Chapter 11: Ryan
Ryan flicked the flashlight through the air ahead of him, scanning the room as rapidly as he could. He'd seen the indistinct nightmare-shape that hunted Paris, so at least he knew what to look for.
He twitched faintly at every noise, whether it be the squelching of Kaelynn's wet shoes or Jordan heaving himself up onto the platform behind him. Anything they did might give them away, or else wake some nightmare-thing dozing in the gloom.
The others joined them on the platform one after another, and still nothing moved. Maybe they were safe. But we didn't see that thing stalking us until our second visit last time.
Maybe the same rule would apply, and they wouldn't be attacked. His heart pounded in his chest for another few seconds, but still nothing jumped at them.
"First order of business, what killed these people?" Blake aimed his headlamp squarely at the nearest corpse, approaching it with a boldness none of them could quite imitate.
Except that Kaelynn was watching, so Ryan straightened and followed. There was little more than bones left of this body, which made it easier to look at. The clothes were entirely unplaceable—not the style of some century-old construction worker, maybe with a steel helmet and gas lamp on the front. The scraps hanging from this poor fellow wrapped in strange patterns, connecting in multiple layers and with strange openings in back.
"Wonder if this was a lizard," Blake said, pointing a boot at the same opening he'd been considering. "Sorry if this shoots holes in your 'crossroads' theory. But this looks like Manhattan to me. Which would make these people..."
Ryan swayed a moment, nearly falling to one knee. Why was his head pounding?
Kaelynn was the first to react. She looked around at the others, slipping her mask down over her face. While he stared, she drew something out from the tube across her chest—a tiny box of waterproof matches.
She struck one. There was a brief flash of white light, then it burned low, quickly turning into an ember.
Even with his head pounding, he knew what that meant—bad air. For it to hit so hard, the oxygen levels in the air around them must be frighteningly low.
He flicked his hand back the way they'd come. He swayed as he reached Jordan, taking one of his arms and dragging him forward. Kaelynn remained nearby, though her rebreather had no octopus to share with them. It wasn't scuba gear—there was only enough air in that thing for a few breaths, getting constantly recycled.
For Ryan, every step was hard. He didn't try to talk. There was nothing to say. He checked once to see that Blake was still following, and he was. He was the tallest and strongest of their number, and seemed a little more resistant. But it would kill him just the same.
They said it was dangerous, said people didn't come back. Doesn't have to be a magical monster hiding in a cavern of bones if there's natural gas in the air, or depleted soil eating up all the oxygen.
The ones who came before had made it further, but not much further. That was the trouble with oxygen deprivation, it was so hard to realize what was happening until you were already screwed.
The short walk back down the tunnel had taken minutes last time, but now it felt like they were hiking halfway up Everest. But Ryan couldn't puke—his stomach had been empty for a week.
Kaelynn slipped into the water without anyone having to suggest it, finally lifting the mask from her face. "A few breaths each," she said. "Take them and go. We can't do it at the same time, but I don't think it matters."
"Air doesn't feel as bad here," Jordan muttered. "We could try something."
"No," Blake said flatly. "I didn't see any exits. Unless Kaelynn wants to stick around and look."
"If I didn't need it more on the other side," she said. "I'm not burning a few hours alone in this super haunted old subway tunnel. Jordan, you're up. Clear your head and go."
He nodded, sloshing into the water beside her. "Goodbye, dick," he said, with an overdramatic pat. "You don't know what I'm sacrificing to survive this."
"No, you don't," Ryan said. It didn't matter how much his head hurt. He stumbled forward into a sitting position beside the water, preparing to go himself. But not standing up would make it easier on his body while he waited. "I'll trade you. You be the freaky predator everyone hates. I'll be the girl."
Jordan made a rude gesture, then vanished under the water. Ryan could only splash vainly after him, as his friend swam away. "Makes it out like it's some curse or something. I'm the one who's cursed."
Kaelynn rolled her eyes, foisting the rebreather on Ryan. He took it, biting into the silicone and breathing deeply, then out. After a few seconds, the headache began to subside. "Everyone thinks they're cursed, except Blake. He did fine."
Blake shrugged. "Sometimes you get lucky. Go on, Ryan. We'll see you there."
He took one last breath, then passed the mouthpiece back and kicked off the side. He had no goggles, no headlamp, so the water burned against his face. But it would soon do a whole lot more.
Indeed, the current grabbed him in an irresistible torrent, tearing him down into the gloom. Every time he passed, Ryan watched for the moment of transition, where his human body became the freak that everyone hated. But again he failed to sense it. Suddenly he was paddling with four legs, with clothes that covered nothing and gear that threatened to drag him down.
He kicked and fought, struggling towards the surface. There was light on this end, albeit faint. He could see another outline above him—Jordan's. But his body was weaker than the others, and he'd come through already drained.
He gasped, wings buzzing now. Maybe he could copy Kaelynn again, and swim to freedom? But there was no one to copy but the pony up above, and he was so weak already... his hooves touched against the bottom of the tank, a short distance from the entrance.
He reached up, struggling to release the saddlebags. Maybe without so much weight, he could float to the surface!
Something gripped him on his saddlebags, yanking him upward through the water. It was Jordan, fighting desperately to lift him to safety. In that instant, Ryan's hunger and fatigue vanished in an eyeblink. Jordan was trying to lift him, and getting dragged down by his weight. He fought anyway.
He couldn't say where the strength came from—but Ryan started kicking again. This time, he pushed upward off the bottom, carrying them both up with him. They drifted together through the water, then broke the surface along the side a few seconds later.
Ryan gasped and panted, then water started pouring out of his throat. His body stiffened and seized, and more came. Several liters worth spilled out of the tank, with him leaning just over the edge, muscles tightening and relaxing involuntarily.
"Alright, that’s... creepy as all hell." The taste of triumph and relief soured with a little familiar revulsion, as Jordan backed away from the water's edge. "Seriously, I did not need to see that."
"See what? You mean spitting up all that water after nearly drowning? Sure, I'll just swallow it." The hostility didn't reach his words. For the first time since arriving in this other world, the hunger wasn't just gone. He actually felt full.
But Jordan was entirely oblivious. He shook himself out, water dripping down his wings, soaking his mane and tail flat to his body. Blake was right about the bat looking cute, even if he'd never admit it. "That wasn't coughing. Your, like... whole shit opened. I think I saw into your veins or something." He shuddered, turning away. "I know we think the lizards don't fit, but damn. That is alien level shit."
Ryan didn't argue. Not only had he not been watching, but he had felt incredibly weird for a second. Muscles contracting and opening all involuntarily. Maybe I don't breathe the same way they do. Bugs have networks of tubes and lots of little holes, but I'm too big for that to work. Unless there's way more oxygen on this side.
There were so many questions about how the other world worked that they couldn't even begin to answer. If only they could find a reliable, safe crossing, they could get proper instruments.
Blake broke the water next, with Kaelynn circling around at almost the same moment. Of course, she didn't have to be strong enough to make it to the surface, just to get to the opening.
"So much for your freedom," Ryan said, letting one hoof trail into the water to get her attention. "We weren't even back for ten minutes."
Kaelynn's smooth outline circled him a few times before she broke the surface. "It blows," she said. "But it's nobody's fault. Fully enclosed tunnel like that could..." She dropped for a moment, then popped back up again. Even still, she was barely audible. Her body just wasn't built for talking above the water. "Bad air. A dozen different ways it could happen. What do we do next?"
Blake and Jordan circled around the opening, close enough to hear. "The next nearest portal is somewhere called Mount Aris," Jordan said. "But it isn't near like this was. If the scale's the same everywhere, it would be hundreds of miles. There are no cities between us and them, at least not marked on the map. So we probably have to charter an airship."
"Sounds pretty badass when you say it like that," Ryan said. Maybe it was just being full for the first time in a week, or maybe it was Jordan being the one to say it. But that enthusiasm was suddenly infectious. "Imagine what it's going to be like to tell this story. Yeah, we survived another universe. No big deal, we just went around in our flying pirate ship."
"It won't be a pirate ship," Blake said. "If it is, we screwed up royally. Seemed like airships were pretty common, if they have their own dock. Hopefully there's a passenger ship already going. The only tricky part will be..."
"Me," Kaelynn spat. "You can come out and say it. I know how inconvenient I am. If you want to call me out for not searching the other side, you can do that too."
Blake didn't. "We're all making it out of this. That doesn't mean it won't be hard, Kaelynn. It isn't your fault we have to make accommodations for you. We just need to realize our limits and work around them. That's going to mean finding a ship that can take you.
"But before we worry about any of that, we need to get back to the cart. I was kinda hoping that we wouldn't need that thing again."
"At least we failed completely," Jordan said. "We've barely been gone ten minutes. If we had to climb all the way to street level, it would be gone for sure."
The optimism might be infectious, but that didn't mean the trip back was pleasant. They still had the cloth they'd used as a harness. At Kaelynn's request, they soaked it completely with water before lifting her inside, and giving Jordan all their weight to carry.
The bat was right about one thing: the cart was still there. Good thing too, since Kaelynn probably would've died without it. After a few minutes of struggle to get her back inside, they packed all their stuff back aboard.
"Are you two going to look for merchants?" Ryan asked, as soon as they were finished. "Honestly, I think we could wait down here. I don't smell anyone on this floor with us. We're probably safer here than we were out in the open."
"Can you live with the smell?" Blake asked, face already turning a shade of green. The smell wasn't so bad close to the portal, but it worsened rapidly out by the road.
"I'll swim," he answered absently. "Kaelynn barely got the chance to talk to anyone. Better to talk to a twin than nobody."
"Isn't that... weird?" Jordan asked. His ears flattened as he said it, tone obviously self-conscious. "I mean, if you're her, then you're her." He swished his tail a few times, though whatever that was supposed to mean, he couldn't tell. "I wouldn't do this to myself if I had a choice."
"You mean being a girl?" That should probably bother me. But when Ryan thought about it, he found only eagerness to spend time with Kaelynn. Copying her was no more significant than putting on a hat. "It's not like it's really me. These bodies aren't real. They're just the way this weird place works. Put it on, take it off."
"Yeah that's weird." Jordan flicked his tail, vanishing out the entrance.
Blake lingered another moment. "Don't get distracted in there," he whispered. "Keep that mace handy, just in case. This might take longer than the last time. We'll have to ask around, check rates and stuff. Might be a few hours."
"We'll be fine," Ryan said, though he wasn't sure where the confidence came from. How could so much change just by not being hungry? "But hurry back, just in case."
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So I was right, sealed tomb. They got really lucky they figured it out as quickly as they did... otherwise you just pass out and die.
Mount Aris huh? This should prove to be an interesting journey!
Well, partially right about them not being able to swim back. If the air was bad they might have been too weak and lacking oxygen before diving back in to manage it, or dead before they even realized what was going on. Our heroes probably wouldn't have managed it without having gotten some fresh air from the rebreather.
Yup, changeling instincts are definitely kicking in. If I'm reading this correctly, Ryan didn't have any romantic desires for Kaelynn prior to being bugified and now it just seems like a good thing to do.
And, really, they are all dealing with different instincts, it's just hard to spot because it isn't being explicitly called out.
If Capper is smart, he'd have followed the group to observe. And he would have noticed that by their gear (previously unheard of items and salvaged scraps from a desert ruin) they are not the native explorers claimed. It would be fantastically easy to put the information together and pop out with "travelers from the other side". Doubly so if he knows there is another world gate a few days travel into the desert.
Also, a small plot hole: they had supposedly used up all the matches in their trek across the desert. Maybe clarify that Blake should have used all his matches but hadn't asked for more.
At least Kaelynn will be landworthy in the next few chapters.
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Ryan was only pretty sure of that, but if Blake figured out his fire powers before that, he would have stopped using them before they ran out. Since he didn't talk about his magic at first, Ryan wouldn't know that for sure.
The dangers of exploring enclosed abandoned spaces. Still, with it being likely that the other Worldgates don't have monsters it looks like the Aris gate might be the one.
If you're planning a return trip with a usable gate, perhaps it would be good to test the waters. Environmental hazards would not exclude magical ones.
If it hasn't rotted away... stab wounds? Unless there's another sapient species one could become in Earth.
You're planning on going in an airship as a bomb... And you don't know it yet...
Hehe, not too long before we add Ryan to our love... square? Pyramid? Though it might be more of dinner thing than anything else.
I guess it's one way to cope with the switch. Until you spend more time in that skin then your original. And you're a changeling whose nature is that anyway. Still, I'm a bit worried that Ryan's eagerness isn't really about spending time with Kaelynn but more that his mouth is watering even when he's full. Those instincts are starting to kick in.
Well, that certainly explains the lore article on freshwater vs. saltwater seaponies. And why no one's found the New York portal. Bit hard to do anything with it when the place is sealed up tight, and it's not like they'll find SCUBA gear in Klugetown.
Now there's the matter of chartering a flight... or possibly an aquatic ship. Maybe there's one that can go both ways, but there's no guarantee there. Still, at least they have a new goal.
(And, in theory, Kaelynn could test the "second time's the charm" hypothesis with the horse monster, but she'd also be testing whether it needs to breathe. And if it doesn't...)
Sometimes, the worst threats are those that don't even know they're killing you.
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Yes, that is why I suggested "should have". Leave the possibility open while still closing up the hole.
Bet you they're going to charter those bird pirates, since we're covering so much territory from the movie. Looks like Kaelynn won't be water bound forever.
Dark Souls would of ended so much sooner if every boss arena had a catastrophic ventilation failure.
Ah, yes, my two favorite ships: Jordan x Blake and Ryan x Kaelynn
Nothing like a changeling with a full 'belly'. I have a feeling Ryan's going to be a lot more helpful going forward, in one way or another. Especially since he can jump between land and water to talk to Kaelynn.
That firm no on airship piracy is somewhat disappointing.
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My interpretation is that he did have an attraction to her before all this, and hadn't admitted it to anyone, not even himself.
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A firm no on airship piracy from someone that knows nothing about the world they're in. I fully expect to see Captain Celaeno turn up at this point.
They should go back to Capper he told them about airships after all and he said they should visit him if they manage to return. At least it's clear why this worldgate can't be used. If they notice the effects of oxygen deprivation so quickly it must be really low.
The ultimate sacrifice: one's masculinity.
What are the chances that at the end of the journey they will have to return to the very first portal in London?
If that's the case.. I sincerely feel sorry for them, go around the world and every portal to understand that you need to go back to the beginning