loving voice. "Illinois, I want nothing more than to stay with you. I do! But I'm trying to be-" Sean stopped talking as a deep bold voice asked from above them. "Can I help you find something? Or am I to be forced to listen to your lovers quell?" Slowly turning his eyes upward, he saw a large creature laying on a plush window seat set up near the next floor. However, the spiral staircase nor the small upper floor extended to the window. Instead, the large creature stretched out to hop gracefully onto the railing of the second floor, before slowly making its way down. Illinois stepped in front of Sean as the creature shook its large brown eagle wings. Its golden lion body soundlessly making its way down the steps, while its large beautiful male face looked on at them with glinting blue feline eyes. The sphinx's long black fluffy mane of human hair was braided with golden beads and his body was decorated in golden bracelets and necklaces.

Sitting before the last step, the Sphinx flicked its long lion tail, purring out calmly. "As much as I love a good drama. I was hoping to get a nap in while the sun is high. So? Is there a reason you've come to the books of old?" Mark glanced at Sean, before nicely asking him. "I wanted to find something on the Eldritch Horrors. I know there are a few books about them. Do you have any here?" The Sphinx yawned in a light rumbling roar, before gesturing with a paw and politely regaling. "This way. I keep those in the section that predates Wonderland. You're the first people other than Blood Hunter to have inquired about the subject. Not a very popular one, I'm afraid." To Be Continued...