My Strange Helmet

“All the townspeople cowered in fear the entire time. They took cover in their homes or businesses. They came out of hiding after the bastion became quiet. I heard some of them cheering for saving the town. None of them had any idea that in reality, their dilemma was a coordinated attack against me.”

The cozy wooden inn was decorated yellow all over from the scattered hay, the candle light, and the wooden walls that happened to be bright yellow. Don’t these people know how to paint?

“OW! THAT STINGS YOU KNOW!”

Kitezh was back to her crabby self. She lay on the bedding that was decently comfortable for her.

“Sorry, Kitezh! We need to stitch up that wound first!” said the caretaker. 

The caretaker was wearing a white apron over a poofy dress. She had a soft look on her face. She was being careful with using a thread on Kitezh’s leg.

“What happened to your healing stuff anyway?” rudely asked Kitezh?

The caretaker sighed.

“We actually don’t have many healing supplies here. Someone is fetching for some right now,” she said

Kitezh thought back on Lev’s healing vials. “Don’t you guys have something like… uh…”

Kitezh looked down at the dark green gown she was wearing. She patted herself down.

“There was this small healing vial thing, and that lion guy took it out of his pants, and it completely healed me. How did these demon lord agents, or whoever they are, get these medicines that you guys can’t get?!”

The caretaker stared at Kitezh with a blank face.

“Ma’am, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was just ordered to take care of you.”

“Wait, so someone could’ve chosen to NOT help me?”

“Ugh!” the caretaker groaned.

The soft face she had suddenly wrinkled like she had eaten a lemon.

“Sorry, I’m just tired. I literally almost died like, maybe five times.”

Kitezh wasn’t telling the truth. She said that just so she doesn't make a new enemy. Kitezh really just thought about the healing vials that instantly revitalized her when she was on the verge of death.

“I’ll be right back,” said the caretaker, and left the room.

“Hey, is Kitezh in there?!” yelled an annoying voice from outside.

“No, don’t let him in.” said Kitezh.

“Sorry, you can’t co- OOF!“ said the caretaker as she was pushed to the side.

Frigyes rushed in, in some cheap tan pants and a tattered shirt. He had his face up against Kitezh.

“Look at what I got!” said Frigyes, as he waved a metal object covered in blood in Kitezh’s face.

“Ew, get that away from me!”

WACK!

Frigyes frantically picked up the object again. It was the Lev’s brass knuckles.

“This is so cool. It’s the thing that shattered my entire skull! Oh, and in case you were curious, yes, the pain was excruciating, but luckily that lasted like three seconds before I passed out.”

Frigyes put one of the brass knuckles on his own hand, but his fingers looked spaced out.

“It is quite big. This was from Lev after all. It’s hard to get a proper grip. I thought these would be more magical, like a magic reshaping brass knuckle thing.”

BAM!

Frigyes punched the wall behind Kitezh.

“Hey, warn me next time, idiot!” yelled Kitezh.

Kitezh looked behind her.

“Wait a minute, were you trying to shatter the wall behind me?”

“Calm down, I was only teasing. This thing ran out of magic or something. It’s a piece of crap now.”

“Really? Huh… Can I try it?” asked Kitezh, in a curious tone.

“Like a child seeing their older sibling playing with the cool toy,” mocked Frigyes.

Kitezh swiped the brass knuckles off of Frigyes. Kitezh put her small fingers in the holes like a bowling ball. Though she had to put two fingers into one hole to get a better grip.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Kitezh tapped the wood. She concentrated and punched the bed frame hard.

BAM!

The bed stood firmly still.

“Nothing. I had a feeling I could’ve shattered something.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re just a wimp.”

“And that makes you one too!”

“Who's a wimp? Remember that it was I who saved you. In fact, I should receive a kiss like the hero I am from the-“

BAM!

“OW!”

“You’re lucky these brass knuckles are useless,” said Kitezh as she pulled them off.

“I was thinking, though. What if these brass knuckles have power, but only Lev could utilize them?” continued Kitezh.

“Clearly Lev had that, uh, punchy power,” replied Frigyes.

“He specifically told me he was the Shatter Phenomenon. You must have been out cold when he introduced that to me.”

“He’s a phenomenon? I thought you were the only phenomenon.”

“Me too. But… It’s weird. When I first came to this world, it was like I already knew I was called the Invisible Phenomenon.”

“Oh, so it wasn’t some stupid name you came up with.”

Kitezh made a grimacing face.

“Moving along, if he called himself the shatter phenomenon, it is likely he had that memory in his head just like me. In other words, maybe he came from my original world!” Kitezh concluded.

“Hold up, other world? I thought you were just some random legendary hero that had suddenly come here. Maybe the story got lost in translation. So you’re from another world? Like, continent, or-“

“I don’t know. I just remember I was going through something… very bad… and then I suddenly came here.”

Kitezh looked at the brass knuckles again.

“Did Lev experience something like me? Did he also go through something miserable in my original world and magically transported here?”

“Okay, so maybe you phenomena came from this other planet or something. What about the powers? Did you always have invisibility powers?”

“No, I never had the power before. It would’ve been awesome to have them back in my original world, though.”

Kitezh started rubbing her helmet.

“My invisibility powers. When I first came to this world, I had this helmet on me. Based on how I think the brass knuckles work, I think this helmet gives invisibility powers only to me.”

“I thought you just wear that to look cute.”

“And I don’t care about one’s opinions of how it makes me look” said Kitezh, as she turned her head and blushed.

Suddenly, Kitezh’s head rattled.

“Wh-wh-whoa!”

“Let me try it then!” excitedly yelled Frigyes.

He shunted the helmet on top of his head. He put his arms outward. Nothing was happening.

Frigyes started pressing his hands together. Then he bent over and pressed his knees.

“Damn it, how do you get this thing to work!?” yelled Frigyes, and he started rubbing the helmet on his head.

“I’m not going to teach you, whether it works or not. I already know what kind of perverted things you have planned!” Kitezh replied harshly.

“I’m jealous that you don’t abuse your powers for that, Ms. Goody Two Shoes!” said Frigyes.

Kitezh started squeezing parts of her body.

“Obviously you can’t tell, but I'm trying to turn myself invisible. But, it doesn't work.”

She gripped the blanket, and still nothing.

“Well, I can’t turn anything invisible either. I guess this thing only works for you. Or more like, you can’t work without this thing. Like a married couple of a sexy woman with some bum.”

Frigyes placed the helmet back on Kitezh’s head. She grabbed and pushed it down to secure it properly.

Kitezh was able to turn invisible immediately and reverted to normal for demonstration.

“In that case, the brass knuckles. They belonged to the Shatter Phenomenon. We couldn’t shatter anything when we tried them. So, it’s very likely Lev wouldn’t be able to shatter anything unless he was wearing them.”

“Interesting. So, we really don’t have to worry about that threat anymore. Though I was hoping I got to use them.”

“Your diverse yet mediocre skillset just isn’t enough for you,” joked Kitezh.

SLAM!

The wooden door slammed open, and slowly rotated back. There was a bright looking girl wearing a potato sack like outfit.

“KITEEEEZH” squealed the voice.

It was Marigold running and jumping right on top of Kitezh. Right on top of her legs.

“OOOOOOOW!” screamed Kitezh in pain.

“Huh, you’re not healed yet?”

“Yeah, they said they didn’t have enough healing potions or something, and they’re all shit. They have to heal me the long way…. Wait a minute, HOW ARE YOU ALREADY HEALED?!”

Kitezh turned to Frigyes.

“Actually, why are you also so energetic, Frigyes? Why are both of you able-bodied except me?!”

“The caretaker just gave me a bunch of healing flasks, and my tummy got all better. I was scared I’d have ugly scars from the splintered rocks,” said Marigold, as she lifted up her potato sack dress, followed by Kitezh pulling it right back down.

“Oh, so that’s what they were. I just saw a cart of them, and I couldn’t help but keep drinking them. They were like extremely good coffee or something!” said Frigyes

Kitezh had flames in her eyes. Not really, but that’s what Frigyes and Marigold could see.

“Oh, Kitezh, I heard you and Frigyes talking. Were you guys saying something important?” Marigold questioned.

Kitezh corkscrewed her neck to Frigyes.

“Hehehe. Maybe I should’ve waited for Marigold to reconvene with us first. You don’t mind retelling stories, right?”

“YOU MOTHERFU- AAAAH, MY LEG!“ screamed a pissed off Kitezh.

Frigyes and Marigold fled the scene. Marigold eventually got all the details from Kitezh. Let’s just say, it was a long, uncomfortable talk on the train ride back to the city of Kitezh.