When Moedos opened his eyes for the first time, he was fully formed. He was not a child, newly coming into the world, but before the moment of opening his eyes he had not been. He knew what he was; he was Moedos. There was no name for his kind other than his own name because he knew, though he didn’t know how he knew that he was the only one of his kind, thus far.

 

As for what his kind was? Well Moedos was an interesting creature, though quite mundane by the standards of many worlds. A pair of very large hands acting as feet, with thick sausage like fingers. These connecting to a tube-like body that split off into two snaky arms, almost boneless seeming. Naturally these arms had at their ends a pair of beak-like mouths. Set within his torso, was a single rather handsome green eye. Moedos’ whole body was covered in orange scales.

 

“Mouths for hands eh bub?” Moedos heard a gruff dusty voice say.

 

Looking across the small room with a window that there seemed to only to be black void beyond, Moedos saw the speaker sitting on a comfy seat, just as he himself was. The speaker appeared to be a cracked old leather coat with many pockets being worn by a pile of dust or fur which was wearing a black and white chequered top hat.

 

The dusty coat hat being coughed violently, dust rising off itself.

 

“Hope you like tasting everything you handle, well I guess you’ll be wanting to never shake hands too.” It gave another rattling cough, and for a moment, Moedos thought the being would fall apart or die.

 

“Still, think you’ve done better than most, ah, my apologies, the name is Mr. Grunklestins, but you can call me Grunklestins, so what is your name, new kid?”

 

“uh… Moedos”

“uh… Moedos”

Moedos replied with both his mouths, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

 

Grunklestins gave a coughing chuckle.

“All a bit much eh? Just suddenly existing, the only one of your kind, don’t worry bub, there might be more of you, though there is benefits to being one of a kind”

 

“Y-you too?” “Y-you too?” Moedos asked, he hadn’t gotten the hang of talking yet.

 

Grunklestins adjusted his top hat, sending little clouds of dust floating away.

“Nah, I’ve been around a long while, and there is plenty of my sort, anyway I’m just on this train on business. Not a new existence like yourself at all”

 

Moedos knew that he was on a train, a magic inter-dimensional train. There was a lot he just kind of knew, sympathetic magic likely at work. He knew what that meant too, though the idea confused him a bit.

 

As he was about to ask something, the universe conspired against him and the train lurched.

 

“OW” “OW”

Moedos exclaimed as a small wooden suitcase crashed onto his head and then nosily on the floor.

The Lid popped open, and a cat with a tail that was split in two looked about blearily.

 

This cat was red and white, wearing a silver sequinned robe and a floppy witch’s hat that flickered, from which curly red hair poked. The suitcase could not have possibly fit the cat inside, magic was clearly at work. The cat spotted Grunklestins.

“Hey, Grunky, are we there yet?” She said, rubbing her eyes.

“No, I’m afraid not Lady Ira, I seem to have not secured your case properly” Grunky coughed.

“Ugh, I’m half thinking of just going home, well whatever, wake me when we actually are in Elcon”

 

That said, she vanished into the case and the lid closed itself with a snap and a click. That little exchange had just given Moedos a few more questions. However as Grunklestins was picking up the wooden case, and Moedos was going to say something, there was a knock on the compartment door.

 

“Ready your Tickets please!” a woman’s voice called out.

 

“Tickets?” “Tickets?” Moedos questioned, he knew what tickets were, but as he had just come into being he thought he was possessionless.

 

Grunklestins pointed at the seat beside Moedos, as he took two tickets from his coat. Looking where the good dust-fiend had pointed, Moedos spotted a shining golden ticket. He grabbed it with one of his mouths and brought it before his eye.

 

Some of the gold shimmered away, and Moedos found himself looking at a still picture of himself.

 

There was a woosh, and the compartment door opened. Moedos didn’t see anyone, then he looked down.

 

There was a pure white rabbit with pink eyes, wearing a deep crimson suit jacket and skirt. On her head between her ears was round little crimson hat with a black visor. She held in paw a rather ominous looking ticket puncher that menaced with strange protrusions.

 

“Your ticket please” She said brightly.

Moedos held out his ticket, she took it, then frowned, then smiled. She punched it with her puncher, and Moedos felt something shift inside himself.

“Ah, I hope you have a nice life sir”

She handed it back to Moedos, and it blew away into glittering motes in his mouth-hand.

 

“Y-you t-too” “Y-you t-too”

Moedos responded.

 

“Hello again Ban Briar” Grunklestins said, greeting the white rabbit.

“Hi Grunky, business again?” Ban asked, taking the two tickets.

“Yes, old friend asking for a bit of help with a hot problem”

“Mmh” Ban replied, looking at the tickets. “Oh, Ira is with you? How odd, she doesn’t like the train, doesn’t usually need it”

“Well, considering where we are headed she hadn’t much choice”

 

“Oh well then, enjoy your stay” Ban punched the tickets. A faint yowling came from the wooden case.

“We should be arriving soon”

 

Ban proceeded to hop away.

 

“Enjoy your stay she says. Ha” Grunklestins’ laugh slipped into a coughing fit.

 

It wasn’t terribly long before the train stopped. The time passed quickly and in silence, for Moedos was not sure what to talk about and he thought that Grunklestins was in a sour mood. In short order, Moedos and Grunklestins were off the train amid a small crowd of creatures of various form.

 

The train quickly moved off before Moedos could get a good look at it.

 

They were in a cavern, in the cavern was a sign post with four signs on it, the signs were not written in language, but understanding. One pointing to the north had on it “Elcon”, One pointing to the west had on it “Korund”, another pointing to the south hand on it “Faror” and finally to the east was “Bluville”

 

The crowd quickly dispersed in various directions. There was many other tunnels than the ones that the four signs pointed to, but unlike the other tunnels, these for had no train tracks on them.

 

It was quite a difference.

 

“Hey, get a move on bub before the big mouths come and gobble you up”

 

“big mouths?” “big mouths?”

 

“Big mouths” Grunklestins said sagely. “All mouth and hunger, no morality or mercy”

 

Moedos didn’t like the idea of being eaten.

“W-where to?” “W-where to?”

Grunklestins hummed and hawed and coughed.

“Well, you’ll be safe enough if you go anywhere other than Elcon, you’d fit right into Korund in particular.”

Grunklestins looked at Moedos askance.

“Then again bub, you look a strong sort, want to come along with me on my business? I could use a bit of brawn, you brave enough newling?”

 

Moedos looked at all the other tunnels. Then at Grunklestins and the wooden case he carried. He had to admit he was curious as to what Grunklestins’ business was.

 

So, he followed Grunklestins into Elcon.

 

All in all, there was about five new beings that stepped off the train. Moedos was the only one that went to Elcon.

 

What was Grunklestins’ business? Well that’d be a tale for another time.