The three other passengers focused on Severin at once, and he resisted the urge to shudder. Instead, he stood there and scanned the carriage as if he knew what he was doing.
The first thing he noticed was that the three passengers all had their faces covered, and they wore oversized clothes. None of them also sat close to the open windows.
Anansi yawned, and when he noticed that Severin was glancing at the window, he went to sit beside one, tapping the chair next to him.
Severin believed that Anansi loved his survival and would not do anything that was above him, so he went to also sit beside the man. "What is with the windows?"
The windows were open without any means of closing them.
Anansi just waved. "Do you not like the scenery?"
Severin did not because once the carriage started moving, everything else outside turned black and blank. It was as if it was not the wastelands they were passing through anymore.
Anansi became quiet and closed his eyes as if he was sleeping, but Severin did not dare. He opened his eyes, alert. He did not trust anything inside the carriage.
And he was right.
Because no matter how hard he tried, his body was already tired, and the mental stress of passing through the door had drained him more than he experienced.
His eyes got drowsy, but he did his best to keep his eyes wide open. But for an instant, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, a jolt ran through him, and his eyes opened fast.
When he first entered the carriage, the other passengers were far from him, but the instant he closed his eyes, they were now sitting close.
The one at the front was just one seat to reach him, and the one behind was the same. The one sitting at the other row had also moved closer!
Severin felt a chill that he could not explain run down his spine. What the fuck?
What the actual fuck!
Everything in the place seemed to be trying to mess with him. Even his shadow was trying to kill him. Severin’s hand tightened, and his eyes narrowed. "Do you want to die?"
The carriage was silent already, but it went deadly still the next instant. Even the sound of the horses from outside faded away.
Severin’s hand pressed against his left hand, and he pulled out a sword. It was his usual sword, nothing special, but he held it as if he was holding a special artifact. "Come any closer than this, and I will stab the shit out of you and rip that mask off your faces."
They did not reply, but the passive-aggressive air in the carriage disappeared.
Severin rested the sword against his chair.
Anansi was looking at him quietly. "I do not understand you."
Severin raised his brows.
But before Anansi continued speaking, his figure blurred into the monkey man, and he clapped. It sounded like a gunshot that hit the other passengers so hard one of them fell from their seat.
They whirled around to face him, bodies brimming with anger, but once they saw red gold fur and the face, they froze.
Anansi waved casually. "Get out of the carriage."
They did.
They ran to the door, and soon the carriage stopped for them to get out.
Severin watched them, and he realized.
Anansi faced Severin again. "Occasionally, people like you with that uniform you put on are sent here. I have even met a few myself. But unlike you, they are all strong."
Severin crossed his hands atop his crossed legs. "So they are."
"But you are different. You are weak but did not cry like a weakling. How do you want to reach the other door?"
Severin looked at Anansi and frowned. "Maybe I will make use of you."
Anansi was surprised to hear that, and he did not know how to reply to that for a while. Finally, he smiled, and it was the first terrible smile since Severin met him.
His voice was soft and dark. "Use me?"
Severin shrugged. "Why are you surprised? You are not going to kill or hurt me until you have eaten all my stories. So, yes, I will use you, and you will use me. But honestly, I am still thinking of how best to use you.
Tell me about your powers."
Anansi did not know what was going on. The person before him had changed even more, and for the first time since they met, Anansi did not feel as if he was staring at prey. It was as if he was standing before something at the same level as him.
"My powers. I can eat stories. The more the story is acclaimed, the more power I can derive from it. Once I eat a story, it takes time to digest it, and during that time of digesting, I can use the powers I gain."
"How long does it take to digest a story?"
"The longer the story, the more complex, the more time it would take. Two weeks maximum."
Severin raised his eyebrows. "So, no permanent powers?"
Anansi shrugged, and Severin nodded. Everyone had their secrets.
Severin began to speak in a calm tone. "Indeed, I think I can make use of you. I am much better now.
When I am back in my world, I use manipulation and calculations to spread and use my powers. It is a good strategy if I am playing the long game and there is time on my hands.
When I got here, my instinct was to begin to play the long game as well, but I realized I do not have time on my hands unless I plan to stay here permanently."
"So, what do you say you are going to do?"
"I am going to cut down everything until I reach the door."
Anansi smiled. "There is a Lord above the door."
"What?"
"The door, where it is, was my former territory, and I ruled it fairly. If you could tell me a story, then I let you try your luck with the door, but as time went on, the number of stories declined, and my powers as well.
"I was beaten, and something took my place."