Into the World of Twisted Wonderland Pt 2

🐍 Schemer of the Scalding Sands: Chapter 34 🐍

"Hoo boy," Grim says, shivering at the words. "Angel, you really go for the jugular sometimes."

"I'm with Little Jellyfishy on this one," Floyd admits. "Sea Otter, you're like...TOO nice, even nicer than Jellyfishy here. It's kinda grating."

"Huh?" Kalim says in shock. "Is it?"

"Yes," Jade answers. "If I were betrayed by someone the way you were...I'd lash out with a torrent of unmitigated verbal abuse to break them down mentally, then bind them and drag them beneath the waves," he smiles, making Angel shiver at his words. "The way you blame yourself and try to excuse his behavior is, quite frankly, a tad galling."

"Galling? Really?" Kalim questions. "But, I mean...Jamil would never betray me, ever."

"Uh, news flash: he did," Floyd says. "In fact, he was gonna make you out to be the bad guy and get you expelled. He's an enormous dirtbag!"

"When it comes to underhanded ploys, Azul at his worst still couldn't hold a candle to that," Jade states. "That's quite a feat, you know. It's okay to hold your head high and denounce him for the traitor that he is."

"That's...not much of a compliment," Angel sweat drops at the twins.

"You carry yourself like a goody-two-shoes, laughing off conflict with a flippant word or two," Azul states. "To twisted individuals like myself and Jamil- ah, I mean, to calculating individuals, those remarks are like barbs digging under our skin. I'd say you've been pushing Jamil ever since your formative years." Kalim becomes shocked at the news. "It's not your fault in the least, of course. You were born into a very high social class. As showered as you were with affection from your family and everyone around you, you grew up with honesty and integrity. An upbringing like that would make anyone take certain things for granted."

"I would argue that in Kalim's case, it might simple be a case of a naturally innocent disposition," Jade says.

"Oh..." Kalim thinks. "So...Jamil is...bad?

"I don't want to think it, but after going through something like that, extremely," Angel states.

"In that case, I better get back fast!" Kalim declares. "I must punch him and yell, 'Traitor!' I owe him that much."

"One punch ain't enough!" Grim angrily adds. "You oughta also make him march to the oasis and back ten times!"

"That, and we need to bring him to his senses fast," Azul says as he looks around. "If we don't, his life will be in danger. We have to get back before his magic reserves run dry so Angel can help him."

"That puts us right back where this conversation started," Floyd says with arms crossed. "How do we get back? Walkin' really fast?"

"My nose is gonna freeze over if we stay out here much longer!" Grim exclaims.

"If there was a river, we could swim back," Jade says as he look around the desert. "Sadly, the rivers around here are all dried out."

"So..." Kalim speaks, "a lack of water is the problem?"

"Yes," Azul answers. "Floyd and Jade can easily outpace brooms when they're in their true forms, but we can't exactly restore a dry river..."

"Maybe you can't, but I can," Kalim confidently announces.

The announcement make the three look at him in shock. "HUH?!"

"Oh, yeah, Oasis Maker!" Angel exclaims and Kalim nods.

"My signature spell, Oasis Maker, can produce and enormous volume of water with just a smidgen of magical power," he explains to the trio. "If I make you a river, you can get us back to the dorm, right?"