Focus Reggie, focus. Breathe air, breathe. Flex and loosen your muscles which have all spasmed and cramped in terror. On which body? Who knows. On all of them, one of them, whichever you have control over. Struggling against the split in my skull that’s passing two entire realities into my brain, I grip and tug at the non, the nothing, the empty space. Surprisingly, Tiktik and I tumble into the ‘Twixt as it rumbles and quakes hard enough to shake even the small cavern it’s located in on Rayileklia, sending us toppling towards it.
Returning to being a single entity as Tiktik plummets out of the sky towards me is a bit awkward, as I’m still disoriented. I’m further disoriented when I’m nearly-flattened to the cobblestone path as I unwittingly catch Tiktik with my face. Please tell me we’re not positioned how I think we’re positioned.
This could not be any more cliche. Could it? Wait, don’t tempt fate. Mumbling, muffled from between Tiktik’s legs, I ask, “Coof oo geh off pfeef, Kiheh?”
Thankfully Tiktik understands I asked, “Could you get off please, Kitten?” and is kind enough to not rub our precarious position in my face, figuratively or literally. I mean, well, not that I’d, y’know, be all that upset—. Erm. We’re— we definitely love each other, and that sort of thing isn’t necessarily out of the question for either of us as far as the other is concerned as a partner, but now is not the time. There is however a strangely warm pressure building around the edges of my skull, that I would like to be able to pass off as simply blush, but it feels more like it’s emanating from the base of my horns. Horns which of course, Tiktik grips to help steady herself as she stands off of me.
Struggling to fight a sudden spasm, I vibrate momentarily while Tiktik’s grip and weight are on my horns, before rattling my skull after Tiktik dismounts my face. She suddenly exclaims in a rapid barrage of questions, “Why didn’t you tell me you could go into the ‘Twixt Tiger!? We coulda been adventure pals, and brought in like a whole party between the two of us! Oh, where the heckydoodle is this place? This isn’t my town. How long before me did you get here?”
Chuckling and rolling my eyes, I answer, “I didn’t know until it happened, somehow I existed both in the ‘Twixt, and in reality simultaneously, but I think several hours passed in here in the split second it took for you to jump at me. Nicthshire D’Locke here sprung up around me, from literal nothing. Nothing which I seem to be able to touch by the way. I mean, when it’s nothing, but also when it’s not. Argh, that makes no sense. My Latent, a native affinity, an ability of mine is one word, Nothing. My Honoris Causa, that’s my dragon form, is a Void Dragon, and it reached a new Caliber when we took out Qlaxianna, which somehow allows me to express control over my Latent in new ways, using my dragonforce. The energy that’s keeping my heart safe and alive.”
Rubbing the back of my head, chagrined, I realize I look a bit like a demon parading around with an imp, with our current appearances. I also feel a bit bad that Tiktik is technically sort of stranded here with me. At least we know we won’t miss out on a lot of action, since the timeflow in the ‘Twixt is—. Wait. Temporal zones—. Nope, stop, stop, stop, no brain exploding. Lu isn’t here, so you’ve got to remind yourself. Back on track. However long our adventures last in here, not too awfully long should pass back on Rayileklia is the point. If the ‘Twixt decides to try to screw with us by reversing that, I will absolutely obliterate this place.
Glancing around, I see an intersection that must meet a town square, which should lead to a main thoroughfare. Flicking my head that way, Tiktik agrees, and jubilantly bounces along beside me, skipping in delight. I’m—. I’m happy. All of a sudden, I get to see this wonderful, beloved friend of mine being her cheerful, zany self. It’s one of the things that I desperately wanted during my Rayileklian journey. We do exit out little side-street towards the town square in short order, joyously I might add.
From virtually nowhere, one teenage-seeming punk asks another, “Hey is that Thundernut Clocktok?”
I blink rapidly as I can barely parse what I heard in order to ask, “Thunder?” I pause as my face contorts several different ways rather strenuously. I try to control my raised brow as I glance to Tiktik before continuing, “Nut?”
Giggling, Tiktik grabs my hand and drags me along while responding, “Funny story for another time, come on, we’ve gotta get you up to speed buster. Tiger, you’re gonna love it here! You and that big ol’ adventure spirit of yours. If you get some time off later, you should come back again with big T, and we could do a whole party, with um, you two I guess could enter on your own, since you can get in here. I guess. I guess. I guess you don’t really need me.”
It’s easy to sense that Tiktik begins to feel dejected by her own conclusion as her voice and even her adorable pointy ears droop. I quickly interject to reassure her, “Hey now Kitten, don’t even think like that. Whether or not need was a thing, I want you. I want you at my side. I want you in my arms. I want us to be adventuring buddies, partners. I’d only come back here to do this with you, I’d never leave you out.”
Sniffling myself now, since Tiktik’s partially crying, I add, “Hell, if it weren’t so important to guard the refugees, I’d absolutely beg you to come back to Mount Solace with me and the Triple L Squad. I love, love, love, love the hell out of you, and miss you to bits. Or miss you like hell, and love you to bits. Whichever sounds better. You’re my Kitten. If we ever have to go into the ‘Twixt without you, I’d try to find a way to get to you as soon as possible so that I could make it up to you.”
Trying to regain my composure, I return to a previous topic, “Anyway, about that nickname. How could anyone know you from your time adventuring in other towns, here in a town that didn’t exist until a few minutes ago?”
Kitten sniffles once more, before wiping her nose on her sleeve and grinning my way. While turning towards someone else, she answers over her shoulder, “Don’t worry about it, here, check this.” She then addresses the man she’s facing, “Hey chief, gimme the deets on the scrubs.”
Sizing Tiktik up and down, the portly fellow with an impressive moustache that Tiktik had addressed offers up, “Chump change bountygal. Loitering, misdemeanors. Nothin’ big enough for one like you in a few years ‘round these parts. Could sell you the scoop on the wider market if y’like though. A few dozen souls.”
Tiktik scratches her brow as she fishes around in midair, her hand disappearing into her invisible hyperdimensional handysack. She drags out several copper disks and a few silver disks that appear to be regular coins. She asks, “Souls are what we’re calling ‘em in this town? Sure thing pops. What’s the sitch worldwide?”
Was the ‘Twixt trolling me about the coins and souls business? Those seriously look like any regular old Rayileklian copper and silver coins. Or is Tiktik pranking me right now?
“Pops” accepts Tiktik’s coins, but holds up a hand as he responds, “Worldwide’s a bit more, and I don’t even have it to sell honestly. These parts though, Klangen Rackhoof’s somewhere in the country, big price on his head. Jermaine Jivonnyah’s around too, another fair cop. Those two are the biggest, some nasty biz that they’ve been into lately. Destruction of lives and towns. Different ones. I’d shudder to think what they could do if they met up and decided to work together. A few big-time bandits and killers running around too. Not the same challenge, danger, or pay, but still. Here’s the scribs.”
Raising an eyebrow at the term, I realize it’s simply short for scribbles, as “Pops” offers Tiktik several wanted-poster looking dossiers with hand-drawn portraits. Glancing over Tiktik’s shoulder, I’m able to read the dossier-posters with her. Wait, Klangen Rackhoof is a minotaur that wears heavy plate, making a distinctive racket as he approaches a town to demolish it? Jermaine Jivonnyah’s a woman who stabs basically everyone in her path? Shiv on ya? Oh for crying out loud’s crap’s sakes. Who’s the next bounty sheet in the list, Amanda—?
Straight-faced, Tiktik interrupts my thoughts as she responds, “Nah, I already caught Huggenkiss unless she broke out. I don’t see news about it in the scribs tho.”
I cannot tell whether or not I’m being screwed with here, by either Tiktik or the ‘Twixt, or both. While my face is wildly contorted, Tiktik jokes, “Hey, your face is gonna get stuck like that.” At least, I hope she’s joking. Who knows when it comes to the ‘Twixt?
Sighing, I allow myself to smile slightly while shaking my head incredulously. Despite having fun with someone I utterly adore, I need to figure things out, so I ask, “Hey Kitten? How do we get out?”
Guilt gnaws away at me as Tiktik turns to me with wide wet eyes to ask, “Awe, Tiger, why so rushed? Don’t you,” she pauses to sniffle before finishing, “want to adventure with me any more?”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Trying not to suddenly burst into tears, it’s difficult to maintain my composure as I answer, “Oh Kitten, sweetie, gods I do, of course I do, I—“
Pouting at me, with her bottom lip quivering, Tiktik pleads, “Then why not do some adventuring here since almost no time passes outside, and we’re already here?”
Gulping back guilt and sadness, I offer up, “Kitten, I, I’d never want to leave. I love you. I absolutely fully love you. I’d want to grow old in here with you, to spend a lifetime with you. I’m ageless, I can’t grow old, and my lifetime is infinite. I would never leave.”
Dejectedly, Tiktik almost pleads, “But what’s wrong with maybe a couple centuries together Tiger? We could stop whenever we wanted, right?”
Her question twists like a dagger in my heart. Could I allow myself to have a full lifetime of experiences without Te, Lucky, Lu, or Lil, when we’d promised to not leave each other behind for long periods again? On the other hand, can I deny a lifetime with this amazing, charming, funny, brilliant, vibrant, vivacious, beautiful woman who was with me during one of my life’s most difficult journeys? A lifetime that Tiktik is right, has almost no consequences to spend together, so long as we leave before eons pass.
There’s one consequence though. Memories. I could begin losing them, or have them overwritten. I’m vaguely aware of it having happened already. Similarly, the longer I’m away from Luni, the more likely my brain accidentally guesses at the thing that makes it literally explode. Lu’s been protecting me from that for apparently two lifetimes already, and those were short ones! I can’t imagine not accidentally stumbling arse-first into the minefield of broken mirrors in an actual century.
This is breaking my heart, shattering it to pieces. I could, and would give hundreds of years over to loving Tiktik in a heartbeat, and I still might do just that without paying heed to the possible consequences. Who knows if the ‘Twixt stays operating by relatively the same rules during that whole time though? I’m not sure I can risk it, especially with the threat of my brain literally exploding hanging over my head.
As she follows along with my mental narrative, Tiktik looks as sad as I’ve ever seen her. She grumps at me, pushes on me slightly in a half-hearted shove attempt, and runs away, tears streaming behind her. I choke on my emotions as my own tears swiftly go from stream, to river, to cascading falls. Stumbling blindly in the direction Tiktik headed, unable to see through my own tears, I do my best to track the sound of her sobs and sniffles.
As I approach what must be a dead end alleyway by the echoes of Tiktik’s sobs, I hear her shout at me, “Go away, just go on then!”
It hurts so badly to hear her say that, though I know she doesn’t mean it. She’s hurting exactly because she’s worried I’m going to just go away. I can’t approach though. I respect her, and everything about her. She made a request of me, an order. I’m torn. I never wanted to hurt Tiktik. I don’t want to hurt or disrespect her or her wishes at any point. I don’t know the right thing to do here.
Growling between sobs, she calls out, “Figure,” she pauses to sniffle, “it out somewhere else!”
Bawling my eyes out, I turn, in order to adhere to Tiktik’s request. I can sense her lift her hand after me, and her lips quivering as she struggles to call out for me to stop. I’m frozen in my tracks. I want to give her everything. Anything she asks for, from now until the end of time. I can’t both stay and go though. She didn’t ask for me to stay though, so I—. I gulp, admitting to myself that Tiktik told me to go, twice. I’d break if she repeated it a third time.
Her voice cracking, Tiktik interrupts me as I lean forward to begin sprinting away, “P,please don’t. I’m sorry Tiger,” I fall flat on my face, having lifted my leg and begun shifting my weight, which earns a half giggle from Tiktik as she apologizes again, “I’m sorry. It hurt so much to be alone, and it feels so much like no one wants to stay with me, to have fun with me. Littlebit hates me, and now I think I’m making you hate me too. If you hate me, Big T will hate me. Please, please, please don’t hate me, please.”
My eyes flood with further tears at Tiktik’s plea. My lip, no, my entire lower jaw quivers as I struggle to respond, “Kitten, I’d never, could never, ever hate you. I love you. I love you so much it hurts. You know about the times when my brain was doing a thing, right? Where I thought about something, and suddenly my brain started bleeding or whatever? That’s still a risk, including one that kills me. At least until I find my cure, I think, maybe even after. Plus, I guess I have no idea how long my dragonforce will last in here, with the acceleration and possible accidental uses of my Latent or whatnot.”
Growling again, Tiktik almost whines, “Then go already! Wait, I’m sorry. I know you’re giving good reasons. Tiger I missed you so much. I thought you might die, and I might never see you again. I thought Big T might die of a broken heart, somewhere fighting off apocalypses. I don’t want to be alone. I, I know I could maybe be with someone in the refugees, but they aren’t you Tiger, or Big T, or Littlebit. I can’t. I can’t give my heart to anyone else any more. It hurts so much that they all leave me. You all left me, and you always will.”
I’m weeping into the cold cobblestone path of the alleyway, still laying face down upon the stones. I know those fears, those feelings. They eat me alive if I’m without at least someone from my inner circle for more than a few days, someone that I’ve given my heart to. Gods I want to rush to Tiktik so badly, but between her telling me to go every few seconds, my heart feels torn in shreds about whether that might even be an okay thing to do.
Hearing her sob, I can’t stand being apart any longer, when I could have her in my arms to be comforting her. If she hates me for going against her wishes, then I’ll accept whatever she says next. Floating myself up, I flip around and kick off into a TKSL towards my beloved impish Kitten. Startling her somewhat, I wrap her up in my arms, and she nestles in, slowly crying herself to sleep.
With as emotionally exhausting as this episode was, I feel like I could use a sleep as well. I carry Tiktik cradled against me as I wander Nicht-whatevertown. Seeking an inn, I find both an inn, and a town exit towards the countryside. Rolling my eyes at the name of the inn, “Ze Roost,” I enter, trying not to shake my head incredulously at the ‘Twixt. Really ‘Twixt. Zero in the name of the inn, in a town whose name includes the word for nothing? That’s not a little too on the nose? Actually, don’t change a thing. I’m being snarky, but I kind of love it. It’s like a little private in-joke of the whole world, just for me.
Worried that my coinage might not be considered the appropriate currency, despite Tiktik’s coins appearing to be almost exactly the same, I scan a job-board along the wall near the door. Of course. Rats in the basement of the local inn. I can’t help laughing, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. I give up. It’s funny, and it’s cute. Sure it’s cliche, but who gives a rat’s ass? Hah, I guess I’ll be giving some, since they want the tails as proof.
Snirking, I’d facepalm, but I’m carrying Tiktik in one arm as I sift through the bounties and jobs with the other. I suppose I could facepalm if I wanted to, I have options. I snag the job posting telekinetically, and hand it to the innkeep before being directed towards the basement. I continue imagining ways I could facepalm while I dump out Chuck’s cocain-laced cheese as bait.
Drawing Frostburn, I’m surprised at how difficult it is to see down here. I suppose I could cast some light with my archsorc staff and just wield Frostburn telekineti—. Those are some big rats. That is a very unusual size for a rodent. How many stairs did I go down to get into this basement that the ceiling is like forty feet above me, with rodents nearly as tall? Holy crap they’re fast!
Okay, so, the ‘Twixt isn’t really pulling any punches at the moment. I’m about to be drawn and quartered by enormous rats that are dozens of feet in size each. Thankfully, they’re averse to pain, and not very durable. I really don’t need even more injuries to recover from. If the ‘Twixt works like the orb time, you can’t exactly recover physical health in the orb, at least not the broken bones, ruptured organs, and the like. You return exactly as you went in, or worse if you got roughed up or more exhausted or whatnot within. I think, unless I was missing details and misinterpreting things. I suppose my zero state, or full state, are determined at my point of entry, maybe.
I should be paying a bit more attention, and maybe should have put Tiktik down somewhere, now I’m keeping her close to my chest with one telekinetic grip, while another aids me in mobility, and another wields Frostburn for me, hacking at various paws and snouts. My fourth grip is being a multi-purpose shield at the moment, mostly being used in order to slightly angle the rats’ rushes so that it takes less effort to dodge them. I don’t want to try to block their attacks head on, because they’re powerful enough to shatter my psi-shields, my TK Squares.
Despite it being fairly harrowing for a few moments, it doesn’t take long to subdue the mighty menaces between Frostburn, and my holy halefire double-barreled wrist-mounted crossbow. The new bolts are hilariously effective against things as squishy as giant rats. Too bad I only have a few of them per day. I should have been keeping track of what they do. Hitting the buttons, I let them regenerate inside the quiver, figuring I’ll deal with them later. It seems the regeneration utilization of the crossbow bolts is used up for the day now though. One set per day, hm.
Feeling a little awkward, and kind of mean for doing it, I slice off the tails of the giant creatures. This apparently causes the corpses themselves to mysteriously poof a few moments later, leaving behind several coins, and small bits of useless junk, like whiskers or rodent meat. I guess it couldn’t hurt to collect it.
Tiktik alternates between sniffling and snoozing, so I speed along to turn in my “quest” completion proof to get some additional “souls” as rewards. I use the quest reward in order to pay for room and board for the night, and there isn’t much left over, but I wasn’t expecting a lot. I feel like it would be more appropriate to pay for two rooms. Yet I also feel that, if Tiktik awoke in a bed alone, that it could shatter her heart into a million pieces right now. Hell, mine would be shattered if I woke up alone in a bed right now after all those emotions.
I’m not sure what Tiktik prefers to wear to bed, when she finally has an actual bed to sleep in. We never got the chance when we were adventuring together before. I don’t know if I should help her out of her armor beneath her robes or not. Setting my Kitten softly into the bed, I turn back towards some bags that I’ve left by the door in order to begin divesting my equipment. I do it because I want to both get a bit more comfortable, and be a better cuddling partner for the night. When I turn back towards the bed, my jaw drops and I nearly topple over. My vision goes blurry and crosses several times, and I blink rapidly in order to try to see straight. My heart is hammering, racing as I struggle to not stare at the one location on the bed containing the beautiful sight before me.