Gary Saves The Multiverse: Episode 1

by C. F. Cooper

  Both badgers burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Mrs Smallgrass? There is no Mrs Smallgrass. Which one of us did you think was Mrs Smallgrass?"

  "But...oh I see. A spot of that broth for breakfast will do me fine," he said, blushing as he changed the subject, and mentally renaming them Smallgrass One and Smallgrass Two.

  "An army doesn't march on a full stomach you know."

  "Really, I'm fine."

  "Okay, so be it. You will need some warmer clothes though," said Smallgrass One, opening a drawer next to the bed and pulled out a long coat.

  "Put this on. It should fit you. I made it for a rabbit man. He was about the same size as you."

  Gary stared at the coat in the outstretched hand. It was... it couldn't be, it looked like... "Is that..."

  "Badger fur. It will keep you warm."

  "Was it an enemy?"

  Smallgrass One shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. It's made from my parent's skin."

  "What?"

  "I think he's shocked," said Smallgrass Two.

  "I've told you before Gary, we are practical creatures. Once they died they had no use for their coats. Why let them rot in the ground?"

  Gary shook his head. "But your mother and father?"

  "They suggested it. Thought it would be nice if I made something with both of them. Try it." He pushed the coat into Gary's hands.

  Gary took the coat and put it on. It fitted him perfectly and it was extremely warm. "Wait a minute, what kind of rabbit is this size?" he said. His brain was still catching up with the conversation.

  "A rabbit man. We didn't get through the whole story last night. I think perhaps we overdid the dreamsmoke. A small number of humans did come through to Cockaigne, as the garden became known. There were only a few of them though, and they didn't have enough partners, so they mated with other creatures. We are badgers, there are rabbits and many other creatures, but there are also many Lycanthropes, mostly human but not completely."

  "And do they skin their parents for clothes when they die?"

  "Not everyone is as practical as a badger," said Smallgrass One.

  "Or as fearless," said Smallgrass Two. "Many Lycanthropes fear death. I think that comes from the human side of them."

  "You are not afraid of death?"

  "I'd rather be alive, but why worry about it." Smallgrass One shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get going or we will miss the battle."

  The two badgers hurried out of the sett and down the tunnel leading to the surface.

  "Wait," shouted Gary. "What battle? I thought we were going to the Crystal City?"

  "Yeah, we will if we survive the battle. Hurry up. Can't be late."

  Chapter 3

  Smallgrass One stopped near the entrance to the tunnel system and bent down, rummaging in the dark. "We will need these weapons for the battle ahead." He picked up sword and a knife and passed them to Gary, complete with a belt and sheaths to carry them in.

  "What battle?"

  "The battle for Summervale of course. We must repel the doomwalkers." He picked up a couple of pikes and knifes and passed one of each to Smallgrass Two.

  "I've never used a sword before," said Gary.

  "It's pretty straightforward, you stick it into the doomwalker before he rips you to death with his claws."

  "I don't know if I'm going to be any use at this."

  Smallgrass One pushed the bush to one side and the badgers walked out into the snow. Gary followed behind him.

  "I guess we're about to find out," said Smallgrass Two.

  "Oh shit," said Gary as he stared at the two hideous creatures facing them.

  They were about two feet taller than Gary and appeared humanoid in shape, but that was the only resemblance to humans. They were lizard people, had huge oversized heads and black scales that looked like thick armour. Their eyes were blood red with large dark pupils. Their hands had four large knife-like claws.

  "Minions of Summervale," one of them boomed. "Surrender now or face death by order of the Ice King."

  Gary felt his legs go weak. He looks at the badgers. They showed no such fear. They pointed their pikes forwards and anchored them into the ground.

  "Yeah," said Smallgrass One without a hint of terror in his voice. "Isn't going to happen. We are going to melt the unwelcome snow of the Ice King with the heat of your blood. How about that?"

  The doomwalkers gave out a high-pitched shriek that sounded like an electrical cable sparking and crackling.

  "Laugh all you like," said Smallgrass Two. "It's good to go to your death happy."

  "That was them laughing?" said Gary, looking down at the badgers who were no more than a quarter of the size of the doomwalkers.

  "We'll take the one on the right. You get the one on the left Gary."

  "What?"

  Before Gary could react the doomwalkers lunged towards them. He ran backwards away from the advancing creatures.

  One of the badgers stabbed at a doomwalker with the pike. Despite its sharp end, the weapon did not pierce the skin, but merely kept the lizard at bay. The other badger ran forward, dropping his pike and raising his knife in anger. The doomwalker lashed out with his blade-like claws. The badger fell to the ground and slide towards the lizard. Once he was directly under the creature, he stood thrusting his knife upwards between the doomwalkers legs. Gary thought his eardrums were about to burst, such was the volume and pitch of the scream that came from the creature. The doomwalker fell backwards clutching his crotch. The other badger dropped his pike and leapt onto the lizard, stabbing at his eyes.

  Gary still running backwards in retreat from the other creature stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground. The creature stood over him and raise one claw. Gary winced as he saw the claw stabbing downwards towards him.

  "No," shouted one of the badgers, as he saw the attack on Gary.

  The claw hit Gary in the chest and winded him but did not penetrate his skin. The creature yelled in anger and pain as his claws ripped from his hand and blood gushed from the open wound. He raised his other claw and brought it down with all his might on Gary's neck. Again, Gary felt the pain of impact but no penetration. Again, the blades broke from the doomwalker’s claws and gushed blood.

  "A virgin," cried the creature as it staggered back and fell into a sitting position with a puzzled look on his face. "You are a virgin."

  Smallgrass One ran over to the injured creature and stabbed furiously at an exposed section of its neck, one of the few parts of the doomwalker's body without protective scales. The creature fell back and writhed on the ground crying as it convulsed. Then finally it lay still, surrounded by a pool of blood that did indeed melt the snow around it.

  "What happened?" said Gary.

  "We found out you are a virgin is what happened," said the badger.

  "I... I’m not."

  "Gary, virgins cannot die at the hand of another creature here in Summervale."

  "But I..."

  "Embrace your superpower Gary. You have been sent to save us. Sent to save Summervale from the doomwalkers."

  Smallgrass Two clenched his fist, thumped it on his chest and declared, "Hail the saviour of Summervale, hail Gary the virgin."

  ***

  The three figures pushed on through the snow-covered forest in the direction of the Sun. Gary in the middle with the two badgers on either side acting as if they were protecting a great treasure. He felt warm in his badger skin overcoat despite his breath turning to fog as it left his mouth.

  "Why did you lie about being a virgin?" asked Smallgrass One.

  "It's not something I'm proud of," said Gary.

  "It's a minor miracle," said Smallgrass Two. "To get to your age and never make love."

  "Ok, don't rub it in."

  "No, seriously it is a miracle. A virgin coming to Summervale on the eve of battle with the doomwalkers."

  "I've never been good at talking to girls. Somehow it just never happened."

  "Everything happens for a rea
son Gary. This is your destiny and it is tied up with the destiny of Summervale."

  "Why are... people like me invincible?"

  "Why does gravity pull things downwards instead of up. It is the way it is. An adult virgin cannot die at the hands of another."

  "And so, why don't you have a warrior class that dedicates their life to protecting the Vale by remaining virgins?"

  Both badgers snorted. "Impossible. How could someone survive without making love?"

  "Preposterous."

  "In my world religious leaders are often celibate." Said Gary.

  "Really?"

  "Well, they're supposed to be."

  "Aha, they are supposed to be, but are they?"

  "Not always," Gary conceded.

  "Quiet now. We are near the edge of the forest," said Smallgrass One, lifting his finger to his mouth.

  They walked slowly, with Smallgrass Two taking the lead. Light shone through the gaps between the trees in the distance. They approached them in silence and before the last rows of trees were reached they fell to the ground and crawled to the forest edge.

  What Gary saw took his breath away. Up until now everything he had seen was forest. Apart from the mountain peaks in the distance it all looked the same. Now he realised the forest he had arrived in when he entered this world was on an elevated plain. They looked down into a valley of rolling fields and lakes. Small clusters of villages dotted the landscape with smoke rising lazily from chimney stacks. What surprised Gary was the colour. The valley was a lush green with trees full of hanging fruits and meadows with flowers of every shade. If he had tried to concoct a scene that was designed to represent peace and contentment, this valley he looked out over could not be improved on.

  "It's beautiful," said Gary.

  "That it is," said both badgers in unison.

  "There's no snow."

  "The Ice King has not conquered the Vale, thank summer. Come, let us continue."

  They stood and began to walk downward through a field of green, punctuated with meadow flowers.

  "Why don't you live there?" asked Gary, pointing to the villages stretching out before them.

  "We are badgers. The villages are lycanthropes. We prefer the forest."

  The badgers picked up the pace and Gary followed on behind them. Soon they reached the edge of the first village. Gary could see figures coming out of the village to greet them.

  "Smallgrass," one of the villagers shouted.

  "He's human," said Gary. "They're all human."

  The villagers approached and greeted the badgers with hugs.

  "Welcome to Warrensgate. We thought you would be goners for sure," said one of the villagers. When we saw the snow cover the forest, we assumed the worst."

  "It takes more than a couple of bloodthirsty doomwalkers to slay a badger."

  "And who is your friend?" a villager asked.

  "You are all humans," Gary said, to no-one in particular.

  The villagers looked puzzled. "What does he mean?"

  "My friends," said Smallgrass One, sweeping his hand round to point at Gary. "This is a humanblood."

  "No?"

  "Pure humanblood."

  The villagers gave a collective gasp. "No, it can't be true."

  "Meet our new friend and saviour. Meet Gary the virgin."

  Gary blushed and looked away when he heard a strange noise. It sounded like the collective stamping of feet or clapping of hands. Gary looked up. Every villager, gasping in surprise at the news of his virginity, had sprouted a small but clearly identifiable pair of rabbit ears on the top of their heads, the sound coming from the simultaneous and sudden movement of their ears standing to attention.

  The badger’s shoulders shook as they suppressed their laughter. One of them said, "I love it when I surprise a crowd of rabbit people."

  Chapter 4

  "And so that is it?" asked Gary.

  They were sitting inside the home of one of the rabbit people, Joe Snowball. The rabbit man nodded his head. "Pretty much, yes."

  "A pair of ears and a tail appears when you are excited or emotional, but other than that you never become fully rabbit?"

  "And our legs bulk out. We become very fast runners. It is a protection for us."

  "Yes," said Smallgrass. "But remember to run to the fighting, not away from it."

  "Smallgrass and Smallgrass doubt our courage," said Joe. "With good reason too. We have survived by running from trouble. However, the doomwalkers are not something you can run from. Only the Vale is left. There is nowhere to run to. We will fight this time Smallgrass."

  "Glad to hear it. Now tell us, where have the doomwalkers camped?"

  They are at the edge of Summervale, just in front of the entrance to Season Pass. They are making sure that their advance scouts can enter the Vale at will and also making sure no-one can leave the Vale. Although why anyone would want to travel to Springrise while it is under the yoke of the doomwalkers I don't know."

  "Right," said Smallgrass. "We must attack at dusk. Pass the word that we meet at the edge of Forest Lake. And make sure everyone knows that Gary the virgin marches with us. It will give a boost to those that need it."

  "Could we maybe not refer to me as Gary the virgin?"

  "After the battle perhaps, but right now our side need all the encouragement they can get."

  "It does help," said Joe. "There were some that were ready to surrender. Even the news of Daisy's capture did not put fire in their bellies."

  "Daisy has been captured?" said Smallgrass. "Damn, I wondered why she wasn't here. I thought she was spying on the enemy positions."

  "She was. Then she was captured. She is a living shield at the entrance to the pass. Daisy will be the first to perish when battle commences," said Joe.

  "Who is Daisy?" asked Gary.

  Joe’s forehead creased and he and nodded towards a painting above the mantlepiece. "My sister and the most courageous of all the rabbit people."

  Gary looked at the painting and fell immediately in love or lust or something. It felt good whatever it was. He was staring at a picture of woman sitting on a fallen tree trunk. She was wearing a deep blue dress with one long supple leg exposed and an ample cleavage on display. Her skin was golden brown, her smile exposing brilliant white teeth and a dimple in her cushion cheeks where the smile ended. Her eyes were deep blue and her hair long, ash blonde and unruly, topped with a small pair of rabbit ears.

  "There must be something we can do to save her," said Gary.

  "Spoken like a true virgin," said Smallgrass.

  ***

  They were met by three deer on the edge of the village. "We came as soon as we heard about Daisy," said one of them. He was huge and had the largest antlers Gary had ever seen. They were a formidable weapon. He wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of them.

  "Joe, you must stay with Smallgrass and help him organise the troops as they arrive. We need them to be sectioned into attack waves for the battle," said Smallgrass. Gary realised that he no longer thought of them as One and Two, they were now just Smallgrass and Smallgrass, and despite their size they were the fiercest and bravest of creatures.

  "But she is my sister," Joe protested.

  "This is a raiding party. We must be small in number and fast."

  "Smallgrass is right," said Gary. "Besides, we need all the people we can for the battle ahead."

  Joe grabbed Gary by the arms and hugged him. "Gary the virgin, you are a good man. Thank you."

  "Don't thank us yet," Gary said. "We will try but I can't promise anything."

  "You are trying Gary, that is all that matters. Daisy will survive or die with dignity."

  Gary lifted Smallgrass up and placed him on one of the deer. He then mounted another deer.

  "Onwards," cried the deer and they galloped away from the village.

  Gary soaked in the scenery as they flew through the countryside. Summervale was a land of rolling hills and streams and lakes. It was beautiful. On the ho
rizon in every direction were large mountainous peaks capped with snow. He could pick out where he had first arrived. To the west there was one peak that did not rise as sharply as the rest. There was gradual incline of alpine meadows leading to a forest covered plateau. Beyond the forest was another set of rising meadows, this time steeper and they faded out to make way for rock and scree that led up the mountain. Streams of water cascaded down from the mountain tops in various places, more like a series of waterfalls than a river. It was a spectacular sight.

  Gary thought about his willingness to be part of the raid. He was actually the one who suggested it. This wasn't the Gary he knew. Was this place having an effect on him or was it false courage knowing that he was immortal in this land? The attack of the doomwalkers had proved that to him. The creatures here seemed to think it was because he was a virgin, but that was ridiculous. Okay, he was a virgin, but maybe that was irrelevant. Gary was invincible in the world of... what had the villagers called it... yes, that was it, Cockaigne. He was like Superman coming to Earth. He was built different and therefore invincible. He wasn't Gary the virgin, he was Gary the superhero. He felt charged up and ready for action.

  "What approach should we take Raleigh?" shouted Smallgrass to the deer that was carrying him.

  "We will approach Meadowrise and follow that round to Season Pass. That will give them the least visibility of our approach."

  "Good thinking."

  Gary looked in the direction of travel. He understood what Raleigh meant. The alpine meadows that had brought them to the village of Warrensgate stretched across the horizon but was interrupted by a narrow fissure. That was presumably Season Pass, a narrow break that led through to the next of the four lands, Springrise. By traveling along the edge what Raleigh had called Meadowrise, they would not be visible from the entrance to the ravine.

  Just in front of Season Pass Gary could make out a solitary figure tied to a stake. It had to be Daisy.

  They galloped on at a furious pace, travelling along the edge of the hill. As they got closer Gary could see what looked, at first glance, like a black cloud in the entrance to the ravine. It was a swarm of doomwalkers. The ones that Gary had encountered so far were obviously advance scouts. After riding for an hour, they were within striking distance. Smallgrass raised his hand and they came to a stop. They circled close to each other and spoke quietly.