It is said that a Whisperer draws their power from their connection with the world in which they live. Their desire for life is far greater than that of the average elf or lower species. Often, Whisperers are outgoing or great leaders amongst their peers. Whisperers have a certain instinctual understanding of themselves and those around them. It is something that cannot be taught, no matter how hard one tries to teach it.
Becoming a Whisperer is discovered within the elf's soul. The metamorphosis happens when an elf desperately tries to become something far greater than they currently are. Whisperers are called Whisperers because they no longer require a wand or words to cast spells. A great convenience, if I say so myself. It is said that a Whisperer's imagination is so vivid that they are transporting the images in their mind directly into reality.
A portion of Whisperer Darkbeyond's journal
Recovered from the Cindered Archives by Whisperer Kindread.
--------------------------------------
Gwyn awoke to an odd smell reminiscent of a freshly bathed dog. There was no panting or any other telltale signs of an animal, however. She stretched and sleepily reached for her glasses on the nightstand when her hand met flesh.
"Jesus Christ!"
She pushed herself against the bed's mantle, trying to get as far from the figure as possible.
"Why am I in your room?"
The creaky old voice said.
"Why are you in my room?!"
A soft grumble escaped his mouth like the last remnants of his dying neurons were being fired.
"I've forgotten."
Gwyn fumbled with her glasses until they were correctly on her face. An old man was hunched over her bed. He seemed to be fighting for air.
"Who are you, old man? What are you doing in my room? I-I-I'll call for help."
Why is he standing like that?
"Old man?" The figure scoffed so hard that they started to hack and cough all over Gwyn. "I'll have you know I am in peak physical condition."
Gwyn cleaned the spit from her glasses. Something was oddly familiar about him. His muscles were atrophied, and his limbs appeared more cosmetic than practical.
"Head Whisperer? Is that you?"
"Somedays, yes. Other days." He fiddled with the loose skin around his neck. "I'm not really sure."
"Wha-what happened to you?"
He looks like a completely different person. What happened to the imposing figure from before?
"Whatever could you mean?! I'm as I've always been."
Gwyn eyed him up and down. He most certainly was not.
"Right. I'm assuming there is a reason you've come to my room and are hanging over my bed like a total creep."
The sun hadn't risen yet. The sky was still a vacant, starry mess of splattered paint. In the distance, the Red Death massacred the sky, leaving it a corpse—a constant reminder of its presence.
"Let me look around."
He shook his body as though he were in an earthquake. He made his way over to a dresser and opened all the drawers.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm sure I left a clue somewhere." He opened the closet and pulled out a burlap bag. "Ah-ha!"
"What is it?"
Gwyn leaned forward to catch a glimpse of—
He held a loaf of moldy bread as though it was a victory trophy.
"Breakfast!"
"What the…?"
Even in a world with magic, bread can still mold?
The Head Whisperer took a bite out of the moldy bread. He laboriously chewed it. He then held the loaf out to Gwyn. He spoke with muffled words.
"Want some?"
"Uhhhh. It's all yours."
"You know?" He swallowed. "I asked some scribes to bring you some food. I'm glad they put it in a place that was safe where the bread could develop a special flavor!"
Gwyn had to stop herself from gagging. The Head Whisperer's mouth seemed to be in constant movement, sucking on his lips. His eyes are hollow and squinted, deep in their sockets. His voice sounded as if he were talking without teeth.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, I brought you a present."
What could it be? It must be important if he came all the way over… here… to…
Gwyn stared in disbelief.
The Head Whisperer held out a piece of fabric—a bonnet.
"Happy birthday, little girl! I got you your favorite!"
He proudly held out the fabric as though it were a cherished possession.
Gwyn looked at the old man who had clearly lost his mind.
"I… I don't know what to say."
"Say yes! Yes to the bonnet. Yes to a time filled with luxurious cotton wrapped around your head in a crescent shape, elevating your beauty and womanly appearance."
Gwyn had to bite her lip to stop from yelling for help.
"Do you not want it? You are staring at me as though I have given you a gift that you didn't want to receive."
"I…"
Gwyn was still at a loss for words.
"If that's how you are going to be… then fine!"
He, very slowly, put the bonnet back in his pocket. Secretly hoping Gwyn would call out for him to stop.
She didn't.
"Look… Head Whisperer, I—"
"Ungrateful child!" He held back his tears. "You refuse my gift! My loving and thoughtful gift!" He turned. "You could've been an orphan with a cool scar and gotten into hijinks at a magical academy. But noooooo! You have to refuse your destiny and be a heartbreaker with no cool scar!"
He seemed to be genuinely upset, although Gwyn had no idea what he was talking about. She rose from the bed, still in the clothes from the night before.
"I'm sorry, Head Whisperer. I didn't mean to upset you. Surely we have some tissue paper to—"
The Head Whisperer sprang up from his depression like a bolt of lightning.
"That's it!"
"Tissue paper?"
"No, paper! My office! That's where I needed to take you… It was… very urgent, yes. Very important."
He grumbled and shook in place as he tried to remember. The harder he tried to think, the more he smacked his lips.
"Can we make this quick?"
"I am known for my agility, dear."
He made his way to the exit. Gwyn could have lapped the entire Gilded Towers three times before he reached it.
The halls were silent in the Gilded Towers. Only a faint glow illuminated the hallways.
"So what happened to you?"
Gwyn asked when they were in the hallways.
"Nothing, my dear! This is how I always am."
He said confidently. He gave a cooky old man a laugh.
Is he gaslighting me?
"You didn't look like that two days ago."
"I wish I could teleport anywhere I wanted still. Walking is such a pain, heheh. But this one time, I nearly lost my arm. Now I'm scared to teleport outside of those coffins."
He ignored her question and kept walking. Now and again, he would turn back, and a concerned expression crossed his face. He would quicken his pace, well, relatively speaking.
Then, suddenly.
"Huh?"
He looked surprised as if this was the first time he had seen Gwyn.
"Oh, hello, Chosen One! Long time no see."
"We literally just spoke."
"Ah, yes, well, if you want to harass me, you can at least come to my office. I think there's something there for you."
He then mumbled incoherently and slowly walked back the way Gwyn had come.
"Can't we just discuss it here?"
She gestured to the area around her, but he was already leaving.
"If I don't hurry back, Jerry will be angry."
He rambled on and on, becoming more confusing by the minute.
Clack. Step. Clack. Step.
The Head Whisperer walked as if he were part of an anti-race, where the objective was to be the last person to arrive anywhere, ever.
Gwyn couldn't help but think she'd be late for school if this kept up. But as if on cue, he stopped in his tracks.
"Oh!" He laboriously turned to face her, looked up, and patted her shoulder. "School is canceling for the foreseeable… er… uh..."
"Future?"
"Yes, future. Yes. Cancelled. Someone died or something. Important event or something security something rather whatnot."
"The café I was at yesterday was attacked."
A surprised look overtook every feature.
"Is that what happened? Why would they ever want to do that… Just order a coffee... you don't have to be unreasonable. I know the lines can be long sometimes but—"
Gwyn wondered the same thing, well not the coffee part. Why would someone want to attack her so soon after The Summoning?
"Huh, did you say something?" He turned to face her. "Oh, hello, Chosen One. How does thee fair this fine morning?" He leaned in close and whispered. "I heard the King revealed to the public the short amount of time you have to fix an increasingly large issue for us… yes. Very large. How does that seem fair…? Fifty years or something like that?"
"Five years. You made a big deal about it on top of that floating platform thing. Don't you remember anything?"
"What were we talking about?"
A sigh.
"You were going to show me to your office?"
Where was the somewhat sharp and powerful Whisperer from the summoning?
To Gwyn, it was as if that person no longer existed.
"Ah, yes, yes... To do what?"
The Head Whisperer looked genuine. Gwyn didn't know whether to be concerned or annoyed at this point.
"I don't know. You couldn't tell me."
"Heheh. Now isn't that funny?" He suddenly looked serious. "Well… we haven't got all day."
Clack. Step. Clack. Step. Clack. Step.
He slowly walked up the stairs that Gwyn had just descended. Gwyn was able to cross ten steps before the Head Whisperer crossed one. It is as if he builds up all his energy for one day every hundred years and spends the rest building his energy to do it all over again.
The two passed dozens of rooms, including Elise, whom Gwyn hadn't seen yet but was hoping to. Since Gwyn didn't have school, she thought, maybe they could go out and do something fun.
The Head Whisperer kept muttering to himself.
"What was it… What was it… I hope it wasn't something gravely important… yes… essential, fundamental to your existence even. That would be terrible."
The cane clicks over and over on the marble floor. After walking for what felt like hours, going at the elders' pace the entire time, they reached the end of a very long spiral staircase, ascending to the top of what Gwyn assumed to be one of the five spires of the Gilded Towers.
He stood before the door, placed his cane in the corner, and made a circular hand gesture. Red, blue, and green fire shot from his hands, and he lit different torches beside the door. Then, it slowly opened, a blue barrier separating the room from the outside world. He retrieved his cane and walked towards the barrier.
"Come in, come in. Please excus—"
He stepped through the blue barrier and vanished.