Herman leaves in a huff
I slid past the door. Once closed behind me, I leaned my back against it. With my eyes closed I retraced the last for weeks in the desert. I hated long travel in the desert but felt terrible for leaving my friend. It was even worse as we had a fight before I left. I wish Oni listened to me more especially when I was correct. That is most of the time.
Looking around the room, Jinx had been here. She had painted and redecorated. I guess we were an item in this estranged place. Oni’s screen had a blanket over it. It was on, but jinx did not want to see it. She must have been afraid to turn it off. I removed the blanket and watched Oni and his friends sweat in the desert heat. The cool air rushed over me with a sense of guilt. Jinx was the only thing on my mind. I would keep an eye on things.
I ran to the closet and throw on my armor and weapons. Someone likely Jinx had recently oiled them. They felt good as I slid them over to my body. The closet had been rebuilt and enlarged while I was gone. Jinx was truly moving in. I through on my wrist screen and headed out the door.
I swung by “The Dragons Bane”. It was on the way to the sheriff’s office, and she was almost always in one of those two places. Some friend of Weasleton’s opened this place a long time ago. It was a loud active tavern. It sported only two guest rooms on the second floor. They had a wide range of food, including this amazing roasted furpig. Peering in I did not see her. The smell of the roasted furpig hit me and my stomach roared. Lunch was on the menu soon.
Moments later I was stepping in the sheriff’s office. Her arms wrapped me. The embraced warmed me more than the desert I hale from. She squeezed me so tight I struggled to breath. Finding a small amount of breath, “how are you? I missed you.” Her grip loosened so we could add a little space between us. I looked over to Sherriff and some other bird familiar in a cell. They looked gaunt. Every feather on Sherriff body looked thin and gray. Some sickness was taking him over. Whispering to Jinx, “Jinx, what is wrong with them. They do not look good.”
Her eyes closed as if to tear, but she had cried all the tears this problem deserved. She squeezed my hand, “let’s go get some lunch, I can tell you all about it. It is quite scary.” I nodded and led us out the door. She almost struggled into my arm as we walked out into the street. Her body so close to me felt reassuring. Like this place was enough, this time was enough. I wanted my own life and my connected life. The life of Oni was half of me, this was the other half.
We stepped into the “Bane”. It was a different place then the last time. I had not noticed it when I looked in here an hour ago, but the cheer was gone. There was still some laughter, but it was muted. Many were thin and grey like the birds. The old bar tender was not here but the rest of his staff was working even in their sluggish state. Jinx pointed to a table that seemed a little remote and private and marched over. Even before reaching the table a plump fury mammal came over. Jinx looked up with her practiced smile, “Bubbles, how are you?” She did not answer and gave a signing shrug.
Bubbles took our order and ran off to get food. Jinx must have noticed the confused look on my face. She told me Bubbles was a Hamster, and from a long-estranged family. The quiet was deafening in the place. Jinx waited for our food and drink before telling me about the curse in the Nexus. I listened intently.
Some curse had reached the Nexus. It was unclear if it would affect the entire Nexus or just this region. Anyone that came here was affected. Familiars that left for their core worlds seem to heal once back. Many groups have left to investigate the problem. She talked fondly of a toad named Bugsy she met. They believed the curse started in the Waking Jungle and is spreading from there. Several groups have been sent to the Waking Jungle, and a few other places. She believed it was related to Raam and Weasleton’s rescue. There was this strange report of a giant. I had seen this giant so many months ago. Should I tell her it was a man from Raam. She was worried about that too. She was amazing in her ability to worry about everyone. He loved her for it.
I checked my wrist screen. Oni was talking to some angle in the desert night. The chill wind was blowing in. Their closes all whapped in the breezes as it blew through. It was great seeing Oni. The sound was kept off as to not let other overhear. The old rules of unconditional peace in the Nexus was dead, and prying ears might get messages back to their respective masters. I looked around. No one seemed interested but that is how they would act.
After listening intently without interruption all I could say was, “what are you going to do?” My thoughts went to my connection to my core world. It was possible to bring living creatures and objects through the connection. He looked at her, not knowing if she would transform as she went through it. Weasleton and his army did. The giant did not. There was no way to know how it would affect her. His thoughts moved on to why he was here.
Jinx had the softest eyes. Even when she was intent and taking command her eyes were always huge and soft. I had never met a ferret before her, and my world no longer had them. Her eyes might be ferret eyes or they might be her. She reached a comforting hand over to me, “just what I am doing. Planning and making things better here. I am one of the last that can still get into Weasleton’s Lair. I need to be here.” That last part felt like she was reading my mind and telling me to forget taking her to the core world. Her place was here.
“Hey, do you know a good tattoo artist in town?”, I asked. She nodded a yes. She looked confused. My smile made her feel better, “I need a little work done. You were only half my reason for being here.” We finished our lunch talking about the little things. It felt good to just feel normal. We did not talk about the curse, or of Tiamat and her minions. For just the rest of lunch, none of that existed. I had a second mead before leaving. Nomli had talked about mead in such an annoying way and now that is all I wanted.
The short trip to the tattoo shop was all business again. The soft conversions turned to the serious business at hand. The curse was all we thought about. I wanted to reassure her, “if it all goes south, my final thing will be to head back here. I will not leave you forever.” I could tell by her look that she was unsure if I was lying or just naive. We headed into the shop.
A disheveled bird was cleaning some needles and over tools at a bench. Moving in front of Jinx I brought his attention to me. “Hi, my name is Herman, can you tattoo creatures like me?” Herman was a Dung Beetle, and his outer shell was covered in a hardened chitin, and not skin. I was concerned that it would not work.
The bird’s beak opened in what was maybe a smile. The bird spoke in a bit of an accent, “hey mate, I’m Chirps.” He stood and came over, “I know right, fucking masters and their stupid names, but here we are.” He brought his hand up slowly to examine my chest. His beak grinned, “I can do something like a tattoo. In your case it is more like a carving with ink.” He stepped back to grab a box, “now it will hurt… what are you looking for?” He set the box down. Inside it was filled with chisels and hammers.
We talked. I explained that I was looking for a wasp, a symbol of Bralm. He had no idea who Bralm was but started to do some sketches. His drawings had divine inspiration. It took him three grueling hours to take his sketch to my chest. Jinx held my hand the entire time. When I flexed my chest, I could make it look like it was stinging. Jinx paid Chirps.
Jinx had her old skip step back. We headed back to my or our place, “I like what you have done with the place. It feels like home now.”
Herman rejoins Oni
I was not sure how long it had been, days, weeks. I was not even sure if time worked the same on both sides. Removing the armor and weapons felt like taking off my skin. They are such a part of me here. Jinx had not shown any sign of the curse but leaving her felt like a betrayal. Being torn into two halves that can never be whole was the plight of every familiar. It is the original curse of the Nexus.
Before stepping out I flexed my chest to sting my wasp. I crawled out becoming the small beetle again. Out in the core world my head could not move around like in the Nexus. I crawled out onto Oni’s arm and up to his shoulder. I was able to see the wasp survived the trip. I think I smiled, but even if I did not, I felt joy. Oni’s voice hit me, “hey little buddy. I am so happy to see you.” I turned to him letting him know I was glad to see him too. He spoke in such soothing words, “I am sorry. I should listen to you more.” He held in some tears, “oh and you were right about the dagger. It was cursed.”
All seemed right in the world again