#second leaf

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so I, uh I have no excuses- XDD

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Full Name: Meyhem Marie Horvitz

Age: 14-15

Race: Skylands Human

Gender: Female/non-binary (she/her or they/them)

Sexuality: questioning

Element: Tech

Alignment: Chaotic good (anti-villain)

Relationships - ♥️ None ♦️ None ♠️ None ♣️ None

Family: Kaossandra (mother), Havok (father), Dyskord (brother), Kaos (half-brother)

Codename: whizbitchWhirligig (Kaos wanted it to be arcaneOccultist but was outvoted)

Attacks: Kick! (is just a kick attack, honestly) Tinker Toy Trouble (sends out a randomized tinker toy to attack the enemy)

Backstory: Meyhem was the youngest child born to the Horvitz family, as an attempt to rekindle her mother and father’s failing marriage. Despite the lackluster situation, Meyhem always seemed to have an energetic disposition, joining her siblings in wreaking ‘havoc’ from the moment she could walk. As Dyskord took up tinkering and Kaos secluded himself in the library, Meyhem would spend her days chasing Greebles around the backyard and engaging in sports at her school; her favorite being sheepball. After years of practice, she managed to join the competitive team at her school. It didn’t take long for her to become the head of the team. Meyhem had been at an early morning practice when Kaos blew up his school. And the rest, as we know, is history.

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Skylands Historia - Duality (the first entry in the upcoming, fan retelling of the Skylanders series: Second Leaf)

What do you do when you hate your school? Blow it up of course. What do you do when you can’t take your anger out on real people? Write it all down in your notebook that is DEFINITELY not a diary. What do you do  when your entire life starts crumbling around you and it’s probably partially your fault? Do the one thing your mother told you never to do, of course. 

Become a Portal Master.

*** 

Kaos is the middle child of a dysfunctional family. With an mostly absent father, a neglectful mother; an older brother that couldn’t care less, and a younger sister that needs all the care in the world, Kaos is the type of teen who seeks attention in any form he can get, good or bad. Which, more often than not, ends up with him in the worst of situations. 

But anything can be solved with a little help from his faithful troll ‘butler’, some strategic planning, and just a smidge of untapped ancient power, right? For the sake of the Horvitz family, let’s hope so.

(If you have any critique or input, please let me know! This is the first story in a series that I’m planning, so if this interests you, please show your support!)

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At long last...

Chapter seven of Duality is up! If you can, please let me know what you think, as well as any criticisms/critiques you have of it! (and if you have any chapter name ideas-)

https://www.wattpad.com/224297416-skylands-historia-duality-chapter-7-name-pending

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Duality - Chapter Twelve (????)

"Care for another cup, sweetheart~?"

Before Kaos could answer, a porcelain teacup had already been slid his way by a lacy, gloved hand; two others poured steaming liquid from a matching teapot into the cup. Both looked like they should be in some museum, aged black porcelain adorned with shimmering magenta cobwebs; not being served in the back of an eclectic old caravan. Then again, everything in the small ship gave off the same musky vibe… including their 'host'. Kaos had only met Mesmerelda a few times, being one of (if not the only) friend his mother had. He remembered listening in on their late night conversations from the hallway as a child, watching warped shadows cast from the firelight and peering in through the crack in the door as they laughed over cups of glistening mauve tea. Now, staring at his reflection in Mesmerelda's glassy magenta eyes, the memories came bubbling to the surface. Late night meetings when Father was off on expeditions, whispered talks behind locked doors, the puppets. Kaos shuddered. He has never been the kind to dislike puppets, but the ones Mesmerelda specialized in always made a chill run up his spine. 

So the fact that countless were hanging from the ceiling of the small room, eyes all seemingly locked on him, definitely was not helping his nerves.

Mesmerelda finished pouring her own cup, humming softly to herself as her extra set of hands moved to the tune. Kaos looked down at his own cup, the steam curling up from its surface causing his vision to blur.

"Come now, darling. You've barely touched your tea cakes." Mesmerelda cooed, gaze locked on Glumshanks, who sat in the chair beside Kaos. Unlike Kaos, though, Glumshanks hadn't been tied down in countless layers of spider silk.

"O-Oh, I'm fine ma'am." Despite his best efforts, Glumshanks' voice shook. 

He prodded one of the tea cakes set before him, then watched with wide eyes as a single tiny spider crawled out of the pastry and off of the side of the table. Kaos stuck his tongue out, brow furrowing in disgust. Mesmerelda just blinked, her smile never wavering on her angular face. Kaos took a moment to glance around the caravan, from the lacey curtains pulled over the frosted windows to the doilies and eclectic artifacts that lined every possible surface; devoid of dust but gathering cobwebs he knew Mesmerelda had no intention of cleaning. With her second set of arms, Mesmerelda poured her own cup of amber tea, finally sitting down at the head of the table. Shimmering, purple smoke billowed out around her, gathering on the mauve, carpeted floor. She took a sip, licked her lips, then leaned forward.

"So. What brings you two to this little corner of the islands?" She cooed, locking eyes with Kaos across the table from her.

Kaos shifted slightly in his chair, chuffing. "I could ask you the same thing, arachnid."

"Now, that's no way to talk to someone who's practically family."

Kaos just rolled his eyes, squirming against the shimmering webs wrapped around him. He looked to Glumshanks, the troll's eyes still trained on the plate in front of him. He looked back up just as one of Mesmerelda's spindly hands grasped his face, squishing his cheeks.

"My my, how you've grown. I barely recognized you! I'm so glad I did, though; this is no place for a small boy like you." She chided, tilting his head side to side, examining every inch of it, cloying sweetness dripping from her words like venom. "Especially without your mother around to protect you."

"I don't need protection!" Kaos spat, slamming his knees against the underside of the table.

Mesmerelda pulled her hand away in surprise as Kaos' teacup tipped over, steaming liquid quickly seeping into the maroon tablecloth. Her smile fell for only a second before she stood to her full height. She checked her dress for any stray splashes before clicking her tongue.

"Now now Kaos." Mesmerelda's eye twitched as she spoke. "All I'm trying to do is help. Who knows what would have happened if someone unsavory got their hands on you and your… troll. Now, I'm going to clean this up before it stains. You stay put."

With a flourish of her second set, Mesmerelda pulled the tablecloth off of the table, the silverware set atop it barely shifting; though Kaos' topled cup did roll to its other side. Kaos kept his glare locked with Mesmerelda's as she strode to the only other room in the caravan, slamming the door behind her. The whole room shook from the force, the puppets hanging from the ceiling swaying back and forth on their strings.

"You know, I thought I recognized her." Glumshanks commented.

"Eh?"

"Mesmerelda. I snuck out to watch one of her shows once. Quite the talented singer. Never understood the puppet aspect of it though." At the mention of puppets, Glumshanks looked around the room once more, mentally counting all of the garish marionettes that were displayed. "I never expected to see her this close up though."

"Yeah, yeah. Save your fantrolling for once we're out of here."

Kaos pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his feet against the edge of the table. He took a deep breath, then pushed back. The back of the chair thudded to the floor, taking Kaos with it, his head bouncing against the hard wood. Glumshanks just stared at him, his ears drooped and brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to speak a few times as Kaos continued to squirm, before finally finding the words.

"...what are you doing."

"Trying to escape, what does it look like!? I have better leverage this way!"

"Do you now."

"Don't sass me, Glumshanks!!"

Glumshanks fell silent. He looked to the door Mesmerelda had gone through.

"...maybe it would be best if you go with her? She knows your mom-"

"Mother." Kaos corrected.

"...she knows your mother, it might be the easiest way to get you home."

Kaos gave a single, short laugh before resuming his squirming. "Absolutely not!! That exorbitant arachnid can't be trusted! I'd rather take my chances with the lugs out there to get me home. At least then I wouldn't have to listen to 'oh Kaos look how much you've grown' 'you're too frail to travel on your own Kaos' 'don't touch that Kaos you'll damage the finish'. Bleck." "It just sounds like she cares about your health." Glumshanks carefully pushed his plate away from him, just in case there were any more spiders tucked away inside.

"Mesmerelda? Caring? Don't make me laugh, Glumshanks. If she wasn't buddy buddy with my mother, we'd most likely be dead. Or worse."

Kaos continued to flop like a fish out of water as Glumshanks stood up from the table. Careful not to make too much noise with his chair (not that it would have been heard over the racket Kaos was making), he pushed it back into place, then knelt down beside the small human. He easily worked through the webs with a silver butter knife that had been resting on the table before helping Kaos to his feet. Kaos brushed the remaining webs from his arms, a few straggling strands sticking to his fingers and clinging to his top. As he did so, his vision wandered to the frosted glass, out to the protest that was still going on. Minus one distinct figure. He shook his head. What he had heard was preposterous. There was absolutely no way he had seen his mother or heard her voice. It must have been coincidence, homesickness infecting his mind from the residual stress from the long travel. She was at home, tending to Meyhem's scuffed knees from skyball practice and exchanging empty kisses on the cheek with his father. She was planning to tell Kaos about the new school, how all his hard work was for nothing, weeks of preparation down the drain. And all for what? What was supposed to be few days of manual labor cleaning the garden as punishment before he was thrown right back into it, disgusted stares from his father like he was some kind of monster, getting lost in the middle of nowhere and out of sheer coincidence coming across the only face that didn't look at him like he was some kind of mistake-

"...Kaos? Is everything alright?"

Kaos blinked the tears from his vision. He hadn't even noticed he had balled his hands into fists, his body trembling. Glumshanks had placed a hand on his shoulder, a look of genuine concern spread across his green face.

"Eh? Of course everything's fine!" Kaos forced a grin, brushing Glumshanks off. "I was just thinking of an ingenious plan to get us out of here, in... mostly one piece."

"Mostly one-"

Kaos cut him off, slapping a hand over his mouth. With the other, he pointed to the window. "If we can find a way out of here, we can lose her in the crowd. Then, from there, we should be able to hitch a ride on a balloon and it'll be smooth sailing from there!"

Glumshanks pushed Kaos's hand down. "...I don't even want to start on how many ways that could go wrong-"

"Great! So glad you asked, Glumwad!"

"I didn't-"

“Knowing Mesmerelda, as I do, it should be a simple task to slip out while she’s occupied with spot-cleaning her ‘precious, antique’ tablecloth.”

As he spoke, Kaos dragged Glumshanks to the door, pressing his ear up against it and motioning for the troll to do the same. On the other side, he could hear the muffled humming of Mesmerelda, along with the sound of swishing water. Being sure to stay as quiet as possible, Kaos reached up, testing the tarnished silver knob. He held his breath as it turned, then stuck half way with a dull clunk. Kaos furrowed his brow, then tried again, a little more forcefully this time. Clunk. Not giving up, Kaos tried turning it in the other direction, then tugging on the knob, then jiggling it vigorously; forgetting the fact that they were supposed to be staying quiet. Having had enough, Kaos took a few steps back, attempting to run at the door, only for Glumshanks to stick an arm out and block his path.

“I think it might be locked.” He whispered.

Kaos blinked, then looked to the door. The sound of Mesmerelda’s humming had stopped for a moment, then resumed as if nothing had happened. Kaos breathed a sigh of relief before pushing Glumshanks off of him.

“Of course it is.” Kaos hissed. “I was just trying to see if I could… coax it into obeying. That’s all!”

“It’s a lock, Kaos. You can’t ‘coax’ it to do anything.”

Kaos rolled his eyes, then tried the knob one last time for good measure, as if something would have changed in the brief moment he hadn’t been manhandling it. With a huff, Kaos began pacing, moving his hands to punctuate unspoken sentences that seemed to be going a mile a minute within his mind. His entire plan foiled because of two inches of (probably spider-infested) wood. He trailed his eyes around the eclectic room, cursing wordlessly, until his gaze came to rest on the puppets hanging above the table; their arms raised by silvery strings that looked thin enough to snap with a good enough tug. Kaos stopped to think for a moment, then looked to Glumshanks, an all too familiar grin starting to form on his face. Glumshanks opened his mouth to object to whatever half-cocked scheme Kaos had managed to think up in that split second; but before he could even utter a syllable, Kaos had grabbed the shears that had been hanging off his hip, pulled his hand back, and chucked them as hard as he could muster at the web of puppets that decorated the ceiling. The rusted blades sliced through the air and any strings they happened to come in contact with, puppets clattering to the ground below. One collided with the teapot, the ancient china shattering below the lifeless mass of wood, the tea spilling out onto the table and the carpet below. The sounds from behind the door stopped all at once. Kaos froze, listening, before diving into the corner beside the door at the sound of a small click, dragging Glumshanks with him. The door swung open with enough force to have torn the wood from the hinges, slamming into Glumshanks’ face, though luckily enough the troll caught himself before yelping in pain, clutching his nose. Kaos peered around his friend, watching with bated breath as Mesmerelda stormed into the room. He couldn’t see her expression from this angle, but just from her tensed shoulders and clenched fists, Kaos could tell she was absolutely seething.

Mesmerelda stopped in front of the table, glowing eyes surveying the damage with a stare that could have sent even the most foolhardy adventurer running home to their mommy. She picked up what remained of the teapot in one hand, then the fallen puppet in another. She held it up by the cut strings, inspecting them, before crushing the remnants of the teapot that she still held. Kaos squeaked, then quickly covered his mouth, his blood running cold. As Mesmerelda stiffened, Kaos grabbed a hold of Glumshanks’ hand, a look of determination crossing his once frightened expression.

“Run.”

Kaos ran through the open door as Mesmerelda whirled around, a high pitched hiss escaping her bared fangs. Glumshanks stumbled to keep his footing, but was soon running in pace with Kaos. The two dove out of the caravan, landing on the sandy ground outside, the beating sun a stark contrast to the chill air that seemed to pour out of the open doorway. Kaos coughed out a mouthful of sand as he scrambled to his feet, looking around wildly, having less than a second before Mesmerelda was on top of them. It was Glumshanks this time that took the lead, pulling Kaos towards the crowd until he seemed to get the idea. As the two of them slipped back into the sea of people, Kaos couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder. Mesmerelda had torn out of her abode, quickly locking eyes with the tiny human. With the hand that wasn’t holding Glumshanks’, Kaos held up an L to his forehead and stuck his tongue out. As they joined the crowd, weaving through the sea of bodies to get to the other side, Kaos could hear Mesmerelda’s shriek over the protest’s chatter; a sound that could have come from death itself. Despite everything, Kaos couldn't help but let a smile slip across his face. Glumshanks, on the other hand, didn’t seem so sure their escape was set in stone. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, slowing just a bit to try to get their bearings. 

“Which direction is the dock??”

“I-I’m not sure!” 

Kaos looked back, the sound of a commotion separate from the protest itself reaching his ears. He could see flashes of magenta and lace through the crowd quickly approaching, the indignant cries of people getting thrown aside as the spider cut a path through quickly growing closer.

“Just pick a direction and go! Go!” Kaos pushed Glumshanks forward. 

He could almost feel Mesmerelda’s gaze boring down on him as he ushered Glumshanks forward as quickly as he could. At this point, Kaos wasn’t as much weaving around people as he was forcing his way through, ducking under people’s legs and shouldering his way through cramped spaces, paying no mind to whatever foul language that may have been getting thrown at him. The only thing on his mind was getting away from that raving mad spider. He could hear Mesmerelda behind them, frantically searching, spouting curses and words Kaos couldn’t quite catch. Before he knew it, the two had reached what looked to be the center of the protest, the dried up fountain surrounded by countless shouting figures, signs held high. Kaos contemplated taking this time to get a better look at what was written on them, but decided against it, not wanting to risk wasting a second of precious time. Instead, he set his sights on the top of the fountain.

“Glumshanks, there!” He pointed. “Help me up there, I’ll be able to see what direction the dock is in!”

Glumshanks hesitated, glanced back over his shoulder, then nodded. The two climbed up onto the lip that once would have held back water, then Glumshanks leaned down, locking his fingers together. Kaos stepped onto the troll’s hands, grasping at the carved folds of the statue's robes to steady himself. Glumshanks’ legs wobbled a bit as he hoisted Kaos up, nearly toppling off of the lip. Kaos grabbed onto the statue’s outstretched arm, kicking off of Glumshanks’ hands and swinging his legs up. He managed to get one foothold, the other dangling down. Kaos could feel his grip slipping, a few bits of the old stone crumbling off and falling into the dried up basen below. Kaos gulped, then swung his leg up, managing to get a hold this time. He lifted himself up with what little arm strength he had, straddling the stone arm before inching his way up to the hand. He looked down at Glumshanks, putting on a brave face as he stood up on the outstretched palm and looked out at the crowd. From up there, he could see their little escapade had finally gathered some looks, a few faces having turned to watch the tiny human make his way up what Kaos could only assume was a sacred artifact or landmark of sorts. Was climbing it seen as an act of defilement? Kaos didn’t have time to think about it, almost immediately spotting Mesmerelda amongst the crowd; and judging by how quickly she was moving, she had noticed him too. Kaos hurriedly scanned the area, finally coming to rest on the docks. He pointed towards them, waving his hand hurriedly as he looked down to Glumshanks. His grin quickly fell though, his eyes going wide as Mesmerelda shot out from the crowd, reaching out to strike Glumshanks, who was too focused on Kaos to notice.

“Glummy, look out!!”

Glumshanks looked back, taking a step back in surprise. Forgetting he was standing on the rim of the fountain, his foot touched the ground lower than expected, causing him to fall back, his head hitting the statue with a thunk. Kaos cried out in surprise, leaning down to check on his troll companion. He seemed to have leaned a little too far however, because the next thing Kaos knew, he was falling through the air. Then, a split second later, he slammed into something slightly softer than the ground he had expected. Kaos shook off the daze, pushing himself up, coming face to face with the spider he had been trying so hard to avoid. Kaos squealed, scrambling back to the edge of the crowd. Mesmerelda was quick to right herself, brushing the sand from her striped dress before turning her piercing gaze to Kaos once again. Almost all of the crowd was focused on them now, even the protesters seemed to be occupied with what was happening, though no one moved to try to help.

“Have I ever mentioned how much of a thorn in my side you are, Kaos.”

“Once or twice.” Kaos did his best to choke back the fear that made his voice shake, doing his best to put on a smile.

Mesmerelda reached down, hoisting Kaos up off of the ground by the collar of his shirt, mere inches away from his face. From this close, Kaos could tell the smell of dust and old perfume wasn’t just from her home, but seemed to cling to her like a cloud, masking the stench of something much more… foul.

“Be grateful your mother and I are such good friends.” She hissed. “Or else you’d be in a much worse state right now for damaging my dear puppets.”

Still holding Kaos off of the ground, Mesmerelda turned to look at Glumshanks, who was just starting to come around, rubbing the back of his head where it had collided with the statue. Her glowing eyes narrowed, before a smile crossed her face. A hungry smile. Kaos kicked his legs, struggling like a worm on a hook to squirm his way free of her grip. His breath was catching in his throat, the world seeming to close in around him. All he could do was watch helplessly as Mesmerelda approached the troll, his friend, a malevolent glint to her gaze. She knelt down, holding Kaos arms length away, moving her hand to force him to watch. She couldn’t hurt him, but Kaos was quickly realizing she didn’t have the same concerns for Glumshanks…

With her free hands, Mesmerelda grabbed Glumshanks roughly by the face, lifting the barely conscious troll from where he was slumped. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. Kaos couldn’t tear his eyes from the sight, Mesmerelda’s hungry gaze locked on his only friend, fangs glinting in the bright afternoon light, poised and ready to devour. 

Tick tick tick

Before he knew what he was doing, Kaos cried out in defiance, grabbing ahold of the arm that held him aloft. He tightened his grip as much as he could, feeling his hair standing on end, before a shock ran through him and his vision went black. The next thing Kaos knew, he was laying in the sand, head pounding and vision spinning. He could make out Mesmerelda’s form a little ways away from him, curled into herself and motionless. Before Kaos could really process what had happened, he felt familiar hands lifting him to his feet.

“A-Are you okay? What happened??” Glumshanks looked Kaos over for any damage before pulling him into a tight hug.

Kaos stood there, still a little dazed, before putting his arms around Glumshanks in turn. He furrowed his brow, trying to recall the last thing he remembered. With his vision a little clearer, Kaos looked around. The crowd had finally started to disperse, with the little town center back to its usual goings-on. The protesters left their signs stuck in the ground around the old fountain as they left, like a sort of makeshift fence, though the only thing it would really be able to stop was a light breeze.

“How… How long was I out?” Kaos wormed his way from Glumshanks’ grip, taking a step back.

“A few minutes, I-I think…” Glumshanks stood up, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “You… you saved my life, didn’t you-”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself, Glumwad.” Kaos sneered, punching Glumshanks in the ribs playfully. “I knew if she got her teeth through you she was gonna move to me next.”

“R-Right.” Glumshanks couldn’t help but chuckle.

The two started the short trek down the street, to the docks. As they passed by Mesmerelda, Kaos couldn’t help but stop. He could see the slow rise and fall of her side, shaking breaths still passing past her lips. Kaos smirked, then gave her a kick to the ribs for good measure, before running to catch up with Glumshanks. As they walked, the two of them exchanged a glance, then looked away again. Though neither of them could hide their smiles.

Kaos couldn’t stop staring at his hands. He sat on the floor of the small balloon he and Glumshanks had managed to hitch a ride on (the pilot had said their previous passenger hadn’t shown up, so they didn’t mind), his back up against the woven side of the basket and knees drawn up to his chest. He wiggled his fingers, watching them move. As thrilling as it had felt in the moment, a sinking feeling had started to flood in where one of accomplishment had once rested. What had really happened? He scrunched his eyes closed, trying to think, to focus. One moment he had grabbed onto Mesmerelda’s arm, and the next they were both on the ground. It didn’t make any sense…

Tick tick tick tick

Kaos clasped his hands over his ears, groaning. He wouldn’t be able to focus on anything with that infernal racket starting up. Kaos tried to think, to focus on that day. That protest, the fountain… that figure. He had almost forgotten about that figure. The one that was so familiar, yet so foreighn. He was sure he had seen them before, but at the same time, he was sure his hunch was far from the truth. There was no way. Kaos pressed his head into his knees, only to shoot his head up at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. Glumshanks knelt down beside him, a concerned expression on his features. Kaos brushed him off, getting to his feet. Kaos turned, resting his arms on the top of the basket, though he had to stand on his tiptoes to do it. He stared out into the endless expanse of blue around them, the hues of the late day sun painting the sky and the islands that were scattered about it. Glumshanks did the same, standing beside him (though in contrast, the troll had to hunch his back instead.) 

“...It’s beautiful, isn’t it.” Glumshanks said.

Kaos nodded in response, sighing. He couldn’t help but imagine what adventures could lie on each island around them, what secrets they could be holding, lying in slumber for someone to discover them. Maybe picking one at random and seeing what awaited him would be better than heading home. Certainly, whatever was there wouldn’t be worse than Mother’s wrath. If it really had been her at that protest, would she have seen everything? Kaos hadn’t seen the hooded figure when he climbed the statue, but that didn’t mean it wasn't still there, watching. Would Mother confront him outright when he got home, or would she hide it to use later? To lord over him or back him into a corner of obedience, to strike him down at his lowest?

Kaos shook his head, feeling the ticking right on the edge of his mind, clawing its way out of the abyss. He stared out into the sky, needing to focus on anything but that.

“Where’d you two say you were headed again?” The pilot spoke up, the fwoosh of the burners growing louder as they gave it a little more power. “The isles of whos-a-whatsit?”

“Umbra Isles.” Kaos rolled his eyes.

“Ain’t that the place that borders the Outlands? What would a kid like you wanna do there-”

“None of your beeswax, airhead.”

The pilot put their hands up in defense, turning back to the steering rig they had set up. Kaos huffed, watching the clouds drift past. He couldn’t help but reach down, letting his hand run through the vapor as they passed through. He looked up, noticing Glumshanks’ furrowed brow.

“Don’t worry troll, I’m not gonna fall out.” Kaos snickered, though he did put his hand back in the basket, if only to make Glumshanks more comfortable.

Glumshanks breathed a sigh, letting himself relax.

“Remind me to never go on another adventure with you.”

Kaos paused, then burst into laughter, his nose crinkling as he grinned. Glumshanks couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“You’re a laugh riot, Glummy.” Kaos patted Glumshanks’ back with a little too much force, though he didn’t seem to notice. He wiped his eye, then sighed. “...You’ll write to me, right? Once we get home?”

“Of course, I’ve still got your number.”

“You do?”

Glumshanks rolled up his sleeve. Sure enough, there they were, just as Kaos had written them down the first day they had met. He snickered, a fuzzy feeling flooding his chest. Glumshanks pulled his sleeve back down, taking extra care not to smudge the ink, before looking out into the sky once again. Kaos joined him, albeit standing a little closer than before. He could see the color of the sky starting to shift, the blues fading into purples which would soon shift into familiar, faded reds. These were his last few moments of freedom before probably being locked in the dungeons for life, and Kaos was doing his best to try and cherish them. Kaos closed his eyes, feeling the sun on his face, the slight breeze in his hair, the crackling of the balloon’s burners mingling with the general sounds of nearby islands. It wasn’t long before Kaos felt the balloon beginning its slow descent, his smile falling with it.

“Sorry kid, this is as far as I’ll go. I trust you know your way from here?”

Kaos opened his eyes as the basket bumped against the side of a rock, before floating down and coming to rest on the patchy grass below. He gave the area a quick once over before sighing, hopping out of the basket.

“Yeah, it should do.” 

Kaos turned, facing away from the balloon. He definitely recognized the area, having spent a day or two climbing the rocks with his siblings and searching for griffin eggs (much to Mother’s absolute dismay), but it was still a good hour or so away from home. Better than nothing, he supposed. After taking a few steps away, he looked back over his shoulder at his troll companion.

“Try not to die without me, kay Glumwad?”

Glumshanks chuckled lightly as the balloonsman closed the basket door. 

“I’ll try my best.”

Kaos looked back ahead of him, the sound of Glumshanks explaining where he needed to be taken quickly fading into the background as he made his way under rocks and over gaps in the earth beneath him. He didn’t bother hurrying, knowing the outcome would be the same if he came home in an hour or by nightfall. And so, Kaos took his sweet time, inspecting the plants that grew from cracks in the stones around him, grabbing samples of anything that happened to catch his eye, and watching various creatures scuttle to safety at the sound of his footsteps as he passed them by. The familiarity of the area didn’t dampen his adventurous spirit, though it did remove a bit of the mystery of what could be lurking around each corner. After a while, Kaos could make out his home only a few islands away, silhouetted against the red sky. Kaos sighed, hopping down from the rock he had been balancing along the edge of, mustering up every last ounce of courage he had to face what lay within. He considered one last time to make a break for it, or possibly even lie down right here and hope something would come along and gobble him up whole; but he pushed those thoughts away once again. He was no coward. Any punishment his parents had for him, he could face. Even if he would have much preferred being a meal for a pack of rabid greebles.

[screpdoodle]

Duality - Chapter Eleven (The Directions are Merely an Afterthought)

The lid of the canteen opened with a pop, as water sloshed around inside. Kaos took a swig, tilting his head back, before wiping his mouth off on his sleeve. He looked over to Glumshanks as he closed the canister up, slipping it back into his pack. They had been walking for Ancients know how long, following the winding trail best they could, the trees blocking the faint, silvery moonlight, casting everything in shadows. Kaos had always heard trolls had night vision, but based on how much Glumshanks had been struggling to see, it seemed his research had fallen short this once. That unfortunate fact had caused Kaos to take the lead, and despite his impeccable guidance, the fact that every time a tree brushed against him he changed directions seemed to have gotten them lost.

Glumshanks tossed a bundle of dry sticks onto the ground at his feet, a few sparks flying as the troll scuffed two stones together, a small fire igniting after a couple tries. The warm light caused the shadows of the trees to dance and twirl, like a macabre, sacrificial cavort. Kaos shuddered, then inched closer to the troll, trying his best to seem nonchalant despite the sweat beading at his forehead.

“Any chance that map of yours says anything about how big this forest is?” Kaos asked, warming his calloused hands over the crackling flames. He’d usually be mesmerised by the flickering inferno, if not for the feeling of thousands of eyes trained on him, waiting for the right moment to strike.

“I’d check it if it weren’t for this lighting…” Glumshanks mumbled. “I was hoping the fire would make it better, but this place is still as dark as tar.”

“Well, hand it over! Maybe I’ll be able to pinpoint where we are!”

“Kaos, if I can’t see, i don’t think you’ll be able to-”

Before Glumshanks could finish his sentence, Kaos had grabbed his bag, rifling through it with reckless abandon,strewing the contents out across the ground around them. Bandages, small bags of gunpowder, loose fuses, and finally the map. Kaos unfolded the large square of parchment, nearly catching the corners on fire as he tried to locate the woodland they were stuck in. Glumshanks just sat there, squinting, trying to make out what Kaos was doing. After a little bit, Kaos jammed his finger against the paper, grinning. “Here it is! If my calculations are correct, we just need to find a landmark and I’ll know where we are.”

Glumshanks just kind of blinked. “How are you seeing anything on there?”

“The firelight. From the fire you started.”

“Very funny, Kaos. Really, if a troll can’t see out here there’s no way a human can.”

“Well, maybe you just underestimate humans a little too much, Glumwad.” Kaos crumpled the map back up, shoving it into his bag before standing up. He looked around the little square of space they found themselves in as Glumshanks tried his best to fold the map back into an organized, non-crumpled square. The trees loomed over them, branches reaching out like a wall, leaves and bushes blocking almost everything past them from view. Kaos huffed, then took a step forward, hands on the shears at his hip just in case. He pushed back one of the branches with the end of his makeshift weapon, then froze at the sound of rustling leaves. In a split second, glowing yellow eyes blinked open, then launched forward. Kaos screamed, stumbling back, flailing his shears around wildly as the shadowy mass flew at his head, then quickly swooped away into the branches above. Glowing eyes peered down at them, the firelight barely reaching the small, furry animal. Kaos struggled to catch his breath, hearing his heartbeat roaring in his ears as he stared up at its glowing eyes. Glumshanks followed his gaze, then chuckled, looking back down as he stoked the fire.

“It’s just a Sugarbat. They’re harmless.”

“I- I know that!” Kaos scrambled to his feet, brushing himself off. “It just caught me off guard, that’s all!”

“Sure you were..”

Glumshanks smiled slightly, then reached into his bag, pulling out a small bundle of leaves tied with twine. He carefully unwrapped it, picking up a small piece of meat and holding it up to the sky, in the direction he had heard the Sugarbat go. Kaos watched as the creature swooped down, landing on the other side of the fire, wings folded at its sides. It tilted its head to the side, rodent-like nose twitching as it sniffed the air, then waddled up to Glumshanks. It climbed up his arm, quickly snatched up the piece of meat in its jaws, then flew off with a few shrill squeaks. Kaos closed his mouth, noticing it had been hanging agape slightly.

“See? Harmless.” Glumshanks smiled. He grabbed a stick from nearby, dusting it off before slipping half of the remaining meat onto it, holding it over the fire. The sauce it was coated in dripped into the flames, sizzling and bubbling.

Kaos scooted up beside him. “I think I read about them in one of my books. Volume Three of the ‘Skylands Field Guide’ by Onk Beakman. It was one of my favorites. Then Mey put it in the blender because she thought drinking the words would be quicker than reading them.”

Glumshanks handed him the stick he was holding, setting the bundle of meat down before getting up to find another. “Mey?”

“Oh! My sister. She’s… well, she’s Mey. I can’t really describe her any better than that.” Kaos paused as Glumshanks stumbled over an exposed tree root, covering his mouth as he snickered. “She’s a pain, but she’s not too bad. Same with my brother. I wonder what they’re doing right now…”

Kaos poked the dirt with the non-meat-laden end of the stick, his expression falling as sauce trickled down onto his hand. Glumshanks sat down again, then gently moved the stick so Kaos was holding it over the fire again before turning to tend to his own.

“...They’re probably worried about you.” He spoke softly, the silence punctuated by the sound of the crackling fire.

“Pfft, yeah right.” Kaos scoffed. “The only thing they’re worried about is who’s gonna weed the garden without me there. It’s not a fun job, believe you me.” He shook his stick slightly, the juices landing on the grass with a small sizzle. “What about your gaggle of overzealous brethren, won’t they be absolutely fuming that you aren’t back yet?”

“Probably, but they can last a night without me. Besides, on christening nights they tend to be more worried about partying once everything is settled.”

“I noticed.” Kaos watched the fire, then over to Glumshanks, managing a smile at his new friend. “Thropp was absolutely plastered.”

‘He was.” Glumshanks chuckled. “You should see him during a successful raid, it’s horrible. I don’t give him much credit but at least he can down a barrel of ale in three seconds flat.”

“I bet I could beat him at it.”

“You drink ale?”

“Well, no, but I’ve drank pondwater before, it can’t be much worse.”

Glumshanks paused, then laughed. “Why in the Skylands would you drink pondwater??”

“Dyskord dared me to! We were exploring and we found a pond just full of all these reeds and bugs and squishy lumps of green, gelatinous ooze. He used a piece of bark to grab a ‘bowl’ of it then dared me to drink it. He said if I did, he’d do my chores for a week, so of course I had to!” Kaos explained, moving his free hand as he talked. “It tasted worse than Mother’s cooking; like a mud ogre had been using it for their communal bathwater, to wash a flock of rank Sludge Sheep, and then all collectively died in it! But I drank it all. And then puked. Meyhem was laughing so hard through the entire thing. It was… a day, to say the least. But I made sure Dyskord’s first chore when we got home was to wash my dirty swamp saturated clothes! That’s what he gets for putting me through that utterly disgusting ordeal, the pompous jerk.”

Glumshanks was slack-jawed, hanging on every word the small human said. “Wow. It sounds like you guys really hate each other…”

“What gave you that impression?” Kaos asked as Glumshanks motioned for him to lift the skewer off of the open flames, a char having formed out of the bubbling sauce that coated it. “Mother always described our dynamic as unique, but we don’t hate each other. All the time, at least.”

Kaos cackled at his own humor, then took a bite out of the meat, pulling one of the slices from the skewer with ease. The first thing he noticed was the texture, the exterior crisp and the meat itself tender, practically melting in his mouth. The next thing was the taste. Sweet, almost sugary, nearly overpowering the tangy sauce. Then, Kaos noticed his mouth was burning. Kaos squealed, spitting the half chewed meat onto the ground as he tried to cool his singed tongue, as Glumshanks merely watched, trying his best not to laugh.

“Careful, it’s hot.” He teased.

“I know that, fool!!” Kaos spat back, fanning his tongue with his hands, trying to coax his tastebuds back to life.

Glumshanks just smiled, then carefully blew on his own before picking it off of the stick and dropping it into his mouth, wiping his fingers off on one of the leaves. Kaos picked up the half chewed piece off of the ground, brushed off the grass, then tried again.

“Kaos, that’s gross.” Glumshanks laughed incredulously, nudging his arm. “Just get a different piece.”

“And waste a perfectly good cut of meat? I don’t think so.” Kaos spoke through a mouthful, crunching a small twig that had managed to hang on undetected. “What is this stuff even? It’s nothing like I’ve ever had!”

“Sugarbat in an ambrosia sauce. It’s made from the fermented fungus that grows on the backs of ambrosia beetles, I discovered it a few months back. Though it took some convincing to let mama make it; most prefer to just eat the beetles whole rather than going through the effort of cooking them. But I think it’s worth the wait.”

Kaos froze, chewing more slowly, before finally swallowing. “...you... fed a Sugarbat… Sugarbat meat?”

Glumshanks nodded nonchalantly, eating another piece. “Mhmm.”

“Glumshanks. You just made a Sugarbat commit cannibalism.”

Glumshanks looked over, silence hanging between them before he started to laugh. “I thought you read about them? Sugarbats eat their dead so they don’t go to waste. They’re scavengers after all.”

“I did! The book didn’t say anything about that!!” Kaos cried. “It said their diet consists of aptly named sugar beans, fruit, and carrion. Nothing about cannibalism!!”

“Well, now you know I suppose.” Glumshanks smiled.

Kaos paused, then tore off another piece of smoking meat with his teeth. “Yeah, well, I blame the book for not being up to date.” He grumbled, hunching his shoulders.

Glumshanks just chuckled, finishing up his last piece. He took a swig of water from the canteen he had packed, then stood up, looking to the sky. The orangish-red hues of moonset were just starting to peek through. He sighed, then looked down, waiting for Kaos to finish his impromptu meal.

“You eat more like a troll than I do.” He commented.

Kaos stuck his tongue out, whacking Glumshanks’ leg with the end of the stick. He wiped the sauce from the corners of his mouth, then stood up, watching the fire beginning to flicker out. Just in time, too. The two stood there as the shadows encroached, the light from the flames retreating before dying out completely. Kaos blinked, his eyes readjusting quickly, Glumshanks on the other hand squinting yet again, even with the early morning light speckling its way through the canopy.

“I really should have packed a torch…” He muttered, starting to head in a random direction, narrowly avoiding walking straight into a gnarled tree trunk.

“Say…” Kaos jogged to catch up with the troll’s long strides. “If you were planning on just heading back, why’d you pack all this stuff?”

“...” Glumshanks was silent for a few moments, nothing but the sound of their footsteps and the slight breeze fluttering through. “...you mentioned something about landmarks on the map? Anything we may have seen already?”

“Nothing yet, but there was a pretty large rock that might be easy to find.”

“How large are we talking?”

“Judging by the size of the mark on the map… about as big as my thumb.”

It was hard to tell, but Kaos was pretty sure Glumshanks rolled his eyes.

“Helpful.”

“Only the best for my dear Glummy.” Kaos sniggered, elbowing the troll in the side as they walked

Glumshanks smiled, elbowing him back.

“I think I see something up ahead!”

Glumshanks pushed a branch out of the way as Kaos shoved his way past him, nearly stumbling over his own two feet. After what had felt like ages of walking (which was realistically only a few hours) Kaos was more than ready to leave that winding woodland. The trees had been getting thinner and thinner, and it seemed like following that pattern had paid off, the two now standing in a clearing; the thinning trees looking like nothing more than twigs someone had stuck into cracks in the rocks, the lush greenery yellowing and eventually disappearing entirely (aside from a few resilient sprigs of thorns scattered about). Kaos stumbled into the open air, feeling relief washing over him, only to be replaced with confusion. He looked around the rocky landscape, then stared up at the reddish sky, squinting as he held his hand over his eyes, trying to spy any sign of home. An eerie spire piercing the sky, an uneasy feeling in the air, anything remotely similar. Kaos could feel his spirit dwindling as he scanned the horizon, exhaustion taking hold. Nothing. They had come all this way for nothing. Kaos would be lost forever. He’d have to sleep in a cave and eat bugs for nutrients (not that they were much worse than Mother’s cooking), spending his days trying not to get torn apart by Buzzer Beaks and carnivorous plant life-

“What’s that?”

Kaos was yanked from his spiralling thoughts as Glumshanks spoke up, pointing to the horizon. Kaos followed his finger, squinting to make it out in the harsh light. Built into the rocks on the horizon looked to be houses, with slanted roofs and long pillars keeping the bulk of them up off of the ground. Kaos turned his attention to Glumshanks, grabbed his hand, then broke into a sprint; dragging the troll along behind him before he could know what was happening.

“I-Is that your home??”

“No, but they might be able to give us directions!”

The two made their way over rugged terrain, climbing up boulders and sliding down steep rock faces, skipping over the occasional off-colored stream that cut through the land. Despite his hurry, Kaos couldn’t help but take note of how different this place was from the forest they had just been in - the beauty of Skylands he supposed. The two slowed their pace as they approached the edge of the village, realizing how much bigger it was than they had originally thought, the typical sounds of a village heard from within. Kaos slipped through a crack in one of the rocks, Glumshanks hesitating before squeezing in after him, the two popping out on the other side, into the path of a Slobbering Mutticus-drawn cart. Kaos squealed as the driver snapped on the reins, the cart swerving out of the way with a loud, clattering screech. It narrowly managed to curve around the two, the driver squeaking and cursing as it trundled off down the street. Kaos let out a breath, leaning against the rock just in case another cart came barreling past. Glumshanks did the same, looking around the street. The humid air hung heavy, whether it be from the sun beating down on them or the masses of people making their way up and down the street. Some looked like elves, bundled up in layers of sheer fabric to hide from the sun, others more exposed to the elements like dirt sharks and the occasional lumbering stone golem; Kaos could even make out a few trolls in the gathering crowd - but the majority of people there looked to be Cyclopses. Some big, most small, equipped with weapons ranging from brass knuckles to double-headed axes twice their size. All much more monstrous looking than his principal - though that may have just been the lack of a suit. Another cart rumbled up the street, heading towards the section of the town most of the crowd was heading too. Kaos, without thinking, made a running start for the cart, leaping onto the back and taking hold of one of the wooden slats that made up the walls, coughing out the cloud of dust he had inhaled. Glumshanks yelped, then ran along after it. Kaos couldn’t help but laugh, watching the gangly troll’s expression become a muddled mess of confusion, concern, and downright incredulousness as he raced along after them. To be honest, Kaos had no idea what he was doing, but following the crowd seemed like the best idea. And Ancients knew he had no intention of walking any more if he could help it.

Kaos felt the cart rumble to a stop, looking up from where he had nestled himself among the slightly rancid smelling melons the Cyclops driver seemed to be peddling. He peeked over the side of the cart to see the Cyclops deep in conversation with another, much bigger, one-eyed beast leaning against a market stall. The more he looked around, the more stalls Kaos saw, all situated in a circle around a large, stone structure. A fountain… sans the water. It looked like it had dried up ages ago, now lying dormant, covered in dry, yellow vines and speckles from age and the beating sun. The figure in the center, despite its age and worn down features, looked regal. Hand outstretched towards the sky and robes swept back in a long gone wind. Near the cart, a few Cyclops kids were playing with some of the melons that had fallen off of the cart. One banged the rind on a stone that stuck out of the ground, then held it over its large mouth, the juice dripping in through the crack. Noticing the Cyclops beginning to come back, Kaos grabbed one of the melons and slid from the back of the cart, kicking up dust as he walked as inconspicuously as possible away from his ride. As he walked, he saw a familiar green figure making his way over.

“What… what in Skylands did you do that for?” Glumshanks panted, struggling to catch his breath, beads of sweat getting stuck in his hair and trickling down his face.

Kaos wiped his own forehead, then handed Glumshanks the melon as he began tying his hair out of the way.

“I didn’t feel like walking.”

“Walking where? We’re supposed to be here to ask for directions, not to… what even is this?”

“No clue!” Kaos grinned, then took the melon back. He cradled it in one arm, grabbing his shears with the other and jamming them through the thick, pallid skin. “I think it’s a melon.”

Glumshanks held his nose, grimacing. “It doesn’t smell like a melon.”

“Very astute observation, Glumwad.” Kaos laughed.

He wiped the mucus yellow juice off on the end of his shirt, put them back in their place, then tilted the melon back. He let the juice fall into his mouth, then handed it to Glumshanks. Sure, it smelled like rotting meat, but the juice was palatable, slightly sweet and very refreshing. He smiled encouragingly at the troll, who took a deep breath, scrunched his nose up, then did the same. Kaos let him drink, looking back to the market circle as the sound of voices started to grow. How he hadn’t noticed it before was beyond him, but the crowd seemed to be gathering just beyond the ancient fountain. Kaos tugged on Glumshanks’ shirt as he finished off the last of the melon juice, then followed with the crowd, making sure Glumshanks was tagging along this time. Kaos didn’t know why, but this whole situation was piquing his interest. Asking for directions could wait a little bit, right?

The first thing Kaos noticed were the signs. Large, picket signs, though the gathering was obscuring most of the words; and Kaos’ lackluster size wasn’t helping among the sea of people. Kaos tugged on Glumshanks’ arm, pulling him down before climbing onto the troll’s back, resting on his shoulders as Glumshanks stood up again, deciding against objecting to the small human’s use of him as a ladder of sorts. Perched on his shoulders, Kaos could peer over the congregation, holding onto Glumshanks’ hair for stability as he leaned forward. There looked to be a mob of people separate from the rest, signs in hand, shouting to be heard over the countless conversations being held in town square that morning. They blocked off the other entrance to the square, seeming to be drawing attention not only from the general public but a few burlier-looking Cyclopses that Kaos assumed were there to ‘keep the peace’ - though the group had its own knuckle-busters. The group seemed comprised of countless different species, from the largest orc to the smallest dwarves, even a few undead were littered about the crowd. Kaos leaned forward, attempting to stand on Glumshanks' shoulders to get a better view as something familiar caught his eye. A flurry of a crimson-lined cloak as one of the figures turned, pumping their fist in the air, a roar rising from the group in response. Glumshanks staggered slightly to adjust for Kaos' movements.

"Glumwad, can you see what the signs say?" Kaos squinted, trying to make out the closest one, the words written across it swimming more the more he looked at it.

Glumshanks stared at it for a moment, propping himself up on his tip toes a few times to try to get a better look. "Uh, it looks to be something about… keep nature the way it is? Something like that."

Kaos frowned. "Maybe they're protesting something the Cyclopses are doing? Though I'm not really sure what 'nature' they could be damaging. This place is a wasteland…"

"Maybe that's what they're protesting?"

Kaos just shrugged. Something about this wasn't adding up. His eyes were drawn back to the cloaked figure. They were shouting something he couldn't quite make out over the crowds' chatter. They seemed to be the only one hiding their face; angular features shrouded in shadows despite the harsh, beating light. Angular features Kaos could swear he had seen before…

"Kaos- Kaos!!"

Before Kaos could realize he had been leaning far too forward, Glumshanks buckled, unable to correct his footing before the two came tumbling down into the crowd, the people around them parting ways so they didn't get dragged down too, the duo hitting the ground with a cloud of arid dust. Kaos pushed himself up onto his forearms, coughing out a little cloud of dust. He looked up to see the crowd towering over him, backlit against the blazing sun, some shifting their glances to stare while the rest just stayed fixated on the protestors, their wide berth closing in again once they realized the only harm that had come to the human was just some scuffed knees and possibly a bloody nose. Kaos groaned, letting his head fall back on to the sandy earth, causing a slight imprint.

"That was quite a tumble you took."

A voice reached Kaos' ears. He tilted his head to the side, noticing one of the people around him had knelt down. His words weren't condescending or harsh, like Kaos was used to, or would expect in a place like this.

"Are you and your green friend okay?" He offered an outstretched hand to Kaos.

Kaos just huffed, pushing the hand away before pushing himself up. "We're fine, sir. Right Glumwad?"

He forced a smile. Glumshanks hesitated, then nodded quickly when the man's eyes came to rest on him. Soft, blue eyes that seemed almost out of place in a harsh area like this. As Kaos looked the man over, he came to realize almost all of the man seemed just slightly off. From his hiking boots caked in dust and dried red clay, to his tucked in khaki pants with large, almost comically-sized pockets. Between the smell of rancid meat melons and dry earth, something almost sweet hung in the air around him - like a calm breeze or dried flowers. Kaos studied the lines of the man's climbing harness, up to the hazel, almost ginger, well kept beard that sprouted from his chin, then the large brimmed hat that shielded his eyes from the blaring sun. Kaos finally looked away when he noticed the man was talking again.

"Well, I'm glad you two are doing alright. I haven't seen you two around before, came down to see the rally I assume?" The man got up from where he had crouched, taking a moment to dust his pants off before turning his head to the gathering.

"Actually, we're looking for-"

"Yes." Kaos elbowed Glumshanks in the side. Not hard enough to hurt, but with enough force to get him to bite his tongue. "That's exactly why we're here. The rally. This rally."

The man glances back down, raising a bushy eyebrow. Kaos could tell he didn't quite buy his rused tone, but smiled nonetheless.

"I thought it was a protest…" Glumshanks muttered.

"Protest, rally, whatever you wish to call it." The man explained. He folded his hands behind his back, staring off at the group. "Whatever name they're going by, I'm sure they mean well, they're just going about it all wrong."

"Going about what all wrong?" Kaos pried. He propped himself up on his tiptoes, trying to get another glance at the signs or perhaps even hear their chants a little better. His curiosity had completely derailed the reason they were there.

“Their cause, of course.” The man’s tone wasn’t concedending like his words would have suggested. “Strange, really, that so many are opposed to tradition these days, but everyone's entitled to their own opinions I suppose.”

Kaos just blinked, his mouth hanging slightly slack-jawed. Tradition? Cause? He felt like the man was speaking in riddles, each question he asked just raising more. He looked back at Glumshanks, as if the troll would be able to decipher his words any better, but he simply shrugged, looking just as lost. The man simply stroked his beard with a short hum, not picking up on their lost expressions and merely continuing on. At this point, Kaos wasn’t sure if he was talking to them, or simply to himself. Kaos wasn't really listening any more though, redirecting his attention to the topic at hand. The rally.

"Don't let them taint this land!!"

"This place is perfect the way it is!"

"Reject tradition! You don't need their help!!"

He was finally making sense of what they were shouting through the countless conversations that were going on. Kaos squinted, trying to fit the pieces together in his mind. They swirled and sloshed like water down a drain, puzzle pieces haphazardly being thrown into place as his vision wandered back to that figure. He had seen them before. He knew it. The context rested on the tip of his tongue, scratching at the strings of his mind, just begging to be put together. That was, until they spoke, Kaos making out their voice clearly through the chatter, chanting the same lines as the others. That oh-so-familiar voice, strong and imposing, a voice that could only belong to one person:

"Mother-?!"

As the word fell from his mouth, Kaos heard Glumshanks cry out. The tiny human turned his head quickly in the direction, only to come face to face with two wide, glowing magenta eyes.

[screpdoodle]

Duality - Chapter Ten (The Grumbletown)

Kaos struggled to fully unfold the gigantic map in the cramped space he and Glumshanks were holed up in. The two sat crouched at a low, wooden table. It looked to be homemade, with knobbly legs and indented sides. A lone lamp was strung from the slanted mud ceiling, wooden cross beams seeming to be the only thing keeping it up. Even Kaos felt slightly cramped as he wrestled with the huge slab of crumpled parchment, twice the size of the table he sat at, if not more. The sound of crackling fire, rambunctious trolls and electronic music outside was muffled by the poorly fortified clay walls, flecks of dirt falling down from the ceiling with every thump of the beat. Kaos’ attention wandered as he watched stout silhouettes run past the clouded windows, followed by a loud CRASH as one of them came catapulting through the glass, rolling across the floor before coming to a stop, beady eyes spinning in their sockets. The troll shook their head, locked eyes with Kaos, then scuttled out of the room through the unlocked front door, leaving it open behind them. Kaos huffed, then slid off of his stool, peering out into the chaotic street. Trolls of all shapes and sizes looked to be having the time of their lives; some were sprawled out across barrels (the ones they weren’t smashing at least), enjoying bottles of ‘soda’ and other treats Kaos didn’t quite recognize. Others were chasing each other around the winding dirt paths, or chasing what Kaos assumed to be the previous residents of the commandeered village - Rats. Kaos didn’t mean that as an insult, no, they looked like literal rats, with matted grey fur, long snouts and worm like tails. Judging by the architecture, the assumption seemed to track. Kaos pulled his head back in as someone threw a cart of wrinkled produce against the wall, the wooden cart splintering and fruits splattering into a multicolored mess of foul smelling slop. Kaos slammed the door shut, looking back to Glumshanks, who had managed to tame the wild map.

“What in Skylands are they even doing out there?” Kaos asked, brushing a few hanging roots out of his way as he walked back to Glumshanks’ side.

“Christening.” Glumshanks answered plainly, sighing. “They do this every time. Make a mess of the place to show ‘dominance’... or something. ‘Cause running out an entire settlement doesn’t do that already, I suppose.”

Kaos frowned, then looked down at the map, trying to pick out any details he might recognize now that he could more easily look over it. But the more he looked, the less he seemed to recognize. Noted landmarks and island formations he had first thought were possible leads were nothing but red herrings. How had he gotten himself so lost?

“If this one doesn’t work, I should have a few others.”

“No no, I’m sure this one is fine. I can’t have gone that far from home.” Kaos waved Glumshanks off, squinting at the map. He tapped one of the sepia-toned islands, frowning. “This is where we are, right?”

“Uhh, I think it’s here actually.”

“Troll. I’m pretty sure I know the location of a place I’ve never been on a map in a language I don’t know.”

“...please tell me that was sarcasm.”

Kaos just looked up, a deadpan expression on his face, before looking back down without another word. He scanned the map once more, mumbling incoherent words under his breath. This wasn’t right. Kaos winced, rubbing his temples as he felt a throbbing pain start creeping its way in, followed by the feeling of a damp rag pressed against his forehead. Kaos opened one eye, looking up as he watched Glumshanks gently dabbing the dried blood away, a concerned look on his green face.

“What do you think you’re doing, troll.”

“Cleaning the wound?” He phrased it more like a question, rather than a clean cut statement.

Kaos furrowed his brow, but didn’t object, simply squirming in his seat as Glumshanks began inspecting the small, albeit quite bloody, cut in his forehead. It didn’t quite hurt, but the sensation wasn’t all that nice either.

“...Maybe if we go back you can find the route you took?”

“That’s just the issue, troll.” Kaos slouched in his seat, resting his chin in his hand and elbow on the table. “I didn’t take a route. One minute I was in my backyard, the next I was here. I remember falling, but that’s about it.”

“Maybe you fell off the edge?”

“Impossible. I was nowhere near the…” Kaos trailed off, then sat forward with a start, the gears turning in his mind. “Glumshanks, are there any islands above this one?”

“A few, but-”

Before Glumshanks could finish his sentence, the sound of splintering wood cut through the muffled ruckus of outside, the sounds flooding in as the two looked over to see the door hanging off of its hinges, a clearly intoxicated Thropp staggering his way inside. Kaos instinctively got up off of his chair, taking a step back. Glumshanks just sighed, looking down.

“So, this is the-” a small hiccup interrupted Thropp’s sentence, “the boghole mama sent you to claim? Man, and I thought the other ones were bad. At least they had real walls.”

Thropp trailed his massive fingers across the clay wall, scraping a good amount of dirt off with his yellowing fingernail. He let out another hiccup before finally setting his beady eyes upon his brother, a tipsy smirk twisted across his face. He lumbered forward, paying no mind as his bare feet stepped over the shards of broken glass that lay across the ground, towering over Glumshanks. He hadn’t seemed to have noticed Kaos quite yet, despite him being right there.

“It was the best one I could find.” Glumshanks mumbled, trying to muster up an air of confidence, albeit to no avail. “You know how hectic it can get. Especially since you tend to be one of the ones causing most of it…”

Glumshanks’ voice grew quieter at the last part. Thropp’s ears twitched, but he didn’t seem to register it. At least not enough to care.

“You better hope there’s enough room in here, or you’ll be sleeping in the ‘doghouse’ again.” Thropp sneered.

If Kaos had thought his breath smelled bad before, it was nothing compared to the stench now. Sour and sickly sweet, like decay. Kaos couldn’t help but cover his nose, the smell all too familiar to him. At this movement though, Thropp’s eyes darted over to the small human, finally noticing him standing there at Glumshanks’ side. It took Thropp a moment to recognize him, the two merely standing there, locked in an unofficial staring contest.

“What. The hell. Are you doing here.” Thropp seemed to sober up almost immediately, his voice taking on a deadly tone.

“Well, cleeaarly ruining your ‘school project’ just wasn’t enough for me, so I had to hunt you down and ruin your homelife too.” Kaos explained, sarcasm dripping from every word he spoke.

“Kaos, I’m not sure if now is a good time to-”

“I knew we should have dealt with you on that- hic- that stupid ship!” Thropp raised his voice, raising his hands up. “At least I have a chance to fix that mistake now!”

Before Kaos knew what was happening, Thropp slammed his fists down, Glumshanks grabbing the small human out of the way at the last second. Kaos squeaked, his heart pounding in his ears. Thropp barely took a second to collect himself, his glare burning holes in Glumshanks’ skull.

“You dingweed!” He spat, slurring his words. “You two talked like, what, once?? And you’re already head over heels for this twerp! You wouldn’t believe how much he yammered on about you, human!!”

Kaos blinked, opened his mouth to ask what exactly Glumshanks had talked about, but before he could even get a word out Thropp threw a right hook at the two of them. Kaos ducked, pulling Glumshanks down with him. Thropp's fist slammed into the side of the staircase, the entire house practically shaking, bits of clay and dirt raining down. Kaos scuttled out of Thropp's line of sight as he quickly shook off the pain of his bloodied knuckles, shouting something Kaos assumed was in trolltongue. Glumshanks quickly scrambled to his feet, dragging Kaos up with him, practically carrying him to the door before his brother could come barreling after them. The two ran out into the night air, the pathways lit by smoldering embers, the trolls outside too busy partying to notice the scene that had unfolded. All but a few, at least. Glumshanks looked up from trying to catch his breath as a large troll came towards them, heavy feet thundering down the crowded street, three smaller trolls in tow. Three smaller trolls Kaos recognized almost immediately; the three lackeys Thropp had dragged along on the ship, the three ‘other brothers’. Which meant the one in the middle was…

“Glumshanks, thurhaakum duruth gorotu ishoing?? gu’vuth shrakeebag hakookinor azverywheruth guoum gorou!” The stout troll ran forward, the three others clambering along behind her, cooing and cackling about how Glumshanks was apparently in ‘hot water’ and how much trouble he was in.

“Mama, I-”

Glumshanks started, only to get cut off by the woman yet again, grabbing him by the sleeve and dragging him back towards the house, paying Kaos no mind whatsoever. Ascral, Haldir and Zhoark trailed off at the sight of him, on the other hand, words turning into hushed whispers as they followed their mother to the door. Kaos hesitated, then followed after them, a curious tilt to his head as he tried his best to listen in.

“I usholmar gorotu ushug ashtazag shrakzag ushhuth gulouse! gorotu dol-noiz ushhiakun athlacuth guakun ishangerous, thurhaakum thuroulmar thuruth ishug guir gorotu duloakum hakost, inium thurorse!!” The mother’s voice was sharp. He couldn’t understand a word she was saying, but Kaos could tell she was... less than pleased. Glumshanks kept trying to speak, but couldn’t get a word in edgewise. It was almost amusing, if not a little sad. They didn’t even seem to notice the door barely hanging on its hinges, simply walking inside as if they did this every day. The trio of smaller trolls threw their knapsacks to the ground as their mother dragged Glumshanks to the table, sitting him down as she continued to lecture on about ‘ushhuth gumportancuth iniir guamilzag gobalueakun’, whatever that meant. Thropp had passed out in the little alcove beneath the loft, his soda-induced stupor leading to a sound slumber. Kaos was amazed he was able to sleep through the shouting, but then again, if he had grown accustomed to his homelife, maybe this was normal for Glumshanks’ family too? Kaos stood in the doorway, watching the trolls acting like they had lived in this house for their entire lives, the chaos from outside now filtering into the lantern-lit room. Zhoark, Haldir and Ascral raced each other up onto the loft, laughing and jeering as their mother verbally berated her stringbean of a son, grunting and snarling as she threw her hands around to punctuate her sentences. Kaos couldn’t help but watch, picking up on details he hadn’t noticed before; like her graying ginger hair tied in a messy bun, the dirtied apron wrapped around waist, the fact that despite her tone, her cool grey eyes were soft, worry creased across the wrinkles in her face rather than anger. Kaos furrowed his brow, then tensed when he heard her voice trail off, gaze now locked on him. She said something to Glumshanks, then quickly walked around the table, standing before Kaos with her arms crossed across her chest, staring down the bridge of her nose at him. Kaos took a step back, looking over his shoulders as if expecting her to be looking at someone else there, before mustering up a hangdog smile.

“You.” She spoke sharply, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Thurhaakum ishug gorotu ashpeauku.”

“Mama, he-” Glumshanks cleared his throat. “Guluth ilabag ininlzag ashpeauku gulumabag.”

The woman looked back to Glumshanks, scrunched her face up, then gestured to the table. “Ashiakum. Ashiakum.”

Kaos just blinked. Before he could figure out a way to respond, she had taken him by the sleeve, dragging him to the table and sitting him down with more force than really necessary. Kaos winced, then rubbed his shoulders, his discomfort creeping up his spine like a clutter of spiderlings. Glumshanks merely offered him a sympathetic smile.

“Kaos, this is our caretaker, Oyana.” He gestured to the troll woman. “Mama, this is Kaos. He’s my, uh-”

“Ishug gorotu azaakum ashugarbaakum.” She interrupted, paused when she noticed Kaos’ look of utter perplexity, then spoke again. “You. Eat dinner?”

“...yes?” Kaos didn’t quite understand the question, but before he could ask her to elaborate, she had already shuffled off into the back room, closing the moth-eaten curtain that covered the doorway behind her. Kaos let his posture slump, breathing a sigh. “Well, your mother sure is... something.”

“Hm? Oh, she’s not my mom.” Glumshanks rested his chin in his hand, his arms resting on the table.

“But you call her mama? Is this, like, a cultural thing I don’t understand or…?”

“Kinda. I think she’s the equivalent of a human grandma to us? Something like that.”

Glumshanks traced his finger across the table’s surface, drawing little swirls in the light layer of grime that covered it. In the back room, Kaos could hear the clanging of utensils, firelight crackling out from beneath the loosely hung drapery. Up in the loft, he could hear the trio talking in hushed grunts, saying things he could barely hear, let alone understand.

“...I guess I’m staying for dinner?” Kaos managed a laugh. “I’ve never had troll cuisine, so this should be fun! Then maybe after we can give that map another look, eh?”

“Yeah, fun.” Glumshanks chuckled, a hint of sarcasm sprinkled over his words, though he cracked a smile nonetheless.

Kaos grinned back, letting his guard slip, if only a little. From the kitchen, Oyana called Glumshanks’ name, causing him to jump up with a start, calling back before rushing into the kitchen, probably to help with the cooking. Kaos sighed. The pounding techno music outside was almost a comfort now that he was used to it. Thropp let out a shuddering snore, then fell silent again, the three upstairs sniggering at the noise. Kaos looked out the window, to the islands past the edge of the village. He needed to get home, but staying here a little longer couldn’t hurt, right?

***

Kaos folded up the comically large map best he could, eventually giving up and thrusting it against Glumshanks’ chest, letting him deal with the crumpled mess of parchment. This was the spot. Kaos stood before the well, then looked up, glaring at the empty night sky above. That couldn’t be right. He had fallen from one well into another, so surely, his home had to be above this one. Kaos huffed, trying to wrack his mind for any possible landmarks he may have passed, something to jog a possible path to take. Anything to prove he was merely misremembering what had happened. He winced, holding his temple, the bandages Glumshanks’ mama had fixed in place scratchy against his fingertips. Had he really hit his head that hard?

“You’re sure this is the place?” Glumshanks cleared his throat, a frown on his face.

“It has to be. How many odd, intricately carved wells could there be in a single area?”

Glumshanks adjusted his worn jacket, then took another look at the map, peering at it from different angles to try and see if they were missing something. Kaos grumbled under his breath, pacing around the well, his hands folded behind his back. This wasn’t adding up.

“You said you were in a forest, right?”

“Yes. A two-toed greeble stole my scarf so I chased it right into those lumberous leviathans’ lair.”

“Lumberous-”

“The trees, Glumwad. Keep up with me here!”

“...riiight.” He looked down at the map again. “There should be a forest not too far from here, if you follow the path you should come to it in no time.”

Kaos paused his pacing, ten pulled the map down to his height, peering at the section Glumshanks was on. Sure enough, it seemed to portray a densely wooded area, though none of the surroundings seemed to spark a feeling of recollection. Still, it was at least a start.

“Well, I guess I’ll head that way then...?” Kaos tried to hide the hesitancy in his voice, to no avail.

Glumshanks looked up the way of the tread path. “If you want, I can walk you there, but Mama wants me back before ‘moonset’, so I can wash the dishes… and make the beds…”

“Let me guess, if Thropp doesn’t have his pillows fluffed he throws a fit?” Kaos snickered.

Glumshanks managed a dry laugh. “More or less…”

Kaos frowned, then wacked Glumshanks on the arm playfully. “Well, we’ll just have to have you back by moonset then, eh?”

“Before moonset.” He corrected.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. You’ll be back to do your menial labour before you even know it.”

Kaos turned, putting on a brave face as he started down the beaten trail. He lingered as he passed by the well, still slightly suspicious of its carved walls, though he did his best to shrug the feeling off. Now wasn’t the time to let his active imagination get in the way. He picked up the pace, trying his best to keep in stride with Glumshanks, who was managing to overtake him even with his slower, meandering speed. Curse those long legs. It didn’t take long for the two to notice the foliage getting denser, the previously vacant planes of boulders and browning, patchy grass now overtaken by thorny roots and dense, red bushes. Kaos hopped over a small break in the island, his frown worsening. He had a faint sense of familiarity, but it felt like he was grasping at straws. It was a few moments before Kaos noticed the troll was no longer by his side. He paused, then looked back. Glumshanks stood at the edge, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“I… I should be heading back.”

“Yeah- yeah of course. Don’t wanna keep them waiting.” Kaos laughed awkwardly, his spine prickling.

“Stay safe, okay? Don’t go getting eaten by a Gargantula or anything.”

“No promises.”

Glumshanks gave a small, tense wave, Kaos trying his best to reciprocate before turning to face the forest. Knowing Glumshanks wasn’t by his side, the trees seemed to loom over him, branches reaching and leaves rustling like razor blades ready to slice at him if he got too close. Kaos took a step forward, then looked over his shoulder, watching Glumshanks walking away, his heart sinking further with every step the troll took. Kaos took a deep breath, turned to face the path ahead, then began walking.

“Wait!”

Kaos was nearly bowled over as Glumshanks came racing up to join him, branches and dry leaves crunching beneath his bare feet. The troll skidded to a stop, wringing his hands together.

“I-I’m sure Thropp can survive without me for a little longer. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help out?”

Kaos smiled, his eyes lighting up. “A piss poor one, that’s what.”

Glumshanks laughed breathlessly, then ducked under a low hanging branch, walking along into the looming shadows. Kaos took a moment, then followed, keeping his hand on his rusty pruning shears. Just in case.