Taylor Galpin awoke feeling less pain than she expected.
In those first moments of consciousness what her mind remembered before anything else was the flash of light, the sensation of intense heat and her skin burning on her arms and part of her chest as she tried to shield herself while flying through the air.
She still felt the pain, but it was much less than she anticipated. The truth is that she felt more of an itch, a sensation on her skin that made her want to scratch. The same as when a wound heals. Weds would surely tell her that…
…
"WEDNESDAY!" exclaimed Taylor, suddenly sitting up in the bed she was in, before having to stifle another groan of pain from the sudden movement.
"Γαμώτο! Good morning!" a voice next to her replied.
Taylor turned to her right, and there beside the bed, sitting in (or rather perched on) a dark wooden chair, was Saint-Clair, watching her with catlike wariness. Instead of her striped shirt and dark pants, the werecat wore a red sweater and a dark blue skirt. She was barefoot.
New clothes? Ah, right, she had to transform too, Taylor thought, before a sense of alarm came flooding back.
"Wednesday! Enid... Saint-Clair... My M... Weds, Pup... Where is she?" the Hyde asked in a trembling voice, though with a low reverberation in the back of her throat, like a dormant growl.
"Pup is safe, or at least we think she is safe," the werecat replied, "My Willa and she activated their ring in time and should now be in Wednesday and Enid's dimension."
That was... yes, it was good news. Taylor could feel the Hyde in her calming down, even though the situation of being separated from her Mistress was not ideal. Despite that, she could count on enough rationality not to do anything stupidly violent. For the time being.
No, no violence against these people. Save the homicidal impulses for the second round against that monster in armor, she thought.
She exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and examined herself and her surroundings.
The room was... plain. Dark, like the wood of its walls and furniture, with a black curtain blocking out the meager light of a cloudy day and sparse in decoration except if you counted the huge, elaborate cobwebs in the corners and nooks and crannies as decoration. For her part, Taylor was dressed in what looked like a simple dark gray nightgown. Her arms and part of her torso were covered in expertly applied bandages, except for the fact that they looked so old and worn they could have been taken from a mummy.
She must have commented that bit out loud, because Saint-Clair replied, "Well, I wouldn't put it past them to have been taken from some crypt. We are in an Addams Mansion after all."
"Where exactly are we? Why didn't we come back together with Weds and Woe?"
"Well... in a different dimension, although the local Wednesday seems to know about ours..." the werecat began to speak.
Saint-Clair told her all about it. How the ring was struck by a magically charged lightning bolt, how that threw them into an unforeseen dimension, how Dora and Theo's rings seemed to be unusable…
"Wait, wait, are you telling me we're stuck here?" asked Taylor.
"No, no," replied Saint-Clair, "Let me finish. When we told the local Wednesday everything she gathered us together with the rest of the family. Her Grandmama and Morticia are working on something, though I don't know what exactly."
Before Taylor could ask any more questions someone knocked on the door of the room before he entered. It was a young man, about sixteen or seventeen, stocky looking though not very tall, pale, with eyes marked by dark circles around them and short, unkempt blond hair, wearing an eye-damaging green and yellow striped shirt. He was carrying what looked like a pile of perfectly folded clothes in his hands and smiled at the sight of Taylor awake.
"Ah, finally, I was bringing you these after rummaging through the old closet, I hope they fit," he said, "Come down when you're ready, I think Mother and the old witch must be about to settle something. And Father wants another duel with you, Nid."
Saint-Clair smiled as she took the clothes from his hands, "Thank you very much Pugsley, we'll be right down," she said. Pugsley nodded and withdrew after giving Taylor a wave with his hand.
As the door closed behind him, Taylor turned back to Saint-Clair, "That was Pugsley?"
"Uh-huh."
"Blond?"
"Different universe, different rules... I don't know, this dimension is pretty weird in and of itself," Saint-Clair said laying the clothes on the bed, "Pick something from here. I have no idea where they got this much wardrobe from because there's no way in hell I can imagine Morticia or Wednesday wearing any of these outfits," the werecat observed, pulling out what appeared to be an orange sleeveless top from the pile of clothes.
"If they're like the Addamses of my reality, it could be clothes from cousins, uncles, and other extended family," Taylor said, "And blonde Pugsleys aside, why do you say this dimension is weird?"
"Well, for starters, I think we're in a cartoon," Saint-Clair whispered, leaning toward Taylor, as if revealing a secret.
"What?" the Hyde replied, flabbergasted.
"Or at least a reality where the laws of physics have taken note from the Looney Tunes," Saint-Clair said, looking somewhat uncomfortable, "I had a duel with Gomez earlier and I got a little too carried away and…"
"¿And...?"
"And I dismembered him. I ripped his arms right off," Saint-Clair said. When she saw the look of alarm on Taylor's face she hastened to add: "But it's okay! There was no blood, no gore, no nothing... Hell, his arm with the saber moved by itself for a few moments, floating in the air and trying to skewer me. Then he just picked them up and... put them back together? No idea, I just know that in the end he didn't have a scratch on him and now he wants a rematch."
Taylor was still looking at her as if she had grown two heads, before taking another look around the room.
"But... nothing looks like a drawing…"
"I think it's something to do with our ability to perceive, we see this reality as familiar to us even though its physics and natural laws are totally foreign to us. I guess. I don't know. The truth is I have no fucking idea," the werecat finished off, shrugging, "But you and I are shapeshifter monsters jumping between universes and we've been whacked by a guy in armor who shits fireworks. Anything's possible as far as I'm concerned."
Taylor could only nod. Truth be told, there wasn't much to say about that.
A few minutes later, the two had descended into the living room of the Mansion. Taylor had finally opted for a flannel shirt and black sweatpants that looked like they could withstand a Hyde transformation without completely shredding. She was wearing a simple pair of slippers that were at the foot of the bed where she woke up.
In the living room the first thing she saw was Dora lying on the couch with a bored look on her face, staring at the ceiling. Next to her, in two armchairs facing each other and in heated debate were Theo and what was undoubtedly the Wednesday of this dimension. She was a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, though very tall and slender, dressed in a sober dress of a dark blue color. Taylor was surprised to see a Wednesday not in the usual gray, white or black but soon remembered that the twins' mother had a preference for pink, so dark blue was not that out of place.
A little away from them, by the window, Pugsley was chatting with a man dressed in a purple pinstriped suit who was no doubt Gomez, who was the first to notice their arrival, grinning maniacally as he set his sights on Saint-Clair.
"Ah, Enid! feline fury! monstrous portent!" he exclaimed, rushing towards them, "I demand a rematch!"
"It hasn't even been two hours, Mr. Addams," the werecat replied, though the smile on her face betrayed that she was not displeased at the thought of engaging in combat again.
"What time is it, by the way?" asked Taylor.
"Oh, it was about five in the morning when we showed up and now it's ten," Saint-Clair replied, "You heal fast."
"Oh, and this must be the other hermosa monstruosidad you've been telling us about," said Gomez, taking Taylor's hand between his own and giving it an energetic handshake, "It's a pleasure! I hope I get the chance to be skewered by your claws too!"
"Uh…"
"Father, you've disturbed the guests enough for today," interjected a quiet voice, "Why don't you and Pugsley go to the quarry to explode some boulders?" asked Wednesday, approaching them.
"Ah, an excellent idea my dear death trap," said the Addams patriarch, running to his son and taking him in his arms before they both jumped through the window shattering the glass. Pugsley's cry of alarm faded into the distance.
"Can I go with them?" asked Dora, after a few seconds of stunned silence.
"No Dora, we have to wait for news," replied Theo.
"Since when are you the responsible brother?"
"I'll make it up to you when this is all over and we're back home, I'll let you use the burning embers."
Dora sighed before giving the new arrivals a nod of her head, "Hey, guys. It's good to have you back on your feet, Tay-Tay."
"Thank you…"
"We owe Dora an apology. Her brother and I have spent all this time discussing theories about inter-dimensional travel," Wednesday said as she offered her hand for another handshake, "And for the sake of convenience, call me Shark. It's the nickname I was assigned when I met their mother and your Wednesdays, my sisters from another reality."
"Hmm... it's funny how all this jumping around has been taking us into the universes of people who have previously met," Taylor commented.
"It's one of the things we've been discussing," said Theo, "I think it's a mere matter of resonance between realities that have had previous contact, but Shark thinks it's a matter of fate or that there's somewhere some deity or primordial force in the multiverse with a twisted sense of humor."
"Sister Needler believed we were a work of fiction written by a madman," Shark said.
"Needler?"
"Another Wednesday I met on that particular adventure," the Addams replied, her smile turning from cordial to predatory, "I'm looking forward to Mother and Grandmama getting those rings of yours fixed, because I'd love to introduce a few sharp objects to that Bright One or whatever their name is."
"On that note I have good news and bad news, my child," a new voice said. They all turned to see Morticia Addams enter the room, a kind expression on her face, though they could sense the seriousness in her gaze.
"Nana Ticia! I mean... Morticia... Mrs. Addams... uh," Dora began, before interrupting herself.
Morticia answered her with a warm smile and a look laden with affection, "You may call me whatever you wish, young Pandora. You may be from another reality, but I have no problem recognizing you as a granddaughter."
"Mother, can we get down to business?" asked Wednesday. Taylor nodded along with her. The sooner she could meet with Pup, the better.
"Well... With or without the rings, we're pretty sure that if necessary we can return you to your respective home universes, so at least you don't have to fear being stuck here," Morticia explained, "But sending you to that other Wednesday's dimension or reactivating the rings' full functionality might be a bit more complicated. Not impossible, but Grandmama thinks it could take days," the Addams matriarch let out a chuckle, "I think she's dying of envy, that a counterpart of hers was able to create something so complex."
"So it's a wait and see," said Theo, "Not the worst case scenario but not ideal either."
"Aaaagh," growled Dora, "We don't know if the others are safe or not, we don't know what's become of Wednesday and Enid, we don't know if that monster or one of its shadow buggers could come after us at any moment... I don't want to be left waiting around like a sitting duck!"
"Well, we don't have to stand around doing nothing," said Saint-Clair, "Surely we can train, or prepare weapons, plan strategies…"
Suddenly there was a crackling in the air and a smell like ozone. In one of the corners of the room, space began to twist and turn in on itself. An interdimensional portal of circular shape and jagged edges emanating a greenish glow began to form out of nowhere and two human silhouettes became visible on the other side, before crossing it.
Morticia merely observed the phenomenon and the newcomers with guarded curiosity. An expression of surprise escaped the lips of the rest of the group.
Except for Shark. Shark began to laugh with demented jubilation.
"HA HA, YES!"
§§§
What had happened to Enid Sinclair?
Well, at that moment Enid Sinclair was waking up.
Although it would be more accurate to say that her senses were awakening. In those moments before her mind could fully reactivate, her wolf instinct was already at work. First was the sense of touch... She noticed that she was lying down, and wrapped in something soft, some kind of cloth or fabric. Her head rested on some sort of soft support, though not a pillow. But she could also notice the leaf litter and grass. She felt the sunlight, warm but dimmed, as if she were under the shade of a tree.
That's when her sense of smell and hearing kicked in. Birches, oaks, pines... grass, bushes, flowers... she could smell them clearly. She also noticed the noise of a couple of squirrels, other small rodents and somewhere nearby there was a rabbit warren.
And also a person sitting a few meters away from her and a metallic, repetitive sound.
Enid opened her eyes, alarmed, now fully conscious and sat up, raising one of her clawed hands and looking around. She was indeed at the foot of a tree, completely naked and still with traces of dried blood and ashes on her skin, but wrapped in what appeared to be a thick cloak of gray cloth, allowing her to maintain her modesty. And about ten feet away from her…
"Ah, good morrow, my lady," said the voice of the individual sitting on a wooden stump, "I'm glad to see you're finally awake. I was worried about having to move you without having a better idea of your condition."
Enid had to blink.
For there sitting in front of her was what seemed to be a medieval knight, sharpening a broadsword almost as long as she was tall. Somewhat distant from the two of them, a horse grazed quietly among the leaf litter on the ground.
The man was... huge. No doubt the armor helped to make him appear more formidable, but this was easily an individual who was easily seven feet tall or more, and extremely bulky. His helmet, unadorned or opulent, concealed his face. Enid was sure this guy could stand up to some werewolves without too much trouble if he put his mind to it.
"Uh...," she muttered.
"I beg your pardon, my lady," the knight said, "I was shortcutting through the woods when I saw a flash of light and found you in the bare on the ground. I covered and wrapped you at once in my cloak. I considered trying to dress you in some of my spare garments," he said, pointing to a pack hanging from the horse's side, "But it seemed to me that I would be risking seeing more than I should and had already seen. I have tried to clean up your face a bit, though. Please excuse the indiscretion."
"Oh... erm... apology accepted my... err... my lord?"
Enid was still nervous. Nervous and worried. She still remembered the fight, she didn't know what had become of the others and she was in an unfamiliar place. But suddenly the knight was more of a cause for reassurance. Her instincts told her that he wasn't lying, that he was being sincere and genuinely concerned that he had committed some possible offense. And there was something increasingly familiar about him, and his scent…
The knight merely nodded softly before tilting his head slightly in curiosity, "Tell me... are you a member of the Synklar clan?"
What, Enid thought.
"Synklar...?" she asked.
"Is just... This is strange, my lady, but except for the different scars you are the spitting image of Eneit Synklar, Princess of the Northern Packs, only several years younger. And if you're some kind of shapeshifter or doppelgänger you're not doing a very good job."
Enid began to shake one of her hands, clutching the cloak wrapped around her chest with the other, "Oh! No, no, no, no! I'm neither of those things. I'm...oof, this may sound weird but…"
"Yes?"
"Well, from what you've said it's obvious you have magic in this universe, so maybe not so much," Enid said, pausing for a breath before speaking again with more clarity and firmness in her voice, "My name is Enid Sinclair, I'm from another universe and I think I may be the counterpart to that Eneit Synklar... maybe?"
The knight looked at her for a few moments, as if trying to discern if she was telling the truth.
Finally the man let out a booming laugh and clapped his gloved hands together loudly, "Astonishing! Oooh, surely I must take you with me my lady. Not only will you be able to freshen up and get proper garments at the castle hospitality, but I wish to see if my brother's face can show any new emotion upon meeting an out-of-universe counterpart of his betrothed."
Whaaaat.
"Wait...brother? Betrothed?"
"Ah, what poor manners on my part. Allow me to introduce myself, my lady Enid Sinclair," the knight said, removing his helmet. The face beneath the metal was younger than Enid had expected given the deepness of his voice. He could barely be in his early twenties, though it was true that the beard and the (absolutely fabulous) moustache seemed to lend more age to his appearance. Despite that, Enid recognized him instantly and suddenly the strange and growing familiarity of his scent made sense.
Despite everything that had happened, her fears and worries and the unrealness of the last few minutes, Enid couldn't help the smile that surfaced on her lips.
"Pugsley??"
"Ha! No one has called me by that nickname since I was a whippersnapper!" the knight laughed, rising to promptly bow deeply before Enid, "Ser Pugslæg of the House of Adamo at your service, my lady."
NOTES
This chapter should have come out yesterday, but I got hooked on a drug called Baldur's Gate 3. My apologies 😅
And lest I forget.... HAPPY NEW YEAR.
So... a slightly different portal than the one that appeared before Woe and Pup just materialized before the rest of our protagonists, again with someone mysterious crossing it. And Shark is very happy about it! Don't worry, all will be revealed in time, but I know you like mysteries, so I expect another good dose of theories about it.
Now we are going to have a few chapters with Enid shenanigans! Let me know what you think of Ser Pugslæg.
Translations:
Γαμώτο (greek): Fuck/Damn.
hermosa monstruosidad (spanish): beautiful monstrosity.
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