Rising Shards

While the other students in her class or grade or whatever (Chumbler didn’t pay much attention to the intricacies of whether her whole class or her whole grade went to the same void node) all waited around anxiously and stupidly for their dumb class trip, Chumbler tasted the earth.

“Checking to see if we’re really in the void?” Z.O.K. asked. “Because it’s kind of obvious we are.”

“Yep,” Chumbler said, not listening to her companion at all as she chomped and swallowed the clump she’d picked up. “This is definitely dirt.”

“Oh,” Z.O.K. said. “You just actually…ate…”

Chumbler rose to her feet, reaching about waist height of her Kanibari companion, Z.O.K..

“You know what we’re really here for,” Chumbler said.

“To finish this trip so we don’t get expelled?” Z.O.K. asked.

“No,” Chumbler said. “Well, kinda, that is a gamble of sorts and as you know I am about the gamble.”

“You don’t say? I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned it before.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.” Chumbler said. “Anyways, what we’re really here for is…” Chumbler got out her backpack and started sifting through it. “Hold on…” She pulled out a bag of tokens, then a pile of poker chips. “Not these. One sec.” She got out her recent issues of Casino Monthly, Slot Machine Mechanics, Cowboy Romances Biweekly, and a few others. “Wait, it’s in one of these…” Chumbler flipped through the magazines. “HERE!”

Chumbler held up a two-page article spread up to Z.O.K.’s face. Then pressed it closer to her face when she didn’t have an excited enough reaction.

“THIS!” Chumbler said.

“A…..toy capsule machine?” Z.O.K. said, gently pushing Chumbler's hands away from her face. “An article about a toy capsule machine?”

“My exclusive sources say there’s one in this very void node.” Chumbler said.

“Who are your exclusive sources?” Z.O.K. asked.

“Shut up.” Chumbler said. “There’s one of the finest capsule machines in all dimensions that changes place every month. And this month it’s going to be in walkable vicinity to our void node probably. Maybe.”

“I feel so confident in this plan.” Z.O.K. said.

“I’ve been tracking it on that website where you can track something in the void that moves throughout them,” Chumbler said. “If my gambling math is correct, it'll be somewhere past this field of flowers within the next few hours."

“There’s a website where you can do that?”

“AND! There’s a one in a million shot of getting a platinum Radiant Dust X figure.” Chumbler said.

“Wow.” Z.O.K. said.

“Yep,” Chumbler said. “Legend says, or the article says I guess, that the last person who found this spent a full week trying to get the platinum Radiant Dust X figure. And they couldn’t. But we’re going to.”

“So how do we even get to this?” Z.O.K. said. “Are we just going to sneak away from our advisor and group? Aren't we going to get in trouble for not going to the new place?”

“Our advisor doesn’t give a whole dang about us, we can do whatever we want.” Chumbler said. “And who even is our group? Do you even know?”

Z.O.K. thought about it for a moment. “So we’re really doing this, huh?”

“Yes! Chumbler’s big adventure!” Chumbler said. “Fame, riches, a platinum Radiant Dust X figure! All of it, just a potentially walkable distance away!”

Z.O.K. sighed. “Lead the way, I guess.”

“I shall, my dutiful companion,” Chumbler said, salivating at the potential once in a lifetime gambling opportunity in front of her. “I shall…”