Longing

Chapter Thirteen

Kendo stood at the chasm of Reality, readying himself in the only way he knew how. He took a breath, cracked his knuckles, and hummed his favorite song from deep in his throat. He didn't usually share his musical tastes but no one was around to ridicule him anyway; Melissa had told him what to do and then disappeared somewhere, claiming she had to "deal with some issues," whatever that meant. Kendo welcomed the solitude. It made it easier to think and by extension, easier to manifest his power.

Before him the Earth sunk into itself in a pit of sand and mud and dirt. Behind him stood Fowlina's Forest, the wafting, distant music from the Creature's Court, and an unfamiliar yet welcomed heat that slithered up and down Kendo's spine. He was ready. He had never been so sure of anything in his life.

The portal swirled open in a gust of stinging wind, bringing with it the scent of decay and stagnant water. Its pure light flooded Olden's permanent nighttime, tinting everything with white, and Kendo had to squint so his eyes could adjust. The Veins recoiled into their trees, tendrils sizzling in fear, and the whole forest seemed to lean backwards in an effort to avoid the widening portal. But Kendo stood tall and ready, with open arms and half-closed eyes as he breathed in the scent of Reality, the wildflowers and grass, the humidity on the air, the stink of decaying road kill and the scratchy smell of gravel that's been beaten smooth by hikers and bicyclists alike. He thought it fitting that he was ripping open the portal that started all of this, Grivgas' portal, which according to the Court's rules should only be opened once every seven years.

"We'll see about that," Kendo yelled into the portal, all regrets and hesitation gone, shoved aside by his shivering anticipation. He hadn't enjoyed anything this much in a long, long time. He was doing something daring, something drastic. The old scars on his wrist tightened and tensed, but he ignored them. He wasn't about to get this far and let something stupid get in his way. He was finishing this. When all this crap was over, at the very least, he could say he had a part in ripping open the world.

Kendo was caught in a chasm of clashing energy. Olden's giant trees, hissing invisible creatures and Veins receded while Reality careened through the portal, a waterfall of mortal, normal things.

Now was the time. Melissa had told him to construct something capable of ripping apart Reality. He didn't exactly know what she meant but he couldn't hold back now, and so he brought to life the first thing that popped into his head. Closing his eyes completely, Kendo let the light wash over him. He opened his palms. Two silver forms manifested inside each hand, growing longer as they molded into something tangible. Kendo felt the cool metal against his palms, familiar and grooved. He knew those handles well. He had in his grip the very same daggers he had taken to his wrist after his mother died.

With silver-plated handles and five-inch blades, the daggers gleamed in Reality's light. Kendo took one last quivering breath, in and out, and he brought the daggers to the ready. He pictured the opening portal as though it was made of billowing, thin plastic.

Melissa had said to him before she ran off, "Imagine something weak for the portal, and something that can break it apart as your tool."

If Kendo had held the daggers any tighter they would've crushed under his grip, but they held strong.

He brought the daggers down on the portal with all his strength and it split open before him. Knowing well that it wouldn't be that easy, as nothing in Olden was, Kendo was prepared when the portal wormed its way back into itself and closed tighter than before. Olden's nighttime conquered some of the light seeping out from Reality, gobbling it up like a snake devouring its squirming meal. After coming this far, going through with this much, Kendo wasn't about to give up. He gave a holler and slashed at the portal again, over and over, until he caught a glimpse of Grivgas' path. The nearby pond's scent slipped between the cracks in the portal, and as Kendo pushed forward he stepped out of the sandy floor of Olden and onto the spindly, dying grass of Reality. Gravel pushed against his boots.