Chanur's Arrival
Chapter 10

"You're lying Kahn."

Axelle smiled. "Why would he lie about it? Quite often, the best
technique involves the truth."

***She's right, Chanur.***

What the hell?? Who is that??

***Who do you think?***

Chris? Why??

***Simple. You tried to kill me. That's not the way things work around
here.***

"AAAHHHhhhh!!!...." She ripped out another claw, but my mind was
elsewhere. Incredible how the mind can shut out pain while fighting for
its sanity.

***I will not tolerate your actions. You are my creation. You will
follow me.***

I will not. I'll die first!

***No, you will not. I won't permit it.***

I can't live without control over my own actions!

***You have it.***

You control my every moment!

***Do I?***

You decide what happens! This isn't real!

***What isn't 'real'? Who says you aren't real?***

My grip on consciousness slipped.

***No, we can't have that. You need to experience all of this.***

The pain doubled.

***You will feel the full brunt of this exercise.***

WHY??

***Think of it as a lesson. After this you will never doubt your
reality.***

You manipulate me. This doesn't exist!

***Define existence. Get with the program, Chanur! Did you listen to
anything Peachyra said? You represent the things I wish I could have for
myself. I am human. I will never have your strength, two inch claws, or
the ability to kill with my bare hands. You are real in this universe.
Pyanfar, Hilfy, and your family do exist here. Reality is the art of
perception. Do you feel pain?***

"UGGhhhh......" Another claw! Of course I do!

***Then that pain is real. I made a mistake in creating you. Any other
would have accepted the situation and made the best of it. My mistake
was giving you a glimpse of my world. Tell me, do you fear a declining
stock market and the effect on your 401(K) ?***

What's a 401(K)?

***Exactly. In my world, this is a great fear among the people I live
and work with. Therefor, these events aren't 'real' to you. 'Real' for
you is your commitment to the Berbils, your sense of self-sufficiency,
your drive to keep living.***

You could kill me at any moment!

***I could kill you a thousand times over! You will die MANY times here
at the hands of others here. And I will be here to bring you back. Here,
it's not the destination that matters. The way you get there does. For
God's sake, the others just embalmed RD with chocolate cake. He's back,
no worse off then before.***

Another claw was ripped out. Didn't hurt as much. "No...no... Kahn. Like
THIS!"

AAHHHHHhhhhhhhhh........

***You will survive this, Chanur. The last few weeks were to integrate
you to this group. You will gain more memories, more time, and you will
experience both pain and pleasure at the hands of the others here. You
and I are one in the same. :::sigh::: Who's to say I'm real, anyway? As
far as I know, there may be someone controlling me. Goodbye, Chanur.
We'll talk later. Oh, and by the way, Kahn's gonna shred your ears.***

3(?) days later...

I have no idea how long it's been. I crawled back under the rough
lean-to after they'd dropped me here. Haven't moved in two days. After I
didn't show up, Robear-Bert showed up to check. One look at me and he
sent for Pumyra. When she arrived, an involuntary gasp escaped her
thought. This from a woman who'd patched up Tygra so many times I'd lost
count. The bones in the left side of my face felt like a jigsaw puzzle.
I'd been de=clawed with the tips burned away. My ears were shredded. I
had a deep knife cut running from my right ear to the jaw line. The
large toe on my left foot was gone, the leg broken in four places. The
worst humiliation, I'd been branded with a simbol on my left shoulder
blade: Two crossed throwing knives.

Pumyra patched me up the best she could. "That's everything I can do,"
She said. "You'll have to wait for your author. What did you do?"

I told her.

"You got away lightly then. I remember when I pissed off Ted Wolf. He
wrote me off a season for it." She sighed. "You're still here, that's a
good sign. Take some advice from someone who's been there, kid. Patch it
up with your author. It's the best thing you can do."

(Later)

Pumyra is right. I need to get on with it.
Chris?

***I'm here, Chanur.***

I think I have a better understanding of what I am now. You said my
family's real?

***Of course.***

Can I see them?

***That I can't do right now. There are rules I have to follow too. I
have to make it somewhat plausable. At this moment, it's not
possable.***

I see. Why was all of this nessesary?

***You set a dangerous chain of events into moation. You planted the
idea that the authors were vulnerable. Not their characters, but the
authors in the 'real' world. I can defend myself from your attacks
fairly easily. But if some of the others come after us it could be big
trouble. Could Thundaria Tiger's author defend herself against Axelle?
Could I?
You were made an example of, so no one else tries.***

Alright. I shrugged what was left of my shoulders. Pumyra said you could
take care of this?

***Of course***

I felt the itching of healing bones almost imediatly. I got up and
peered at my reflection in the spring. The ears were already healing.

Wait. Chris?

***Yes?***

Leave the facial scar.

***You sure?***

Everytime I see my reflection I want to be reminded of what that bitch
did to me. I want revenge.

***You want Axelle as your enemy? Alright then.***

I felt the right side of my face tighten as the scar tissue returned.

***Good luck, Chanur.***

Never again. Axelle.

************

(Next day)

Sucsessfull hunt. Will start planning revenge tomarrow.


END