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Midnight Harvest

An antlered rabbit was standing under the street lights at midnight. He was nervously checking his pocket watch every two minutes, hesitant whether or not his colleague will show up. From time to time he would break up the monotony and stare at the moon. Of course in his eyes the moon had more of the qualities of a lantern, rather than a satellite – a bright object, illuminating the night, but also a meeting spot for flies. In this allegory the flies were really the souls of all who fell into complete and utter existential ennui and mediocrity in this little boring town. He found the specifics a bit strange, but he wasn’t really someone who would question the methods of cosmic gods. He just noted the oddities in his life, accepted them and pressed on.

Twenty minutes later, his nervous foot tapping was accompanied by the ever so slight, but growing, noise of a wooden cart. He turned around towards the endless black street. The noise got louder and louder. In his little lit area entered a fox. The rabbit examined the fox from head to toe. He was expecting his colleague to be dressed in an extravagant manner. But the latex robe and gas mask caught him a bit off guard.

“Zach?” the rabbit asked, still unsure of what exactly to expect.

“That’s me.”

“Could I ask what you are wearing?”

“Oh, this?” Zach fixed up his robe. “People say to dress for job you want, right?”

The rabbit slowly rubbed the side of his nose.

“You are dressed as a reaper.”

“I happened upon the perfect job.”

The rabbit ran his paw across his face.

“I even got myself a nifty, extendable, pocket scythe.”

Zach reach into his pocket and pulled out a small metal rod. He started turning and twisting it until it was as long as he was, after which he tapped it on the ground and a blade extended forwards.

“And the mask and cart?”

“We are harvesting organs, aren’t we? I’ve got protect myself from the fumes. And I have to put the organs somewhere.”

The rabbit furrowed his brow.

“H-how are you so cavalier about this?”

“Sure…one  may look at it like that. But I prefer to think that, besides evoking the dark arts, I’ll also be helping the economy.”

“In what regard?”

“Well, see, if I kill someone, that person loses his job. His position becomes more sought after and someone else, possibly more qualified, will take his place. And if he’s unemployed – then I’m lowering the unemployment rate and the government will redistribute the money to more important things like schools.”

“You’ve really thought this through, huh?”

Zach scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah, well, you know…” the fox trailed off.

“I’m sure I do. Now come on. We are already twenty minutes late.”

The rabbit put his watch back into his pocket and took a hurried step.

“Jessie, wait up.” Zach cried out.

“What is it?”

“Can you help me with this cart? It’s very heavy.”

“For God’s sake…you pulled it all the way here.”

“Yeah, that’s why I was late.”

“Just lock it by the youth center, we can get it when we are done.”

“But I brought here from my grandma’s. It was a two hour drive. Besides, I don’t have a lock and I’m pretty sure someone will steal it.”

Jessie stomped back to the fox, grabbed one of the cart’s tongues and started pulling.

“This is gonna be so swell.” Zach exclaimed. On the other hand his enthusiasm wasn’t shared by Jessie. “I’m so glad I got you as my familiar.”

“I’m sure you do. Let’s hurry, we have two and a half hours till 3 o’clock. We have to be done with the harvest, prepare the incantations and begin the ritual by then.”

“Mhm. Have you decided on your wish?” I’m gonna wish for a nicer cart for my grandma.”

Jessie sighted.

“I’ll probably wish not to be a familiar to idiots ever again.”

“Should I take offence to th…”

“Most definitely.” Jessie cut him off.

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Self-reflection

-I am bored and cold The Autumn evening lay over the town.

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Philosopheme

-To betray my morals would be to betray myself. I am not a liar, nor betrayer. Therefore if I betray myself, I would no longer be Flynn. But for everything to be stacked against me, maybe the world does not need Flynn. The Autumn rain was cold

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-What is worse? A state of permanent ennui? Or it's denial? In less than an hour, I will duel for my honour, and yet, I feel calm. Lethargic even. Will it matter if I lose my life, when I can't find any of it's joys? Jacques let out a deep sigh, his breath visible in the autumn afternoon. The wind howled

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For a wish

 Prologue: The Gatekeeper

A rabbit exited the maze, her hood shielding her from the rain. She stood in front of her final destination – the Tower. A black obelisk piercing the sky, its peak unseen. Asha gritted her teeth and charged towards the gate, slamming it with full force. The gate did not open. Frantically she looked for a handle or a crack, anything to get it open. She pounded the gate, expecting it to budge, or at the least for someone to open it. She couldn’t have come this far, just to be denied her entrance. Asha fell to her knees. This was her end.

“My, my, what an eager little bunny.”

Asha jumped, unsheathing the sword hidden under her cloak. She was confronted by a dog, dressed in jester’s attire. He slowly circled Asha, positioning himself between the rabbit and the gate.

“Here to conquer the Tower, are we?”

Asha did not respond. The jester paid her no mind and took out a scroll from behind his back. He unrolled it and, with closed eyes, began to mockingly recite it.

“Great adventurer, you have battled your way through the labyrinth of the four lords and you stand before the Tower. If you successfully conquer all of its twenty floors, you will be rewarded with one wish, no matter what it may be.  Good luck and Godspeed.”

He rolled up the scroll, a grin stretching across his face. Asha did not respond. The jester frowned.

“Could I ask what your wish might be?”

There was a moment of silence.

“Immortality.”

The dog let out a booming laugh. Her grip on the hilt tightened.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that… you are risking your life so you won’t die. I find it pretty stupid.”

She raised her sword, pointing it at the adversary’s throat.

“Let me through.”

The jester was amused, he waved his hand and the gate opened. Asha sheathed her sword and walked past him.

“Good luck, great adventurer.” He mocked her, his back turned.

#

Part 1: Alchemy and Lunacy

Asha stepped into a library. The gate behind her was no more and she pressed forward, her sword raised. The library was well lit, with dozens upon dozens of bookshelves, each brimming with tomes of all times and subjects. With every step she took the library seemed to grow, revealing corridors unnoticed before, each no different than the one she was in.

After passing a few detours, she heard a shriek of pain from one of the hallways. Gripping her sword, she ran forward, navigating through the books and shelves, following the cry. With each step, the books on the shelves became fewer and fewer and, when she finally reached the source, she stumbled upon an area almost like a room unto itself.

There were no shelves, only tables with glass equipment, diagrams and dissected creatures. In the center of the room lay a tall figure – a crow, wearing a yellow robe, adorned with symbols of unknown origin.

The crow thrashed on the ground, gripping his hand, which was covered in simmering boils.

“Curses! Wrong ingredients, wrong circle, wrong diagram! The king will not be happy, no, not at all.” He mumbled to himself, rolling on the ground, not noticing Asha.

He stood up, still clutching his hand, took a quick glance towards the rabbit and turned back towards his diagrams.

“Aha!” he yelled out, raising a piece of paper. He read through it, murmuring, and his injured hand healed itself. He flexed his newly formed appendage and continued on with his work.

“You are late!” he yelled out in a harsh tone. “The instructions are on the wall to your right. You better get a move on, or the king will have both of our heads.”

Asha looked at the wall. A parchment stood pinned, covered with mad, unreadable scribbles instead of words. She stepped towards the crow.

“How do I gain access to the next floor?” she asked, still gripping her sword.

“What are you yammering on about child? We have work to do! We have to build the tower for the king! Get started on the list or I’ll turn you into a living blob!” the crow threatened, unmoving from his work.

“There is nothing written on the list! Tell me how to climb up the tower or I’ll have your head!”

The crow let out a deep sigh.

“Such arrogance in today’s youth.”

He turned around and waved his hand.

The floor beneath Asha started to gelatinize. Slowly sinking, she took steps towards one of the tables, grabbing it for support.

“You see child? You cannot simply defy your superiors. Punishments are needed. They help you grow. I was once punished by the king, and now I am his royal alchemist. I am sure that after today, you will go on to do great things!”

Asha could barely hold on to the table. The strength with which she was dragged down outmatched her own. She scanned the table, spotting a few vials of different colours. She grabbed them all and, with her final strength, threw them at the alchemist. Upon impact they broke, setting his entire body on fire. He stood there silent.

“The king will not be happy.”

He toppled over, his body still burning. The floor beneath Asha returned to normal, spewing her back out.

The crow finished burning and a wall parted, revealing a hidden path. The rabbit sheathed her sword and pressed forward.

#

Part 2: Rhetoric

Asha stepped into a garden, a cobblestone path leading to its center – a circle formed by marble columns. There was no ceiling, only the stars and moon shining down. In the center, on one of the benches, lay a parrot wearing a sheer blue dress, more akin to a veil than actual clothing. Asha followed the path to meet her next challenge.

“Brave warrior, do you wish to climb to the top?” the parrot spoke, without facing Asha.

“I do”, replied the rabbit, unflinching.

The parrot giggled and turned.

“I am the daughter of the king, lady of the second floor.”

She extended a hand towards Asha and was met with a cold stare. The lady scoffed.

“The greater the ignorance, the greater the arrogance.” She turned back, gazing at the sea below.

“I am the wisest in all the land.” The lady spoke, as if to herself. “I’ve been taught by the greatest tutors. I know everything there is to know in all the sciences and arts. That is why I was put here. Why do you climb the tower? What is it you desire?”

“Immortality.”

Asha’s answer forced a slight chuckle from the lady.

“Such base interests. Do you fear the inevitable to such an extent that you risk forcing it upon yourself?”

“I fear no such thing.”

The lady turned her head slightly.

“You contradict yourself, brave warrior. People wish to avert what they fear. There is no other reason.”

The cold wind blew Asha’s cape open. She did not speak.

“It gets awfully lonely in my garden. If you are willing to stay, I just might teach you all there is to know. I have been craving a companion to talk to.”

“I am not.”

The lady arose. She turned again, staring down the rabbit.

“You dare turn down the greatest gift from me? I should have your head on a platter!”

Asha did not respond. She unsheathed her sword and pointed at the parrot. The lady’s eye, not losing an ounce of anger, twitched for the slightest second.

“Typical brute. You cannot solve your problems with words, so you chose violence. You bore me. Be gone!”

She flicked her hand to the other side of the garden, towards a newly formed door. Asha continued along the cobblestone path and exited the garden.

#

Part 3: Gluttony

Asha entered a brightly lit room. The walls were adorned with crested flags and torches. In the far end of the room there was a feast, but only one ate – a mouse dressed in an enormous dress and a huge headpiece, most likely made with the intent of resembling a crown. Behind her throne there was a wooden door, fitted with gold hinges and rings for knobs. The mouse was surrounded by six guards, barely standing and emaciated.

The moment Asha stepped into the room, the mouse yelled something, rendered unintelligible from the food in her mouth. One of the guards sluggishly crossed the room, his halberd dragging along the floor. Asha readied her sword. When the guard reached striking distance, he collapsed on the ground.

“Idiots! Idiots all of you!”, the mouse screamed. “I should have you executed!”

None of the guards reacted. Asha cautiously strode forward, not lowering her sword. She stood on the other side of the table. The mouse did not look impressed.

“What would possibly possess you to enter the chamber of the duchess of these lands? During a noble feast, no less!”

“I’m here to traverse the tower.”

“Oh, another one.”

The duchess took a gulp from a goblet of wine and wiped her muzzle with one arm.

“None have reached the top. You should turn back now.”

Asha took a look at the guards.

“I don’t think so.”

The duchess was unamused.

“Be it as you wish! I will drink my wine from your skull! Guards! Exe…”

Asha slashed the mouse’s throat. Blood spewed across the white table cloth. The duchess fell.

The rabbit turned towards the guards, all of whom took a step back. She jumped over the table and opened the door.

 #

Part 4: Patience and Trickery

Asha walked through a long corridor. At some point the sound of her footsteps changed from clacking against stone to creaking wood. When she reached the end, she entered a small room. In the center of it sat a ram behind a desk, surrounded by dozens of parchments, scribbling away by flickering candle light. He glanced over his glasses towards the rabbit, then turned his gaze back to his work.

“Sit.” The ram’s voice was stern and yet unconcerned.

Asha looked around and noticed three chairs next to the wall. They were wooden, moldy and one was tied up with strings so as not to break apart.

The rabbit stormed towards the desk. She pointed her sword towards the ram. For a second he looked up, let out a small chuckle and continued writing.

“Number…” he quickly went through some papers.”...11154. Do you know who I am?”

“Another obstacle that needs to be dealt with.”

“Cute.” For a moment his permanent frown turned into a light smile “No. I am the executive tasked with overseeing everything that happens in this tower and the maze.”

“So you fill out paperwork.”

“Yes, I do.  So, if you want to pass, number 11154, you should wait until I am finished.”

He lowered his head and continued writing.

“What if I just cut you down?”

“Then you wouldn’t have anyone to open the door for you.”

He motioned towards a beat up door behind him.

She tightened the grip on the hilt.

“Will this take long?”

“Hmm...hard to say. Ever since I was assigned here, I haven’t stopped filling out paperwork.”

She took a quick glance towards to door again.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Absolutely. I suggest you sit down and get yourself comfortable. I will call you when it’s your turn to fill out the forms after which I can send a request for the key.”

Asha took a seat in the chair that looked most intact. Of all the things she was expecting to come across in the tower, this was not one of them. It seemed strange how undeterred the executive was when his life was threatened. Could he have gone mad like the alchemist? Or maybe he wasn’t the fighting type and he was bluffing, now thinking of a way to dispose of Asha. She didn’t let her guard down and stared at the ram. He didn’t deviate from his routine. Comparing papers and writing away. Judging by the amount of papers around him, it would take at least a week until Asha made any progress.

Asha stood up and walked towards the door. The ram didn’t turn. She examined it up close. It was covered in a brown fabric, nails piercing it at key spots to keep it in place and looking presentable, but it was ripped in places. The handle was a simple rusted ring, under which was a keyhole. By the look of things, she could easily break the door down. She grasped the handle and gently pulled it. To her surprise the door opened. She turned towards the ram. He didn’t notice her. She opened the door a bit more, just enough so she could slide in, after which she closed it shut.

#

Part 5: Solitude

Asha walked into a corridor. On the other side was an open door. She stepped forward and noticed that to her right there was a barred room. Peeking in she saw a wolf chained to the wall. He lifted his head and spoke in an exhausted voice.

“Hey, hey you! Set me free!”

The wolf was practically skin and bone and only a small piece of cloth kept him decent.

Asha ignored him and pressed on.

“Please don’t go! At the very least stay a while and speak to me! It’s been so long. Why won’t you answer?”

The thought of opening the cell crossed her mind, but it meant that she’d only deviate from her path and prolong her journey. Asha entered the door.

#

 Part 6: The purple prince

Asha stepped into a room. Sunlight shone through clear, wide windows. The room itself was big, the walls decorated with shields, banners and weapons. There were a few weapon racks, each one with either blunt, sharp or ranged weapons. A few training dummies were positioned in the corners of the room. In the middle, in an empty circular area decorated with a crest depicting the sun, stood a swan. Dressed in an elegant, aristocratic fashion, he practiced a clunky fighting routine. He was so enthralled in his practice, that he only noticed Asha when she stepped inside the circle.

The swan, initially surprised, greeted Asha with a smile.

“Welcome, welcome!” He spoke in a sophisticated manner and with utmost sincerity, “I take it you are here to climb up the tower?”

“I am.”

“Wonderful! I am the prince of these lands. You see, to get to the next floor, you have to defeat me in a duel. No bloodshed required. Just a standard sparring match.”

Asha didn’t need to hear any more. She took out her sword and assumed a fighting stance. The prince raised one finger.

“Before we begin, I have just one condition.”

Asha did not answer and waited for him to continue.

“You see, the weapons here…they are inadequate. I have developed a very specific fighting technique. Any sword here would just impede me. I need a real weapon. One used in battle numerous times. A sword that can taste blood. My condition is for me to use your sword. You can pick any weapon you want.”

Asha did not answer. She handed the sword to the prince and stepped outside the circle. She examined the weapons and settled on a scimitar. She waved it around, getting a feel for its balance. It was obvious it was never used in a real fight. No scratches on the blade, the handle was in top condition. It was almost as if it was an ornament rather than a weapon. Asha turned to the sight of the prince once again practicing his routine, this time with her blade.

When she stepped inside the circle, the prince stopped and smiled. He was ready to duel.

He raised his hand to strike and in that moment Asha dashed and jabbed him with her hilt, knocking his air out. He stumbled back and the rabbit waited for him to regain his composure. He assumed the same stance. This time he attacked from the side. Asha parried his strike, grabbed him by the wrist and threw him to the ground.

The prince quickly got up. “Right. That was a good warm-up. Shall we continue with the real duel?”

Asha tightened her grip and awaited his next attack. He did a few quick hits, which Asha seamlessly blocked and when he showed an opening, she slashed, cutting his ascot in half. He was visibly worried and with haste tried to plunge her sword at her. She ducked, dashed forward and pressed the blade of the scimitar against his neck. For a few seconds he didn’t move, after which he dropped the sword.

Asha picked up and sheathed her weapon, leaving the scimitar on the ground. She passed the prince and entered through the door.

“Your sword wasn’t good enough.”

The words faded as she walked forward.

#

Part 7: Seeing red

Asha entered a coliseum. The walls were breaking down and the field was covered in sand and bone. In the center of it sat a bull, hugging a claymore. When he noticed Asha, he stabbed the weapon into the ground and got up, using the hilt as support. He pulled it out and pointed it towards Asha.

“I am the berserker! Defeat me in battle and you may pass forward! If you value your life, turn back now!”

Asha pulled out her sword and waited for her opponent.

“So be it…” the bull murmured and charged forward. He ran the distance in seconds and slashed at the rabbit. His height and the length of his weapon allowed him to attack from a bit further than what Asha was used to. She rolled underneath the weapon and plunged forward to strike her opponent but instead was met with a kick, powerful enough to pin her to the wall. Her sword flew from her hand. The berserker was already mid-strike when Asha regained her senses. At the very last moment, she jumped out of the attack and fled towards the center of the battleground. The bull was quickly catching up to her.

As she ran, a shot of burning pain slashed across her back. The sensation and force made her lose balance and she fell face first. Asha scrambled forward and turned over to face her opponent, ready for his final attack. At a moment's notice, the rabbit grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the bull’s face. Blinded, he reached at his face, diverging his attack. Asha used the momentary distraction to grab a broken bone and strike back. The bone pierced the berserker’s stomach. He let out a roar of pain. She didn’t spare a second, grabbed another bone and struck again. Her opponent started violently slashing back and forth.

The rabbit used this opportunity to run back to her sword. She picked up her weapon and faced her opponent. His eyes, although bloodshot and watering, were now open and filled with relentless fury. He grabbed his hilt with both hands, as if the bones sticking out of his stomach weren’t affecting him at all. Asha gritted her teeth and charged towards him.

The moment the berserker got in range, he slashed forward. Asha ducked underneath the claymore, passing between his legs. Her sword slid through his Achilles heel.

The berserker screamed in pain and collapsed on the ground, his weight plunging the bones deeper into his body. Asha shuffled over her opponent and buried her blade into his back, finishing him off.

Asha took a deep breath and sat on the ground. She looked towards the sky. It was midday. She closed her eyes for a quick rest. The wind blew the sands, ever so slightly reforming the battlefield. At regular intervals the ambience was broken by Asha’s breathing.

A few minutes later she got up and took a few steps forward, before a sharp sting reminded her that she was wounded. She took off her cape, cut a piece from the lower half and tied it over her shoulder, covering the cut on her back. She put her cowl back on and walked over to the door of the next floor.

#

Part 8: The choice of strength

Asha took a step into a forest, her legs crushing dried up leaves. Trees towered above her, for what seemed like miles. A light fog, combined with the lack of sunlight, impaired her long-distance vision. She took a few steps, cautiously exploring her surroundings.

There was a crack. In just a few seconds the entire forest was on fire. Asha started running, looking for the way out. Suddenly manic laughter came from nearby. She stopped in her steps and changed her course, following the sound, knowing that the source was her way out. She grabbed her hood and pulled it around her neck to cover her mouth.

Asha stopped at the foot of at the largest tree. Through the smoke and leaves, she could barely make out a silhouette with antlers. It almost seemed like it was looking at her as well.

“I am the forest god! What are you doing in my domain?” the figure yelled out from atop of the tree.

“I am traversing the tower!”

“We should hurry then! The fire is spreading quickly!”

The figure jumped from the tree and landed in front of Asha. A tall, nude deer, wielding a spear.

“Battle me in my flames.”

He raised his weapon.

“Why did you set your kingdom on fire?”

The deer laughed.

“I was forced to guard this tower. It’s not something I chose. But I can choose what to do with what is mine. This is my final act of defiance.”

Asha took out her sword. Her eyes were watering from the smoke. Even at such close range, her opponent looked blurry. She was at a disadvantage, but she knew one sure way to defeat him.

“Denying yourself is not a real choice.”

The deer let out another laugh, this one more powerful than the last. He opened his mouth to speak, when Asha sliced his throat. He collapsed on the ground.

Asha looked around. The fire had already surrounded her. She sheathed her sword and jumped over the deer’s body to get to the tree. She had the intention of climbing it, but she felt a cold wind blowing from the ground. She looked down and saw a hole between the roots. Without any hesitation, she leapt into the hole, which lead her through a small tunnel. At its end was a round, wooden door. She opened it and crawled through.

#

Part 9: Hillside view

Asha kept on crawling through the tunnel for what seemed like hours. She had lost almost all her strength, when she saw a feint light. With her last breath she clawed her way out. The rabbit found herself at the base of a dead tree, perched near a cliff.

“Going somewhere?”

Asha turned around, her weapon at the ready. In front of her, on a rock, sat a raccoon, dressed in a blue cloak.

“You can relax. I’m not much of a fighter.”

The raccoon’s voice was calm and sounded elderly. Asha didn’t let go of her sword.

The raccoon got up from his place and walked towards the cliff.

“You are climbing the tower, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Not really any other reason why you’d be here.”

He chuckled underneath his nose. He bent over and picked a pebble off the ground

“The way to the next floor is through that chasm.”

He threw the pebble over the cliff. There was no sound. Asha inched towards the edge. It was too foggy to see the bottom.

“You are lying, aren’t you?”

Asha’s voice was stern in contrast to the raccoon’s calm, almost cheerful, speech.

“If you want, look around. If you find a way out, be my guest and use it.”

The rabbit frowned. She took another look over the cliff.

“Why would you show me the way so easily?”

The raccoon smiled.

“I’ve found that most can be a hindrance to themselves. I don’t need a sword to swing, or to weave lies, when I can just point you in the right direction and you can torment yourself to death.”

Asha let go of her sword. She took a pebble and threw it, mirroring the raccoon, almost as if she expected different results. Again there was no sound.

“If I jump, will I die?”

“I doubt it.”

“You doubt it?”

The raccoon shrugged.

“No one has ever jumped before. Not to my recollection.”

Asha paced nervously back and forth between the tree and the rock, the raccoon following her every step.

“Why do you climb the tower?”

Asha halted in her steps, the question coming as a bit of a surprise, despite it not being her first time hearing it.

“I seek immortality.”

“Is there a reason?”

“Yes.”

Asha continued her pacing. Half a minute later, the raccoon spoke again.

“Would you care to share that reason?”

Asha froze up. She looked at the sky. It was filled with stars.

“I’m not afraid of death, if that’s what you are asking.”

The raccoon scratched his chin.

“Are you, by any chance, afraid of life?”

Asha’s eye twitched. She didn’t answer. She turned around, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and ran. She opened them just when she reached the edge of the hill and jumped into the chasm, arms spread and her cape billowing behind her.

The raccoon smiled and sat on his rock.

#

Part 10: Pastsight

Asha’s landing felt more like jumping over a few stairs than jumping off a cliff. She found herself in a rather small space, compared to the earlier floors. Looking around, she saw all manner of knick-knacks hanging from the ceiling, shelves filled to the brim with what might be charms and talismans.

“Ah, Asha, you’ve finally arrived.”

The voice came from behind her. Asha turned around, where behind a circular table sat a black cat. With a coy smile, the cat waved a hand in front of herself, motioning for the rabbit to sit in the opposing chair. Asha stepped forward, but did not sit.

“You know my name.”

“You’ve been in the tower for quite some time now. Sooner or later, someone had to learn it.”

The cat continued their conversation with a dramatic, yet self-ironizing tone of voice, all the while shuffling a deck of cards.

“I am the keeper of the tenth floor – the fortuneteller. The way to the next floor is just behind me. All you have to do to reach your goal is humor me.”

She fanned out with the cards, covering the bottom part of her face.

“Let me read your fortune.”

Asha scoffed.

“I don’t believe in fortunetelling.”

“Oh, I knew that. I am a fortuneteller after all. That’s why I asked you to humor me.”

Asha crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

“I knew a stargazer once…” the cat continued, still shuffling her deck, “…who assured me that there are more ways to stack a standard deck of cards then stars he has counted. A deck of tarot cards is seventy two cards.”

She laid the cards on the table.

“I like to believe that each reading I do directly corresponds to only one person, on the virtue of so many combinations. We’ll use a stripped down deck, just to make it easier.”

The cat arranged ten cards, Asha all the while deciding to let the fortuneteller play out her shtick.

“You may not believe it, but I can tell a lot about you with these cards.” She turned over the first card. “The fool shows me that your highest ideals are somewhat simple in nature, while the next card, the chariot, shows that you have a creative, but rather physical, way of dealing with some of your problems.”

She took a quick glance towards Asha, an innocent smile adorning her face. The rabbit did not react to it. The fortuneteller continued.

“The high priestess shows that you do have to work on your wisdom a bit and you aren’t exactly virtuous, as seen by the hierophant, although you are very goal driven. The magician showed me that you are ready to deal with anything that stands in your way. While the empress says you might be altruistic exteriorly, however, on the inside you really just care for yourself.”

The cat slid her finger on top of the next card before flipping it over.

“Your soulmate could as well be your sword, signified by the lovers. And the emperor says you do manage to learn from experience. My favorite card here, the wheel of fortune, tells me that you have already adjusted quite well to the cycle of defeating, or stalling out, the keepers of each floor and progressing to the next one. Strength shows that you exert a lot of control and thought in a fight and finally - the hermit. You believe you have achieved all the spiritual depth you need to embark on your journey and wish for immortality, thinking that it’s the only way to achieve peace of mind.”

The cat flipped the card between her fingers, losing herself.

“Are we done?”

Asha’s voice leveled, but had a slight tone of annoyance. The fortuneteller jumped a bit.

“Oh, absolutely. You may go.”

Asha walked towards the door behind the cat. Before she pressed any further, she spoke up.

“I’m pretty sure those weren’t the meanings of the cards.”

The fortuneteller took out another card from the deck and smiled to herself.

“And I am sure you knew I wasn’t talking about the cards.”

Asha hesitated for a moment, but did not bother to answer. She opened the door and walked through.

#

Part 11: Whisperer

Asha walked through a dark corridor. The barely present ambient light made it seem like it stretched for miles. On both sides of the pathway pillars stood tall, as if holding up the sky. From time to time skittering sounds could be heard. She took slow and measured steps, not letting down her guard.

With time the skittering became more and more frequent. Asha had taken out her sword, but continued with the same pace. She knew she was being watched. It was only a matter of time before the stalker revealed themselves.

“What are you looking for, little rabbit?”

She did not answer. The voice echoed through the hallway and Asha could not pinpoint its origin.

“Playing tough, are we?”

There came a cackle. Asha paid it no mind. She was done repeating herself for ten floors and pressed on through the dark.

“You really are a rascal, aren’t you? Not wishing to play along? Fine. I can tell you why you are here. You are here to kill me.”

Although echoing from all directions, it seemed like the voice was nearer this time.

“Kill me, get to the next floor. Kill the next guardian, get to the next floor, ad infinitum. Sometimes you’ll talk to the floor keeper, with no need for bloodshed, and then get back to killing.”

Her enemy was getting closer. “You are here because you conquered the previous floors. You’ll be there because you will conquer the next floors. That’s the gist of it anyway. I personally think you won’t get your wish. Eight more of us, excluding myself. You are bound to fail at some point. Some point soon…”

The voice came from a few feet away. She held her sword tight.

“There’s no need to go on. So many have failed. You would have heard by now if someone got their wish.  There should have been at least one global emperor, right?”

It was right behind her.

“Turn back now, if you value your life.”

She turned around, swinging her sword, cutting off the head of a fox. She looked at the carcass. He wore a green cloak and held a dagger in his hand. She bent down and wiped her blade in his clothes.

Asha continued through the hallway until she reached the next door.

#

Part 12: Forked path

Asha entered an abandoned clock tower. Gears turned, crackling and clanking, pushing leavers back and forth. Although every single piece of equipment moved, the hands on the clock itself did not budge and were perpetually stuck at six o’clock. The entire room was illuminated by the moon peering in through the dial. Asha stepped forward onto a walkway, positioned over an endless, dark abyss. The path itself lead to a door, right underneath the dial.  

She stepped lightly over the cold, stone floor. It was wide enough for two to pass each other, but she didn’t want to risk it. Although it hadn’t bothered her before, she had a feeling her back injury might prove troublesome in a duel here.

When she reached the middle of the walkway, she noticed a shadowy figure stepping onto it from the other side. She wasted no time and unsheathed her sword. The figure did not change its pace and continued on with a calm and steady step. Although cloaked, Asha could determine her opponent was just slightly taller than her. It wasn’t visible if they were armed, but even if they were, it wouldn’t be a long-reaching weapon, so the battle would be intimate.

When her opponent was about three meters away from her, he took down his cowl, revealing himself to be a rabbit. Asha readied her weapon, but he did not attack.

“Tell me, traveler, for how long have you been climbing the tower?”

Asha did not answer him. He turned towards the dial.

“I’ve been here for so long and I’ve yet to fix that thing. I’m just curious how much time it takes for an adventurer to get here.”

He turned back towards Asha with an innocent smile on his face. She was not amused. He sighed.

“I am the clock-keeper. I came here because I enjoy the solitude the tower provides for those who wish it.”

He walked slowly towards Asha, continuing his monologue.

“I enjoy examining things – how they work and function. I have the mechanisms of the clock mapped out and I know every single part of it. But most importantly…”

His hand started moving from beneath the robes. Asha stood ready for an attack, but he pulled out a simple deck of cards.

“…I enjoy games.”

Again he smiled and, again, Asha did not answer.

“Even though it’s nice to stare at the cog wheels, overthink the existential condition and play solitaire, it can get a little dull. So would you mind if you played a few games with me?”

He sat down and spread four cards face down.

“If you do, you can go on to the next floor.”

Asha sheathed her sword and crossed her arms. The clock-keeper smiled.

“You have to pick two cards and they have to be the same colour.”

Asha bent down and picked two cards. The clock-keeper flipped them over.

“Spades and hearts. You lose.”

Asha got up and walked towards the door. She pulled the handle, but it was locked. She turned back towards the other rabbit. He was dangling a key on his finger.

“I played a game. Open the door.”

“One isn’t enough. I insist you stay a bit more.”

Asha took out her sword and went towards the clock-keeper. He extended his arm over the abyss, the key still dangling.

“Don’t make any mistakes you might regret.”

Asha stopped in her tracks. Her opponent spun the key, coiling it around his finger. He closed the distance between them while shuffling the deck of cards.

“Did you know there are more ways to stack a deck of cards than there are stars in the sky?”

“Yes. I heard that recently.”

There was mild look of disappointment on the keeper’s face.

“Oh…the cat told you, didn’t she?”

Asha breathed slowly. When the keeper got close enough, she was going to pounce on him and take the key. She wasn’t planning on wasting any more time than she had to. But to her surprise, when he was close enough, the rabbit just threw the key towards her.

“You can go if you want. I don’t plan on interrupting your journey.”

She turned around and headed straight to the door.

“But I can provide for you.”

She slowed down.

“If you want you can stay here for as much time as you like. I doubt climbing ten floors was easy. You can rest here. No tricks, no battles. Just a moment of peace.”

As he said that, Asha felt her wound sting. She had completely forgotten about it since she got it. Only now did it act up.

She turned back. The keeper was in front of her. Asha sighed, sat and then laid sideways on the stone floor.

“What do you want to play?”

The keeper smiled. He sat down and pulled out a bag from underneath his cloak and rummaged in it.

“I personally believe that games show a person in their truest light. And no game does that better than go.”

From the bag he pulled out a small board, divided in squares, and a box. Asha examined the equipment as he laid it down. The box was filled with small black and white pebbles, all of them polished.

“I don’t know that one.”

“Don’t worry. It’s easy to get.”

He took out a white pebble and placed it in one of the squares.

“You see, backgammon is game where you play against luck and have to rely on forces beyond your control. Chess on the other hand is a more naturalistic game, where you play strictly against your opponent – mind versus mind, while in go, you play against yourself.”

Asha scratched her ear.

“So you won’t be playing with me?”

The keeper giggled.

“No, no, it’s a metaphor. The game is more about self control and betterment. A game can end whenever we want it to end, and so you can determine when you’ve bettered yourself and begin anew. The cat uses her cards more as a form of meditation rather than real fortune telling. I consider games in the same matter. It’s more what you perceive and think, rather than what you do.”

Asha frowned a bit. She scratched her nose and sat up straight. The clock-keeper took that as a sign that she was ready to take the game seriously. He smiled and explained the rules to her.

#

Part 13: Converse

Asha walked through stone hallways, sarcophagi filling the walls. The air was cold and dusty, making her cough each time she inhaled too deeply. Every time she thought she reached an end of the path, the hallways would fork, leading her deeper into the catacombs. Her steps echoed through the labyrinth, at times accompanied by a current of wind. There was no danger to be feared here, yet she still felt uneasy.

Asha paced through the corridors for what seemed like hours when she finally found herself in the center of the maze – a field covered in ash, sand and dust, bones littered or formed mounds both great and small.

The ceiling, a dome with a withered mural, was at least ten stories tall. Asha cautiously stepped onto the field. She took out her sword when she got close to the center, expecting the guardian of the floor to leap out at her from somewhere nearby. Every step she took towards the center was slower. She completely stopped when small pieces of plaster fell on her head from the ceiling. She rubbed it off and looked up. More specs of plaster started cracking from the ceiling. Then she felt it.

Asha fell back when the ground beneath her gave way and from the sand something emerged. Asha crawled backwards trying to gain ground and to better see what was coming up. It was as if the creature had been sleeping underneath the mounds and the footsteps woke it up. It was colossal in size. Asha barely reached its ankle. The giant was covered in rusted, black armor, it wore a helmet, completely covering its face, and had a halberd in one hand that was almost ready to fall on one side. Its pose was unnatural – the joints were bent in weird angles, the spine made unusual turns and the neck looked as though it might be broken.

For the first time in the tower, Asha felt fear. Fear of the size and misshapen stature of the creature before her. Fear that there was a chance her quest might end here.

The giant planted the halberd firmly in ground and used it like a cane, turning from one side to the other. When it noticed Asha, it bent down to examine her closer. Asha raised her sword, but she could not hold it still. She was trembling.

“Are you climbing the tower, little rabbit?”

It’s voice was loud, but calm and collected at the same time.

“I-I am...”

The giant made a low, droning sound in response, indicating that it understood her. Still gripping the pole, it slid down to the ground, resting on the sandy field.

“I don’t wish to fight you. Turn back and let me spare your life.”

“N-no.”

Asha took meek steps forward. Although she was scared, she was not willing to give up on her quest so easily.

The giant let out a low laugh.

“You are a fool. I can easily crush you. I’m giving you the greatest gift there could be – life. No wish can compare to it. Just run along.”

“I won’t back down.”

The giant observed the rabbit - her meager steps were barely visible, and yet the giant found them commendable.

“In my youth I wanted to be a soldier. I trained everyday and before I knew it, I was in the king’s army. After each battle, I would lament on the time I’ve lost preparing for this. I never had a wife or close friends. I never had a real chance to enjoy life. I’ve killed hundreds but there was no pleasure in it. There was no pleasure in my life. And now, in death, I sleep with the bones of my foes. Turn back and do not make the mistake of denying yourself of life.”

Asha listened to the story. There was a note of pain with each word the giant said. But the warnings weren’t enough to make her forfeit.

“You said that you lost out on life because of a mistake. I aim to rid myself of all mistakes.”

The giant turned its head. It was intrigued.

“Mistakes affect us because life is short. With each choice we make, we deny ourselves another. Mistakes are choices that do not fulfill us. I want to wish for immortality. If bad choices deny us of life experiences because of how short life is, then immortality would mean that there are no bad choices, only experiences.”

The giant laughed. At first it was a chuckle but it soon became a powerful, thunderous laugh that shook the catacombs.

“Oh, rabbit, I haven’t had such a laugh in a very long time. You are quite the wordsmith. I enjoy your enthusiasm and vigor, but I doubt you’ll be able to make your wish.”

The last part caught Asha off guard.

“Why is that?”

The giant stood up and started fixing his joints, aligning them in their correct positions.

“Many have tried climbing the tower. Few have succeeded. And yet, there are no kings of the world, nor unkillable warriors, or miracle workers. Think about this when you climb up.”

  The giant struck the dome with the halberd, breaking it down. Sunlight illuminated the catacombs. From two slits on the back of the giant’s armor, two dark, almost paperlike wings emerged. It jumped and the wings started to flutter, levitating it off the ground and through the hole on the ceiling.

Asha coughed out all the dust she had swallowed during the display. She rubbed her eyes until she could see better and walked forward, through the field and towards a giant stone gate that had opened with the illumination of the catacombs.

#

Part 14: Suspension

Asha stepped onto a wooden platform encircling a tree. In front of her stretched a rope around ten meters long, tied to another tree with a hole burrowed into it. In front of the hole stood a macaque twirling a scimitar. He turned towards Asha with a cocky smile.

“I am the treewalker. Get through me and you can get to the next floor. Simple enough.”

Asha took out her sword. The treewalker stretched.

“You’ve got to come to me. No reason to overexert myself.”

The rabbit looked at the rope. It was suspended for what seemed like miles above the ground and it was barely thick enough to walk on.

She put one foot on it and immediately retreated when it started shaking. The macaque laughed.

“You can always just turn around you know.”

Asha ignored the remark. She took off her cape and fastened one end of it to her foot. The other, she tied in a noose to the rope. She took her first steps, barely managing to balance herself. When she reached the halfway point, she raised her sword, ready to fight. The macaque proudly walked on the rope, grabbing it with his feet. The shaking almost caused Asha to lose her balance. When he reached her, the treewalker stood still and let the rabbit regain her composure. As she lifted her sword again, signaling that she was ready to fight, the macaque just hit it. The force was enough for Asha to fall off to the side. Even though it lasted for a second, it felt like she fell for an eternity. The feeling of all her insides hitting the body cavity made her clench every muscle in her body. The sudden stop almost tore her leg out from its socket. For a split second she blacked out. The treewalker laughed and walked back, leaving her behind, dangling.

It took Asha a few moments to completely realize what had happened. When she came to her senses she noticed an intense pain in her hand. She was clutching her sword hard enough to hurt. She couldn’t sheathe it and didn’t want to risk losing it. The rabbit ignored the pain and lifted herself up to grab her makeshift harness with her free hand. She climbed up her cloak and crawled back to her platform.

When she finally managed to sit, her feet dangling off the ledge, she pried open her hand and placed the sword beside her. She spent the next few minutes stretching her fingers until she had complete control of them again.

Asha took a look at the macaque. He was lying on his back, looking at the sky and singing a song to himself. None of this was of any surprise to him.

Asha untied the knots and this time decided to sling the cape underneath the rope and attach two ends to both her feet. She took a few steps on the rope, this time even less sure of her skills and immediately bent down to grab it with her free hand.

The treewalker noticed his opponent trying to crawl back to the battlefield. He sighed, picked up his weapon and again met Asha in the middle. He prepared to swing his sword down at her, but in the nick of time Asha slashed towards his legs. He was quick enough to step back, but all the movement caused Asha to turn upside down. She was still holding the rope with one hand and the treewalker decided this time around to kneel down.

“You know, it would be quicker if you just turn back. No shame in losing to a superior opponent.”

Asha didn’t answer. In a split second she let go of the rope and grabbed it again, this time behind her foe’s feet, after which she slashed it with one swift blow.

In his panicked state, the treewalker dropped his scimitar and grabbed the rope in front of him. Both enemies swung forward and hit their opposing trees. Asha managed to climb up the tree, much slower than the treewalker, but there was no rush. She had already won.

When she reached the top and started undoing her harness, she heard the macaque laughing.

“You’re a tricky one you are. Go on! Get to the next floor! I’m sure that scaly creep in there has been waiting for someone like you for a long time.”

Asha didn’t answer him. She put on her cloak and walked through the burrow.

 #

Part 15: Of flesh and lust

Asha walked down a flight of circular stairs. The only indication that she was making any progress was the sound of music getting louder and louder. There was no door at the end of the stairs, just a thin, purple veil, shadows and figures dancing behind it.

Asha grabbed the veil and pulled it. At that instant, it was as if all the sounds in the chamber had burst forth – loud, almost atonal music, yelling, cries of pain and pleasure. Inside she witnessed all manner of animals, some dressed in the most bizarre and outlandish clothing, while others completely in the nude. None of the residents had formed groups dedicated to one activity. Around every table sat at least five, either drinking heavily or gorging themselves, yelling and laughing, all the while watching other revelers dancing, whipping or fornicating.

Asha stepped through the threshold. She passed through jugglers, minstrels, drunkards, sadists, masochists, sodomites, looking for entrance to the next floor. It didn’t take long for her to be noticed, being the only one wearing actual clothes. Some of the dancers moved with her, urging her to join them. She ignored them for the most part, but their insistence slowly wore on her patience. They started grabbing her and pulling her by the arms and cape and pleading her to dance and she pulled away with force.

“Enough!”

Although she yelled, her voice was drowned out in the cacophony. She was ready to take out her sword when the music stopped and with it - all other noises. Everyone turned towards the end of the room and Asha followed their gaze. A lizard, sitting on a black throne, one hand supporting his head and the other raised towards the direction of a band of musicians.

“Step forward, rabbit.”

Asha walked towards the lizard, everyone straying from her but still keeping a moderate distance. The lizard didn’t move. He examined her from head to toe and he waved his hand.

“You do not need these in here.”

In an instant Asha was stripped naked, all her clothing on the ground and the perpetrators lost in the crowd. She tried covering herself as much as she could but the lizard raised his hand, motioning for her to stop.

“Relax, little rabbit, you are amongst friends here. We all value the beauty of the naked form. Set your hands down and you may state what you are seeking.”

Asha reluctantly dropped her hands, revealing her body in full. She was covered in scars, the largest and freshest one on her back.

“I wish to climb the tower.”

The lizard scratched his chin.

“Climb the tower…climb the tower…you know, many here also wanted to climb the tower, but they preferred to stay. I’ll offer you the same things I offered them.”

Again, the lizard waved his hand. A line of people went by Asha, all of them holding platters with food and drinks.

“You can have the tastiest of meals, the most numbing wine or the most intoxicating substances.”

Even though the line went fast, she could smell every individual thing on those platters. The combinations of aromas made her visibly salivate.

The lizard waved his hand once more. Another line of figures passed her, each of them caressing her body. The smell of sweat and perfume filled her nostrils. Her breaths became heavy.

“You can have any man or woman, or those which can be both. You can be as sensual, as brutal or as submissive as you want to with each and every one of them.”

The lizard rested his hand on his throne.

“You can stay. You don’t need to go.”

Asha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wiped the saliva from her mouth, took her clothes from the ground and put them back on.

“I wish to climb the tower.”

The lizard sighed and waved his hand. On his left, the wall split open and he gestured Asha to walk through it. She stepped through the crack and walked into the darkness. She heard the wall behind her close and with it the music started playing anew.

#

Part 16: The tower

Asha walked through complete darkness. There was no other sound except her footsteps. She held her sword firmly, ready to defend herself, but there was no one to defend from. She changed the course of her path a few times, intending to come to a wall or an obstacle so she could get a better image of the place, but there were no walls. It was as if she was walking in a desert.

The lack of sights and sounds made her uneasy. Surely there had to be a guardian here and not just an endless void. From time to time she could swear she heard whispers, but when she adjusted her hearing, there was nothing.

When it felt like she had been walking for hours, she stopped and sat on the ground. The ground didn’t feel like anything. It was solid, but it didn’t posses any other characteristics. Her sword, now sheathed, rested next to her. There was nothing here. Nothing to fight. Nothing to fear. Nothing to help her.

“Sixteen floors. I beat fifteen floors and the one to beat me was the one with nothing in it.”

She laid down, gazing up at the darkness. She could no longer tell if her eyes were open or closed. The solitude was crushing.

“Maybe the guardian is the darkness itself.”

She tapped the ground a few times. She tried to scratch through it but to no avail. She was ready to turn back, but there was nowhere to turn back to.

“Nothing to fight and nowhere to go. I did enter knowing the possibility of failure. But not like this.”

She was calmer than she would have expected. There was no need to put on a front. She was bested and she was going to die here.

Asha took a deep breath.

“I accept my fate.”

With those words she let go of everything and drifted off to sleep.

She woke, again surrounded by darkness. She sat up and stretched her hands. She was refreshed. For the first time since she began her quest, she wasn’t tired.

While feeling the ground around for her sword, she felt a slight burning in her eye. The more she turned, the worse it was. When she grabbed the hilt, she realized what it was. Right next to her, there was a weak ray of light, as if coming from beneath a door frame. She extended her hand forward and it collided with a wooden surface. Feeling it up, she found a door handle. The rabbit smiled to herself. She opened the door, the light behind it momentarily blinding her. Asha rubbed her eyes and went through.

#

Part 17: Starbound

The first thing Asha experienced on the other side was the smell of the ocean. The second one was a wave hitting her entire body. She fell down on a wooden deck, her eyes and nasal cavity burning from the salt. It took a few seconds to fully realize where she was.

“You the climber?”

The voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw a white swallow hoisting the sails. Before she could answer another wave hit her, filling her throat with water. She started coughing violently, puking the water she’d swallowed.

“I take it you are. Don’t stand around, take the helm.”

Asha quickly got up on her feet and ran towards the boat’s wheel, which was spinning out of control. She grabbed it, stabilizing it and tuned towards the swallow.

“Will you lead me to the next floor?”

“Forget about the floors for a second, we gotta get through this first.”

Another violent wave hit the boat, knocking it back and forth. Asha held as tightly as she could, but she still slipped on the wet deck.

“Hold tight. The storm won’t last long! Just a few more minutes!”

Asha tried to get up, but another wave rocked the boat, throwing her back down. Her head hit the boards and the darkness engulfed her again.

“Hey, you alright?”

Asha slowly opened her eyes. She was in the cabin. Above her stood the sailor with only a slight degree of concern on his face. The rabbit tried to stand up, but a sudden pain in her head forced her to fall back.

“You hit yourself pretty hard. The ocean ain’t no place for the inexperienced, you know.”

Asha tried standing up again, this time ready for the pain. The swallow helped her get up and let her out on the deck.

“We’ll be stuck here for some time, until the skies clear up.”

Asha looked up. Although the storm had passed, clouds still hid the stars.

“How can I get to the next floor from here?”

The sailor led out a low sigh.

“I don’t know. High chance of it being to where I’m headed, I guess. But we can’t get anywhere with no stars.”

Asha rubbed her head. The pain was still present and it started to get worse. She grabbed the gunwale and slid down to the ground.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure we are close.”

The sailor looked around.

“Mhm. Definitely close.”

Asha slowly stood up, her headache under control and she gazed out into the ocean. There was only darkness.

“Is there any chance we could sail out on instinct?”

The swallow laughed.

“Good luck with that. Just hope the skies clear up soon.”

Asha turned back towards the waters. It was a tad awe-inspiring. Such a bleak vastness. No way to know where you are. Always at the mercy of the elements. The hairs on her neck stood up. She decided it would be best not to dwell on it and turned around. She was met with the same sight. Only this time, something was off.

“Hey, is that a light over there.”

She pointed the sailor towards the horizon. He squinted his eyes.

“Indeed it is.”

He stormed off, untying the ropes of the sail.

“Grab the helm! We are setting course towards that light!”

Asha was soon steering them towards the source of the light. The sailor set the sails and they were off.

“What is that thing?”

“It’s a lighthouse. It shows the path for lost ships.”

The closer they got, the stronger the light became. Asha was sure that in it she could find her way out.

When they got close enough, Asha turned towards the swallow.

“It was a pleasure sailing with you, captain.”

“I ain’t no cap…”

He didn’t finish. Asha had jumped out of the boat and was swimming towards the dock. This act alone was more tiring than any of her other challenges, but she kept on going.

She climbed out of the water, breathing heavily, and ran to the lighthouse. She hurried up the circular stairs and broke through the door at the top.

#

Part 18: Broken light

Bursting out through the door, Asha found herself inside the lighthouse. She was so used to the drastically changing scenery, that the sight of an ordinary lighthouse interior caught her off guard. She paced slowly around the room, careful not to look directly at the blinding light emitted by some strange contraption. She examined her surroundings as closely as she could, but the simple plainness distracted her by itself. Although big, the room did not have any obvious exits besides the one Asha entered through. There was a light smell of fish, but that was to be expected.

Strutting along the circular path, she stepped on something squishy and slimy. She tripped, but quickly regained her balance. There was a yell. Asha turned around, but she couldn’t see anyone. She looked at her feet. At first glance there was nothing unusual, but upon further inspection, Asha noticed a thin trail of mucus. It was barely visible, but the central contraption shone enough for one to see a nuance on the floor. There was something in here with her.

Asha pulled out her sword and spoke with a loud, firm tone.

“Show yourself now, or it will get worse for you later.”

The ambience of the room slowly changed. A squishy, dragging sound slowly filled the lighthouse. Patches on the walls changed colours, revealing themselves as tentacles, slithering down to the floor. They lead to a strange amorphous, white blob on one side of the room. Asha closed in on the grotesque thing. And then she heard it speak.

“I’m here! I’m here! No need for any of that.”

The tentacles lethargically waved towards the sword. Asha was now within striking distance. She didn’t lower her weapon.

Two big eyes appeared on the blob. It was a squid.

“Please lower your weapon! I’m just a humble light keeper. I’ve got nothing worth stealing.”

The squid could barely move and its shaky voice was evidence enough that it wasn’t a fighter.

“Show me the door for the next floor and I’ll leave you be.”

The squid blinked. One eye after the other.

“I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand.”

Asha raised her sword towards the light keeper and it visibly sunk back.

“Do not play with me. I am climbing the tower. Tell me where the next door is and I won’t slice you up.”

The squid was now visibly shaking.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand. This is the top of the towe…Oh! You mean THE tower. I’m terribly sorry, but this isn’t it.”

“What?”

“Yes. Did you come with the swallow? Adventurers keeping sailing with him and bursting into my lighthouse, claiming it’s the next part of their journey. You won’t find any adventures here. I think the real path is somewhere outside.”

Asha furrowed her brow and the squid noticed it.

“It’s true! I don’t go out much, so I can’t tell you where it is, but everybody who comes in here claims to have passed through impossible hallways and gardens, forests and arenas. They are always surprised to find a lighthouse on top of the lighthouse.”

Asha lowered her sword. It did make some sense.

“You are saying this isn’t part of the tower?”

“I’m afraid not, no.”

“And it’s most likely outside?”

“Most definitely.”

Asha turned around and walked towards the door.

“I hope you find your way.”

She was a few steps from the door when she noticed one of the tentacles on the wall changing its colour. She stopped. The light keeper could disguise himself. Could the floor itself also be disguised as an ordinary lighthouse?

Asha turned around and walked back to the squid.

“Is something the matter?”

Its voice was sincere.

“Nothing really. Would you mind moving yourself?”

“Oh, I don’t think that would be necessary.”

Asha pulled out her sword. The squid gulped and slithered to one side, revealing that it was standing on top of a door. Asha opened the door. There was a spiral staircase leading towards a black abyss.

The squid chuckled.

“I almost had you, didn’t I?”

“Yes, almost.”

Asha kicked the light keeper and climbed down.  

#

Part 19: Peace of mind

After less than a minute, Asha reached the bottom of the stairs. They lead to a chamber at the base of the lighthouse, strangely well illuminated by the moon shining through cracks in the walls. The staircase itself ended a few meters away from a tunnel. Asha walked towards the tunnel, stepping onto cold mud.

Right before the entrance she looked down and saw, laid out neatly on a piece of cloth, a torch, tinder, a pair of boots and a note. She picked up the note, which read:

“A present for the adventurer to help them on their journey.”

Asha crumpled up the note and threw it away. With suspicion she picked up the boots for inspection. They were made of rubber, exactly her size. She checked inside to see if this might be a trap, but her fear was unfounded. She put the boots on, lit up the torch and pressed onward.

The tunnel was supported by wooden beams, visibly old and quite decrepid. The mud was getting thicker and thicker and the air more and more damp. After some walking, Asha reached a fork in the path – two tunnels with a sign in between them pointing to the left. Asha followed the sign and reached another fork. This time the sign pointed right. Asha followed it again and was met with a third fork. She continued to follow the signs left behind, until she finally saw a light in the distance. She quickened her pace, throwing the torch aside. She reached the source of the light.

Asha entered a room. Unlike the previous one, there was a marble floor, with a carpet rolled out at the entrance. The walls were covered in green wallpaper decorated with paintings. A small fireplace burned, around which chairs were placed, giving the room a homey vibe. Asha took a step into the room and an arm emerged from behind one of the chairs.

“Please take off your boots. You’ll track mud.”

The rabbit proceeded to slowly take off her boots, not taking her eyes off of the chair. Now barefoot, she stepped towards the fireplace, to meet her host.

A dog, dressed in jester attire, was sitting in the chair, reading a book. He bent the edge of the page he was reading, closed the book and left it on a table next to him.

“Glad you could make it. Asha was it?”

Asha furrowed her brow.

“Do I know you?”

The dog grabbed his chin while looking up as if deep in thought.

“Not likely. You’ve probably met my brother. He lets adventurers in, I let them out.”

The dog stood up and extended his arm towards Asha. Unsure what exactly to do, Asha extended hers where he grabbed it and violently started shaking it.

“Congratulations on making it this far. I’m sure it was a long and treacherous journey. I’d offer you something to eat and drink, but experience has taught me that people tend to be too excited to be hungry here.”

“Wait. This is the top of the tower?”

The jester shook his head in a negative response.

“Well…no. You still have one more floor to go. It’s a meeting with the king.”

He walked towards a table and poured himself a cup of tea.

“The king?”

The jester took a sip from his tea. Displeased with the taste, he added a lump of sugar to it and started stirring.

“Mhm. He’s the one who will grant you your wish. If you pass his challenge.”

Asha sighed. She looked around and saw an ordinary wooden door located near the fireplace. She went to open the door when the jester spoke up again.

“Leave you sword.”

The rabbit spun around to glare at him. The jester was looking at her from above his tea cup.

“It’s part of the rules. No weapons on holy ground.”

Asha begrudgingly undid her sheath. She stared at it, not ready to let it go.

“Is it neceserry?”

“Oh, most definitely.”

With a deep relenting sigh, the rabbit lay her sword next to the door. She closed her eyes and opened the door, stepping through the final stairway.

“Good luck, great adventurer.”

 Part 20: The king

Asha had been climbing the stairs for hours and yet she felt no exhaustion, no pain, only pure determination. She would finally reach her goal, her wish for immoratlity. She could live any life she wanted, changing them whenever she pleased, without having any regrets for missed opportunities. Only one floor stood between her and all she ever wanted.

At the top of the staircase, she reached a mahogany gate, heavily ornamented with with golden insignias. She put both hands on the gate and pushed it open, entering a small, stone chamber. The air was cold, heavy. Flickering candles lit the room from both sides, revealing a mural in the center, depicting each floor of the tower.

On the other side of the room, opposite to Asha, was a throne. A cloaked figure sat on the throne, its face obscured by darkness. Boney fingers gripped the handles of the throne and on its head, there was a thin, white crown. This was the king.

“Step forward, my child.”

The voice was ghostly, gravely, a mere whisper. It did not seem to have an origin, but felt like it came from the entire room. Asha took a few steps, placing herself in the middle of the cirle.

“You desire immortality, don’t you Asha?”

With a confident, yet respectful voice she answered.

“I do.”

“It is not beyond my abilities, but I would need something from you as well.”

Asha’s ear perked up. Her breath became heavier. This was something she wasn’t expecting.

“It’s a simple request. You have passed through the maze of the four lords and reached the top of my tower. So tell me, child, what have you learned on your journey to my chamber?”

Asha stood still. She closed her eyes, reminiscing on all her encounters. A few minutes passed and she spoke.

“I’ve learned of the horrors of madness and ignorance. That no one can forge your path to victory. I have learned to better think on my feet and to not sway away from my goals. I have learned to appreciate peace and help when given and to reject lies. I have learned to survive and I have learned to appreciate.”

There was a moment of silence.

“To each, their own. I find your answer acceptable. Although it was nothing more than a request, you answered truthfully. Your final challenge awaits. Beyond my throne is the door which will lead you to the top of the tower. Climb up, fulfill its challenge and your wish will be.”

Asha stepped forward, passing the unmoving king and opening her final door.

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Epilogue: On top of the world

She could see the entire world. The sun’s morning rays burning brightly. The moon disappearing behind the mountains. The stars more numerous than a deck of cards. The oceans roaring, the forests howling, the winds hissing. The people laughing, crying and cheering. On the tower there was no pain, no sorrow, no guilt, no happiness or sadness. There was no victory nor defeat. Only existence and whatever it held. Asha’s ego broke.

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For a wish - Epilogue: On top of the world

Epilogue: On top of the world

She could see the entire world. The sun’s morning rays burning brightly. The moon disappearing behind the mountains. The stars more numerous than a deck of cards. The oceans roaring, the forests howling, the winds hissing. The people laughing, crying and cheering. On the tower there was no pain, no sorrow, no guilt, no happiness or sadness. There was no victory nor defeat. Only existence and whatever it held. Asha’s ego broke.

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For a wish - Part 20: The king

Asha had been climbing the stairs for hours and yet she felt no exhaustion, no pain, only pure determination. She would finally reach her goal, her wish for immoratlity. She could live any life she wanted, changing them whenever she pleased, without having any regrets for missed opportunities. Only one floor stood between her and all she ever wanted.

At the top of the staircase, she reached a mahogany gate, heavily ornamented with with golden insignias. She put both hands on the gate and pushed it open, entering a small, stone chamber. The air was cold, heavy. Flickering candles lit the room from both sides, revealing a mural in the center, depicting each floor of the tower.

On the other side of the room, opposite to Asha, was a throne. A cloaked figure sat on the throne, its face obscured by darkness. Boney fingers gripped the handles of the throne and on its head, there was a thin, white crown. This was the king.

“Step forward, my child.”

The voice was ghostly, gravely, a mere whisper. It did not seem to have an origin, but felt like it came from the entire room. Asha took a few steps, placing herself in the middle of the cirle.

“You desire immortality, don’t you Asha?”

With a confident, yet respectful voice she answered.

“I do.”

“It is not beyond my abilities, but I would need something from you as well.”

Asha’s ear perked up. Her breath became heavier. This was something she wasn’t expecting.

“It’s a simple request. You have passed through the maze of the four lords and reached the top of my tower. So tell me, child, what have you learned on your journey to my chamber?”

Asha stood still. She closed her eyes, reminiscing on all her encounters. A few minutes passed and she spoke.

“I’ve learned of the horrors of madness and ignorance. That no one can forge your path to victory. I have learned to better think on my feet and to not sway away from my goals. I have learned to appreciate peace and help when given and to reject lies. I have learned to survive and I have learned to appreciate.”

There was a moment of silence.

“To each, their own. I find your answer acceptable. Although it was nothing more than a request, you answered truthfully. Your final challenge awaits. Beyond my throne is the door which will lead you to the top of the tower. Climb up, fulfill its challenge and your wish will be.”

Asha stepped forward, passing the unmoving king and opening her final door.

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For a wish - Part 19: Peace of mind

After less than a minute, Asha reached the bottom of the stairs. They lead to a chamber at the base of the lighthouse, strangely well illuminated by the moon shining through cracks in the walls. The staircase itself ended a few meters away from a tunnel. Asha walked towards the tunnel, stepping onto cold mud.

Right before the entrance she looked down and saw, laid out neatly on a piece of cloth, a torch, tinder, a pair of boots and a note. She picked up the note, which read:

“A present for the adventurer to help them on their journey.”

Asha crumpled up the note and threw it away. With suspicion she picked up the boots for inspection. They were made of rubber, exactly her size. She checked inside to see if this might be a trap, but her fear was unfounded. She put the boots on, lit up the torch and pressed onward.

The tunnel was supported by wooden beams, visibly old and quite decrepid. The mud was getting thicker and thicker and the air more and more damp. After some walking, Asha reached a fork in the path – two tunnels with a sign in between them pointing to the left. Asha followed the sign and reached another fork. This time the sign pointed right. Asha followed it again and was met with a third fork. She continued to follow the signs left behind, until she finally saw a light in the distance. She quickened her pace, throwing the torch aside. She reached the source of the light.

Asha entered a room. Unlike the previous one, there was a marble floor, with a carpet rolled out at the entrance. The walls were covered in green wallpaper decorated with paintings. A small fireplace burned, around which chairs were placed, giving the room a homey vibe. Asha took a step into the room and an arm emerged from behind one of the chairs.

“Please take off your boots. You’ll track mud.”

The rabbit proceeded to slowly take off her boots, not taking her eyes off of the chair. Now barefoot, she stepped towards the fireplace, to meet her host.

A dog, dressed in jester attire, was sitting in the chair, reading a book. He bent the edge of the page he was reading, closed the book and left it on a table next to him.

“Glad you could make it. Asha was it?”

Asha furrowed her brow.

“Do I know you?”

The dog grabbed his chin while looking up as if deep in thought.

“Not likely. You’ve probably met my brother. He lets adventurers in, I let them out.”

The dog stood up and extended his arm towards Asha. Unsure what exactly to do, Asha extended hers where he grabbed it and violently started shaking it.

“Congratulations on making it this far. I’m sure it was a long and treacherous journey. I’d offer you something to eat and drink, but experience has taught me that people tend to be too excited to be hungry here.”

“Wait. This is the top of the tower?”

The jester shook his head in a negative response.

“Well…no. You still have one more floor to go. It’s a meeting with the king.”

He walked towards a table and poured himself a cup of tea.

“The king?”

The jester took a sip from his tea. Displeased with the taste, he added a lump of sugar to it and started stirring.

“Mhm. He’s the one who will grant you your wish. If you pass his challenge.”

Asha sighed. She looked around and saw an ordinary wooden door located near the fireplace. She went to open the door when the jester spoke up again.

“Leave you sword.”

The rabbit spun around to glare at him. The jester was looking at her from above his tea cup.

“It’s part of the rules. No weapons on holy ground.”

Asha begrudgingly undid her sheath. She stared at it, not ready to let it go.

“Is it neceserry?”

“Oh, most definitely.”

With a deep relenting sigh, the rabbit lay her sword next to the door. She closed her eyes and opened the door, stepping through the final stairway.

“Good luck, great adventurer.”

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For a wish - Part 18: Broken light

Bursting out through the door, Asha found herself inside the lighthouse. She was so used to the drastically changing scenery, that the sight of an ordinary lighthouse interior caught her off guard. She paced slowly around the room, careful not to look directly at the blinding light emitted by some strange contraption. She examined her surroundings as closely as she could, but the simple plainness distracted her by itself. Although big, the room did not have any obvious exits besides the one Asha entered through. There was a light smell of fish, but that was to be expected.

Strutting along the circular path, she stepped on something squishy and slimy. She tripped, but quickly regained her balance. There was a yell. Asha turned around, but she couldn’t see anyone. She looked at her feet. At first glance there was nothing unusual, but upon further inspection, Asha noticed a thin trail of mucus. It was barely visible, but the central contraption shone enough for one to see a nuance on the floor. There was something in here with her.

Asha pulled out her sword and spoke with a loud, firm tone.

“Show yourself now, or it will get worse for you later.”

The ambience of the room slowly changed. A squishy, dragging sound slowly filled the lighthouse. Patches on the walls changed colours, revealing themselves as tentacles, slithering down to the floor. They lead to a strange amorphous, white blob on one side of the room. Asha closed in on the grotesque thing. And then she heard it speak.

“I’m here! I’m here! No need for any of that.”

The tentacles lethargically waved towards the sword. Asha was now within striking distance. She didn’t lower her weapon.

Two big eyes appeared on the blob. It was a squid.

“Please lower your weapon! I’m just a humble light keeper. I’ve got nothing worth stealing.”

The squid could barely move and its shaky voice was evidence enough that it wasn’t a fighter.

“Show me the door for the next floor and I’ll leave you be.”

The squid blinked. One eye after the other.

“I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand.”

Asha raised her sword towards the light keeper and it visibly sunk back.

“Do not play with me. I am climbing the tower. Tell me where the next door is and I won’t slice you up.”

The squid was now visibly shaking.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand. This is the top of the towe…Oh! You mean THE tower. I’m terribly sorry, but this isn’t it.”

“What?”

“Yes. Did you come with the swallow? Adventurers keeping sailing with him and bursting into my lighthouse, claiming it’s the next part of their journey. You won’t find any adventures here. I think the real path is somewhere outside.”

Asha furrowed her brow and the squid noticed it.

“It’s true! I don’t go out much, so I can’t tell you where it is, but everybody who comes in here claims to have passed through impossible hallways and gardens, forests and arenas. They are always surprised to find a lighthouse on top of the lighthouse.”

Asha lowered her sword. It did make some sense.

“You are saying this isn’t part of the tower?”

“I’m afraid not, no.”

“And it’s most likely outside?”

“Most definitely.”

Asha turned around and walked towards the door.

“I hope you find your way.”

She was a few steps from the door when she noticed one of the tentacles on the wall changing its colour. She stopped. The light keeper could disguise himself. Could the floor itself also be disguised as an ordinary lighthouse?

Asha turned around and walked back to the squid.

“Is something the matter?”

Its voice was sincere.

“Nothing really. Would you mind moving yourself?”

“Oh, I don’t think that would be necessary.”

Asha pulled out her sword. The squid gulped and slithered to one side, revealing that it was standing on top of a door. Asha opened the door. There was a spiral staircase leading towards a black abyss.

The squid chuckled.

“I almost had you, didn’t I?”

“Yes, almost.”

Asha kicked the light keeper and climbed down.  

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For a wish - Part 17: Starbound

The first thing Asha experienced on the other side was the smell of the ocean. The second one was a wave hitting her entire body. She fell down on a wooden deck, her eyes and nasal cavity burning from the salt. It took a few seconds to fully realize where she was.

“You the climber?”

The voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw a white swallow hoisting the sails. Before she could answer another wave hit her, filling her throat with water. She started coughing violently, puking the water she’d swallowed.

“I take it you are. Don’t stand around, take the helm.”

Asha quickly got up on her feet and ran towards the boat’s wheel, which was spinning out of control. She grabbed it, stabilizing it and tuned towards the swallow.

“Will you lead me to the next floor?”

“Forget about the floors for a second, we gotta get through this first.”

Another violent wave hit the boat, knocking it back and forth. Asha held as tightly as she could, but she still slipped on the wet deck.

“Hold tight. The storm won’t last long! Just a few more minutes!”

Asha tried to get up, but another wave rocked the boat, throwing her back down. Her head hit the boards and the darkness engulfed her again.

“Hey, you alright?”

Asha slowly opened her eyes. She was in the cabin. Above her stood the sailor with only a slight degree of concern on his face. The rabbit tried to stand up, but a sudden pain in her head forced her to fall back.

“You hit yourself pretty hard. The ocean ain’t no place for the inexperienced, you know.”

Asha tried standing up again, this time ready for the pain. The swallow helped her get up and let her out on the deck.

“We’ll be stuck here for some time, until the skies clear up.”

Asha looked up. Although the storm had passed, clouds still hid the stars.

“How can I get to the next floor from here?”

The sailor led out a low sigh.

“I don’t know. High chance of it being to where I’m headed, I guess. But we can’t get anywhere with no stars.”

Asha rubbed her head. The pain was still present and it started to get worse. She grabbed the gunwale and slid down to the ground.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure we are close.”

The sailor looked around.

“Mhm. Definitely close.”

Asha slowly stood up, her headache under control and she gazed out into the ocean. There was only darkness.

“Is there any chance we could sail out on instinct?”

The swallow laughed.

“Good luck with that. Just hope the skies clear up soon.”

Asha turned back towards the waters. It was a tad awe-inspiring. Such a bleak vastness. No way to know where you are. Always at the mercy of the elements. The hairs on her neck stood up. She decided it would be best not to dwell on it and turned around. She was met with the same sight. Only this time, something was off.

“Hey, is that a light over there.”

She pointed the sailor towards the horizon. He squinted his eyes.

“Indeed it is.”

He stormed off, untying the ropes of the sail.

“Grab the helm! We are setting course towards that light!”

Asha was soon steering them towards the source of the light. The sailor set the sails and they were off.

“What is that thing?”

“It’s a lighthouse. It shows the path for lost ships.”

The closer they got, the stronger the light became. Asha was sure that in it she could find her way out.

When they got close enough, Asha turned towards the swallow.

“It was a pleasure sailing with you, captain.”

“I ain’t no cap…”

He didn’t finish. Asha had jumped out of the boat and was swimming towards the dock. This act alone was more tiring than any of her other challenges, but she kept on going.

She climbed out of the water, breathing heavily, and ran to the lighthouse. She hurried up the circular stairs and broke through the door at the top.

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For a wish - Part 16: Dark

Asha walked through complete darkness. There was no other sound except her footsteps. She held her sword firmly, ready to defend herself, but there was no one to defend from. She changed the course of her path a few times, intending to come to a wall or an obstacle so she could get a better image of the place, but there were no walls. It was as if she was walking in a desert.

The lack of sights and sounds made her uneasy. Surely there had to be a guardian here and not just an endless void. From time to time she could swear she heard whispers, but when she adjusted her hearing, there was nothing.

When it felt like she had been walking for hours, she stopped and sat on the ground. The ground didn’t feel like anything. It was solid, but it didn’t posses any other characteristics. Her sword, now sheathed, rested next to her. There was nothing here. Nothing to fight. Nothing to fear. Nothing to help her.

“Sixteen floors. I beat fifteen floors and the one to beat me was the one with nothing in it.”

She laid down, gazing up at the darkness. She could no longer tell if her eyes were open or closed. The solitude was crushing.

“Maybe the guardian is the darkness itself.”

She tapped the ground a few times. She tried to scratch through it but to no avail. She was ready to turn back, but there was nowhere to turn back to.

“Nothing to fight and nowhere to go. I did enter knowing the possibility of failure. But not like this.”

She was calmer than she would have expected. There was no need to put on a front. She was bested and she was going to die here.

Asha took a deep breath.

“I accept my fate.”

With those words she let go of everything and drifted off to sleep.

She woke, again surrounded by darkness. She sat up and stretched her hands. She was refreshed. For the first time since she began her quest, she wasn’t tired.

While feeling the ground around for her sword, she felt a slight burning in her eye. The more she turned, the worse it was. When she grabbed the hilt, she realized what it was. Right next to her, there was a weak ray of light, as if coming from beneath a door frame. She extended her hand forward and it collided with a wooden surface. Feeling it up, she found a door handle. The rabbit smiled to herself. She opened the door, the light behind it momentarily blinding her. Asha rubbed her eyes and went through.

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For a wish - Part 15: Of flesh and lust

Asha walked down a flight of circular stairs. The only indication that she was making any progress was the sound of music getting louder and louder. There was no door at the end of the stairs, just a thin, purple veil, shadows and figures dancing behind it.

Asha grabbed the veil and pulled it. At that instant, it was as if all the sounds in the chamber had burst forth – loud, almost atonal music, yelling, cries of pain and pleasure. Inside she witnessed all manner of animals, some dressed in the most bizarre and outlandish clothing, while others completely in the nude. None of the residents had formed groups dedicated to one activity. Around every table sat at least five, either drinking heavily or gorging themselves, yelling and laughing, all the while watching other revelers dancing, whipping or fornicating.

Asha stepped through the threshold. She passed through jugglers, minstrels, drunkards, sadists, masochists, sodomites, looking for entrance to the next floor. It didn’t take long for her to be noticed, being the only one wearing actual clothes. Some of the dancers moved with her, urging her to join them. She ignored them for the most part, but their insistence slowly wore on her patience. They started grabbing her and pulling her by the arms and cape and pleading her to dance and she pulled away with force.

“Enough!”

Although she yelled, her voice was drowned out in the cacophony. She was ready to take out her sword when the music stopped and with it - all other noises. Everyone turned towards the end of the room and Asha followed their gaze. A lizard, sitting on a black throne, one hand supporting his head and the other raised towards the direction of a band of musicians.

“Step forward, rabbit.”

Asha walked towards the lizard, everyone straying from her but still keeping a moderate distance. The lizard didn’t move. He examined her from head to toe and he waved his hand.

“You do not need these in here.”

In an instant Asha was stripped naked, all her clothing on the ground and the perpetrators lost in the crowd. She tried covering herself as much as she could but the lizard raised his hand, motioning for her to stop.

“Relax, little rabbit, you are amongst friends here. We all value the beauty of the naked form. Set your hands down and you may state what you are seeking.”

Asha reluctantly dropped her hands, revealing her body in full. She was covered in scars, the largest and freshest one on her back.

“I wish to climb the tower.”

The lizard scratched his chin.

“Climb the tower…climb the tower…you know, many here also wanted to climb the tower, but they preferred to stay. I’ll offer you the same things I offered them.”

Again, the lizard waved his hand. A line of people went by Asha, all of them holding platters with food and drinks.

“You can have the tastiest of meals, the most numbing wine or the most intoxicating substances.”

Even though the line went fast, she could smell every individual thing on those platters. The combinations of aromas made her visibly salivate.

The lizard waved his hand once more. Another line of figures passed her, each of them caressing her body. The smell of sweat and perfume filled her nostrils. Her breaths became heavy.

“You can have any man or woman, or those which can be both. You can be as sensual, as brutal or as submissive as you want to with each and every one of them.”

The lizard rested his hand on his throne.

“You can stay. You don’t need to go.”

Asha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wiped the saliva from her mouth, took her clothes from the ground and put them back on.

“I wish to climb the tower.”

The lizard sighed and waved his hand. On his left, the wall split open and he gestured Asha to walk through it. She stepped through the crack and walked into the darkness. She heard the wall behind her close and with it the music started playing anew.

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For a wish - Part 14: Suspension

Asha stepped onto a wooden platform encircling a tree. In front of her stretched a rope around ten meters long, tied to another tree with a hole burrowed into it. In front of the hole stood a macaque twirling a scimitar. He turned towards Asha with a cocky smile.

“I am the treewalker. Get through me and you can get to the next floor. Simple enough.”

Asha took out her sword. The treewalker stretched.

“You’ve got to come to me. No reason to overexert myself.”

The rabbit looked at the rope. It was suspended for what seemed like miles above the ground and it was barely thick enough to walk on.

She put one foot on it and immediately retreated when it started shaking. The macaque laughed.

“You can always just turn around you know.”

Asha ignored the remark. She took off her cape and fastened one end of it to her foot. The other, she tied in a noose to the rope. She took her first steps, barely managing to balance herself. When she reached the halfway point, she raised her sword, ready to fight. The macaque proudly walked on the rope, grabbing it with his feet. The shaking almost caused Asha to lose her balance. When he reached her, the treewalker stood still and let the rabbit regain her composure. As she lifted her sword again, signaling that she was ready to fight, the macaque just hit it. The force was enough for Asha to fall off to the side. Even though it lasted for a second, it felt like she fell for an eternity. The feeling of all her insides hitting the body cavity made her clench every muscle in her body. The sudden stop almost tore her leg out from its socket. For a split second she blacked out. The treewalker laughed and walked back, leaving her behind, dangling.

It took Asha a few moments to completely realize what had happened. When she came to her senses she noticed an intense pain in her hand. She was clutching her sword hard enough to hurt. She couldn’t sheathe it and didn’t want to risk losing it. The rabbit ignored the pain and lifted herself up to grab her makeshift harness with her free hand. She climbed up her cloak and crawled back to her platform.

When she finally managed to sit, her feet dangling off the ledge, she pried open her hand and placed the sword beside her. She spent the next few minutes stretching her fingers until she had complete control of them again.

Asha took a look at the macaque. He was lying on his back, looking at the sky and singing a song to himself. None of this was of any surprise to him.

Asha untied the knots and this time decided to sling the cape underneath the rope and attach two ends to both her feet. She took a few steps on the rope, this time even less sure of her skills and immediately bent down to grab it with her free hand.

The treewalker noticed his opponent trying to crawl back to the battlefield. He sighed, picked up his weapon and again met Asha in the middle. He prepared to swing his sword down at her, but in the nick of time Asha slashed towards his legs. He was quick enough to step back, but all the movement caused Asha to turn upside down. She was still holding the rope with one hand and the treewalker decided this time around to kneel down.

“You know, it would be quicker if you just turn back. No shame in losing to a superior opponent.”

Asha didn’t answer. In a split second she let go of the rope and grabbed it again, this time behind her foe’s feet, after which she slashed it with one swift blow.

In his panicked state, the treewalker dropped his scimitar and grabbed the rope in front of him. Both enemies swung forward and hit their opposing trees. Asha managed to climb up the tree, much slower than the treewalker, but there was no rush. She had already won.

When she reached the top and started undoing her harness, she heard the macaque laughing.

“You’re a tricky one you are. Go on! Get to the next floor! I’m sure that scaly creep in there has been waiting for someone like you for a long time.”

Asha didn’t answer him. She put on her cloak and walked through the burrow.

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For a wish - Part 13: Converse

Asha walked through stone hallways, sarcophagi filling the walls. The air was cold and dusty, making her cough each time she inhaled too deeply. Every time she thought she reached an end of the path, the hallways would fork, leading her deeper into the catacombs. Her steps echoed through the labyrinth, at times accompanied by a current of wind. There was no danger to be feared here, yet she still felt uneasy.

Asha paced through the corridors for what seemed like hours when she finally found herself in the center of the maze – a field covered in ash, sand and dust, bones littered or formed mounds both great and small.

The ceiling, a dome with a withered mural, was at least ten stories tall. Asha cautiously stepped onto the field. She took out her sword when she got close to the center, expecting the guardian of the floor to leap out at her from somewhere nearby. Every step she took towards the center was slower. She completely stopped when small pieces of plaster fell on her head from the ceiling. She rubbed it off and looked up. More specs of plaster started cracking from the ceiling. Then she felt it.

Asha fell back when the ground beneath her gave way and from the sand something emerged. Asha crawled backwards trying to gain ground and to better see what was coming up. It was as if the creature had been sleeping underneath the mounds and the footsteps woke it up. It was colossal in size. Asha barely reached its ankle. The giant was covered in rusted, black armor, it wore a helmet, completely covering its face, and had a halberd in one hand that was almost ready to fall on one side. Its pose was unnatural – the joints were bent in weird angles, the spine made unusual turns and the neck looked as though it might be broken.

For the first time in the tower, Asha felt fear. Fear of the size and misshapen stature of the creature before her. Fear that there was a chance her quest might end here.

The giant planted the halberd firmly in ground and used it like a cane, turning from one side to the other. When it noticed Asha, it bent down to examine her closer. Asha raised her sword, but she could not hold it still. She was trembling.

“Are you climbing the tower, little rabbit?”

It’s voice was loud, but calm and collected at the same time.

“I-I am...”

The giant made a low, droning sound in response, indicating that it understood her. Still gripping the pole, it slid down to the ground, resting on the sandy field.

“I don’t wish to fight you. Turn back and let me spare your life.”

“N-no.”

Asha took meek steps forward. Although she was scared, she was not willing to give up on her quest so easily.

The giant let out a low laugh.

“You are a fool. I can easily crush you. I’m giving you the greatest gift there could be – life. No wish can compare to it. Just run along.”

“I won’t back down.”

The giant observed the rabbit - her meager steps were barely visible, and yet the giant found them commendable.

“In my youth I wanted to be a soldier. I trained everyday and before I knew it, I was in the king’s army. After each battle, I would lament on the time I’ve lost preparing for this. I never had a wife or close friends. I never had a real chance to enjoy life. I’ve killed hundreds but there was no pleasure in it. There was no pleasure in my life. And now, in death, I sleep with the bones of my foes. Turn back and do not make the mistake of denying yourself of life.”

Asha listened to the story. There was a note of pain with each word the giant said. But the warnings weren’t enough to make her forfeit.

“You said that you lost out on life because of a mistake. I aim to rid myself of all mistakes.”

The giant turned its head. It was intrigued.

“Mistakes affect us because life is short. With each choice we make, we deny ourselves another. Mistakes are choices that do not fulfill us. I want to wish for immortality. If bad choices deny us of life experiences because of how short life is, then immortality would mean that there are no bad choices, only experiences.”

The giant laughed. At first it was a chuckle but it soon became a powerful, thunderous laugh that shook the catacombs.

“Oh, rabbit, I haven’t had such a laugh in a very long time. You are quite the wordsmith. I enjoy your enthusiasm and vigor, but I doubt you’ll be able to make your wish.”

The last part caught Asha off guard.

“Why is that?”

The giant stood up and started fixing his joints, aligning them in their correct positions.

“Many have tried climbing the tower. Few have succeeded. And yet, there are no kings of the world, nor unkillable warriors, or miracle workers. Think about this when you climb up.”

  The giant struck the dome with the halberd, breaking it down. Sunlight illuminated the catacombs. From two slits on the back of the giant’s armor, two dark, almost paperlike wings emerged. It jumped and the wings started to flutter, levitating it off the ground and through the hole on the ceiling.

Asha coughed out all the dust she had swallowed during the display. She rubbed her eyes until she could see better and walked forward, through the field and towards a giant stone gate that had opened with the illumination of the catacombs.

[redscrud-blog]

The rabbit gets a little bill

It was a bright and clear night. The moon shone across the sea, paving a path to the port. On top of one of the many, now abandoned, warehouses stood a female figure. Her getup, consisting of a red tank-top, blue shorts, yellow running shoes and a tightly strapped green backpack, would suggest to any onlooker that she might just be a regular late night jogger with a strange preference for places to take a break. The only elements that broke that façade were the wraps covering her arms, small blades reflecting the moonlight in between the fabric, and a rabbit mask covering her head. Crouching down on the edge of a roof, she waited for a rendezvous of local small time criminals. She had been tracking them down for the past week until she could pin something on them. Tonight they would receive some sort of a weapon shipment from a far off eastern country and she was ready to stop them in their tracks.

Around two forty-five a black van drove to warehouse 35. Four men exited the vehicle and entered the building. The girl stood up, took a running start towards the neighboring warehouse, jumping from the edge of the roof. She landed safely on the other side, rolling at the first point of impact, and peeked down from one side. Among the many broken windows, there was one without any glass. She suspended herself from the roof just above it and let herself fall, latching onto the sill below. She pulled herself up and peeked inside.

There was a walkway. Rusty old chains hung from the ceiling, from the days when the warehouse saw greater use. At the bottom stood the four men from earlier with three new ones, most likely the dealers. The girl cautiously dropped onto the walkway and dashed towards a nearby ladder. Being careful not to make any sounds, she climbed down. Unfortunately, as she was about half way down, she felt the creaking. It had been many years since the ladder had seen use and under the weight of the crime-fighter, it broke off. She launched herself off the reeling contraption at the last second. Landing with a roll, she immediately sprung back on

her feet and assumed a battle stance. Behind her the ladder crashed and with it - half the walkway. The criminals stared on, baffled, not yet sure how to react.

“This is a vigilante arrest. I suggest you surrender now and turn yourself in peacefully, or else I will use force.”

One of the seven men took out a knife and lunged at her. She clenched her fists and jabbed him in the jaw, knocking him out as soon as he’d come. There was a moment of silence. She jolted towards the group.

The first one came at her with a haymaker from her left. She easily blocked him and returned an uppercut. The second one was running close behind and met a similar fate. One tried to grab a pipe from the ground and was kicked in the face. Two others reached into their jackets, but didn’t go unnoticed. The heroine shook her hands, razor blades falling from within the wrap, dangling off her fingers on thin, barely visible strings. She swung her hand towards the closer assailant, cutting him across the face. The second one was quicker. She flung her other hand, a blade intercepting the line between her and the gun. The gun fired. The bullet split in half. She jumped forward, passing effortlessly between the two pieces, and punched the gunman in the jaw. He fell on the ground. The three remaining criminals seemed like they’d frozen in shock. She just stared at them. In a brief second, they turned around and ran. She waved her hand and as they ran, their belts flew open, sliced in half, causing their owners to stumble over

their own dropping pants. The crime-fighter put her hands on her hips, reassuring herself of a job well done.

“Bravo!”

There was a slow clap. She turned towards one of the windows, ready to fight. A figure slowly glided though it, descending towards her. As the heroine saw the blue, one-piece suit, adorned with silver stripes and stars, she lowered her guard, assuming a more passive-aggressive stance.

“Solaris.”, she spoke up. “What are you doing here?”

A smile appeared beneath Solaris’s golden helmet.

“I was in the neighborhood and saw you sulking on a rooftop. I was about to call for you, when you jumped to this warehouse, flew through the window and stopped an arms deal.”

Solaris scanned the bodies on the floor.

“You did a really nice job, Hopper. Your entrance could have used a little bit of work, but you managed to salvage it. You said your lines, they responded with hostility and you took them out using non-lethal methods. To be sincere, I am impressed. However…”

Solaris scratched his chin.

“…I am pretty sure this isn’t your jurisdiction.”

Hopper crossed her arms.

“If I am correct, your territory ends at warehouse 34. This is 35. I am afraid you’ll have to be fined.”

Underneath her mask, Hopper scoffed.

“That’s bullshit.”

Solaris didn’t pay her any mind. He took out a pen and paper and started filling it out.

“I’ve been staking these guys out for the past 2 weeks. The meeting was supposed to take place in 34. What was I supposed to do?”

Solaris finished writing and handed her the paper.

“You could have called the police, another organization or someone who has jurisdiction here.”

Hopper stared him down. Solaris, with a smirk on his face, waved the paper. She violently grabbed it from his hand.

“Bureaucrat.” She murmured in a low tone.

“Now, now, bunny, professional obligations aside, I am a fan of yours. You have a grungier vibe than most others. Really works in your favour. However, if you want to get into an organization, you really should start working with the system better. This is, after all, your third fine for the month. That’s a very bad track record. Lowers your chances of joining an organization, you know.”

Hopper didn’t answer him. Solaris shrugged and slowly began ascending.

“In any case, I do hope to see you again soon. Maybe we could work on the same side next time. Ta-ta!”

He flew away through the window. Hopper looked at the fine. One hundred dollars. Must be paid in the town bureau for vigilante justice. She crumpled the piece of paper and put it in her pocket. She looked around. All the criminals seemed in

place. She took her cellphone out of the bag, selected her vigilante app and clicked the button. The police should be there in ten minutes to clean the place up. Hopper stretched a bit, looked around for a window and threw her blades towards a walkway, the strings tightening around the ramp. She pulled hard, trying to get herself up there, but a piece of it broke off and fell down. Hopper sighed. She untied her strings and exited through the main door.

#

Hopper sat on a bench in the Bureau for Vigilante Justice. A small, one story building, a quarter of a block wide, that used to be a post office before it shut down. On the inside, there were hallways after hallways stretching towards infinity, more than one thousand reported floors. Information signs hung on every wall and column, so as not to get lost. There had been reports of people making a wrong turn and disappearing for months on end. When the bureau was first being established, an architect by the name of Mark Dutch, a homo superioris with the uncanny ability to manipulate dimensions, was called in to shape the insides of the building. Mr. Dutch claimed the bureau as his masterpiece. No more than two months after its completion, Mark Dutch disappeared without a trace. Some say he got lost in his briefcase one afternoon and never found the right way home.

The interior of the building was old. There were renovations, but they didn’t hide the fact that it was built

around the beginning of the twentieth century. The main colour scheme was beige and brown. Granite floor tiles, with some unsightly cracks here and there. A few pillars, originally straight, now bent in such ways, they couldn’t be considered pillars anymore. On one of the walls there was bas-relief, once depicting a carrier dove, now – a figure of Lady Justice. Some of her fingers were missing and she sported a few cracks here and there, but still inspiring. The place was close to what you could see in modern day ex-soviet art-deco inspired interior design.

One of the many other things that had been weighed down by the passage of time were the seats. Hopper was unlucky enough to end up on a decrepit bench. The wood was soggy and very prone to cracks. She couldn’t sit comfortably under constant threat of splinters. She would’ve just stood up, but there was a high chance of the staff asking her to sit back down, since she would clog the work flow.

For the past 30 minutes she had been stuck between a giant human rat and a man well above his forties dressed as a clown. Probably because of the circumstances, it felt a lot longer. She considered that unnatural. One of her powers was time perception. She could perceive time as fast or as slow as she wanted. That was how she accomplished most of her acrobatic feats. Of course, this power came with a drawback. The more she slowed down time, the more painful everything became. Jumping, moving, even breathing. And if she sustained any

damage before using her ability, it would get amplified, so she mainly slowed it to a point where one second could be felt as three. It was bearable and it gave her a slight advantage during fights. The opposite worked for speeding time up. Pain was barely felt, but there was always a chance that she could speed up her perception too much and die of starvation and dehydration. But in small doses, it was therapeutic and avoided boredom. That is why this place felt so unnatural. She couldn’t manipulate her sense of time. She figured it was probably a byproduct of the warped dimensions of the building, but she liked to believe it was specifically designed to annoy her.

“Number 2631.” A voice called out from one of the hallways.

Hopper got up and walked in a straight line until she reached the registers. An elderly woman from behind a glass wall turned towards her with an apathetic look on her face.

“Please step forward.”

Hopper took a few steps and got her documents ready.

“Vigilante ID.”

Hopper handed her a small, white card. The woman adjusted her horned glasses.

“Your ID hasn’t expired yet, but you should check up on it soon.”

Hopper didn’t answer. The woman returned her card, and took a pen and a blue sheet of paper.

“Name?”

“Alison Holler.”

“Alias?”

“Hopper.”

“Vigilante occupation?”

“Solo vigilante.”

“Civilian occupation?”

“None.”

“Area of occupation?”

“Zone D, subdivision 20-24.”

“Small timer?”

Hopper didn’t answer. She adjusted her documents.

“Please sign the bottom line.”

The woman pushed the paper through the hole with a pen. Hopper signed.

“Please provide all reports of fought crime from the begging of the month.”

Hopper slid her reports. They contained information such as date, time, area, criminal information, reasons for suspicion, additional assistance and other details.

“Please wait a moment to scan and fax these.”

The woman made a few clicks on her computer, stood up with the documents in hand, and shuffled over to her scanner. She stacked the papers in a pile and took out the first one, sliding it into the outdated machine. A slow moving light emerged from under the press. The woman was actually a widely

known homo superioris amongst the vigilantes. Her power was to generate magnetic fields around her that could impede digital devices. She could supposedly manipulate the intensity and area of the field, but even at minimum output, it was always active. Some believed that was a reason why most of the work was done as slow, besides the outdated technology in use. Most questioned the reasoning of hiring a person who’s very being impeded their job. Humanitarians would answer that everyone deserves job and her inherent inadequacy shouldn’t be an issue. Hopper would answer that she was there to spite her.

Thirty minutes of scanning and faxing later, the woman took her seat and turned towards a spiritually exhausted Hopper.

“Do you have floppy disk copies of your reports?”

“Yes.”

Hopper pushed a bag of floppies through the whole. The woman took the bag and placed it beside her. She opened a safe, counted through four hundred dollars, placed them in an envelope and handed them. Hopper took the envelope and stuck it in the inner pocket of her jacket. Before she turned to walk away, she spoke up again.

“Where should I go to pay fines?”

The woman slowly lifted her gaze. She took her pen and a sticky note. She scribbled something down and passed it through the hole. Hopper took the note. It was a well detailed and intricate map from here to where she needed to go,

complete with instructions. The bureaucrat’s second power was to fit extremely detailed information into a minimum amount of space.

 The payment took about two minutes as a whole, which was surprising in itself considering the giant centipede which stood behind the desk. It couldn’t really talk and made a gurgling sound whenever it spoke, but it could understand Hopper and it gave her a cue card whenever it said something.

Hopper walked out of the building, wasting the better part of her day. Outside it started pouring. She sighed, opened up her backpack and took out a raincoat. She strode through the puddles. It was an awful day. Giving a quarter of your earnings because of a mistake was quite the sting to the ego. Especially painful was the fact that this was her first real hit. A serious crime. The only thing she had encountered before were petty thefts and an illegal vigilante, or rogue. There wasn’t really a fight. He complied and followed her to the police station. He was sentenced to a few months of community service, because of his clean record. It was sad really.  The closest thing to a rogue she has come to was a man trying to do something good, but not having the papers for it. In reality rogues weren’t really uncommon, but they were still uncommon enough. Most knew how to hide their tracks or joined organizations. You wouldn’t

really find a rogue soloing like you would a vigilante. Although even solo vigilantes were becoming a rare breed.

Hopper was actually trying to get into a vigilante organization, The Justice Brigade. A low tier group, that didn’t offer all that much, but it did offer a fixed salary and someone to do all the paperwork, which was good enough for her. She did try applying for it, but was turned down three times. They deemed her too inexperienced. And now with the fines, chances were looking even slimmer.

It was strange really. When she first started, she had high hopes. She envisioned herself busting down crime rings, being adored by the public and becoming a member of the high tier groups. Now, the only thing on her mind was how to get through the month and how to dry her shoes before her night patrol.  

“Excuse me, ma’am. Could I ask you a quick question?”

The voice came from behind her. Could someone be asking a woman for directions in the middle of a downpour? Hopper turned, fists raised. After seeing who it was, she lowered them, maintaining a frown.

“What do you want Solaris?”

Solaris pretended to blush.

“Oh, I’m flattered that you know me ma’am. I wanted to ask you, if you are interested in a business proposition on top of that building?”

Solaris pointed towards a nearby building, four stories high. Hopper crossed her hands.

“Can’t you ask me now?”

“No, ma’am”. Solaris shook his head. “Utmost secrecy must be kept.”

Hopper looked around. They were the only ones on the street. She pinched the bridge of her nose, gently massaging it.

“Is this really necessary?”

Solaris smirked.  

“Of course, ma’am.”

Hopper groaned and Solaris, pleased with himself, flew towards the rooftop. The girl went towards the alleyway of the building and took her rabbit mask out of her bag. It was a difficult job, but she put the mask on without lowering the hood of her raincoat. After cracking her knuckles and doing a bit of stretches she jumped and grabbed on to the wall by the bricks. Unfortunately, it was too slippery and she fell on her back side. She got up and jumped onto the fire-escape.

At the top Solaris was waiting for her, smug as ever.

“Was there any reason not to do this on the street?”

“You know the rules. What if someone had seen us and deduced our identities?”

“I walked out of the bureau without a mask on, I think we would have been fine.”

“Hmm…we can discuss your bad work ethics later,” Solaris answered, with a joking tone. “I have a job to do.”

“There was no one down there…” Hopper scoffed under her nose, but the young man didn’t pay her any attention.

“Now, Hopper, what do you know of the Gun Kata Death Cult?”

“Umm…they were small time criminals, right? Mixing kung fu and gunplay?”

“Correct. A small, criminal organization, mostly composited by homo superioris who have the potential of learning such a martial art. Very good.”

If she were anyone else, she would have thought that the last remark was meant to mock her. But she knew better and assumed the entire conversation had that goal.

“Now, last night, after our little meeting in the warehouse, I went on my nightly patrol. All was fine, until I heard gunfire coming from an abandoned building. When I got there, I found ten cult members dead. They were all sliced up and there was no sign of the killer.”

Hopper didn’t visibly react to the news, but the idea of ten gunwielding black belts being slaughtered without a trace spooked her a bit.

“As you’d guess, I went out searching for clues. I couldn’t find anything, except for witness. A young girl, around six years old. Do you know what she told me?”

Hopper remained silent. She didn’t like where this was going.

“She told me that she saw a bunny running on the rooftops with knives on ropes.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Come again?”

“A bunny with knives on ropes.”

Hopper didn’t know how to react. She was stunned.

“A-are you saying that I killed them?”

Solaris let out a chuckle, followed by a hearty laugh

“Oh, dear, no. You wouldn’t hurt a fly. Sure you have a few smudges on your record, but nothing that would make me think you were the culprit.”

“Then what?”

Solaris smiled.

“Don’t you see? You have a nemesis!”

“A nemesis?”

“That’s right!”

The man was visibly more excited than his companion. Even more so than would be considered normal.

“To be completely frank here, I am a bit jealous. You’ve barely been a year on the job and here you are. Copy cat rogues running around, inspired by your image. I know it’s not professional of me, but I must congratulate you. No matter how macabre the occasion is.”

Hopper didn’t really feel like being congratulated. Although the information was shocking and the story

surrounding it was morbid, she didn’t really feel anything special about it. Mostly because it was coming from him.

“So? What am I to do?”

Solaris’ cheerful expression was replaced with one of confusion.

“Why, you are supposed to catch your nemesis, of course.”

“It doesn’t really seem like an option. The rogue is in your territory.”

The man grabbed his chin.

“True…but I could sign you up as an assistant on the case. On paper, I’ll be leading the pursuit, but the word on the street would be that you caught the rogue on your own. After the job is done, I’ll even give you my part of the commission.”

“I don’t buy it. Why should I do this? Considering last night…”

“Now, now” Solaris raised a finger. “Last night you were in breach of the law. It was my duty to do what I did. Now, I’m offering you a chance. If a vigilante doesn’t catch their own nemesis, it’s looked down upon by the community. It could give you points next time you apply for the justice brigade”

Hopper looked at her feet. She did need the money. And more experience to put on her resume. Not to mention the rep. She looked at Solaris.

“You promise you won’t pull any stunts like you did last night?”

Solaris shook his head.

“No. As I said, I was only doing my job. You can’t fault me for your mistakes, can you?”

Hopper sighed. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was acting stupid. She knew better and she would say that he was trying to spite her.

It was around midnight. Hopper was crouching on the side of a building, surveilling the neighboring one – a decrepit, uninhabitable, five story building, paint torn off, revealing the brickwork. According to Solaris, the guns from the deal Hopper had stopped the other day were going to go to the cult. They would gather here to discuss where to buy their next shipment, so there was a chance the killer might strike again. When she asked him how he knew, he replied that he asked for the police report on the thugs. One of them squealed and shared everything he knew, including the most recent gathering site of the cult. That made Hopper feel very unprofessional. The only reason she knew of the deal was because the overheard two of the criminals talking about it in broad daylight. She wasn’t really a detective. She just wanted to do the right thing. At least, that’s what she used to want. Nowadays all she wanted was to pay her rent without much fuss. She admitted to herself that she might be way over her head. Gangs, murders. When she shared her concerns with Solaris before splitting up, he just said that she’d do fine.

#

Hopper had to wait about half an hour before a van stopped in front of the building. Three men exited the van and went inside. Her grip tightened. She would wait it out. If she heard something she would jump through one of the windows and subdue the killer. Solaris told her that he would fly by every ten minutes or so during his patrol to see if she needed any help. Everything was going to be alright. If she became part of The Justice Brigade, this would be standard procedure.

By now the men should have been on the top floor. So far nothing unusual. Then she heard gunshots. About four. And then there was silence. So quick? These were supposed to be marksmen. Hopper stood up, ran back and jumped through a window, glass flying in her wake.

She was greeted by a horrid scene. Two of the gang members lied on the ground in pools of blood, covered in lacerations. Hopper froze up. She looked around. At the other side of the room stood a figure, looking back at her. The figure was female. She held the last gang member by the collar of his shirt, other hand raised, holding a straight razor, which in turn was connected to a chain. She wore scruffy, oversized clothes, a rabbit’s head hastily drawn on her shirt with acrylic, her face was hidden behind a brown, cardboard mask, crudely cut to resemble a rabbit. Half of the left ear was snipped off. In place of a right eye, there was a big, blue X and for the left – a red swirl. A cartoonish snout grinned beneath them in red. The features were drawn on with crayons.

Her hair, a dark shade of yellow, was unkempt and glistened in the pale light from outside. Her knuckles were visibly deformed and her arms were covered in cuts and scars up to her elbows. Although the killer  was a fair distance away from Hopper, she could swear that she smelled vinegar from her direction.

Hopper tried to regain her senses. It didn’t help that the rogue didn’t move the entire time. She just stared at the heroine.

“This is a vigilante arrest. I suggest you surrender now and…” Hopper was cut short when the killer sliced the throat of the last cultist. She threw the body on the ground and started walking towards Hopper.

It happened so suddenly. The crime-fighter didn’t know how to react. It was her first time seeing something so gruesome.

By the time Hopper came to her senses, the rogue was right in front of her. She assumed a fighting stance, but the killer just walked by her, towards the window. The heroine turned. Her nemesis was about to run away. Without even considering the thought of a fight. She didn’t want to admit it, but it made her angry. She threw her hand towards her new nemesis, the blades wrapping themselves around one of her arms. Hopper pulled on the strings, trying to take down her target, but she barely flinched. Instead, her nemesis wrapped the strings even tighter and flung her across the room.

When Hopper hit the floor, she felt a sharp pain. Her shoulder was dislocated. Before she could lift her head, her foe was already in front of her. She kicked her in the face, breaking her nose. The heroine slammed into the wall. Her opponent picked her up by the collar, staring into her for a second, after which she threw her through a nearby window.

With risk of going into shock, Hopper slowed down time, not seeing another alternative. The still falling shards of glass above her almost froze completely. With that, the pain in her shoulder and nose intensified. Hopper scanned the area above her, noticing a curtain rail on the inside of the window. She sped up time, throwing the blades towards it. The strings wrapped themselves around the rail and her body hit the side of the building. Hopper looked up. On the window stood her opponent. She flicked her razor and cut through one of the strings. Hopper’s eyes widened. If she used her power again, there was a high chance of her blacking out. The second and third strings were cut at once. She was about to cut the final string, when she stopped at the last second, flicked the razor closed and disappeared inside.

The heroine took a deep breath. She was about to start planning how to get down, when she noticed that she was slowly descending. Her nemesis had barely sliced the final string, leaving it to break on its own. There wasn’t much time to act. Hopper summoned all her strength and lunged herself up the string, desperately attempting to climb with her one

functioning arm. With every try, the string thinned out more and more. On the fourth lunge, the string broke, but she caught the window frame. She pulled herself up. The room was empty, save for the two bodies.

Hopper got up, her left arm hanging lifelessly. She grabbed it and walked towards a wall. Only partially aware of how to proceed, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slammed her shoulder in the wall. It popped into place, signaled by her scream. She fell on the ground, breathing heavily. The heroine took off and opened her backpack, taking out a bottle of water, a few rolls of string and a small box of razor blades. She lifted up the edge of her mask to drink, then tied a new batch of blades to her fingers.

She was getting ready to leave when six men, all dressed in black, broke through the door. Too exhausted to speak, she raised a hand towards them, in a plea for them to wait. They wouldn’t have it.

“We are the Gun Kata Death Cult elite strike squad! For sins against our clan we sentence you to death!”

In a heartbeat, they were all armed with two pistols each. Hopper forgot to breathe.  She spread the blades in front of her and slowed down time. They fired. The hail of bullets was intercepted by the flurry of razors. After every shot, the cultist changed the angle of fire. What Hopper couldn’t slice, she dodged, albeit by a hair. After the first round ended, she

fell to her knees. In a split second they had already reloaded and took aim.

“Admirable resilience, but this is the end.”

The girl closed her eyes and hoped for a miracle. Just then, through a window from behind the heroine, a blinding light appeared. The next thing she knew, all six of the cultists were on the floor, shielding their eyes. Hopper turned around. By the window hovered Solaris, arms crossed.

“Tisk, tisk, tisk.”

He was looking at Hopper, typical smirk on his face. She had the feeling he was trying to spite her.

#

Somehow, it didn’t surprise Hopper that Solaris had an office. It was modern, yet typical. The midday sun barely shone through the half-closed blinds. The grey walls, which were most likely originally painted white, did not have any decorations, except for a clock above Solaris and a motivational poster with a kitten hanging from a rope and the words “hang in there” written beneath. Hopper sat on a rather uncomfortable chair in front of a desk. Sheets of paper were neatly stacked in columns, resting in one corner, with three pens arranged just under them. Right next to the outdated monitor was a bowl of candy, most likely to make Solaris seem more approachable. By the look of it, the candy was some knock-off cough drop brand, half melted in the packets. Solaris sat in a presidential chair, elbows on the desk, the

tips of his fingers touching, waiting for his computer to boot. The faint ambience of the computer fan filled the room, the clock giving it rhythm. Both vigilantes stared at each other. Hopper gripped her seat with discomfort, the chair squeaking a bit.

From time to time Solaris would tap his fingers. He was unphased by the silence or the tension it brought. He would shift his eyes towards the monitor every now and then, checking if the computer hadn’t frozen up. Hopper couldn’t take it. She closed her eyes and sped up time, enough so when she resumed as normal, the computer had just loaded. Solaris was aware of what his colleague had done, finding it completely distasteful and a tad bit insulting. Still, he was not one to judge. He turned towards the monitor, opening the rogue database files. He put his hands on the keyboard.

“Rogue’s alias?”

“Excuse me?”

Hopper wiped a string of drool hanging from the edge of her mouth. A side effect of speeding up time was entering docile, almost vegetable-like state.

Solaris calmly repeated:

“The rogue’s alias.”

“Oh...um, she didn’t have one.”

Solaris stared at the screen. He started typing.

“Doppelganger. Works just as well. Real name…blank. Appearance?”

“She was a bit taller than me, but hunched over. Deformed knuckles. Cuts on the arms. Red shirt, black pants. Rabbit mask. Oily, blonde hair…”

Solaris stopped typing. He shifted his eyes towards the heroine.

“You said she wore a mask.”

“Oh, it was a cardboard cutout”

“Ah! Alright”

Solaris continued typing.

“Any powers?”

“Strength and probably super speed. Those were all I saw.”

“Alright. Weapons?”

“She had a straight razor on a chain.”

Solaris giggled underneath his nose. Hopper didn’t find it funny. He turned to his colleague. He continued typing for about a minute more and turned.

“I’ll finish up the work later. Now, how do we stop this…“

He looked at the screen.

“…Doppelganger?”

Hopper shrank in her seat, away from his enthusiasm. How would they stop her? How would she stop her? Hopper spoke up.

“How did she…how did she decide to take up my image?”

Solaris scratched the back of his neck.

“Who’s to say? You aren’t a popular vigilante. She probably saw you one night at the edge of my territory.”

“What about the Gun Kata grudge?”

“Either something personal or a warped sense of justice. It’s not my job to know. My job is to fill in paperwork and

capture criminals. So? How are we going to capture this criminal?”

Both vigilantes trailed deep in thought. If she had super speed, she would need to stay on the ground to use it. Hopper figured it was a good start for a plan.

“By…keeping her off the ground?”

Solaris scratched his chin. Hopper continued.

“If we…I keep her somehow off the ground, she wouldn’t be able to use her powers all that much.”

“Yes…I see your point. How do you plan on doing that?”

“Maybe…find out where she would strike next, booby trap the area, use sneak attacks and…”

Solaris raised his hand.

“I like your enthusiasm, I really do, but how would you find that out?”

“She has a thing for the Gun Kata Death Cult. So maybe we can do it like night?”

“I’m afraid we can’t. The boys you helped me catch last night. They all talked. Gave away everything – leaders, hideouts, subordinates. The Cult is dead. Congratulations on the bust by the way. More points for your resume for the Justice Brigade.”

Hopper sighed. The good news didn’t do much to lift her spirits.

“So…there aren’t any active members or gathering sights?”

“I’m afraid not…sorry.”

“Does she know?”

A smirk started sneak it’s way on Solaris’ face. He turned towards his computer and started typing away.

“The Cult was going to hold a meeting in a week. The entire gang was going to be there. Do you think our girl would have gone?”

“For sure.”

“Right. So the meeting was going to be held in the industrial area, near the harbor. The abandoned factory.”

Solaris stretched out on his chair.

“Well. That just about does it. Go home, fill in your reports, make a plan and catch yourself a nemesis!”

He was about to get up, when Hopper interrupted him.

“Wait!”

He turned, startled.

“Do you think…do you think I am ready for this?”

He didn’t give it a moment’s thought.

“Sure you are.”

“I’m serious. Last night….last night was a disaster. I’m not sure if I’m up for the task.”

He sat back down.

“No one is really forcing you. You can just quit the job and I’ll have to catch the killer. Of course that would be a red mark for you, but I’m sure you could manage”

The heroine slumped on her chair.

“I haven’t faced such a serious threat before. I know the right thing to do is face her. That’s what heroes are supposed to do, but…”

Solaris cut her off.

“Listen. Hopper. I know you are scared, but you have to understand. We don’t do this because it’s the right thing. We do it because it’s our job.”

Solaris stood up and went for the door.

“You are still young, you’ll grow out of your idealism soon.”

Hopper took a deep breath. She didn’t know why she thought Solaris was going to reassure her. He was probably trying to spite her again. She took a piece of candy from the bowl, unwrapping it and unsticking it as much as she could from the melted syrup. Finally she gave up and put the candy in her mouth, intending to spit out the wrapper parts later.

#

    The meeting of the cult was supposed to take place at midnight. Hopper was crouching on the roof of building nearest to the factory, surveilling all possible entry points – the employee entry, the main gate for shipments, and most of the windows. The shipment gate, wasn’t a good entry point by any means and she stood on the only side where entering through the windows was a viable option. For the past week she had tried to think of a plan to contain her nemesis. All the windows were lined with her strings, creating a net for

Doppelganger if she tried going through them, and the door was booby trapped – when it was opened, a lead pipe, around shin-high, would spring out from the side, contusing her foe, after which a net would shoot out, capturing her. In retrospect, the plans seemed kind of silly and Doppelganger had proven herself capable of cutting through Hopper’s strings, but Hopper was sure that by the time her nemesis could react, she would jump in and incapacitate her. She had come five hours earlier to install her traps, and make sure that the Doppelganger wasn’t around, and sat on the building for the other three. She just hoped everything would go quickly and without any hindrances.

Hopper waited silently, reviewing all possibilities in her head, the hairs of her neck quickly turned around, instinctively activating her powers in the process, slowing down time. In front of her stood Doppelganger, unmoving and staring at Hopper. She held two straight razors, four more on the ground beside her, their chains leading from the handles to her back. Two ropes adorned each shoulder, a new addition to her look, apparently emerging from the same bag. Hopper assumed a fighting stance, but Doppelganger didn’t react. She probably wouldn’t attack unprovoked, so the heroine decided to reason with her, not lowering her stance.

“Listen! The Gun Kata Death Cult has been dissolved! There is no reason to fight! Please, turn yourself in peacefully and we can avoid any violence.”

Hopper hoped that would work, more for herself than for her foe. But Doppelganger didn’t react in any way. That unnerved her. It wasn’t normal. Then again, lately nothing was. Hopper decided to close the distance between them.

“Do you understand me? Should I take your lack of reaction as understanding?”

There was no response. Doppelganger adjusted her grip on the razors. Hopper prepared for an attack. None came. She came even closer.

“Lay down your weapons and I can turn you in. None resistance will be a benefit to you in the long run.”

Again, no response. She was either trying to bait Hopper in, or she was still processing this. Hopper believed the latter. The heroine, not letting her guard down, slowly reached towards the side of her backpack. She undid a pocket and produced a pair of handcuffs from it.

“I am going to put these on you. Do you understand?”

There was no response. Hopper moved in even closer. She was face to face with the killer. Hopper slowly moved the cuff towards Doppelganger’s arm. She didn’t break eye contact. The second the metal touched Doppelganger’s skin, she reacted. Before Hopper could do anything about it, her foe had slashed her across the face. Hopper jumped back. There was no real damage, apart from a tear in the mask. As soon as she had landed, her nemesis was already in front of her. A flurry of punches assaulted the heroine, not giving her any time to

react. Even with her power, Doppelganger moved too quickly for her to defend herself.

After a power punch to her face, Doppelganger had broken through Hopper’s guard, delivering a kick to her chest. It was powerful enough to throw Hopper off the roof. Before she even realized what had happened, she felt a cold, tightening sensation around her wrist and her trajectory had changed. The nemesis had caught her with her chains and reeled her back in, with the intent of continuing her barrage. Hopper boosted her power. Her movement gradually slowed down, with the pain in her chest and face increasing. Just before it became too much to bear, Hopper assessed the situation as much as she could, and adjusted herself accordingly. She sped up time and landed a double kick to her foe’s chest, pushing herself back and weakening the grip on the chains enough for her to escape.

The moment she landed, she turned around and dashed towards the factory. She felt a razor slightly scraping her calf.  She unleashed her blades and upon impact with the window and sliced through the wire trap. Unfortunately, she overshot the walkway. She slowed down time and spun around, throwing her blades at the chain and hook dangling from the ceiling. The strings wrapped themselves tightly around the hook and she swung herself onto one of the many machines that were either too outdated or unmovable to be sold when the factory closed down. She jumped off the machine and landed safely on the ground.

The factory had been used to produce train cars back in the day. This room in particular was the assembly line. Rusted sheets were stacked around the room, with a few half completed cars positioned in front of the main gate. Hopper heard a sound behind her and didn’t have much time to react. She boosted her power. Her perception of time became even slower, so much so that even turning her had seemed like a ten minute task.

    The pain from her chest was rapidly spreading across her body. She knew that she couldn’t last long like this, but she didn’t have much of a choice. When she turned around she saw Doppelganger running towards her, at almost a normal walking speed. There was not much else to do and she decided to enact her final plan. She ducked and extended one of her legs out, slowly turning. Apparently, Doppelganger didn’t have any different form of perception than an average person would, so she didn’t see Hopper’s plan in motion. Just before both of their legs collided Hopper sped up time beyond her normal perception for just a second. There was no pain from the impact. She immediately slowed down time and turned towards her opponent’s flying body, wrapping her legs with her strings and trying to spin her around. Doppelganger sliced the strings off and before she could change her flight path, hit the wall headfirst. She dropped to the ground with a thud. There was no movement.

Hopper clasped her mouth. The thought of her killing someone had never occurred to her. And now here it was. She started breathing heavily. This wasn’t her fault. It was an accident. It was her nemesis’ fault. She wasn’t to blame. She kept repeating these words to herself over and over.

A whistle of surprise filled the room. Solaris flew in through one of the broken windows, holding a small grocery bag.

“Wow, bunny. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Solaris! It’s not what you think! She did it to herself! She cut my strings and she flew off and it wasn’t my fault and and…”

Her voice started to break as she rambled on. Solaris didn’t pay her any attention. She walked towards the body of Doppelganger and put his finger on her neck.

“She’s alive.”

A wave of relief engulfed Hopper’s body. She fell on her knees.

“Congratulations! You caught your nemesis!”

Hopper chuckled under her breath.

“Yeah…I guess I did.”

“This calls for a celebration!”

Solaris took out a box of chocolates from the bag.

Hopper looked at him, smiling beneath her mask.

“Wait. You knew I was going to capture her, didn’t you?”

Solaris shrugged. He took out his phone, clicking the vigilante app.

“As I said, I am a fan.  And I was quite certain of your abilities. Tripping her was a bit unsporting, but I suppose all is fair.”

Hopper collapsed on the ground, arms stretched apart.

“I really did it, didn’t I? I’m gonna be in the justice brigade…”

Solaris popped a chocolate in his mouth.

“Now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You earned points to get into the brigade. There’s still more to do.”

“Yeah…”

It didn’t bother her. There was nothing stopping her now. She was at the top of the world.

“Oh, before I forget.”

Solaris took out a stack of papers from the grocery bag and handed them to Hopper.

“What’s this?”

“Documentation. Papers allowing you to work in my territory, papers dismissing you from my territory, my reports of the crimes, an agreement, signed by a notary, allowing you to give in these documents on my behalf and receive my payment for it. You just need to fill some information of your person on the places I left blank and you should fill out your paperwork.”

He popped another chocolate in his mouth.

“You know, if I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you were trying to spite me.”

He scoffed. She laughed and extended her hands towards the box of chocolates.

#

“Please step forward.”

Hopper did as she was told.

“Are you Alison Holler, alias Hopper, solo vigilante with an area of occupation Zone D, subdivision 20-24?”

“I am.”

“Are you aware that you have been operating with an expired vigilante license, effectively deeming you a rogue and therefore a criminal?”

“I was informed this afternoon by the clerks at the bureau.”

The judge looked at her. At least she thought he was looking at her, considering where his glasses pointed towards. Besides his wig, his entire face was covered in darkness, more liquid like than visual.

“You were handing over the files on a case you worked on, is that correct?”

“It is.”

“The clerks informed you of the situation and when you left the building you were confronted by the police?”

“I was.”

“Miss Holler, operating as a rogue is a serious offense, which demands severe punishment.”

The judge adjusted his glasses. Hopper swallowed.

“However, a certain vigilante did vouch for you and managed to convince me that extreme measures needn’t be taken.”

The judge lifted up a sheet of paper.

“On the other hand, you have received four fines this month alone. From what I can see, you have difficulties understanding the system, and you have been having them ever since you began your job. Some action must be taken, Miss Holler. I sentence you to two months of prison and twenty thousand hours of community service. ”

“But I…”

The judge slammed his gavel. An officer grabbed her by the wrist and escorted her out.

#

She sat in her prison cell – a small space with one bed and a toilet. On the walls were etched the days former prisoners had spent here. Solaris promised to visit her tomorrow. She took a deep breath, and barely stopped herself from coughing. There was mold growing in the corners. She closed her eyes and sped up time.

[redscrud-blog]

For a wish - Part 12: Forked path

Asha entered an abandoned clock tower. Gears turned, crackling and clanking, pushing leavers back and forth. Although every single piece of equipment moved, the hands on the clock itself did not budge and were perpetually stuck at six o’clock. The entire room was illuminated by the moon peering in through the dial. Asha stepped forward onto a walkway, positioned over an endless, dark abyss. The path itself lead to a door, right underneath the dial.  

She stepped lightly over the cold, stone floor. It was wide enough for two to pass each other, but she didn’t want to risk it. Although it hadn’t bothered her before, she had a feeling her back injury might prove troublesome in a duel here.

When she reached the middle of the walkway, she noticed a shadowy figure stepping onto it from the other side. She wasted no time and unsheathed her sword. The figure did not change its pace and continued on with a calm and steady step. Although cloaked, Asha could determine her opponent was just slightly taller than her. It wasn’t visible if they were armed, but even if they were, it wouldn’t be a long-reaching weapon, so the battle would be intimate.

When her opponent was about three meters away from her, he took down his cowl, revealing himself to be a rabbit. Asha readied her weapon, but he did not attack.

“Tell me, traveler, for how long have you been climbing the tower?”

Asha did not answer him. He turned towards the dial.

“I’ve been here for so long and I’ve yet to fix that thing. I’m just curious how much time it takes for an adventurer to get here.”

He turned back towards Asha with an innocent smile on his face. She was not amused. He sighed.

“I am the clock-keeper. I came here because I enjoy the solitude the tower provides for those who wish it.”

He walked slowly towards Asha, continuing his monologue.

“I enjoy examining things – how they work and function. I have the mechanisms of the clock mapped out and I know every single part of it. But most importantly…”

His hand started moving from beneath the robes. Asha stood ready for an attack, but he pulled out a simple deck of cards.

“…I enjoy games.”

Again he smiled and, again, Asha did not answer.

“Even though it’s nice to stare at the cog wheels, overthink the existential condition and play solitaire, it can get a little dull. So would you mind if you played a few games with me?”

He sat down and spread four cards face down.

“If you do, you can go on to the next floor.”

Asha sheathed her sword and crossed her arms. The clock-keeper smiled.

“You have to pick two cards and they have to be the same colour.”

Asha bent down and picked two cards. The clock-keeper flipped them over.

“Spades and hearts. You lose.”

Asha got up and walked towards the door. She pulled the handle, but it was locked. She turned back towards the other rabbit. He was dangling a key on his finger.

“I played a game. Open the door.”

“One isn’t enough. I insist you stay a bit more.”

Asha took out her sword and went towards the clock-keeper. He extended his arm over the abyss, the key still dangling.

“Don’t make any mistakes you might regret.”

Asha stopped in her tracks. Her opponent spun the key, coiling it around his finger. He closed the distance between them while shuffling the deck of cards.

“Did you know there are more ways to stack a deck of cards than there are stars in the sky?”

“Yes. I heard that recently.”

There was mild look of disappointment on the keeper’s face.

“Oh…the cat told you, didn’t she?”

Asha breathed slowly. When the keeper got close enough, she was going to pounce on him and take the key. She wasn’t planning on wasting any more time than she had to. But to her surprise, when he was close enough, the rabbit just threw the key towards her.

“You can go if you want. I don’t plan on interrupting your journey.”

She turned around and headed straight to the door.

“But I can provide for you.”

She slowed down.

“If you want you can stay here for as much time as you like. I doubt climbing ten floors was easy. You can rest here. No tricks, no battles. Just a moment of peace.”

As he said that, Asha felt her wound sting. She had completely forgotten about it since she got it. Only now did it act up.

She turned back. The keeper was in front of her. Asha sighed, sat and then laid sideways on the stone floor.

“What do you want to play?”

The keeper smiled. He sat down and pulled out a bag from underneath his cloak and rummaged in it.

“I personally believe that games show a person in their truest light. And no game does that better than go.”

From the bag he pulled out a small board, divided in squares, and a box. Asha examined the equipment as he laid it down. The box was filled with small black and white pebbles, all of them polished.

“I don’t know that one.”

“Don’t worry. It’s easy to get.”

He took out a white pebble and placed it in one of the squares.

“You see, backgammon is game where you play against luck and have to rely on forces beyond your control. Chess on the other hand is a more naturalistic game, where you play strictly against your opponent – mind versus mind, while in go, you play against yourself.”

Asha scratched her ear.

“So you won’t be playing with me?”

The keeper giggled.

“No, no, it’s a metaphor. The game is more about self control and betterment. A game can end whenever we want it to end, and so you can determine when you’ve bettered yourself and begin anew. The cat uses her cards more as a form of meditation rather than real fortune telling. I consider games in the same matter. It’s more what you perceive and think, rather than what you do.”

Asha frowned a bit. She scratched her nose and sat up straight. The clock-keeper took that as a sign that she was ready to take the game seriously. He smiled and explained the rules to her.

[redscrud-blog]

For a wish - Part 11: Whisperer

Asha walked through a dark corridor. The barely present ambient light made it seem like it stretched for miles. On both sides of the pathway pillars stood tall, as if holding up the sky. From time to time skittering sounds could be heard. She took slow and measured steps, not letting down her guard.

With time the skittering became more and more frequent. Asha had taken out her sword, but continued with the same pace. She knew she was being watched. It was only a matter of time before the stalker revealed themselves.

“What are you looking for, little rabbit?”

She did not answer. The voice echoed through the hallway and Asha could not pinpoint its origin.

“Playing tough, are we?”

There came a cackle. Asha paid it no mind. She was done repeating herself for ten floors and pressed on through the dark.

“You really are a rascal, aren’t you? Not wishing to play along? Fine. I can tell you why you are here. You are here to kill me.”

Although echoing from all directions, it seemed like the voice was nearer this time.

“Kill me, get to the next floor. Kill the next guardian, get to the next floor, ad infinitum. Sometimes you’ll talk to the floor keeper, with no need for bloodshed, and then get back to killing.”

Her enemy was getting closer. “You are here because you conquered the previous floors. You’ll be there because you will conquer the next floors. That’s the gist of it anyway. I personally think you won’t get your wish. Eight more of us, excluding myself. You are bound to fail at some point. Some point soon…”

The voice came from a few feet away. She held her sword tight.

“There’s no need to go on. So many have failed. You would have heard by now if someone got their wish.  There should have been at least one global emperor, right?”

It was right behind her.

“Turn back now, if you value your life.”

She turned around, swinging her sword, cutting off the head of a fox. She looked at the carcass. He wore a green cloak and held a dagger in his hand. She bent down and wiped her blade in his clothes.

Asha continued through the hallway until she reached the next door.