They climbed without issue. Their spirit bodies were swift and adaptable.
In the first cave they found seven rings with different runic symbols engraved on them. The runes were something neither of them had ever seen. Which meant that they were probably from a dimension they had never been to before. Excitement welled up in Anabel's belly.
She put on ring with a pink stone set in rose gold and etched in thin swirling runes. The ring shrank down to fit her finger and suddenly information filled her mind. Her eyes opened in wonder.
The same happened for Allistar with a thick ring of black metal and a large diamond set off center. Gold runes were etched on the inside and outside of the black band.
She chose the rose gold ring, a platinum ring with seven blue sapphires channel set in the band, a thin braided band of black gold and silver, and a thick silver band with runes etched inside and out.
He chose the thick black ring, a thick gold band with a dark red stone, and a braided silver band with purple and green stones set within the braiding.
In the second cave there were three pools. One of golden liquid, one of purple liquid, and one of silver liquid. The walls were etched in an the ancient Aspel language of Planar and they radiated power. Anabel greedily collected water. She knew the golden water of time and the purple soul water. She would need to ask Marela about the silver liquid.
In the third cave they easily collected ten containers of ebon water from the falls. The cave had murals etched on every inch of its surface. And they found three large orbs. They set on unique pedestals atop tall pillars in the center of the cave.
When they were touched a thick smoke began to churn inside, threatening to reveal some distant unknown knowledge. There was an opalescent orb, an ebony orb, and a multifaceted yellow orb.
The opalescent orb sat on a pedestal of ebony wood in the shape of a hand opened upwards with the orb grasped by its fingertips.
The ebony orb set on a pedestal of the purest white alabaster. It looked like a white withered tree with the orb sitting on the tips of gnarled branches.
The yellow orb sat on a pedestal made of translucent amber. The top of it swirled into a shallow basket that held the yellow orb.
The fourth cave had a small Grove of seven trees. Fruit hung heavy from their branches with some lying rotting on the ground. They picked fruit from each tree. Some ripe and some young. There were star shaped fruit, fruit as large as watermelons but light as pomegranates, fruit shaped like bananas but red in color. One tree had purple fruit with soft pink curls sprouting from their tops. The other three trees had fruits the shape of pears and apples in green, red, and vibrant blue.
The fifth cave held books. The cave was vast and had an endless number of shelved books and boxed scrolls. Anabel was looking at all of them trying to figure out how she could possibly read them all when she touched a shelf and information quickly streamed into her mind. She jerked her hand away quickly, startled, and looked at Allistar with wide eyes. He approached a box of scrolls, his eyes never leaving hers, and touched it. His body stiffened and she could see a silver stream enter his body, swirl around his soul and gently rest in his head. They stayed in this cave for a full day more out of awe than exhaustion.
In the sixth cave they found three cloaks that billowed in unfelt winds. One cloak shimmered silver and hovered over the ground of its own accord. When Allistar approached it the cloak seemed to shiver with excitement. Allistar put it on and disappeared from view. When he spoke his voice was huskier and ethereal. "I can see the flow of magic in everything. Is this how you see things everyday My Love?"
"You are invisible as well."
"Invisible?" There was a short gasp but she could still hear excitement and wonder within it.
"The way magic is swirling around you I suspect that your abilities will be enhanced while wearing it as well." She paused in thought. "Try willing yourself visible. This may be a passive ability that you can easily will to stop." Before she finished speaking he reappeared but the cloak had melted into him.
"Hmm. Can you will it to appear?"
"Yes." The cloak shimmered into view, lingered a moment, and disappeared again.
Anabel nodded.
The second cloak shimmered iridescent greens and pinks and it seemed to be made of millions of tiny scales. It was hung on a staff seemingly growing from the ground.
Anabel did not know if she was more fascinated by the staff or the cloak. She instantly knew it was a focusing Staff of power and she knew that Marela needed one. They always needed Anabel's help, or the help of enchanted items to focus the power of their rituals and spells and they easily burned through the items with one use.
The cloak itself rose up and entered Anabel's dimensional storage that held the rings she had chosen. She was a bit startled at first but brushed it off.
"Why didn't you take the staff with you? Did you think I would take it and leave you behind?"
As she spoke she felt an affirmative flutter through her soul and the staff also disappeared, but into a different dimensional storage.
'Hmmm. It doesn't want to be with it. Interesting.'
The final cloak was black and seemingly oil, but when she touched it the fabric was silky and luxuriously smooth to her fingers. When Allistar approached the cloak trembled and moved from its resting spot away from Allistar.
'I apologize Lich but my spirit still dwells here and unlike my friend I am not interested in servitude." It moved to Anabel. "But you Spirit Warlock, you seem like a person I would like to accompany. I can protect you and yours and you need not wear me for me to do so. I just need to be near.'
The voice resonated like warm water over their souls and every fiber of their beings resonated with it.
"Okay friend. Walk with me and we will see what life can bring us."
The final cave was empty, or at least they thought it was. There was a delicate porcelain dish filled with ebon water and drops of it spilled over the edge and flowed down its tall, broad pedestal, into a fine crack in the cave floor.
'You interest me Spirit Warlock.' A figure appeared next to the rocky pedestal. It looked to Allistar. 'Why do you love such a creature? I sense its previous nature but much has changed within it.'
She smiled. "Is that what interests you?"
The spirit being turned to her and returned her smile. It was a blindingly brilliant thing and she squinted her eyes to protect her sight, but she didn't look away.
The being looked down at the ebon water in the porcelain dish and its smile faded.
'I would like to walk with you too. It has been eons since I have seen the dimension of eternal darkness.' He looked up at her. 'I think you and your children would do well there.'
He placed his hand palm side down above the dish and a bluish-black eight sided star rose from the liquid and hovered just below his hand.You can use this as you wish.
"Amethyst carry this soul star for me please."
Amethyst appeared on her shoulder. The purple-grey fox focused intently on the blue black star. She levitated upwards, assumed a human form, and stood in front of Anabel.
"Yes Spirit Warlock."
Anabel could hear the twinkle in her eye and she smiled. She looked to the spirit being as the star moved to Amethyst and entered her body. Amethyst's form began phasing in and out as if she was having trouble teleporting.
Anabel raised her hand up and down quickly once and spirit energy flowed forward and into Amethyst, strengthening her and solidifying her spirit body. Anabel could see the blue black star moving into the position of Amethyst's heart. As soon as it was there it began circulating spirit energy throughout Amethyst's body.
Allistar had moved closer to them and had taken up a defensive position as if he was worried somethingwas about to happen.
Anabel looked up to the spirit being and nodded respectfully. "Thank you."
He returned the smile 'Why thank me? I am family now. When my brother is healed I will bring him here for his portion. So do you grant me permission to walk with you? With Amethyst as she is now she no loner needs to dominate your soul. You have room for one more and once I enter I will expand your soul so that you can acquire more.'
She looked at him appraisingly. Intellectually she felt used but her instincts did not detect danger. She looked at Allistar. The lake blue eyes of his spirit body shimmered. After a moment he looked to her.
"I sense now malice or deceit."
"Neither do I. Amethyst?"
"All I can sense from him is Jolan Spirit Warlock."
Anabel was not startled because she sensed it too.
She nodded to the spirit being. "It would be my honor to walk with you. Come with me. What shall I call you?"
She felt it's smile radiate throughout her soul body. He began to split down the middle and within seconds two exact copies of him stood before them.
He walked to Anabel. 'If you must have something to call me call me Lost Within Time.'
Anabel's eyes shut tight. Her son was a time wizard. His last major experiment had his soul split into 100 pieces and his soul body on the verge of collapse.
She knew that the ebon water was something that existed outside both time and known dimensional space. It was a spirit medicine that could help to draw pieces of spirit together and strengthen and solidify spirit bodies.
Lost Within Time stepped into Anabel and for a few seconds his form was superimposed over hers. He was two heads taller than her, his shoulders broader, and his arms longer and thicker. Once his form had dissipated Allistar and Anabel awoke.