“Possessions” by Klimas

This is what hell must feel like. Stranded in a desert under a hazy midday sun–so hazy that the sun has been bleached white by its own self–wearing half of my worldly possessions–the clothes on my back–and lugging the other half of my worldly possessions–a hippopatomus astride a wagon–up along slippery sand dunes.

Long story about that hippopatomus.

Thing is, this isn’t really hell, and I couldn’t mistake it for a one even if I wanted to. Because the truth is that this ordeal is exactly what I deserve (which sounds like something that happens in hell, doesn’t it?), but not only that–it is also what I desire. It is what I desire because I do not care for the alternative. The alternative is to leave this hippo to rot at the bottom of a desert sandpit somewhere (it’d have to be a massive sandpit, because we’re dealing with a massive creature here) and to continue alone. And I can’t do that, see, because this hippo happens to be my brother.

Long story, like I said. There are wizards in this story, there are magic toads, there are old Russian witches, and there are handsome Moroccan alchemists. All you need to know for now, however, is that I am a creature of supernatural strength, disguised as an old woman (you do learn a few tricks from witches, not all of them bad, see), and I lug behind me the metamorphasis of my brother (who has lost two legs and cannot walk–that’s from a subplot with a wizard ambush) to find the last remaining Moroccan alchemist who will hopefully know how to transform him back into a human and also transport us safely back to St. Petersburg.

I hope we have a happy ending.

“Angreek87″