Chapter 4: The Forgotten Riddle of the Dreamfire Cat

The floaty platform from the honey room went up slowly, making a rumbling sound, until it stopped with a quiet sigh. Zsolista and her friends stepped onto the next floor. Their boots brushed over glowing letters on the dark stone. A thin mist swirled around them.

The air here felt different. Not just heavy, but like it was watching them. It breathed with them.

The walls shimmered like a bubble with stars inside! Colors twisted in strange ways. Underneath, old pictures were carved into the stone, some filled with sparkly dust, others glowing softly. The air smelled like campfire and old perfume. Everything here felt like a place for sleeping and forgetting. This was a room for forgotten riddles. Everything felt dreamy.

In the middle of the room floated a cat made of fire! But it wasn't hot fire. It burned with cool moonlight, and its flames didn't make any noise. They whispered.

Zsolista raised an eyebrow and stepped forward quietly.

"Fiery guardian," she said softly, "are you going to give us a riddle or fight us?"

"No fight," said the fire-cat in a voice like smoke. "Only a question, from dreams we forgot long ago."

It landed softly and walked slowly around them. Its body was made of silver-blue flames with old letters flickering in them. Each step left a sparkly mark that disappeared quickly. Its eyes looked like tiny galaxies. Its long tail danced behind it, leaving loops of heat that turned into floating, glowing letters that pulsed with the room's slow breath.

"Answer my riddle," it purred. "Then you can go. If you don't, something bad will happen."

Boka got excited. "We love riddles! Especially yummy ones! Boka-Boka!"

Baby turned into a shiny black sword with sparkly letters on it. Boka became a cozy, crackling campfire. Zsolista sat down between them, pulling out snacks.

She fed fire-toasted bee jerky to the flames and used Baby's sword to cut honey-slime into little squares.

The fire-cat walked in a circle and then said:

"What has lots of leaves but grows near water? What tastes sour, even though it's wet? What do you stir when you say its name? What yummy food did your grandparents like?"

Zsolista leaned back, chewing. "Something you stir… and it's wet… and you eat it when you need comfort. Maybe a cozy food?"

"Soup?" Boka guessed. "Sweet stew? Something green? Boka-Boka!"

"Something sour," whispered Baby. "Sour and soft, with leaves floating in it. It's-a-Baby!"

Zsolista held up her hand. "Fiery guardian, can I ask you something?"

"I answer everything but the answer," the creature replied.

Zsolista smiled and sat more comfortably by Boka's warm fire. With Baby as a shiny sword in her lap and the fire-cat watching quietly, she took a deep breath.

"Tell me," she whispered, tracing the letters on Baby's sword, "do you dream, guardian of flame?"

The cat blinked slowly, and the room seemed to sigh. It didn't answer, but in that blink, it felt like it understood. Its silence hummed with a secret knowing.

Then Zsolista closed her eyes.

Her breathing slowed.

Everything was quiet.

And the room began to bend.

She floated into a dream – not her own. She saw sunny kitchens with yummy smells and families laughing around tables. She saw soft mats for sleeping and steam rising from pots. She smelled tasty herbs and spices. She heard quiet songs that felt like hugs.

She tasted something sour and felt a warm feeling of belonging. She heard a grandma's lullaby, even though she had never met her.

Then, gently, she opened her eyes.

"Sinigang," she said clearly.

The room shimmered.

The fire-cat laughed softly, like thunder in a soft blanket.

"Well done, traveler," it said. "You are very wise – and your recipes sound good."

Boka jumped up. "I love sine-soup time! Boka-Boka!"

Baby glowed. "Steamy and sour, just like home! It's-a-Baby!"

The fire-cat turned into embers that floated up to make a platform. The ground under them glowed.

The platform rose quietly, like it didn't want to leave the quiet room. It was made of shiny glass and smoky crystals. It moved up with soft light. Tiny embers from the fire-cat floated around them like fireflies saying goodbye. As they went up, the room below got darker, and the warm smell faded away.

Zsolista looked down, putting her hand over her heart. "Goodbye, guardian of riddles. May your flames always glow."

The spiral carried them higher.

Dreams faded.

New challenges waited.

And the Tower watched silently.

                                         Jump to the Next Part:

 

1) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 1

2) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the FLower of Eternal Compassion pt 2

3) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 3

4) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 4

5) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 5

6) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 6

7) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 7

8) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 8

9) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 9

10) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 10

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This one felt short but its late and I didnt want to miss on writing. When I told this story to AZS it was pretty short as well and we had to go directly to floor 4 where we fight the demon dogs but I can save that for tomorrow lol. That one is definitely going to be longer just because I want to practice attacks and descriptions. This one felt like a good exercise in talking, I know most people dont write dialogue like this but  it feels better than the said framework.