Quarrel (part one)

The link to part two is in the description.

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            “You know, Rayon,” I said, regarding the crumpled heap of man that was spread across my office floor, “When I said Nessah was in a bad mood, it was a warning, not an open invitation.”

            “I don’t care,” Rayon mumbled into the floor, since he was face-down. “Get me to Sara.”

            “You can’t get yourself there?”

            “That man broke every bone in my body.”

            “Awww, Nessah’s not that mean!” I said, stooping. I grabbed his metal arm, tugging. Rayon glided into a relatively upright position, moving not unlike a slug. His boots scraped off the floor as he stood. “He probably only broke half of them. And your limbs are still attached!”

            He delivered me a cold stare. I responded with a wide, sheepish grin, “Let’s get you to Sara.”

            The Magical Kingdom Capital…

            Nessah stomped through the front door angrily, rumbling like a grizzly. His brow was furrowed, and his lips curled into a snarl. He kicked the door shut, and it closed with a slam. Nessah removed his jacket hastily, nearly tearing it in two.

            “Nessah, love,” Snow emerged from a nearby doorway. There was a tiny, brown-haired baby in her arms. “What’s the matter?”

            “Rayon,” Nessah moaned, pressing his hands to his forehead. Snow tilted her head sympathetically.

            “Sit down,” Snow gestured towards the couch, “Tell me what happened.”

            Nessah sat down heavily on the couch. He discarded his boots with two swift motions, sending them toppling over each other on the floor. Nessah had scarcely landed when he suddenly jolted. His hand dove behind him, and he yanked a wooden sword out from beneath the couch cushion. He tossed it away with a sigh.

            Snow walked around the edge of the couch. The baby was resting on her shoulder, supported by her left hand. The right hand grasped a mug of steaming cider, which she offered to Nessah. He took it gratefully. Snow sat beside him.

            “Your favorite,” Snow said.

            “Mo ghile mear,” Nessah murmured, “Go raibh maith agat.” He took a hearty drink, and then wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

            “What happened, my love?”
            “Rayon was mocking me again,” Nessah explained, setting his mug on the side table, “I was already in a foul mood, so I gave him what he wanted.”

            “Goodness, you didn’t land him in the hospital again, did you?” Snow frowned.

            “No, no,” Nessah spread his hands, “At most, I knocked a few teeth loose.”

            “Hm.”

            “And maybe ribs.”

            “Nessah,” Snow scolded softly. He looked at her guiltily. “Save the fisticuffs for the ogres, and enemies of the capital.”

            “Rayon irritates me so,” Nessah griped, “He’s young, athletic, and capable. He’s absolutely exploding with energy, and every time I see him, I feel…” he looked at his hands, “Ancient.”

            “You’re experienced,” Snow emphasized, leaning over. She rested her head on his shoulder.

            “The worst part is, he knows all that too!” Nessah exclaimed, “He’s always rubbing it in my face.”

            “And then the brawling begins.”

            “Aye.”

            Heroicits…

            “Why do you do this to yourself, Rayon?” Sara cooed, offering Rayon an ice pack. He held it to his cheek.

            “I gotta head back to my office,” I said, “To do… a… thing.”

            I stood there awkwardly for far too many seconds, before finally up and leaving. Rayon waved goodbye. Sara watched me go.

            “It’s not healthy,” she continued lecturing Rayon, “You may be talented, but Nessah has the advantage of age. You’re lucky he didn’t break any bones.”

            “Sure feels like he did.”

            “Snow’s told me all the stories,” Sara continued. As she spoke, she turned on her heel, heading for a nearby cabinet. She produced tissues from within, which she gave to Rayon. She gestured, “Your nose is trying to bleed again. Here.”

            “I don’t wanna use my metal arm for the tissues. I might clock myself in the face and make it worse.”

            Sara plucked a tissue from the rest, dabbing at Rayon’s nose gently. “Nessah had a sword in his hand before you were even born, Rayon. His father began training him when he was seven, to inherit the Seventh Kingdom and become a Kingdomish warlord. He may not live there now, but he’s retained all of his lessons.”

            “No seven-year-old boy retains lessons, Sara.”

            “He obviously did,” Sara replied, “We’ve both seen him in battle. In the time it takes you to morph into a lion, he’s killed three enemies with a single blow.”

            Rayon scoffed, “Showoff.”

            “Which brings me to my question,” Sara brushed Rayon’s hair from his eyes, and their gazes met. “Why do you taunt him so?”

            Silence fell, and they stared at each other. Rayon gently removed the ice pack from his jaw. He grinned.

            “You just said.”

            “That’s why?” Sara shouted. Rayon jumped. She discarded the tissue with disbelief, “You taunt him because he could kill you?!”

            “Pretty much.”

            She put her head in her hands. Rayon peered at her.

            “Nessah’s so much more experienced than I am!” Rayon exclaimed, “He’s taller, stronger, and has a better arsenal. I’ve seen him in battle, we all have! He’s probably one of the few people on the planet who could end me!”

            Sara stared at him, her jaw shut tightly, and her hands planted on her hips. Rayon expelled a breath of air.

            “He makes me feel like a kid,” Rayon said, “That’s how he treats me, like I’m a child!”

            “And then the brawling begins.”

            “Yup.”

            The Characters Hangout…

            “But there’s got to be more to it than that,” I mused, taking a thoughtful chomp out of my lower lip. It bled, but I failed to notice for another ten minutes.

            “Muse!” I shouted, and out of a dark corner scurried my inspiration, chicken suit and all. She had my story notebook in one hand, and a raw egg in the other.

            “The next time Rayon tried to read the notebook, I’m throwing this at him!” Muse announced, brandishing the egg.

            “He’ll dodge. Muse, I need inspirational vibes,” I ordered, “What do you have?”

            Muse chucked the egg over her shoulder. It disappeared into oblivion, though I did hear the resulting chaos of it hitting Frg. Muse flipped through the notebook rapidly, sending the college-ruled pages everywhere in her frenzy.

            “Aha!” Muse pointed at the notebook, “The leader of the Orinabalian crime ring is actually-“

            “That was last story, Muse.”

            She grumbled and kept going. She paused a few pages later on a doodle, “Heh. You forgot to add lapels to a suit. Again.”

            “Three strikes and you’re out, doof-head.”

            The flipping continued. I waited, patience waning. She finally stopped on another page, “Aha! I’ve got it! We’ll kill someone off in the Heroicits fifth finale!”

            I reached for my stash of varied weaponry. Muse squealed, “No! Wait!” she clapped the notebook shut, “A flashback!”

            My fingers brushed the barrel of a pink semi-automatic, which someone had decorated with obnoxious stickers in an overtired fit of insanity. Don’t ask me why it was pink. I paused, staring at my Muse.

            “A flashback?”

            “You know, that thing in italics that someone reflects on privately,” Muse cowered behind the notebook, “I created a particularly heart-breaking one during ‘Two Worlds’.” She let the notebook drop to the floor, and clasped her hands over her heart. She cast her eyes heavenward, wailing, “Olea!”

            “I created a particularly heart-breaking one during ‘Two Worlds’,” I corrected, “But aside from that, it’s a great idea.”

            Muse whooped. She produced a handful of raw eggs out of thin air, turning on her heel gleefully. Muse skipped off, shouting in a sing-song voice, “I’m gonna go throw raw eggs at people!”

            “Yeah…” I muttered, already zoning out, “You do that.” My fingers danced across the keys.

            The Magical Kingdom, Early 2009…

            “Oh man, Nessah!” I exclaimed, “You would not believe what we’ve been up to!”

            “Yes?” he asked. I’d just barely returned to the capital after a full day’s adventure, and was eagerly filling him in on all the juicy details. Harret remained by my side faithfully, yapping away as I did. Nessah listened with the tender interest of a father.

            “We fought pirates!” I cried, miming a cutlass. I swung my fist through the empty air. “Frg, Harret, and I wound up down at Mermaid Bay, and we had the time of our lives!”

            …………………

            “The Riders have gone back on the treaty, and they’re determined to conquer all of the surrounding nations,” Nessah said firmly, his fists balled. The council shared a worried murmur. “The Spider Creatures have allied themselves with us, but the ogres refuse. The goblins are trying their hardest to remain neutral, but Heaven knows how long that will last.”

            “What can we do?” I asked.

            “You tell me,” Nessah beckoned, “You’re the High Queen.”

            I rolled my eyes, “Thank you for bringing that to my attention.”

            …………………

            Nessah stopped in the doorway. “What in the sixteen kingdoms…?”

            “Hi Nessah!” I shouted as I drove by. Frg, Harret, and I had secured a number of bumper cars, and managed to power them with a complex blend of magicks. Now we were whizzing about every which way, crashing into anything that stood still long enough.

            “Where did you get bumper cars?” Nessah questioned.

            “From our secret supply of bumper cars.”

            …………………

            We were gathered on the Wildsom’s front porch, crowded around Snow. Shak’s cousin, Fang, spoke up.

            “Come on, tell us!” Fang whined, “We really wanna know how you and Nessah met!”

            Snow smiled, “All right, all right. See, it all began when I was twenty years of age. Nessah was leading an expedition into the Forbidden Forest…”

            Nessah came walking up, “It was a dangerous journey, and almost everyone was killed. It’s like they say, ‘Twenty go in, and three come out. The guides always die first’.”

            …………………

            “You see, Snow,” Nessah murmured, “This fight has been going on for years now. At times it’s been an indirect struggle, but it has always continued. This is fight is over the chapters and the writer. We both know her resources are finite.

            “She was our writer first. The Magical Kingdom was her first real story. Without it, none of the others- Altradair, Heroicits, Dreamdon, Jessahence… none of them would’ve come to life. It is foolish for them to steal the writer from her own home. She will always be one of us. I just wish the others would realize that.”

            Heroicits…

            “She’s our writer too!” Rayon exclaimed. “I don’t see what Nessah’s problem is. I mean, she’s practically his daughter! She’s not going to leave him, or at least not permanently!”

            Sara frowned, “Perhaps that is why Nessah became so defensive when you first arrived.”

            “Huh?”

            “From what I’ve gathered, the majority of our current cast originated in the Magical Kingdom chapters,” Sara explained, “And suddenly, one day… there was an outsider, a non-Kingdomish man. He enamored their creator, and disrupted everything they’d become acquainted with.”

            “That’s a hurtful thing to say, Sara,” Rayon folded his arms, “How do you even know that? You’re not Kingdomish either.”

            “My dear,” Sara replied, “More has been learned over a cup of tea than during any interrogation.”

            Early 2010...

            Sara and Snow were sharing a pleasant lunch of tea and sandwiches. They were talking away to no end, gabbing as women often do. Their conversation halted when Nessah passed by, a sketchbook and pencil in hand.

            “I’m going outside to sketch.”

            “It’s January,” Snow reminded, “You’ll freeze your tail off.”

            Nessah swished his wolf tail back and forth. “I know, I know, but there’s beauty in all seasons. Besides, we’re having a temporary thaw. I’m going to take advantage of it.”

            “That sounds wise,” Sara sipped her tea, “And it’s a good way to avoid cabin fever.”

            Nessah tipped his head to them, and then shuffled out the front door. Snow chuckled as she whisked her spoon around her tea, “He’s got quite the wild spirit in him. He can’t stand being cooped up.”

            “Rayon is the same,” Sara laughed heartily, “Can you imagine what would happen if they met? That’s why I’m hesitant to bring Rayon here.”

            “Aye,” Snow cast a look to the door, “They would get in a fight immediately. Nessah is the alpha male of our village. He’ll be greatly offended by Rayon’s presence alone.”

            Sara sighed. “Men.”

            The Characters Hangout…

            “The Incident of the Twenty Frgs!” I bellowed, pounding on my computer. I finally noticed my lip was bleeding, and babied it with a grumble of, “not again.”

            Frg wandered up, wearing a bright pink viking helmet. I stared at him. He stopped in front of my desk, reflecting my stare. I slowly pointed.

            “That’s not yours,” I said, “I’m the one who bought it.”

            “Yah,” Frg replied, pulling it off by the horn, “It’s too big for me.”

            “Because you have a miniscule brain?” I asked, taking it.

            “Nope. Your head’s fat.”

            I donned the hat angrily. Frg grinned, “I heard you mention my clones?”
            “It was the first Frg Clone outbreak in the history of our stories, and you weren’t even there for it!” I exclaimed.

            Frg scoffed, “I was rescuing my sister from kidnappers. You can’t blame me. Besides, I did hang around long enough to set things up.”

            I sighed, “Yes, I know.”

            “Likelikelikelikelike…” Frg spread his hands with a broad grin, “The Rayon vs. Nessah smackdown! I did you n’ your cousin a favor with that one.”

            “A favor?”      

            “We all wanted to see who would win,” Frg shrugged, “The champion of Heroicits vs. the Kingdomish patriarch! But then some bozo interrupted them before they could finish.”

            “That bozo was me!” I exclaimed.

            “Aww, Eliz,” Frg patted my shoulder, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

            I bludgeoned him with my viking helmet, and he died cackling.

            Rayon fell. He belly-flopped to the ground, landing with a loud “OOF”. Nessah jumped to his feet. He swept up his sketchbook and supplies, holding them protectively to his chest. Nessah backed several feet away, eyeing Rayon with suspicion. The High Queen had guests over, and that meant weirdoes of all kinds could be roaming the woods. Nessah supposed that this was one of them.

            Nessah put his sketchbook and pencils down, safely out of the way. With his precious artwork protected, Nessah confronted Rayon. He pulled himself to his full height, beginning to stomp forwards. He loomed above Rayon with his massive frame, eyes gleaming.

            Rayon was still lying on the ground. He stared up at Nessah blankly. For a few moments, neither of them said anything. They just stared at each other.

            “That was nearly five years ago,” Nessah explained, “I hadn’t crossed over into my forties yet. Youth was on my side.”

            The baby in Snow’s arms began to cry. Nessah reached forward, and Snow passed the baby to him. Nessah rocked the child in his arms gently, soothing him. The baby quieted after only a few minutes.

            “And we only had the two children,” Snow reminded, “I was pregnant with Joan at the time, do you remember?”

            “Aye. And that made me jumpy,” Nessah sighed deeply, “You understand. After losing three children… protecting you became my highest priority.”

            He wrapped his arms around Snow and her baby, holding them close. Snow smiled, “And then a strange man fell onto our property.”

            Heroicits…

            “Frg told me the wolf-humans were bloodthirsty!” Rayon exclaimed, “And since Frg previously saved our lives, I assumed he was telling the truth.”

            “He’s called ‘Frg the Trickster’ for a reason, love,” Sara reminded, “He may not play as many pranks nowadays, but he’s still a trickster.”

            “I knew you’d gone to the capital, but I didn’t know where you were,” Rayon continued, “Instead, I found a big, scary native with a tail.”

            Sara said nothing, only reached to the side. Her fingers wrapped around Rayon’s lion tail, and she gently lifted it into the air for them to see. The tip of his tail flicked a little in her grasp. She looked at him pointedly.

            “I didn’t know I was a lion human,” Rayon said, “That was later. Heroicits had only been around for three months. I wasn’t as accustomed to weird things as I am now.”

            The Magical Kingdom…

            “Still, though,” Snow reflected, “You barely introduced yourselves. You just jumped right into fighting.”

            “He pulled out a knife!”

            Snow looked at him, “And threatened you?”

            Nessah rubbed the back of his neck, “…well…”

            Finally, Rayon scrambled to his feet. He produced a dagger, baring it defensively, “Now… um… don’t come any closer! I’m not in the mood to get ripped to shreds by a bloodthirsty wolf human!”

            “You’re joking, right?” Nessah crossed his arms, “You can’t do much with a dagger. Not against me. Put it down.”

            “No way!” Rayon gestured, “You’re a wolf-man! You have teeth and claws, I bet! I’m not putting this dagger down.”

            “Put it down, amateur. I could kill you twice for every second you’re still holding it.”

            “And really, it was a good fight,” Rayon shrugged, “He could’ve easily taken my knife and killed me on the spot, but he didn’t. He was sporting about it.”

            “I’m glad you were interrupted,” Sara sighed.

            The Magical Kingdom…

            “If left to our own defenses, Rayon and I will fight about anything,” Nessah snorted, “It takes a female to break it up.”

            “Or to cause it.”

            “That’s-“ Nessah held up his index finger, and then slowly lowered it. “An excellent point.”

            Rayon was almost to the dagger when Nessah tackled him. They began to roll around on the ground, wrestling wildly. There was a scuffle as they beat upon each other. Finally, with a visible show of effort, Nessah slammed Rayon onto the ground. He pinned him down by either shoulder, panting heavily. Rayon struggled, but couldn’t outmuscle him.

            “Look,” came a female voice, “I don’t care who started it, but if it doesn’t end now, I’m tattling on you both to Sara and Snow.”

            “Oh, it was marvelous!” I reflected, “Tattling on grown men. I probably would’ve done it too, if the village wasn’t under attack. Priorities.” I inspected my viking helmet, “By the way, do you happen to know why Frg was wearing this?”

            Harret joined me, probably because I’d retrieved munchies from my stash. He blinked, momentarily ending his incessant begging.

            “Probably because someone was throwing raw eggs at us,” Harret replied, “Can you believe it! Someone throwing raw eggs at us?”

            “I can believe it.”

            He rolled his eyes. Harret then inched closer, putting his front paws up on my thigh. He gazed at my food longingly, his big, brown eyes boring into my soul. I stared at him. He sniveled a little.

            “It’s been years, doofus,” I said, “Those tricks don’t work on me anymore.”

            “In that case,” Harret flicked his paw, producing three film negatives from thin air, “I have blackmail.”

            “I have evidence explaining a mysterious CIA security breach.”

            “Darn,” Harret sat down again, pouting, “I knew the peanut butter was a dead giveaway.”

            Silence fell for a minute, as I analyzed my story document. I began to chew on my lip without noticing. Finally, I leaned back in my chair, folding my hands behind me. The chair creaked, sounding like a cat choking on a frog that was lit on fire.

            “Do you know why The Incident of the Twenty Frgs was so monumental?” I asked.

            “No, actually. I wasn’t paying attention.”

            I stared at him. He grinned.

            “You’re lucky that question was rhetorical,” I muttered. I continued, “It’s because the Heroicitians met me.”

            “Boy,” Harret snorted, “You’re not self-absorbed at all.”

            “Not like that. I’m the Writer, Harret,” I gestured to myself, “The Kingdomish knew that already, or at least the ones I’m closest to. But the Heroicitians didn’t, and especially Rayon. Do you understand?

            “Rayon isn’t like the others,” I continued, “He refuses to consider that anyone has any authority over him. As far as he’s concerned, he’s his own boss. The only one who can tell him what to do is Sara. That’s about it.”

            “What does that have to do with your writer-ing?”

            “He figured it out quickly,” I said, “Whatever happens to me will directly impact what happens in my stories. The other companion characters knew it too. You knew it, Frg knew it, Nessah knew it. But Rayon knew it best of all.”

            “Why’s that?”

            “Because he became the companion character during 2011,” I replied, “The worst year of all the years…”

            Harret’s shoulders lowered. He looked at the floor, “Operation Albatross.”