They followed the Sphinx to another door, where it put a paw on the lever handle to open it. Inside was a smaller study room that had a single desk and walls lined with dusty scrolls and old warped looking leather books. Slipping inside, the Sphinx proudly told him. "This is where Wonderland's oldest books and history accounts are stored. Whatever you are looking for will be here. Any specifics or are you looking for a generalization on Eldritch Horrors?" Sean tied his long hair up better, answering nicely. "Anything about them really. Although... What was Blood Hunter reading about them?" The Sphinx flashed him a sharp toothy grin, before turning to face a shelf upon replying. "That narrows it down a bit. I'd start with these for general knowledge on them." The Sphinx very gently pawed a few books out with a furry toe one at a time. Catching them on his padded paw to set them on a little flat cart. Then rising onto his hind legs, he began pulling out a few books from a higher shelf as he added. "Then I'd dive into these. Blood Hunter took lots of notes from these ones. I remember because his journal smelled of rat skin and it always made me hungry."

With the books and scrolls separated on the cart, the Sphinx put a paw on the handle and slowly pushed the cart up beside the desk as he purred out happily. "I always did my best rat hunting around the library after his visits. Although... I did scare a Rat-folk student by accident while he was studying... I still feel bad about that." Illinois dropped into the seat behind the desk to immediately start reading. Leaving Sean to ask the Sphinx curiously. "You hunt rats in the library?" The Sphinx sat down, his long tail swaying like a calm cat as he regaled proudly. "Of course. I protect the books from all rodents that desire to nipple at their pages. On occasion I even dust a spider web of two. Plus, with my memory I am easily able to catalogue every book. So that if one gets damaged, I can recount every word to have a new one made in its place." Sean gawked at him, telling him in a fascinated tone. "Wow. You know every word to every book here? How do you not get bored?" The Sphinx shrugged, teasing out. "I nap mostly." Sean chuckled, causing the Sphinx to smile. Illinois slowly flipped the pages of the book, lost deep in his reading. Sean stood around awkwardly for a bit. He tried to read some of the covers but a lot of them were in languages that he couldn't. Although, once or twice he found he could read a word or two.

Touching a row of books, Sean uttered out. "So many languages of the same book. No wonder this library is so big." The Sphinx moved to walk with him, telling him passionately. "Yes. Wonderland is full of languages from all over the different worlds. Everything dreams. So, every language is here. Wonderland adapts to the dreamer." Stopping in place, Sean asked a little perplexed. "What do you mean?" The Sphinx took a seat again, purring out to him. "You think I speak english. So, I do. To another Oyster, I speak something entirely different. Wonderland adapts to what makes your dreams inviting or inspiring." Sean pointed to the door, blurting out. "But Illinois said that a student here may not speak english. If it adapts, wouldn't I be able to understand her?" The Sphinx shrugged, telling him openly. "Depends. Do you enjoy listening to other languages? Puzzling out what they are saying? Do you know other languages? Or have you heard others speak them? You don't always have control over what Wonderland does. Sometimes Wonderland surprises you. It's how it keeps dreams interesting." Sean nodded, then tensed when he said very softly. "Wait... You know that I'm a..." Sean drifted off, too afraid that someone might overhear.

The Sphinx tipped his head to him, purring out. "I know who you are, Highness. But you don't have to worry. I am the best secret keeper. Are you here because of Anti and the other nightmares?" Sean wasn't sure that he should answer that, but he found himself nodding. The Sphinx's expression saddened a bit before he asked him. "Can I ask you something?" Sean shrugged, gesturing for him to continue nicely. The Sphinx licked his lips, then asked him in a low bellowing voice. "Do you think Wonderland is better or worse with nightmares?" Sean blinked, blurting out. "Well... They could hurt people. Wonderland never had them before and having them now... isn't it awful?" The Sphinx inhaled deeply, adjusting his paws to sit more regally when he answered poetically. "There is a problem in Wonderland... but I don't think it's the nightmares. Nightmares are dreams. Scary as they might be. They too inspire and... give a different perception to things." Sean stayed quiet, unsure how to respond, which allowed the Sphinx to continue. "Nightmares have as much power as you allow them to have over you. They are filled with fear. Fears of not being good enough. Fears of not being strong enough. They fear they aren't loved."

The Sphinx chuckled a little, blushing a bit when he told him a bit clearer. "I know it's not my place. But I don't believe the nightmares to be as bad as people think. They are troublemakers and they do get a bit... self-destructive. However... a little fear can be a good thing. The fear of losing something helps us cherish the thing while we have it. Or can help us overcome it." The Sphinx put a paw on Sean's shoulder, looking him in the eyes when he told him. "You have nothing to fear but fear itself. To face your fear. You only need to believe that you can face it down." Sean lightly felt the Sphinx's thick claws hidden in his heavy paw, before the Sphinx removed it nicely and said to him as he finished. "Don't go to the Clover castle. Don't corner, Anti. Please?" Sean put a hand on the Sphinx's shoulder now, whispering to him. "I have to. I need what he has. He has a friend of mine and I have to talk to him." The Sphinx exhaled heavily, leaning closer to whisper into Sean's ear. "Highness, trust me on this. Take the ring and go to the Heart's Casino. He'll be waiting for you there. If you go to him now... He will fight you and you won't get anything that you want from him."

Straightening up, Sean asked curiously. "How do you know that?" The Sphinx leaned back to reveal his glowing blue eyes briefly, before blinking them away. Giving him a confident smile after, the Sphinx purred out. "I'm psychic. And while I try not to tamper with the future... I see what you are trying to do. If you plan to save Wonderland from Dormin. You'll need Anti and right now... He's anxiously waiting to fight you. So... take the wind from his wings and leave. You have his attention and that is more than enough." Sean shuffled his feet, mumbling out nervously. "I don't know... a lot is riding on this. If I leave and it doesn't work..." The Sphinx winked, confidently stating as he lifted his chin. "Oh, it will. I'm never wrong." Sean opened his mouth to ask more questions about it, when Illinois pipped up from the desk. "Found it. Sean, come here." Sean calmly made his way over, while Illinois read aloud for him. "It says here, that the Great Ones, otherwise known as Eldritch Horrors, need an Empyrean host. A special vessel that can hold the power of a Great One. These vessels were chosen by the Great One at the time of their birth, barring a mark upon their skin. The mark of 'Old Blood.' Believed to be a tattoo inked in Eldritch blood."

Illinois started to read more but stopped when the Sphinx continued without even glancing at the book. "Many believe you can make yourself a vessel by devouring three Eldritch umbilical cords. However, this method has only proven to cause madness. Resulting in the Eldritch cults surrounding the worship of Great Ones to turn on their own, or on themselves to suicidal ends. It's said that the cult leaders believed that by becoming a vessel for a Great One, you ascended human form to become a powerful and physical Great One that can cross plains of both time and space. These however are just rumors. Since no Eldritch Horror remains in physical form. Having been all wiped out in the first age of Wonderland. Where the heart of a powerful Great One was sealed into the Ring of Wonderland." Sean's jaw dropped as he looked at the picture of the ring in the book. Upon looking up at the Sphinx, the Sphinx lightly told him. "All that remains of the last Great One in Wonderland, lays in sixteen pieces of the Colossi. Vessels to hold the shredded soul and power of Dormin. There are rumors a seventeenth part of his soul escaped to the realms behind, but nothing was ever confirmed. Since nothing could bridge the worlds between."

Sean shook his head, mumbling out to himself. "Until Mark, Nathan, and I forged the Looking Glass and Vorpal swords from the falling stars that brought the Great Ones here in the first place... Fuck." The Sphinx nodded but added a little too calmly. "I'll have to talk to the curator about amending the book. For the entry is wrong now." Illinois perked his head up from reading to ask a little startled. "What? In what way?" The Sphinx pointed with a long sharp clear claw at the book, informing them coolly. "It says Dormin is the only Eldritch Horror here. According to my vision. That is wrong. The Ring of Wonderland belongs to the most powerful Eldritch Horror. While the body was destroyed ages ago... Its heart remains. And now so too... does its eyes." Straightening up, Sean looked to Illinois and whispered out. "The eyes in the cave? But how can that be? They attacked each other..." Illinois gestured to the Sphinx in the hopes of getting an answer. The Sphinx tapped its tail casually on the floor, replying swiftly. "The Eldritch Horror had many eyes... but two very special ones. One large one on its forehead and one on the end of its tail. It's unclear what they were used for. But both are very powerful."

Illinois flipped through a few pages of the book, chiming in curiously. "I didn't see anything in here about that. Who killed it?" The sphinx shrugged, honestly admitting. "I don't know. It was before my time. You'd have to ask Time. He would be the only one old enough to know. I can only tell you what the books and the future holds." Illinois closed the book, then asked the Sphinx uneasily. "Ok. Well, to save us some time. Can you just tell us what the Blood Hunter was doing here with these?" The Sphinx moved closer to the desk to keep his voice at a nice low level when he said slightly agitated. "He's mostly been trying to hunt down Eldritch Umbilical Cords. Ugly things. Had eyes all over it. He managed to get two but was frustrated that he couldn't find a third. So, he started researching about Eldritch Blood and the injecting of it into himself. I thought the idea was barbaric... but didn't see how he could pull it off. Until one day, Darkiplier shows up with a present for him. Then he just stopped coming here. I heard a few people talking about him spending time in the caves recently. People going missing. I don't know what he's doing anymore... He's blocked from my gaze by... a dark cloud that I can't identify. I fear for him."

Illinois looked to Sean, exhaling out. "We should go up to the Clover Castle. We need to do this before it gets too late. But at least now we know what we're going up against..." Sean locked eyes with the Sphinx, telling Illinois uneasily. "Actually... I think we need to go to the Heart's Casino." Illinois straightened up with a blank look, stating out dryly. "Excuse me? Why? We are so close! We need the..." Illinois drifted off to keep from saying it, giving Sean time to slip in. "I know. I'm sorry. But... I think the Sphinx has a point. Anti is expecting a fight. He's probably putting up all kinds of defenses. I just... I think the most Wonderland thing to do would be to leave him and make him wonder why." Illinois looked away as he pondered that. The Sphinx checked the little clock on the wall above the door, informing them stoically. "If you hurry. You can reach the Clover City and use the Ring to portal to the Heart's casino before the Red King's party starts." Sean glanced at the clock, blurting out. "The party? Yanderplier! Oh, shit! I forgot!" Illinois scrambled around the desk, taking his arm as he said gruffly. "I hope you are right about this... Because going there unarmed seems reckless!"

Sean stumbled as Illinois yanked him out of the room. The Sphinx followed them through the library to the large front doors, telling them in a rush. "You can take the stairs up the mountain to the Clover City. Look for a large dead apple tree in the first courtyard by the cemetery. If you go to the one before the cathedral, you'll regret it! Just follow the signs!" People shushed them and told them not to run, but they ignored them. Rushing out into the street, they followed the road to the staircase built into the cliffside. As much as Sean didn't want to go into more caves, this one was much more active. Lots of people were walking up the winding staircase and back down it. Squeezing past people, they rushed up as quickly as they could. By the time they reached the top, Sean's legs were burning, and he was gasping for air. Illinois panted himself, then let out a whistle as he took in the large gothic city that laid before them. Farther ahead on top of a nice overlook was a massive stone castle that was shrouded in mist. As they walked into the large iron city gates, they saw people rushing to get home and covering their faces with masks or scarves.

Sean cleared his throat as the smell hit him. Why did everything smell like damp moss and smoke. Coughing, Sean told Illinois weakly. "We should find the place fast before this air messes with my Asthma." Illinois removed his bandana from his pocket, handing it over to him. Taking it, Sean covered his nose to try blocking out the smell as he thanked him. Taking his hand, Illinois slowly made his way through the condensed and bleak looking city. Compared to the city below, this one looked dark and dismal. He couldn't recall it ever looking like this before. It was almost more frightening than the Vampires little farm villages. The roads winded and looped back on themselves so much that before long, Sean felt like they were lost. Walking out into a courtyard, Illinois exhaled out in relief. "There! A tree. Use that and let's get out of here. Crazy, Sphinx. There were no damn signs leading anywhere... They've all been painted over in black paint!" Sean gawked at Illinois, blurting out. "And you're telling me this now?!" Illinois huffed, gesturing around at the dark empty streets with lingers mist, upon retorting. "Well, it's not like I could ask someone for directions. So, I went on gut instinct. Now whip out the ring and lets get the fuck out of this place before Anti-"

Sean raised a hand to cut Illinois off as he saw a dark figure walking slowly through the mist from the large dark cathedral behind the dead tree. As the figure parted the mist and stopped before the tree, Sean took in the large blade that the man flicked out to be longer. The blade was dripping with fresh blood. While in his other hand, the man cocked back the hammer on a smoking blunderbuss. Slowly lifting his head to lock eyes with him under a sleek leather pointed hat, the man spoke aloud through a black bandana over his mouth. "We finally meet, Oyster. Too bad you'll be parting so soon." To Be Continued...