Chapter 7 #2
“So, uh, what’s the Inro look like?”
Seymour pulled it from his back pocket. “Like this.” He gave it a shake. “It was a demon torture lookin’ box before. Now it’s this.”
Day meowed, making grabby paws at the Inro.
“Here ya’ go, lil girl.” Seymour gave it to her. He figured if anyone knew how to work that darn thing, it would be her.
Day traced her paw over the edge of the landscape painting in a specific, practiced pattern. The Inro immediately broke apart, shifting into a cube once more. She touched it again, and it turned back to the porcelain landscape.
“Nice!” Seymour grinned. “You are such a smart girl. Yes, you are.”
Day purred, her double-tail swishing away. She nodded her head to the counter and meowed.
brING THE INRO HERE
“Are you sure that’s what she said?” Seymour set the Inro down in the middle of the counter. “It wasn’t to grab a bunch of tacos?”
The counter trembled.
“Sheesh. Take a damn joke.”
Day hopped off Seymour’s shoulders, landing beside the Inro.
Neil hovered close. “Look, are you absolutely sure about this? I still really think we should wait for Lou and the others.”
IT IS SAFE!
“You didn’t sound very sure a minute ago!”
“I will protect Seymour with all the power available to me,” Sariel said firmly. “He has been entrusted into my care, and I will not let any harm befall him. His safety is absolutely paramount to me, I swear to you.”
Neil stared at him, gawking.
“What?”
“That is literally the most I’ve ever heard you speak at one time.”
Day meowed, holding out a paw to both Sariel and Seymour. Once they accepted, she closed her eyes and meowed softly.
Seymour probably should have been unnerved by the fact he was about to enter another world, but he was quickly growing desensitized to the rampant madness.
Dragons getting coffee, vampires trying to hypnotize him, talking chicken leg houses being salty.
At this point, Seymour didn’t think he’d even bat an eye if the Loch Ness Monster came strolling in to buy a corsage.
Seymour reached for Sariel’s hand, giving it a big squeeze. “See you on the other side.”
Day closed her eyes, purred, and the flower shop vanished in a flash.
They were now standing at the edge of the Inro’s mountainous landscape, as if it had been magnified a gazillion times and then plopped right in the middle of an eerily calm ocean.
The water was black, endless, and the only light came from the lanterns scattered along the tiny path leading up the mountain.
The ground was weirdly slick beneath Seymour’s boots, and it was then he realized everything here was made of porcelain.
He could see seams in the various pieces around him, just like in the Inro, and the only thing that appeared to be organic was the water this monstrous place somehow floated on top of.
Day meowed and pranced up the path, waving for them to follow.
“We’re comin’, lil girl!” Seymour took a few careful steps forward. “Oof, this is weird.”
“Very,” Sariel agreed, his own steps slow and precise. He still had Seymour’s hand, and he laced their fingers together as they followed after Day.
Walking up the mountain was a slip and slide of smooth planes, punctuated only by the mechanical seams of this odd world that didn’t allow for any kind of friction. Seymour was incredibly thankful when they finally reached the top, the sleek ground guiding them into a large opening.
It was a cave—but it wasn’t made out of porcelain. It was real stone with patches of soft moss blanketing the floor and clinging to a host of stalagmites framing the sides of a narrow path. The only illumination was from a large red paper lantern.
But because Seymour was having the craziest day of his life and had dared think it could not get stranger, the lantern had a set of human arms.
And long legs.
And a face with bulging eyes and a wide mouth with a long, flopping tongue.
Of course.
Why the fuck not?
The lantern turned to stare at Sariel and Seymour, its tongue swinging. It turned again to stare at Day, tongue flapping harder back the other way. It seemed confused.
Day mewled and smiled, patting its arm.
Whatever she said seemed to calm the bizarre creature, though its gaze came right back to Seymour and Sariel as they walked past it.
With as small as the path was, they had to turn sideways to avoid smacking into the lantern creature, and Seymour offered what he hoped was a friendly smile.
The lantern growled.
So, guess not.
The tunnel opened up in a large space, and there were more of the odd lantern creatures here.
They were all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and a few hung from the ceiling, swinging their gangly legs.
There were two other tunnels leading into other parts of the cave.
One was full of neatly made beds, at least a dozen, and the other was a kitchen and dining area.
The large chamber they stood in now had an elaborate shrine carved right into the rock. Hollow niches held carved tablets, and the long mantel beneath them was lined with candles, a round metal disc covered in a veil, and a pot packed full with the stubs of incense sticks.
On either side of the shrine were elaborate murals, and Seymour struggled to make sense of the story he was seeing.
One showed a double-tailed cat who looked like Day all alone, curled up in what may have been this very cave, with a katana next to her.
The next was the same cat but smaller, holding the same katana and standing next to a tree that was dripping blood. There were bodies of other cats strewn across the ground—a battle of some kind.
On the other side of the shrine was the same group of cats, but they were all laughing and celebrating.
Two cats in the middle were particularly detailed.
One in robes had the katana by its side, the second was wearing the same dress Day had on, and they were holding a bundled calico kitten between them.
The last picture, which by now Seymour had figured out was actually the first, showed the mountain with wispy clouds swirling all around it. At the very top, there was a shadowy feline figure with a katana at its side.
Now understanding the order, Seymour also noted variations in the style. The big mountain and happy family seemed to be by the same artist. The battlefield had spots where it had been painted over and touched up, possibly as the artist grew their skills and wished to redo.
The last one was the most beautiful, no doubt the labor of many years of work. The cat in this picture looked ready to take a breath, her fur beautifully soft and vibrant, and the fabric of her dress was so sleek that Seymour could swear he’d touch the stone and feel silk beneath his fingers.
“Your family.” Seymour frowned, his heart dropping into his gut. “They were… killed?”
Day bowed her head, nodding sadly. She approached the shrine to add a fresh stick of incense to the pot. It lit by itself, perfuming the air with its musky scent.
Seymour kept staring at the murals. “And you… You were left all alone?”
Day didn’t respond that time. She kneeled in front of the shrine, her head still tipped forward. She appeared to be praying.
Seymour wasn’t sure what to do. He thought it might be rude to interrupt, especially in what was clearly such a sacred space, but they were here on a mission.
So, he nudged Sariel.
Sariel blinked.
Seymour gestured toward Day.
Sariel looked at Day, looked back at Seymour, and then shrugged.
Seymour sighed.
Day stood, reaching for the metal disc. She removed the veil, revealing it to be a big handheld mirror. She meowed and scampered over to them, holding it up to Seymour.
“Oh! Uh, should I be touching this?” Seymour grimaced. “It looks old. And very fuckin’ breakable.”
Day meowed firmly.
“Okay, okay!” Seymour took the mirror, peering over it curiously.
While all the art and other decor seemed to be Asian inspired—Seymour wanted to say Japanese, but he was afraid he was mistaken—the mirror was decidedly not.
Its frame was gold and carved in the same types of geometric designs he’d seen in pictures of Roman columns. The back had more of them and a staff with wings and two serpents coiled around it right in the middle. The staff symbol looked very familiar, but he couldn’t place it.
He turned the mirror back over, asking, “So, what do I do?”
“Meow.”
“You want me to meow?”
“Meow.” Day narrowed her eyes.
“Okie dokie.” Seymour looked at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath. “Uh… Meow?”
Day swatted at his leg.
“Okay, okay!” Seymour cleared his throat, saying more confidently, “Meow.”
Day tilted her head. “Meow?”
Seymour groaned. “Fuck, it didn’t work.”
“Guess you’ll just have to try again,” Day said with a sigh.
“Yeah, I guess—” Seymour gasped. “Hey!”
Day put her paws over her mouth and giggled.
“You sneaky lil’ girl.” Seymour laughed. “That was good. That was real good.” He nodded at Sariel. “I guess it’s his turn, right?”
“Yes, please!” Day’s voice was feminine and soft, and she sounded much younger than Seymour first thought.
Seymour passed the mirror to Sariel. “Really put your heart into it. You are a cat. You are the cat. A feral jungle beast ready to pounce.”
Sariel’s brow wrinkled. “But I am not. I am an angel.”
“Just try your best.”
Sariel narrowed his eyes, staring down his reflection as if it was an enemy he was about to tear into pieces. With a low growl, he snarled, “Meow!”
Day shook her head and sighed in mock disappointment. “Meow.”
Sariel frowned. “I tried to be the cat. I was not successful?”
Day grinned up at Seymour, Seymour snorted and pressed his lips together, but then they both burst out laughing.
“Oh.” Sariel smiled. “It was a joke.”
“Yes, it was a joke.” Day giggled some more, taking the mirror to reverently place it back on the shrine beneath its veil. She gave it one last small touch before returning to them, teasing, “Do you always take everything this seriously?”