kiiblade

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Ghent cringed, the harshness in the response reminding him of his near-death experience. If Drust didn't make the bargain for the Curative, who did? He rested his head against his backpack, unsatisfied with the answer. Something wasn't adding up.
Elayra's question was met with another one-shouldered shrug. Ghent wasn't sorry for his behavior. He picked at his canine tooth, feeling a piece of leftover toatunt jerky jammed somewhere between his teeth. He didn't know how Elayra kept her sanity without joking around.
Here we go. Ghent almost rolled his eyes as Elayra began to list his latest offenses. He propped himself up on his elbow, ready to speak up, but Drust interrupted the girl before he could.
Ghent simmered down, anxious to hear more of the story. Ellheim's name wasn't familiar, but he remembered the Omitten. He glanced to Elayra as Alden was mentioned, his attention snapping back to Drust as he spoke of Alden trying the very thing Ghent had suggested.
Mortally wounded. Ghent's heart sank. He noticed Elayra adverting her gaze, her reaction leading him to believe the memory was painful. Ghent remained quiet, new questions presenting themselves in his mind.
"Pet?" Ghent echoed, the use of the word ripping him from his thoughts. He wanted Drust to correct Elayra, to deny the worst, but he didn't. Ellheim sacrificed his freedom for his son. It was so bizarre and horrible, it was Ghent's turn to look away.
When Drust spoke of Elayra learning from her mistakes, Ghent eyed her with curiosity. Elayra didn't seem capable of making mistakes -- at least not the kind of mistakes he was always making. He couldn't imagine what Drust meant by the statement, unless Elayta played a part in Alden's decision to bargain with the creature.
Ghent didn't have time to play detective for long. He sat up straighter at the mention of Hatter, fumbling to catch the book before it could hit the ground. He turned the book over for a title or name, finding neither.
Still, it was Hatter's. Or it had been. Ghent felt weirdly sentimental. He heard stories, but the man almost felt fictional until that moment. Holding something that once belonged to his father verified his existence.
He took a breath before lifting the cover, but he dropped it shut when Drust stood, wielding a weapon unlike anything he had ever seen.
“That’s for me?” Ghent’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the blade, its deadliness evident to him even from afar. He set the book aside, his gaze never leaving the weapon. He couldn’t decide whether to be delighted or horrified.
“Uh, right! Of course. I’ll be careful.” Ghent stammered over the words, hoping not to sound as eager as he felt. The possibility of his own weapon turning on him was scary, but the thought of being unarmed in Wonderland was scarier.
Aches and pains forgotten, Ghent stood. He reached out to accept the staff, a surge of adrenaline rushing through his body once the weapon was entrusted to him.
"Oh man..." Ghent breathed, his arms dipping slightly due to the sudden weight. He held the weapon so it was level with his chest, hands spaced half a foot apart. He gave a gentle tug in opposite directions, but the halves remained whole, as he expected they would. The staff didn't know him yet, and vise versa.
“Does it have a name?” Ghent angled the staff to get a better look at the gemstone, appreciating the weapon even more from up close. He was so busy admiring his gift, he completely missed the fact that Elayra was envious. "How soon can you teach me to use it? Did my dad ever fight with this?"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"Are you serious?" A day ago, Ghent would have laughed and called Elayra a liar. He leaned forward to get a better look at the bottle, amazed something so small could contain so much power.
"Save it?" he scoffed, "I think we should sell it." He locked his hands behind his head, leaning against his backpack like a pillow. "Do you even realize how much that'd be worth on Earth?"
Before more could be said about the King's Curative, Drust spoke up, startling Ghent as he often did.
Stand? Ghent wasn't sure if he heard the man correctly. He looked in Elayra's direction, watching for her reaction to the sudden demand. What was Drust going to do, challenge her to a fight? Ghent wouldn't put it past him. Not after the day they had.
"It's only two drops, Blondie." Ghent spoke up from his spot on the ground, unmoving. From his position, Drust looked like a skyscraper. A really scary, Curse-ridden skyscraper. "Drust's right. You hit your head pretty hard back there, y'know."
Despite being rather comfortable, Ghent sat up as Elayra stood, seeing the unmistakable look in her eyes. "She's gonna--" he began, but Drust got to her before she could collapse.
Ghent breathed a secret sigh of relief once Elayra sat back down. He listened as Drust elaborated, his face scrunching up at mention of a daejinn being a cat. Hopefully they didn't shed as much as William.
"If they've got that much power, why don't we ask one of them to kill the Sorceress for us and call it a day?" Ghent said it as a joke, but was half serious. He shifted his backpack around, trying to get comfortable again as she mentioned a price.
"What do they usually want in return? A soul? Catnip? Seems like a fair trade for a miracle potion." Ghent shrugged with one shoulder, his eyes narrowing in a combination of suspicion and curiosity. "What kind of deal did you make with one, Drust?"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"Well that's just great." Despite the heat of the fire, Ghent shivered, his delusions of safety replaced by fears of the unknown. "Hanging out with you two, I always expect the worst," he grumbled, folding the cloth over the remainder of the jerky. He didn't want to see, let alone think about whatever it was he just ate.
After tying off the twine, he passed the bundle back to Drust, mumbling a sheepish 'thanks' before turning to his backpack. He started to put away most of the scattered food items, leaving out the hard candy and a couple of candy bars to appease Drust.
His attention was suddenly diverted to the exchange involving Elayra's waterskin.
What, is water not substantial enough? Ghent came close to rolling his eyes, his inner voice heavy with sarcasm. From what he could tell, Drust was even harder to please than Elayra. Why would he object to her drinking water?
Taking one last swig of soda, Ghent crushed the empty can in his fist, his eyes darting between the two as they seemed to argue over the curious looking bottle. He hadn't known Elayra for long, but he had a feeling it was rare for her to show that much emotion over something. She almost seemed...worried.
Brows furrowed, Ghent tossed the can aside with the abandoned snacks, completely lost. What was a daejinn, and why did the idea of one seem to bother her so much? He waited for someone to fill him in, but no one did.
“Um…what was that all about?” Ghent asked finally, perplexed by the entire situation. “Is that stuff medicine?” he nodded to the bottle, wondering of its significance. Whatever it was, Elayra seemed more concerned of where it came from, rather than what it was used for. “And what's a daejinn?”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

The soda wasn't enough to mask the aftertaste. Ghent smacked his lips and grimaced, eyeing Elayra with the utmost suspicion. She was going to tell him something terrible, he just knew it. Why else would she look so happy?
Before the news was broken, Drust intervened. Ghent wasn't sure whether to be grateful he was spared the truth, or angry he was denied it. He sniffed at his dinner a second time, bringing the jerky closer to his face. There was no mammal on Earth he could compare it to. Perhaps some things were better left unsolved.
"You guys are cruel, you know that?" Ghent took a smaller bite, his hunger winning out. He made it a point to chew on one side of his mouth, an attempt to keep the jerky bumps away from his tongue. The method helped a little, but did nothing to prevent the flavor from resurfacing.
Ghent clutched the soda, cringing as he swallowed the rest of the mystery meat. He already hated the food of Wonderland.
At Drust’s mention of getting the most sleep, Ghent snorted a laugh mid-drink before turning it into a fake cough. The image of Margen knocking Drust out cold was still vivid in his mind, a sight that he didn't consider funny until he realized Drust was probably angry about it. The moment of amusement was short lived, replaced with concern at the mention of keeping watch.
Ghent set the drink aside, his heart giving a nervous flutter. They were in the Safe Zone, why would they have to keep watch if they were safe? Unless…they weren’t.
Elayra's suggestion of staying awake in pairs was certainly better than having to stay awake alone. Ghent began to agree with her, but he lost the nerve once Drust's katana made a reappearance.
"It's okay, Blondie." Ghent spoke up, hoping to keep the peace. If tending to the fire would keep Drust from stabbing them, he figured it was worth it. "I can do that, Drust. No problem." He shrugged with one shoulder, taking one last bite of his dinner.
Ghent answered before the instructions were finished. He stopped chewing, the jerky packed into his left cheek like a chipmunk. The Safe Zone suddenly felt a lot less safe.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ghent held up a hand to stop the conversation. "What do you mean, ‘if anything living tries to get in?’” He cast a quick look behind his shoulder, the color draining from his face. There was nothing but darkness and trees, a perfect camouflage for predators. "How can anything come in!? I thought this was a Safe Zone, not a Semi-Safe Zone!"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"If you say so." Ghent was frustrated by Drust's refusal to his idea, but hardly surprised. White Knight or not, he didn't know how the guy could go an entire day without eating. "Feel free to change your mind, though." He leaned forward to grab the bundle by the fabric, pulling at the twine until it opened.
In the middle of the cloth, Ghent was met with the peculiar sight of strangely colored jerky, a closer view at what Elayra was eating.
"Oh. Cool," he answered her, as if he knew what a toatunt was. He sniffed at the jerky, unable to judge the flavor by smell alone. "So, what is that...Wonderland's version of a cow?" Before waiting for an answer, he tore off a big piece with his teeth.
Ghent's expression went from impassive, to confused, to grossed out. The more the flavor soaked into his taste buds, the less he liked it. It tasted like something his mom would pick up from the health food store. It tasted like the health food store.
He regretted taking such a big bite. He couldn't swallow the bizarre tasting jerky without choking. He wanted to spit it out, but he forced himself to chew the rest. The raised bumps on the jerky brushed against the inside of his mouth. This definitely wasn't cow.
Finally, it was over. Ghent swallowed down the rest of it and coughed, as if that would somehow rid the flavor from his mouth. He placed the half-eaten piece of meat back with the others and reached for one of the cans of Pepsi, amazed by Elayra's ability to eat the stuff without showing signs of disgust.
"Seriously, what the heck is a toatunt?" Ghent pulled back the soda tab with a crack, bringing the can to his lips. He couldn't decide what was worse about the jerky; the texture or the flavor. "A Wonderland boar or something?"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

“Well, it used to be.” Ghent turned the sandwiched mess of cake and frosting over, inspecting it. Amazingly, the packaging remained perfectly sealed. “Want it?” He brought his hand back with the intention of tossing the cake to her, Drust’s comment stopping the action.
Ghent's hand fell to his side as he stared, blindsided by Drust’s sudden show of anger. Before he could figure out what he did wrong, the Knight was growling at him, going on about sustenance and basic needs. Two things that, unfortunately, Ghent never bothered to consider until that moment.
Ghent didn’t say anything. He gawked, chilled all over again by the intensity of the man’s stare. He couldn’t believe Elayra survived fourteen years with a guy who got angry over sour Skittles and chocolate.
Elayra was the first to speak up. Ghent heard her, but he didn’t dare let the man out of his vision. He wanted to say something, to defend his choice in edibles, but nothing came out. One wrong word and Drust might snap for good.
With Drust’s back to him, eye contact was broken and Ghent remembered to breathe. He caught Elayra’s glare, but failed to return it. He was too frightened by the sounds of Drust digging through the pack. Hopefully he wasn’t after something sharp.
Fearing for his safety, Ghent’s eyes darted to the piece of wood he’d set aside. The makeshift weapon was just out of reach. Thinking it best not to make any sudden moves, he remained seated, visibly flinching when something was thrown. The bundle of cloth and twine nestled among the sea of snacks, a sight far less threatening than what he expected.
More silence. Ghent looked from Drust, to the bundle, then back to Drust again. His hands were clammy; he felt like he had to deliver a public apology to an auditorium full of angry parents.
Who’s the mother hen now? Ghent muttered in his mind, annoyed that Drust cared so much about what he decided to consume. Who gave him the right to say what he could and couldn't eat? No one, that's who. Sighing through his nose, Ghent chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating his options. The immature side of him wanted to mouth off or throw the bag of Cheetos at Drust's head, but common sense won out.
The boy took a breath, steeling his nerves. He felt like shouting into a pillow out of sheer frustration, only shouting wasn't going to get his stomach to quit reminding him that it had been neglected.
"If you want me to ditch twenty dollars worth of snacks, fine. But at least meet me half way." Ghent jostled the bag of trail mix, its contents shifting with the movement. “This is the healthiest thing here, so it'd be dumb to waste it. We can split this, and…uh, whatever that is,” he eyed the bundle, wondering what type of animal the jerky originated from. For all he knew, they were dining on shadowmire.
“That way, everybody eats, and my backpack gets lighter." Ghent swallowed uneasily, watching the Knight for further signs of aggression. He didn't know if the idea would resonate with Drust's Curse-driven mind, but he felt the need to try. "Sound good?"

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Ghent was startled by the negative response to his innocent inquiry. What was wrong with wanting a pet? Drust sounded especially annoyed; Ghent suspected the Knight's patience was beginning to run out.
“I was only asking!” Ghent held up two hands to show he wasn't pursuing the idea. Minus the tension, the situation was similar to when he asked his parents for a lizard. He wasn't allowed to have a pet on Earth, or Wonderland. It sucked.
As Elayra removed the backpack from her bag, Ghent forgot all about owning a tichari. He just wanted to eat.
“I’d be happier if you brought it to me, but I guess that’ll do.” Slowly but surely, Ghent got to his feet, blinking away the splotches of light assaulting his vision. He crossed the distance between them, leaning forward to grab the loop of his backpack. It was heavier than he remembered; Elayra’s pack weighed much less. “Thanks, Blondie.”
Returning to his original spot next to Drust, Ghent dropped the pack to the ground with a gentle thump and sat beside it, sitting cross legged. “Well, yeah. Provisions were the first thing I packed,” he used Drust’s word to describe his hoard of snacks. “I have a couple of sodas in here, so we should probably drink those. They’re making this thing heavy.”
Unbuckling the outer flap, Ghent dug through the oblong backpack. It wasn’t long before he produced a can of soda. The beverage was soon followed by an entire bag of Cheetos, a half-eaten bag of trail mix with the M&M’s missing, four completely flattened Zebra Cakes, assorted candy, and close to a dozen chocolate bars.
“Here we go.” Ghent unearthed two additional drinks, each identical to the first. “You guys have to try this. Earth is pretty much famous for Pepsi,” he held up the dented can so they could have a better view. It was like show and tell featuring nothing but junk food.
“I have a water bottle somewhere around here, too…” he peeked into the backpack, unable to see much inside. Articles of clothing were making it difficult to maneuver. “Oh well. You guys wanna try anything? Most of the candy’s sour, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Elayra’s threat went unnoticed by Drust, but not Ghent. He lifted his head to stare at her, mentally recoiling at the sight of the dagger. He could have sworn the flames grew larger and more menacing, reacting to her movement.
Discretely as he could, -- which wasn't discrete at all -- Ghent scooted closer to Drust, turning their former seating formation to one of an acute triangle. Better to be safe than sorry.
"Combat, huh?" Ghent dusted leftover grass from his palms, hoping Drust wouldn’t notice he was suddenly half a foot closer. “Y’know, I think I’ve noticed that before,” he poked at nonexistent muscle on his forearm. “Back on Earth, I…”
Drust hadn't finished. As he added onto his original statement, Ghent’s voice faltered. He squinted at Elayra, daring her to comment. She did, but not in the way he anticipated. She stood up for him, though Ghent suspected her only intention was to keep Drust calm.
Three fighters, princess, Ghent growled in his head. No way was he going to sit by and allow a girl pass him up in combat. If Elayra could learn to fight, he could too. He was determined to try, even if the thought of training made his body ache worse than it already was.
"My...what?" Ghent's competitive thoughts were put on hold. He stared at Drust, unsure what to do with the information. It wasn't the worst news in the world, but it was definitely weird. Would aging slower stunt his growth? He didn't dare ask, but at least that would explain why his height hadn't changed in the past year. He sat up straighter at the thought, squaring his shoulders. He didn't want to let Elayra sit taller than him.
The fact that Drust traveled worlds beyond Earth was interesting enough in itself, but when he brought Hatter and Elayra's mother into the mix, half a dozen questions sprang into Ghent’s mind.
“Whoa, really?” Ghent leaned in like a kid waiting to hear a bedtime story. He longed to hear more, but something began nibbling at his conscious. Something that presented itself as a harsh, depressing reminder.
The White Queen was dead.
"I bet you guys had some pretty cool adventures,” Ghent chose his next words carefully, forcing himself to leave it at that. His mind buzzed with unanswered questions, but he decided to save them for later. It felt wrong to pursue the topic in front of Elayra.
In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Ghent’s stomach growled to remind him it was empty. Aside from a bag of Skittles, he hadn’t eaten anything the entire day. That was definitely a personal record.
“For now, I have two more questions..." Ghent took a deep breath, pausing for effect. “Can I keep a tichari as a pet? And what’s she eating?” he jerked his head in Elayra’s direction. “Because I’m starving, and her crazy bag swallowed my backpack.”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Understandably, the first question didn’t go over well. Ghent waited anxiously, hoping he hadn’t ticked them off enough to be denied answers. He silently begged Drust to give him another chance, and the Knight did.
Should. Ghent didn’t like that word. It meant that there was a possibility the portal would remain broken even after Wonderland was saved. Or salvaged. It didn't sound like defeating The Sorceress would magically reverse over a decade of damage. It made sense, but it was disappointing. There was no easy solution.
His brows lifted a notch when Drust mentioned the other portals. Miles had rambled something about being a World Jumper, but Ghent never really stopped to consider what that meant. The thought of new worlds should have excited him, but it made his stomach churn with uncertainty. If the worlds were anything like Wonderland, he wanted nothing to do with them.
He nodded slowly, expression contemplative as Drust addressed the differences between the world's magic. The explanation rang true to what Ghent had experienced so far. He continued to absorb the information, reminding himself to stay quiet until Drust was finished. It wasn't easy; each answer opened doors to more questions.
Despite the heat of the fire, a shiver radiated through Ghent as Drust made eye contact. Underneath his gaze he felt transparent, like the Knight could see straight into his soul. He put his attention back to the fire after Drust did, realizing it was his turn to speak.
"Wow..." The weight of the truth was heavy. Ghent scratched behind his ear, inexplicably nervous. So much was riding on his being a vinifcium. He was mostly scared, but angry too. The responsibility didn't seem fair.
"I guess I'll just have to practice some more.” Ghent plucked a few pieces of grass from the earth, far from convinced. Magic wasn’t the same as learning to ride a bicycle; a bicycle couldn’t combust or throw people in three different directions. Or whatever magic did when it felt like misbehaving.
He glanced to Elayra when she spoke up, sensing contempt in her last comment. You jealous? Ghent wanted to ask, but he stayed quiet. He didn't want to test his luck anymore than he had, especially after the stare down from Drust.
"So...is there anything else I should know about being a vinifcium? Is magic the only thing that sets me apart from you guys?" Ghent wondered, thinking it odd that he was categorized underneath a completely different race. He didn't feel that different; his connection to magic was just stronger than average.
"And did you ever use any of the other portals?" he added as an afterthought, genuinely curious now. He knew Elayra couldn't have, but Drust was older than they were. Maybe he world jumped when he was their age.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

It was too easy. Ghent failed to hold back a laugh as Elayra took the bait. He was no longer laughing when she likened his skills to that of an infant chimp, however. Scoffing, he folded his arms across his chest, mimicking her without realizing it.
"You're just jealous," he directed his attention to the knot, waiting for Drust to struggle with it so he could prove his knot was superior. Instead, the knot came undone so fast Ghent would have missed it if he had blinked.
"Seriously?" Ghent’s arms drooped. Magic was at work here, he was sure of it. There was no way his knot was that bad. He didn't have to look at Elayra to know she was smirking. He practically felt it.
"Yeah, well. Something must be wrong with your rope.” Ghent scooped the rope up from the ground and began wrapping it into a coil, more annoyed than he cared to let on. He wished he was good at something besides running his mouth.
He stiffened as Drust’s tone changed to something he didn’t expect. Was he worried over a katana? Ghent wondered if it had sentimental value, or maybe weapons were hard to come by in Wonderland. The boy nodded, confirming Elayra’s response as to where the blade was.
When Drust gripped his head, Ghent's heart went into a panicked frenzy. The Knight appeared distressed, as if the Curse was taking over again. Terrified, Ghent looked to Elayra, but the girl didn’t seem afraid. At least, not for the same reason he was. He stood by and allowed her to help Drust if she wanted to. He couldn't very well stop her.
Ghent winced out of sympathy when he heard her gasp. Even though he and Elayra fought over everything, he certainly didn't want her to be in pain. He made an effort to help, but Drust took a knee instead. It was one of the rare times where they were about equal height.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Ghent liked the sound of resting. He wasn't sure how his legs were supporting him. He dragged his feet toward the fire, freezing as Drust mentioned him having questions.
"Questions. Right." Ghent blinked dazedly, missing the look from Elayra. His mind suddenly felt very empty. He passed the coil of rope to Elayra before sitting at the opposite side of the fire. He sat there purposely so he could have both in his line of vision once Drust joined them.
Ghent stared into the fire until the flames created an orange blur. Now that he had an opportunity to learn more about Wonderland, he didn't know what to do with it. He wanted to understand magic better, but he didn't know where to begin. He also had an increasing desire to ask about his mother, if he still had one. No one had mentioned her, which lead him to suspect a number of gut wrenching possibilities.
“When can I go home?” The first question flew out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop himself. He regretted it instantly, but it was too late to take it back. His constant thought was out in the open.
“I mean,” Ghent stammered as he looked to his hands, cheeks burning. “I know the portal’s busted right now, but after we take her out, will things go back to how they used to be?” he braved a look in Drust’s direction, seeking him out for any shred of hope.
"And what's up with magic here? It feels...different. How am I supposed to get it to work?" The questions came naturally now. So naturally, that Ghent was barely offering them a word in edgewise.