His insistence sends shivers down my spine as bad as the cosmic horror of the bleedthrough of the between-realmspace. Glancing at him, I’m trying to size up just what he wants, and why The ‘Twixt is using him to reprimand me for entering. Previously, The ‘Twixt seemed plenty happy to create a world for me and Tiktik to journey through.
Holding my hands up placatingly, I explain, “I’m sorry if I seemed disrespectful just now. I meant I’m on a time-crunch, within petaseconds of some magic bounce-back that I’d really rather not let happen. I hope you can understand. You know very well how new I am to interacting with The ‘Twixt.”
The facial expression spreading across the shady shopkeeper’s visage is hard to explain or parse. At best, maybe I could call it a sneer as he responds, “Yes, yes you are quite new, at this point in… time, to interacting with us. Let’s just say that you’re a bit overdue for a few lessons. Your foe, well, foes, have been paying their dues, for a long, long time. You’ve only just begun, and you’re behind on your payments.”
Blinking rapidly, I hope I’m wrong about how I’m interpreting what he’s saying. I really, really, really hope I’m wrong. Shivering, I raise a brow towards him, prompting him to continue, “You’re the one whose payments we’re most interested in after all. Oh I think you know quite well where this is going. To be sure, I’m fairly certain you know quite well where a lot of things are going. In fact, if I recall, you’ve figured out three endings that verify a single prophecy. You are quite right about them. Quite right indeed.”
The, the conclusions that I drew, I, I—blood vessels above my eyes explode, and drain down across my vision, coloring everything red. My, my mind. My actual brain is—. It’s… it’s in the process of exploding. The, the things Luni told me to, to not chase, to not know. They’re, they’re—I’m going to die. My brain is swelling, swelling with knowledge it shouldn’t have, can’t have, can’t handle. It has to fit worlds, universes worth of knowledge. It—.
The shopkeep reacts, “Oh, does that make your head hurt? Is that one of the memories you aren’t supposed to keep? My apologies. I’ll just clean that right up for you. There you go, no nasty memories you shouldn’t have.”
Wh-what, huh? Where…? Right, talking to shady shopkeep. What were they on about? I must have spaced for a moment, so I confess, “Sorry, I, I think I spaced out, or blanked out for a second. There’s just been a lot going on, and some of it, quicker than I think most anyone is used to happenings, well, happening.”
When the shopkeep scrutinizes me, glancing me up and down, he seems dissatisfied. Muscles along my spine pinch and pull, knotting tightly, painfully, causing me to wince. Our conversation seems to be at an impasse, so I testingly reach out with my Honoris Causa. The shopkeep raises a brow, and simply observes. We float here in a void, The ‘Twixt making no effort to materialize a realm for me to interact with. It’s just as well. If anything, this empowers the attempt I’m about to make.
Whispering my intent, my will, through my Latent, “Nothing,” I plead for my Void Dragon form to tug the tear in space, the realmway, from its corresponding location in the Astral Sea, the one that corresponds to the vault. The destination is one whose signals I seek out. My only hope lies within my interpretation of the waves of signals that my Void Dragon form within the Astral Sea has been receiving.
If I’m right, and lucky, the signals I’d been parsing, the ones that I’m locked onto, are the ones by Littlebit and Nala back in Verdimenn on Rayileklia. At least, if their signals cross realms, like I believe they do. The point they originate from in the Astral Sea, would correspond to where on Rayileklia they’re sending them from. That, and the object I’m homing in on should be a Can’Z’aasian digital shop, which is what I grip, and tug, pulling myself towards. Pulling myself, and the tear I’m tethered inside of.
If I’m wrong, I strand myself in this unmaterialized ‘Twixt, and the broodmothers in the Astral Sea. Even if I’m right, I still have to get back home to Rayileklia somehow, get to the spot in Verdimenn that corresponds to the location in the Astral Sea that I’m dragging this to, trigger chaos magic to get back to the Astral Sea *again*, envelop the broodmothers and the tear with my Void Dragon form, and tug, hard, as the chaos magic drags me back to Rayileklia.
I simultaneously exist in this realm, and the Astral Sea, projecting my Honoris Causa in both. Gnawing my lip, I tug gently, like crossing a single-rope bridge, pulling myself across, towards my destination. Each fraction of a millimeter feels like it tears at those twisted muscles along my spine, my neck and back. It’s a hellish agony, felt by me, and observed closely by the shady shopkeep.
There’s a part of me that was hoping that The ‘Twixt would let me adventure in Nichtshire D’locke, and maybe have my ’Twixt realm link up with Tiktik’s. I was hoping to earn an exit from my realm, to Verdimenn, and to convince The ‘Twixt to use this tear, rather than creating a new one.
It would have been the simpler, easier solution, if The ‘Twixt was willing. One that didn’t cost me so much. Of course, I wasn’t planning on or banking on it happening or even being possible. It was just a fool’s hope I suppose.
Ow. Friggin’ ow. Muscles in my jaw, and around my right eyelid and cheek spasm, pinch, and twist, like those along my spine. Muscle tension headaches grip me about my skull and squeeze like, well, being caught between the metacarpals of an enormous ancient dragon, for example. Pft. Only you Reggie. Only you would ever possibly have that be an analogy that you could literally use from experience.
Almost out of nowhere, the shady shopkeeper asks, “What exactly do you think you’re doing, and how do you think you’re doing it? Explain it to me in that colorful way of yours, but simply, analogized.”
My face contorts, and my right eyelid quirks and twitches as the pain in my face extends, taking over more of my cheek and forehead. Grunting under the strain, I attempt, “It’s, argh. Okay. Imagine the tear, the realmway being something heavy, at the bottom of the ocean, an anchor, a treasure chest, whatever. Me being here, in the ‘Twixt, is like tying that thing to my ankles or waist. Or uh, a leg lift, I mean a hamstring curl. Yeah, that’s a good analogy. I’m holding The ‘Twixt tear like I’ve got my hamstrings curled around it.”
Hurk, the pain decides to claw its way across my spine from right to left, pulling more muscles taut. My eyelids continue to twitch as I continue my answer, “Koff. Argh ow friggin’ hell. What I’m doing out there in the Astral Sea, is like pulling on a rope, a lifeline, dragging this heavy-ass object out of the sea, purely by upper body strength. That part is fairly literal. Just with my Void Dragon Honoris Causa’s upper body strength pulling an invisible ethereal rope tied to a spot in the Astral Sea corresponding to Verdimenn on Rayileklia. So I’m tied, tethered to the tear, by being in this realm, and I’m moving it, by being out there.”
The tongue click of the shopkeep after I answer is disconcerting, but he doesn’t respond immediately. I really wish the interactive aspect of The ‘Twixt weren’t so seemingly annoyed with me. I don’t need a tsk tsk tsk, I need, well, I need a break honestly, but that’s not something I’ll admit, or even take if it was offered. Though, more explanation about why I was greeted by the shopkeep, and why there’s suddenly a blank spot in my memories where I spaced out for a bit, would maybe be nice.
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There’s a haze in my mind from a bit after arrival, til a bit ago. The shopkeeper greeted me, annoyed with something I’d done, and I was a bit impolite, terse, strained, trying to focus on the task at hand. I think I apologized for that. Then what? Then I spaced out. Maybe the pain had me black out for a moment?
It certainly feels like I’m close to blacking out from pain right now. My lower back feels like it’s herniated, my facial muscles seemingly want to crush my jaw, and my spine itself is spasming. That’s to say nothing of the lingering pains from being stomped on by giant monsters and dragons, crisped by lightning, facetanking plasma, and everything else I’ve done all day.
Despite observing me, seemingly nearly uninterested in my plight, the shopkeep prompts, “And then what? You move us, it, the tear, along this rope, in some realm it doesn’t belong, then what?”
Oh, oops. That’s right. I may have made a tiny bit of a presumption that The ‘Twixt wouldn’t mind me sending its realmway to the Astral Sea, as long as the destination was back on Rayileklia. Gulping, I answer, “I go back to Rayileklia, get in the right position, location in spacetime, return to the Astral Sea while anchored at that location, hug the tear with my Void Dragon form, and let magic tug me back to Rayileklia again, having moved the tear somewhere safe, out of Terrorzin’s reach.”
As I’d feared, the shopkeeper queries, “And whom exactly said that we wanted our realmway out of your foe’s reach? Hm? Who exactly do you think you are, to simply decide which aspects of which reality you want where?”
Gulping, I gnaw on my bottom lip, still focused on my task, because I’m doing everything at light-speed in the Astral Sea while this is occurring. I’ve got fractions of fractions of a second left to pull this off. I raise my brow at the shopkeeper, but they make no hostile actions, they simply wave their hand, prompting me to answer. Who do I think I am?
Well, I guess I can try to answer and hope to not piss off The ‘Twixt any further, “I’m, I’m just Reggie Shellcracker, just someone who wants people to not hurt, who, who wants to help and get back to their family.”
Unfortunately, the shopkeeper shakes his head while tsk tsking at me again. His response is, “No, no that’s not quite right. That’s an identity. One you’ve adopted, thoroughly, I might add. But that’s not *who* you are. Now is it? Schism? Void Dragon?”
My face contorts. Does this guy, does The ‘Twixt just want me to recite my titles? Agh the pain contorting and pinching about my back lands somewhere around my Thoracic fourth or fifth vertebrae. My T4 and T5 do not like that. Wincing, gulping, gasping for breath from the pain and strain, my eyes roll in their sockets.
Once again, the shopkeeper waves their hand, prompting me. Distracted, I give the only answer I can think of, “I’m Reggie Shellcracker. I’m a Hero of the Order of the Onyx Dawn, an Archmage Aliased Ṽ̵̼̥̊̍̃ọ̸̧̙͐̚i̸̡͕͖̰͂d̸͇̫͎̯́͘͠ͅ ̶̪̱̞̱̲͗͐̍̍t̴͈͔̼̫̍́́͜h̷̪̤͆̂̎e̶̡̙̼͗̈̔̋ ̴͕̓̐̾͠C̸̹̎e̴͕̒a̴̻̿͐̒s̷̢͓̙̹͑͂̀è̴̟̼͓̹̗̄͑͋̃l̸̘̓ȩ̴̥̭̋̄̏̇̕ş̸̡̮̆̑̈́s̴̗̙̓̀͌ͅ Schism. And I am the Void Dragon Honoris Causa.”
What just happened? Where’d the shopkeep go? Why is there a scent assailing my nostrils? Is that… ammonia? Argh, the pain… I’m gonna vomit from its intensity. Come on, don’t leave me hanging like this, literally. I’ve gotten the tear to the location in the Astral Sea, and time has completely frozen out there. I can’t even bank on the chaos magic yanking me back to Rayileklia now, as the six seconds will never have passed.
Me, alone, in a void realm, nothing but nothing from here to eternity. Phooph. Imagine what my insane fractured psyche would do, stuck for eternity in the void. I’d probably split it off, and start talking to myself, being my only company. Yeah, you’d also snark at yourself and probably laugh at your own pain.
True. True. So, what’re ya in for? Oh me? Just manipulating cosmic realmways and pissing off entire thought-realms and realities. Oh yeah? What’s your sentence, how long? Oh y’know, eternity. Pft. Hahah. Ugh. I can’t even shake my head at myself because of how tightly pinched the muscles along my spine are. But no, really, this is a little unnerving.
Time… passes. Sort of. I wait, and I wait, and I wait. Nothing but me and my thoughts. Not exactly something I’m unfamiliar with, but disconcerting nonetheless. I glance around like some ponytailed, suit-wearing, pop-fiction movie character gif reference of someone looking confused as heck. Like a what? I don’t even know Reggie, I don’t even know. Well, how long has passed? Well, technically no time at all, but, well, it could be hours, or days already, here in this blank space, this void. Hell, it could be weeks, months, years.
Glancing about, I feel like I’m in a moment between moments, something I’m somewhat used to, with Retrocognition and all. I’m almost certain I’ve gotten the realmway tear to the appropriate location, the source of the signals in the Astral Sea. Pretty certain. Kinda. I mean, it’s not like I can move it any farther right now anyway.
I just need to figure out how to get back to Rayileklia from here. Then get back there, to the Astral Sea, in that location. That part is just relying on luck and chaos again. But I kinda didn’t have a plan for what would happen if time just sorta paused with me being partially in an empty ‘Twixt like this.
Can’t even shake my head or sigh because of the pain. Muscles around my diaphragm and pectorals and spine feel like I’m being crushed in a dragon’s esophagus. Again. Again. Can you believe that? Who else can say, “again,” about the number of times a dragon’s esophagus has squeezed them? Who? Who’s insane enough to have a life like that. Only you Reggie, only you.
Yup. Only me. Le sigh. Y’know what I could go for? What? A cheeseburger. A big quarter pounder with cheese. A royale with cheese. Why? How do you even know what a cheeseburger is, or another name for it? Or that you’d like one? No idea, to all of those questions.
Buggy Fakeworld memories is all. Gods, or a chiropractor. A chiropractor would be nice. What, to eat? No you jerk, because my spine is friggin’ killing me with this muscle tightness. Doofus. I know, I was giving you a hard time. I know you were, and I was playing along. Oh really? Yes really!
Dot dot dot. Reggie? Yeah pal? You have so friggin’ lost it. Yup. And you’re stuck with me. Presumably until the end of time. Ugh. Partners forever I suppose. Right, let’s make a deal, and shake on it. Sure, let’s bargain, whacha want? Phooph. I just want a timeline where my family is all safe, and gets a chance to lead a happy life. What about you? I’m not sure yet, how about you owe me a favor, we shake on it, and the bargain is inviolate. Uh. S-sure? I… guess I shake with myself, making an inviolate bargain?
Did I just… Mobster deal myself? That reminds me of the Derbrightmine Dwarven Dominion. Don Derbrightmine ran things like the mafia, but at least had gotten the dwarven families to stop their infighting. Though he’d bent knee and kowtowed to Terrorzin, tithing, and extorting more tithes from the nearby kobolds. I can’t say I entirely blame him though. Knowing the sort of destruction that was brought down upon them for defiance.
Phooph. Yeah. That was kinda your fault Reggie. I know I know! I’m sorry. I just, I just wanted the kobolds to be okay, and not be extorted to the point of dying from malnutrition. I know, I know. Sometimes, there’s no good solution. You do the most good you can, when you can, and hope the cosmic scales balance out. Speaking of cosmic scales… Uh, okay, go on? You should find a way back to Rayileklia.
Before I can respond to myself, the shopkeeper appears with a grin that’s a tad too malicious for my liking, and comments, “Oh, we believe we can help you with that.”
Unfortunately, before I have a chance to act, I’m hurtling through spatial distortions and edges of dimensions. The shopkeep just ejected me from The ‘Twixt before I could respond, or ask why he knew my thoughts. Though I guess no thoughts are private from The ‘Twixt in The ‘Twixt. Somehow, somehow it feels like I left something behind. Something was skimmed, stripped from me, as I was cast out.
Worse, I can sense my trajectory. No, please no. He knew I didn’t want to go back here. He did this on purpose. I’m going to land in the vault. The vault with a tiny bit of realmway bleedthrough left in it, just enough to let in cosmic horror and sensory hell.
Worse, a vault that’s no longer empty. Worse, as I’m hurtling towards it—that pain? That pain that was nearly causing me to black out? It ramps up a millionfold, and I’m about to black out.