Deathwish, Part 7: Chantim

Part 1: Cinderfell
Part 2: Deal With a Vorpal
Part 3: Calmsquare Cantina
Part 4: The Wailing Chamber
Part 5: Grector Smash
Part 6: Rebmauk

“...and that’s when Blaze reappeared, and shot Dapper in the back shoulder with some kind of fire weapon.”

The audience gasped, several of them muttering random questions as Alicia paused briefly. “Was he okay? What happened? How did you escape?”

Alicia smiled slightly before continuing. She hadn’t expected the audience to be so interested in her story. “Dapper defeated him in the end, and then escorted me the rest of the way down the bridge to the gateway. He knocked on the door and ended up being incinerating while shielding me, but not before I made him promise… that he would remember me, and we would stay friends. No matter what.”

Several Vorpals were teary eyed, and one broke the silence after they realized Alicia had ended the story. “Well… what happened next?”

“Next? I was taken back to Cinderfell, and I stayed there for several years.” The Vorpals reacted like such a span of time was akin to eternity, which Alicia was beginning to understand basically was in their minds. While they didn’t have the same view of death as a final ending, they saw anything beyond a week as far off in the future, and anything a week in the past as ancient history.

Alicia continued. “That’s when I decided to do what I’m doing right now. I sneaked my way back into the Inverse, and I found Dapper. And now we are exploring together.”

Everyone looked at Dapper, who tipped his hat with a slight smile. After a moment, thunderous applause erupted. Alicia laughed as she took a little bow, and left center stage. The next several hours were confused and chaotic, but Alicia knew she would always remember it.

She met so many Vorpals in such a short time, and made sure to write down the names even though she doubted she would ever forget a single one.

Willy Five, a Vorpal with an ape-like set of arms and legs, but a face that was eternally in the smug look one has before telling a joke or pun that would result in mild laughter or a labored groan at it’s childishness. His behavior matched his look, constantly cracking jokes and always laughing hysterically at any joke made by someone else. He never looked to speak over anyone, but always managed to derail conversations with his silly quips and overall jovial nature.

Aurumess, a very curious looking Vorpal that seemed vaguely similar to Physiom, but having one prosthetic arm and both legs of a white colored metal while wearing a strangely constructed futuristic jacket and pants. The back top of her head had a glass pane with an exposed brain-like substance inside, and she was entirely bald. She was constantly looking to help with anything, to such an extent that Alicia briefly mentioned her throat was a bit dry and then had to stop Aurumess from immediately running off to track down a drink of any kind, as Alicia had brought her own water that she intermittently sipped.

And there were many more. Alicia now held a comprehensive book containing the names and descriptions of over fifty Vorpals. She interviewed as many she could, most of which were more than happy to oblige as they wished to ask her questions as well. Eventually, while talking with Aurumess, she asked why the Vorpals were so interested in hearing her story and other minor details about her when they wouldn’t even remember in a weeks time.

Aurumess was more than happy to explain. “Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but learning something new is enjoyable in the moment. I’m sure I relearn a lot of things, but each instance might as well be the first time. Knowledge is its own reward, and how long it lasts doesn’t change that fact.”

Alicia felt humbled that they considered her experiences to be worthy of their continually limited window of time. Ignoring the occasional hateful or aggressive Vorpals, Alicia found a thriving community of peace loving and intelligent beings that looked nothing like what humans described them as. They were not human, or anything close, but they did have a certain humanity to them. It was exactly like humanity itself; if all you ever saw were criminals, murderers, and cynics, you would have a very bleak view of humanity. But that was only a part of the bigger picture that was reality.

Alicia went to talk with Dapper. They had been in the city for so long, and though she hated to depart she still wanted to see more of the Inverse before she went back. She had enough supplies for maybe another day, but that was it. But as she went to tap on Dapper’s arm, she noticed her hand.

It was melting.

She stumbled backwards, falling to the ground as she panicked. How? Why? What was going on? Her vision was going blurry and distorted for a moment, and her hearing cut out before she heard a concerned Dapper speaking to her as his slowly resharpening visage could be seen hunched over her.

“Alicia? Did you hear me? I said you don’t look so well… I think we need to get you out of the Inverse, with great haste.”

Her sight re stabilized completely, and she checked her hand again. It was completely normal, and she realized with only partial relief that she must have hallucinated. But her nausea from earlier had returned with a vengeance, and she knew Dapper was right. “Yeah… I think you’re right. Come on, let’s go.”

“Go? You only just got here.”

A man with a long black robe, a substantial black beard, and a goat horn helmet stepped forward. He didn’t look as much like a Vorpal, easily passing for a human if he was ever seen in the real world, but given where he was it would be unimaginable that he wasn’t. The other Vorpals scattered, and those that did not found themselves carried away as the floors shifted under their feet like an unworldly conveyor belt. Walls erected themselves between the pillars, locking the remaining group of Dapper, Oracle, Grector, and Alicia inside with the strange man. Alicia seemed to be the only one unaware of who the man was, as the three Vorpals stood at attention without uttering a word.

The man walked up, looking down at Alicia. “Hmm… you don’t seem like much. Physiom suggested you were some kind of monster traveling with traitorous Vorpals, causing disruptions as you incessantly harassed the public.”

Alicia realized she had, of all things that could possibly happen to her in the Inverse, been tattled on. “Who are you? The ruler of this city?”

The man laughed. “Yes and no. I… am the great Chantim, Cagemaster.”

Alicia recognized the word. She tried to focus as her mind felt fuzzy when trying to remember where she had heard such a term. “What do you want with me?”

Chantim stamped his staff on the ground, which Alicia had somehow not noticed until Chantim had done so, and the floor shifted underneath, lifting Alicia up to eye level and binding her hands behind her back as she struggled in vain. “Why, I wish to solve a problem. That is all. Looking at you now, I see you are definitely a human. Wearing not only a Vorpal fashioned cloak, but also a pacifist scarf. You seem to be a spy, intent on gathering intel on not only combat Vorpals like Dapper and Grector, but even peaceful ones living in cities. I think you are smart enough to know why that is truly an egregious act.”

Alicia realized now how her notebook in hand must make her look. “No! That’s not what I’m doing! I don’t want to hurt any of the Vorpals!”

“Physiom seems to think differently.”

“Physiom is wrong!”

Chantim laughed, aiming the pointed end of his staff right at Alicia’s forehead as she trembled in fear. “I’m sure he is about many things. But a human in the Inverse is definitely something wrong in itself. I think it’s time I changed that.”

To Alicia’s surprise, Grector rushed the Cagemaster and pinned him against the wall with a mighty fist. “Dapper! Oracle!”

At his cue, both Oracle and Dapper ran to try to pull Alicia free. The sharp end of the staff pierced through the back of Grector, who fell and began to dissolve. Chantim waved his hand and both Dapper and Oracle were pinned against walls, as if gravity itself had changed. The Cagemaster walked back up to Alicia, looking at her with intrigue. “What exactly did you do to Grector? I’ve never seen him act like that.”

Alicia was horrified. Grector had actually stood up for her, and paid the price. A price she might be paying herself in a handful of moments. “What are YOU doing? How are you bending reality itself? It’s… impossible!”

Chantim seemed almost taken aback, even slightly bashful at Alicia’s acknowledgement of his power. “Do you not know of the Cagemasters? I would have thought a spy like you would know everything about me. I’ve never met a human who was anything but disrespectful towards all Vorpals.”

Alicia got an idea. “What are you talking about? Your power is amazing! I’ve never seen anything remotely like it!”

Chantim laughed, waving a hand as the bonds on all three captives vanished. “Inconceivable! A human with an objective eye for wonderment! You actually are as you claim, aren’t you? You don’t hold ill will towards Vorpals?”

Alicia tried to stand back up, but the floor tilted beneath her, causing her to tumble. She was about to accuse Chantim again before she saw both Dapper and Oracle were still standing just fine, looking at her with confusion.

Chantim helped pull Alicia to her feet. “My, but you also don’t have much time as a human left, do you?”

Alicia’s blood ran cold. “So, do you know how long I have? Could I get back to a Gateway in time?”

Chantim stroked his beard. “You have… probably a couple minutes? So, no. You can’t.”

Alicia’s heart sank. Her friends, family, everything she knew in the real world. She was going to forget all of it. She had wanted to see the Inverse, and now it was all she would be seeing. Till the end of time. “So… that’s it then.”

Chantim knelt down, putting his hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “Yes, that is one outcome. But a kind hearted human meeting her fate in the Inverse after going on such an adventure seems to be a rather sour end, doesn’t it? No, I think we can do better. Oracle, I assume you know what I’m thinking? You always do, after all.”

Oracle looked torn on whatever unspoken idea the two shared. “Are you sure, master? She is still but a child by human standards. It seems so… unlikely.”

“That’s a truly hilarious claim coming from a prophet.”

Oracle grimaced. “I can’t see all… only some. Glimpses, short bursts. But I guess, in the end, I agree.”

Alicia couldn’t stand the coded and secretive language. “What? What do you want from me? Just tell me, and I can either accept or decline. I-”

The floor began to crack as Chantim stepped back, flourishing his robes as he spread his arms wide. “Oh, we want absolutely everything, not just what you have! But for now, all we require is what you were planning from the very moment you stepped foot in the Inverse.”

The cracks grew wider and more numerous as the pieces of the floor began to fall. “What? What are you referring to?”

Chantim said something, but Alicia didn’t hear the answer as she fell through into the darkness. She remembered screaming, but didn’t remember hearing her scream. Her eyes opened wide, and she found herself at the entrance to the Inverse, already at the end of the bridge with the Gateway looming over her. With her was Dapper, standing but looking around equally confused. “Alicia, do you know what happened? I don’t remember getting to the Gateway… do you?”

Alicia stood up carefully, aware a stumble could send her falling off the bridge very easily. She was getting a steadily worse headache, and started to experience blurring vision again. “No, but I don’t have a lot more time. Dapper, can you transform into an inanimate object and get in my bag? Hopefully, that will be enough to sneak you in.”

Dapper answered by flattening himself, then folding several times until he was an unassuming notebook. He extended a long arm with the fingers tiptoeing like legs towards Alicia, and with a single motion pulled himself into Alicia’s bag as she was already in the process of using the key on the Gateway. She limped through as it opened, collapsing into the real world as her legs decided to give out entirely. She blacked out as she heard screams and the commotion of people rushing around her.

Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying the story, you might also enjoy my novel! It’s set in the same fictional universe, but follows different characters.

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Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying the story, you might also enjoy my novel! It’s set in the same fictional universe, but follows different characters.

Same post on Minds

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