Chapter Text
Traveling the mines was not as terrifying as Pomni anticipated it being; Kinger was more reliable than she had guessed. He kept his amber alit, and even added a few extra light particles to surround them, giving a better light to their surroundings. Mazes of stalagmites and pools of water felt less ominous.
Despite her anxiety of not finding her bag or Caine, something about being with the wizard was comforting. For someone who did not seem to have all of his senses together, he certainly understood her discomfort and remedied it.
“Kinger?” Pomni spoke, after minutes of silence. She was almost surprised to hear her voice echo still. Damn, the Underground was huge.
“Mm-hm?” the man replied, looking over his shoulder at her.
“I… have a question.”
“Oh, I like those.”
She smiled a little at his childlike wonder. “I noticed that you use common spells, like Light,” she began, looking up at the fluttering particles around them, “But you add very unique spins to them.” Pomni held up her hand, and one orb flew to her and hovered over it. “It looks like these are insects. I know some Ringers require a host to cast light, like fireflies, but these seem to be completely conjured up by yourself.”
“Oh, yes; I do love bugs,” Kinger said with a nod of his head. “I usually make my spells look like them.”
“How?”
Kinger shrugged, as though it was nothing of great importance. “I just… do.”
Pomni shook sense into her head. “You mean you just… think of it and it happens?” she clarified.
“Pretty much.”
“That’s incredible.” The bard put her hands on her head. “I’ve only ever heard of the strongest magic users being able to do that. It takes years to perfect.” She paused, observing the beautiful lights again. “Kinger, are you a Ringmaster?”
Kinger chuckled and looked at her again. “I don’t know about that,” he said, a hand on his cheek. “I’ve never truly considered it and there are so many stronger magic users than I.” He looked up pensively. “I thought there was a series of examinations one had to pass before being officially recognized as a Ringmaster.” After a pause, he waved his hand through the air. “Bah; I never really bothered with those. Anyone who wants to be recognized as a Ringmaster is usually in it for the fame and glory.” He looked at Pomni again. “I do it for the love of magic, helping people, and better understanding the world.”
“That’s… awfully humble of you.”
“Why thank you.” Kinger moved over to let Pomni walk next to him. “I like to think of it like your music. The best bards do it for the love of the craft, and to make people feel as content as they do, doing what they love. Do you agree?”
Pomni nodded. “I love making people smile when times are hard,” she said, a hand on her chest.
“Music is just another vein of magic,” Kinger continued. “Audible, rather than visual.”
“You’re very insightful,” Pomni noted. A far cry from what she had first known him for. “Why the sudden shift?”
“Shift?” Kinger said.
“Ever since we entered the mines, you’ve been different. You seem more… coherent, if that makes any sense.”
Kinger looked at her for a moment, but said nothing.
“I’m sorry if I don’t make any sense, but—!”
To her surprise, Kinger placed a hand over her mouth and pulled her towards him. Instantly, every light he had on went out, and he hid his sceptre in his robe. “Shh,” he hushed her, before gluing the two of them to the side of a stalagmite.
Pomni was ready to take back what she said about the wizard, when a growl was heard. She froze, and looked up in time to see one of the Abstractions walking by. She placed her hands on Kinger’s and felt his grasp tighten, if only to reassure her of his presence.
The Abstraction blended in perfectly with the darkness around them—a giant, dark shadow—until it opened its eyes. They dotted its entire body like a horrible plague, and the way they all moved around individually made Pomni want to throw up. The sickly neon glows each eye cast on the pillars around the creature outlined it in a way that made it even more horrifying to know that this giant mass of non-concrete shape had once been a person, just like herself.
Morbid curiosity finally satisfied, Pomni swallowed and closed her eyes tight.
They kept silent, until Kinger waved his free hand through the air. He closed it, and once reopened, a red dragonfly made of light was sitting in his palm. He released it, and it fluttered off into the cavern. The Abstraction noticed it and took chase, running off into the opposite direction that they were headed in.
They were still until the rumbling had faded. Kinger released Pomni and the bard took a few steps away while panting, a hand on her heart.
“That was close,” Kinger said, rubbing his neck. He conjured up more light orb insects. “Let’s keep moving—!”
“How can you be so calm after that?” Pomni snapped. “You all get close calls with Abstractions, and you just… shrug it off?” She stepped back when Kinger reached out for her. “I’ve only been with this group for what, two days, and I’m already at my wits end! How are you so chaotic in normal times, but so calm and collected in times where you should be frightened?”
When all Kinger did was stare at her in silence, the bard buried her face in her hands and leaned against the rock wall. She slid to the ground, where she wrapped her arms around her legs. Placing her head between them, Pomni let out a sob, one that she had been holding back since the incident in the forest. He entire body shook, and soon she was unable to stop herself from crying.
Kinger did nothing to stop her. All Pomni felt, was the man sitting down on the ground next to her and waiting. Waiting for her to run out of sobs, waiting for help to come, she knew not. All she knew was that he never told her to dry her tears.
He simply waited, and gave her time.
“I know it hasn’t been the easiest for you too acclimate to our… uh, chaos,” Kinger said, once Pomni had calmed down. He let out a soft laugh. “You know… it was like that for Ragatha and Jax as well, when they joined. We weren’t nearly as chaotic back then, but…” He twiddled his thumbs. “I know it took a bit for them to get used to our way of doing things. To different degrees.”
He sat back against the wall, held out his hand and one of his light bugs fluttered into it. “But the one thing we all had in common, was our resentment towards the Abstraction Virus,” he continued, while playing with the insect. “And our desire to be rid of it. We take on quests where we help people, and sometimes, go on treasure hunts just for the thrill of it. We’re all a little strange, and we each have a part of us that was… hurt, whether directly or indirectly by the Virus.” His eyes shined in the warm glow of the light, and Pomni could only imagine him smiling sadly. “I’ve lost someone. Ragatha and Jax… they don’t say it, but I know the pain they hide in their eyes was the same as mine. Zooble and Gangle have indirectly been affected by the Virus; through the people and places they knew. That’s how they came to be part of my team.”
Kinger held the glowing insect out to Pomni. At first, she hesitated, but then held out her hands to allow the creature to flutter onto her. It was warm, but not hot enough to burn. It sent a calming feeling through her being as she brought it close to her chest.
“Do you have anyone you care about?” Kinger asked.
Pomni passed her finger over the insect, and it shook out light particles. She smiled, but only a little. “My best friend,” she said without looking up. “He’s an Adventurer, like you guys. A Tracker. Does a lot of the risky Zones of Wandering missions.”
“He sounds like a good man.”
Pomni wiped some tears away, and looked up. “You’re very different than what you were this morning,” she said. “Even in the cavern earlier, you seemed more… there, if you understand me.”
Kinger hummed while nodding. “The dark makes me comfortable,” he said. “I have more control over my memories here, and the strain that years of magic and experimentation have had on me sort of… washes away.” He paused here, studying his hands, before continuing: “We are on the chaotic side of things, more than normal adventuring teams. But I think there’s a charm to that. And when the going gets tough, you’ll notice how our puzzle seems to fit together quite nicely.”
Pomni giggled. “A little rough around the edges,” she said.
“Of course. You can’t have a good ballad without a few ups and downs, right?” The wizard stood up and dusted his robe off. “You’re very brave, Pomni, for stepping into a world you know nothing of, just to help make things safer for everyone else. Including your best friend.” He held out his hand, and helped Pomni to her feet. “Cherish the people around you. You never know when they’ll be gone.” He watched her release the glowing insect into the air, before pulling out his sceptre and blowing over the amber. “We can talk about things for hours, but I don’t believe this is the safest place for it. I can invite you into my pillow fort, the next time we stay at an inn, if you’d like.”
“Sure.” Pomni watched the amber begin to glow again. “Thank you, Kinger.”
“You’re very welcome, my dear,” Kinger replied, eyes smiling. “Now, let’s go find that Artifact.”
*****
It was nearing midnight according to Caine, as the other half of the Traveling Circus entered yet another cavern. This one mostly consisted of pools of murky water, but was not lacking of every other feature they had noticed thus far. There were even glittering gems embedded in the cave walls that cast a beautiful glow.
No sign of Abstractions either, or Gangle assumed so when Jax strained his ears to listen. None of the usual ear wiggles—she had learned long ago about his alert system for the others when he heard one of the monsters. As much as he scared her, Gangle had to admit it was an ingenious technique of his.
“Do you see anything?” Ragatha asked.
“Nothing but rocks, mineral deposits and brown water,” Zooble replied.
“And more rocks,” Jax added.
Caine cleared his throat. “I would look a little harder,” he said, catching their attention.
Ragatha knitted her brow in confusion, while Jax and Zooble glared at the entity. “Can you just give us a straight answer for once?” the rogue grumbled.
“That’s not fun,” Caine replied, crossing his arms and legs.
Zooble slapped their forehead as Jax’ eyelid twitched.
“I don’t remember this situation being fun,” Ragatha said, placing a hand to her cheek.
Caine giggled. “It is for me,” he said, eyes glowing.
Zooble spread out their arms and let out a loud groan, their voice echoing in the chamber. “How does Pomni deal with you twenty-four seven?” they exclaimed. “You’re like an annoying flea, or a mosquito that won’t quit biting!”
“I can’t give you the answers, that’s cheating,” Caine replied with a shrug. “I don’t give Pomni all the answers either.”
Zooble pulled on their hood in frustration until Ragatha stammered out a laugh. “Come on guys, let’s keep it together,” the cleric said, though to Gangle it sounded more like a plea. The artificer had listened to Ragatha try to keep Zooble’s annoyance of Caine’s riddling clues at bay, all night.
Jax leaned against the wall and flashed his usual grin at the woman. “What would you suggest then, Fearless Leader?” he asked, but it was not without a hint of skepticism in it.
Ragatha tapped the tip of her staff against her lips before looking at Gangle. Her pink eyes brightened. “Gangle,” she said, catching her attention. “Do you think you could use your goggles to notice anything in here?”
Gangle blinked and almost fell backwards by the query. “Y-you want me to use one my tools to help?” she asked, a feeble attempt to hide her excitement.
“It’s not a quest with a monetary prize, Ribbons,” Jax added. “Just answer yes or no.”
Gangle, her entire being quivering, smiled. It was not often that she was asked to use something she herself created in a quest. Guns, Disappearing Guy, those were a whole different thing. But these were items she poured her heart into, to help in any way possible. She was used to being overlooked, even within the Traveling Circus. “Y-yes,” she said, squeezing between them. She cleared her throat. “Let me… adjust a few settings.”
She stood next to Ragatha and lowered her goggles over her eyes. Turning their golden rims adjusted the zoom feature she had worked diligently on for months, and pressing the lens once turned on the tracking mechanism. Her goggles scanned everything in real time as she saw it, and whatever stuck out was highlighted in yellow. Everything she saw was what a typical cavern would look like and contain. Her goggles highlighted falling rubble here and there, and the ripples in the pools when pieces fell within its waters.
So far, nothing else.
“I don’t see anything yet,” Gangle announced, adjusting the zoom on her lenses. “I’ll try scanning the back of the chamber. There might be—!” She stopped cold in her words as her goggles highlighted something at the back in yellow. Gangle stared at in silence for a moment, before leaning forward and continuing to adjust her zoom. “Hang on,” she revised. “There’s something—something at the other end. It’s not natural or part of the cavern. It’s got a symmetrical look to it—!”
“What the heck does that even mean?” Jax grumbled.
Ragatha waved a hand in his face while shushing him, and when Gangle looked up, Jax had rolled his eyes dramatically and looked away, pouting. “What else, Gangle?” the cleric asked.
“Um…” Gangle turned her focus back to the item in yellow. “It looks… like it was forged in some sort of metal.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s shiny, and…” She paused before pushing up one goggle and looking at Ragatha. “That’s all I can make out from here. I’d need to get closer in order to see it better.”
To her complete horror, Jax picked her up by the scruff of her shirt collar. Gangle yelped stared back at his yellow eyes, the feeling of impending doom crushing her.
“Jax!” Ragatha exclaimed, as the rabbit held Zooble back with his leg. “Put her down!”
“Why?” Jax asked, feigning innocence. “She said she needed to get a closer look.” He kicked Zooble back and took a step forward. “So, I’m just lending her a hand!”
His arm swung forward, and Gangle screamed as she was thrown through the air towards the nearest pool. Despite goggles still over her eyes, she covered them with her hands in a frail attempt to avoid the incoming impact.
She hit the water like a cannonball, and decided to remain submerged until things had calmed down. She could hear muffled yelling coming from Ragatha and Zooble, and laughter coming from Jax—the usual. Gangle whimpered for being at the centre of the chaos once more.
A deep chuckle shattered her silence. It was crystal clear, as though Gangle was standing next to the person outside the water. It sent a chill down her spine, and she decided that it was the best time to exit the pool.
Gangle broke past the surface with a loud gasp and scrambled to reach for the edge of the pool. She pushed her goggles back over her head and caught her breath. Ragatha attempted to get between Jax and Zooble as the latter tried reaching for the other’s neck while screaming profanities. Jax was still laughing, leaning against the cave wall while howling.
Gangle sighed in defeat. She was about to tell them she was alright when she realized the water she was in had a flavour to it. She froze, licked her lips and then moved her hand through the liquid. Her brow knitted. “Uh, Guys?” she called out, and the arguing finally ceased. “There’s something strange about this water.”
While Jax and Zooble blinked in confusion Ragatha pulled on her locks. “Then get out!” she exclaimed, running towards the artificer. “You don’t just sit in a pool of water and say it’s strange and not get out of it!”
“I mean, I don’t think it’s water.”
“That’s worse!”
“No, I mean…” Gangle let Ragatha grab her arms and begin pulling her out. “I mean it’s… very sweet.” She got to her feet once she had fully exited the pool, and pointed at it. “It’s not as visceral as regular water, and it’s got a sweet taste to it. Kind of like… chocolate!”
“Chocolate?” Ragatha echoed, as the others join her.
Jax snickered. “She’s lost her marbles,” he teased.
Zooble smacked him across the back of the head. “You didn’t help!” they snapped, as Jax gingerly rubbed the injury.
Caine seemed intrigued by Gangle’s discovery. “Go on,” he said, catching her attention. “What would you say it is, then?”
Gangle looked at the pool and pursed her lips. Chocolate, sweet, thicker than water…
She gasped and looked at Caine. “It’s fudge!” she said. “The water in the pools is chocolate fudge!”
She received odd stares from her teammates, but they only lasted a moment when the chamber began to rumble. Gangle peeped and ran to seek shelter behind Zooble. Ragatha placed a shield over the five of them. “Caine?” she said.
“Not me!” Caine replied, holding his arms up. “I can’t even turn water to wine.”
“Then what is going on?”
“The reason this mining town is abandoned, that’s what.”
The water in the largest pool began to rise higher and higher, nearly reaching the ceiling. It had a deep laugh, which made the chamber rumble even more. Two eyes resembling a common hard candy bought by children in the cities appeared at the top of its head, and once it had focused its attention on the group of adventurers, it gave a wide, toothy grin, revealing a mouth full of sharpened candy corn.
“Did he just waltz out of the Candy Kingdom on the other side of the country, or something?” Zooble said.
Caine raised a finger, pointing upwards. “Actually, he was banished by its ruler, about a hundred years ago,” he replied. “Poofed here by a powerful teleporting spell.” When he noticed Zooble staring at him incredulously, the entity shrugged. “I didn’t make up history. Go read it up in a library if you don’t believe me.”
Ragatha sighed and slapped her forehead, and Jax reached for an arrow. “Six monsters in one day,” the rabbit said, although his irritated tone matched his glare more than his smile. “We always seem to be luckier than every other adventure team.”
*****