The Ledger Leech Part II

Both of the smaller tentacles latched onto each of Tomita’s temples, and he instantly let out a shout of pain. It was not as painful as the drought of sorrow. It was different. He could feel his life essence shifting. In the net total of his existence, the balance of lightness and sorrow was being shifted. Despair, hardship, rejection, failure, disappointment, loss. Those were becoming larger proportions of the ledger of his soul as the small fragments of peace, tranquility, relief, safety, reprieve, success, acceptance, and approval were ripped from his mind like poison from a wound.

Tears ran up his face and across his head.

“Tomita! Please! Stop!!” screamed Izhari.

“No! Your happiness is more important to me!” he challenged.

His focus pushed through the pain and he looked down at the beast beneath them. Seeing its disgusting form, he felt nothing but loathing.

“AAAAAARrrrrrrgggghhhhhh. Are you done yet you disgusting sack of meat?!” he screamed.

The tentacles pulsed and paused and soon it was over. The dread tapered away and settled into a heavy somber sensation. Tomita’s spirit felt like he was a sailor looking up for the stars on a lonely night, but he was only greeted by cloudy skies.

The great beast let out a laugh of success and dropped the two of them onto its leathery stomach with a damp slap. Tomita rolled into the water and immediately rushed to grab his master. Izhari stood with her cane and grabbed Tomita’s face.

“No. No you fool. Why would you do that?!” she demanded.

“I am your master and I begged you not to! Your happiness!!” she pleaded.

Tomita’s hand met her paw.

“Izhari, it’s okay. I will make new memories with you. And maybe, I thought, m-m-maye me not being able to remember anything good about my old life might make it easier for me to be here…” Tomita replied as he helped Izhari fully from the water.

Izhari realized he had thought this all through in the blink of an eye and had made what was objectively a logical decision. Beyond that, his statement that her happiness mattered more touched something in her heart that she did not fully comprehend.

Before another word was said, Tomita was rushing to the cart to gather all of their goods, which were now scattered in the thick water.

“Ugh. My organizational system. I’ll have to reorganize everything. Thanks! You gross, used sponge…” Tomita growled as he looked at the beast that was now licking its lips.

“Can you at least help gather our things?!” Tomita demanded.

The beast let out a laugh.

“The hume is quite pushy!” it replied.

“The hume wants to get out of this gross ass pond and continue on our journey! And tell me, where is this crystal sending us, because if I land in another trap, so help me gods, I’m going to burn this entire stupid realm to the ground,” Tomita growled in only half jest.

The beast rolled itself over and lurched towards the two of them. Another tentacle caressed Izhari’s face, causing her to shriek.

“Do you not know? I thought you were going with intention,” the beast asked in honest curiosity.

“No… Where does this take us?” Izhari asked.

“To the Stepps of Caijjun. There, you are met with a forking path. One path leads you to the destroyed realm of Losanne. The other path leads you… to your homeland… Currtasi.”

“Currtasi?” asked Izhari.

“Yes. You are a Currt. One of the ancient noble races. I know your taste. Your people will be on the other side of the Stepps.”

Tomita paused and looked at his manager. The look in her eyes was troubled, and he did not want to stay in this moment or pond any longer.

“Well, we’ll flip a coin and decide which direction to go when we get there. Thanks for the heads up, lippy,” he groaned as he hoisted the remainder of their supplies into the cart and moved to Izhari.

His hand met her paw, and the two of them moved to the crystal. The beast let out a foul belch. The stench coated the air, and Tomita flinched in disgusted rage. Another laugh shook their chests as the beast’s tongue hung to the side. The small, snakelike tentacles bobbed in the water beside them as they moved to the crystal. Then something devious snuck into Tomita’s mind.

“Izhari, I’m going to get you very close to the crystal. Hold out your left paw, and I’ll stop you when you’re right beside the crystal. Then hold out your right paw so that I can grab it,” Tomita whispered.

Beside them, the beast was too distracted by its delicious meal to notice their scheming.

“What?” Izhari whispered back.

“Trust me. I’m sabotaging this wretch,” replied Tomita.

Izhari smiled a dangerous smile.

“Please do,” was all she replied.

Tomita led her to the crystal and stopped her when her hand was only inches away. He positioned the cart beside her and then squeezed her hand. The small tentacles were still very close by. His breath was nervous but his mind was ready.

“Take this, you son of a bitch,” Tomita whispered.

Tomita leapt forward and grabbed both tentacles in one hand and yanked with all of his might. The beast let out a roar but Tomita was already back to Izhari. His free hand met her paw and his foot pushed onto the cart.

“Now!” he shouted, just as the beast let out a terrified roar.

Izhari’s paw touched the crystal.

“To the Stepps!” she screamed.

“No!!!!” screamed the beast.

There was a thundering boom, and the two of them vanished. In a millisecond, they reappeared on a jagged cliffside as the echoes of a monstrous scream danced on the wind. Tomita looked down at his hand, and the severed, bloody masses of the two snakelike tentacles were hanging limp in his hand.

"One with the pond indeed..." Tomita spat as he threw the pulp onto the rock.