Serial Fiction with Friends
Last month, Tucker was rescued from the hungry Capastraunian by the Nightwalker, who also pushed him into a hidden time stream.
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Nero
Tucker popped out of the time stream, landing on his feet on the bank of a very warm yellow river, right behind the Nightwalker. The neon hues of this place were blinding. He felt like he’d popped through the looking-glass. But at least the slime and stench had been washed off.
“Does this purple shirt make me stand out?” mewed a giant, one-eyed, humanoid cat-being, who was holding a book in one hand and gazing into a mirror he’d positioned under a nearby bright blue tree. A breeze rustled the violet and aqua leaves as the cat turned back and forth, assessing his look while striking poses. After a minute or so, he finally turned his gaze to his visitors. He startled. "MrRow!" He flicked a paw, giving them each a very uncomfortable amount of scrutiny with his immense green eye.
Tucker covered himself with his hands and tried not to act as embarrassed as he felt. He blinked and squinted at the cat-being. “Ummm, no? Not to me -- but I’m not an expert in these things.”
“That’s why we don’t ask him for style advice,” the Nightwalker said. “That deep shade of purple is delicious. You will stand out quite nicely.”
The words seemed incompatible with the electronic voice output they were delivered in.
“Thank you,” said the cat-being, flicking his tail. He tossed his book under the tree. “Now, who are you and how did you get here? Good books have always transported me to extraordinary places...but a naked man and a shadow being popping into my territory out of nowhere is a whole new level!” Talon-like claws casually appeared at the end of his long fingers as he crossed his arms.
“Indeed,” said the Nightwalker. “We are only figments of your imagination. Pink plum juice people.”
The cat huffed and growled, “Nice try!" He sniffed the air, moving toward them. "I haven’t had any juice for a week! I’m clean! Let's try again...”
Tucker stepped closer to the Nightwalker. “Where are we?” he whispered.
“So you don’t know where you are, young human? You smell awfully familiar to me," the cat-being purred, suddenly appearing next to Tucker's face. He rubbed cheeks and left a palpable cat scent behind. "I’m fairly certain you’re another iteration of my favorite human.”
The cat turned to the Nightwalker and closed the distance between them without seeming to move. “And you," he sniffed and sneezed in her face, "you are my nemesis of old. But why are you here together? This is a confusing development.” His tail flicked as he turned and trained his eye on them.
“I broke him out of a Tjalian prison.”
“Why would you do such a selfless thing?” the cat-being placed a claw under the Nightwalker's chin. “I have a hard time believing anything you say.” He looked at Tucker. “Is she telling the whole truth?”
Tucker found the scrutiny of the huge eye quite unnerving, especially when combined with those claws. “I-I don’t know why she did it, or even who she is. I didn’t even know she was a 'she' until you told me so just now. I've lost a lot of memories. But yes, she did just break me out of a Tjalian prison cell, and I was seconds from becoming a Capastraunian snack when she saved me.”
“Interrrrrresting,” the cat-being purred, putting a little more upward pressure on the claw under the Nightwalker's chin. “The suspense builds. I do loooove a good plot." He considered for a moment. "I suppose I will let you live, this time,” he growled at the Nightwalker, retracting his claw from her chin. “But only because you're with Tucker.
"Carry on," he stepped to the side and waved them toward a path through the neon blue trees, keeping his gaze firmly attached to the Nightwalker. "I assume you are headed to the portal to the south. I don't want your scent to linger here if the Tjalians are on your tail. Plausible deniability, and all.”
“Say hello to your wife for me, Nero,” said the Nightwalker as she passed him.
“I would, but she recently passed away -- car accident.” He examined his claws.
“I’m sorry to hear that! But...how did it happen? No one on your planet drives cars.”
“I tell people that because no one would believe the real story,” Nero said. “I killed her. She cheated on me with a Tjalian.”
“And people believe the car accident story?”
“Well, of course I say it happened while she was visiting another planet.”
“Well, I’m sorry for your loss, nonetheless.”
“We both know you are a twisted, selfish sociopath, much like myself, my dear. But I’ll take the polite sentiment, nonetheless. Tucker, put some clothes on.” He pulled off the new purple shirt and stuffed it down over Tucker's head.
Now Tucker had a long purple dress.
“You wouldn’t happen to have your wings parked nearby, would you?” the Nightwalker asked.
“Yes, but I’m not flying you anywhere, regardless of who you're with. Now get out of here." He purred at Tucker. "Good luck. And watch your back. She likes to stab them."
