FUNCTION DISORDER :: VOLUME ONE

27

Vex stepped solemnly through the entrance – a shining metal archway enshrouding a gap between numerous gnarled eucalyptus trees, all grown together, fused into each other, branches overlapping and weaving together into a mighty wall. On either side of the entryway, two shoulder-height pillars made of still-living wood stood proudly, each bearing matching white marble statues of echidnas atop, firmly embedded into the old bark so they could not fall. His front right paw was wrapped around a shining new rainbow leash that was happily clipped onto his pet's cute collar.

The statues' cold stone eyes silently judged Kota as he passed the threshold, green paper lamps containing strange magic lighting up his lovely cyan fur into sharp contrast. They cast long shadows onto the path made of twisty old roots that felt comfy and inviting under Kota's bare paws. He pulled the hood of his jumper over his head. His delicate pointy cat ears poked through the holes in the top of the hoodie. Vex dragged him onwards, the pull on his leash hastening his walk. His collar's shiny tag was clearly visible, softly jangling beneath his chin, making sure everybody immediately knew who he belonged to.

Within, guards stood near to the front – solemn human men guarding whatever this place was, wearing woolly robes decorated with traditional frog head symbols, yet decked out in numerous modern mage foci.

Vex was silent, mouth firmly shut as he strode forward, focus fixed to the path ahead.

Kota peered off to a garden bed to the left, where, in addition to regular plants, numerous human arms grew out of the dark soil, some damaged with missing fingers, some bent distressingly or growing to a bizarrely vast length. Some still-living fingers wiggled constantly. Others reached towards Kota as he walked past and tried to grasp his long delicate feline tail. He scampered forward and put up a fierce smile, following close behind his owner. Other paths off to the sides led into other gardens, which Kota wasn't sure he wanted to see. Tree branches folded into a smooth, continuous roof overhead.

"My pet requires Iwata's services.", Vextari stated to another pair of human guards blocking the path to another, darker "room" where the branches above interweaved ever tighter, blocking nearly all the natural light.

The two humans scrutinised Kota. Noting that the soft cat Beastkind stood up proudly and followed obediently behind Vex, they nodded and stood aside, nodding in acknowledgement to the big fierce foxboy.

Past this second gate, further entryways appeared on either side of him to large, comfortable chambers formed of plant matter beyond. Roughly a dozen people with distended frog heads – some with deathly zombie-white slimy skin and others in varying shades of green – babbled in a bizarre language, far more complex than any invented by humans, that Kota's new, still-clumsy cat tongue couldn't hope to even pronounce. To understand such speech was entirely futile.

He had seen photos and diagrams of these things at least fifty times but he never imagined he'd ever see one in person.

To Kota's right, two chairs sat at a simple coffee table, unoccupied. All three possessed mouths that softly gibbered constantly in torment. They were covered in real skin, stained green from use, their legs made of bleak, beaten bone.

"What the fuck..?~", Kota whispered to Vex.

"That's what they do to their enemies.", Vex responded. "Follow me. Don't talk to them unless you need to. Their customs don't make sense to me."

They came up to a narrow, gently glowing creek that made a pleasant noise as it flowed, alive with numerous healthy lifeforms. Some looked entirely normal – tadpoles, water weeds – but others were unfamiliar, such as pink, eyeless critters with many long, spiky appendages that wafted along slowly in peace.