Read MA11-12 Myth-ion Improbable Something Myth-Inc for Free Online

us farther and farther away from home?” I didn’t much like the idea of that happening. My job as the Royal Court Magician wasn’t much, but at the moment it was better than this place.
    “So far,” Tananda said. “But this is a treasure map we’re following. It isn’t supposed to be so easy that just anyone could do it.”
    I didn’t like the sound of that, either.
    Aahz pulled off his gloves and took out the map, spreading it on the floor so we could all see it by the light of the fire, as expected, the map had changed again. There were now six lines leading from Vortex #4, all to points that now had names. All six lines headed in the general direction of the point marked as the treasure, but none directly. This map wasn’t making anything easy, that was for sure.
    The names on each dimension this time were stranger than normal. All were combinations of the same five letters. Starting from the left, the names were Et, Cet, Era, Etc, Ete, and Ra.
    “You know any of those dimensions?” Aahz asked.
    “No,” Tananda said. “You?”
    “No,” Aahz said. “There goes another five percent.”
    Tananda shrugged. “Can’t be helped. I suggest we head for the center one.”
    “Etc it is, then,” I said.
    All Aahz did was growl deep inside his throat as he stood and put the map away.
    “I hope this means we’re going back to Vortex #1 again.” I said. “Tell me we’re not visiting the snakes again.”
    “It would be safer if we hit Bumppp again,” she said. “No point in taking the chance.”
    “You can’t be serious,” I said. Just at the mention of those snakes my stomach clamped up into a knot.
    She laughed. “Don’t worry. From here I can hit Vortex #1. No snakes needed.”
    She made sure Aahz was ready, and then we hopped.
    The dust pounded at me for all of five seconds while Tananda made sure we were there and all right, then she hopped us again right back into the tent of the Shifter.
    He was now shaped like a sofa with eyes on the arms and pillows where the ears would be. A massive, orange tongue hung out of the face, forming the seating area. From that moment onward, sitting on a sofa was going to take on a whole new meaning for me.
    “We need the Etc dimension,” Tananda said.
    “Your total is now twenty percent,” the creature said, its massive tongue moving as if someone was fluffing the pillows.
    “We are aware of that,” Tananda said.
    The next moment we found ourselves standing on a wide and, mercifully, empty street. Plain-looking wooden buildings framed both sides of the street.
    The sky overhead was cloudy and gray, the air was cold and crisp, but at least it wasn’t blowing. I was glad I still had our heavy coats and hats on as disguises.
    I turned slowly around. There was no doubt there were some strange dimensions in this universe. The road seemed to go off into the distance in both directions from where we were standing, framed by exactly the same types of buildings on both sides, all the same height. Each building had a strange shape to it as well, with two doors, and matching windows. There was no way to tell what was on the other side of the buildings, since it was like we were standing in a canyon.
    I had no idea how anyone living in this place found his or her way home. Every building was exactly like the one it butted against, with no numbers or colors or any kind of distinguishing marks.
    “Wonder where the people are?” I asked.
    “Let’s check the map and not wait to find out the answer to that,” Aahz said as he headed for the side of the street.
    “Yeah,” Tananda said as she looked around, clearly on guard. “I don’t like the looks of this.”
    Aahz pulled the map out as he got near the edge of the road and opened it. On the map the dimension we were in was now marked clearly, with only one path leading away from it. Vortex #6 was our next stop. At least we had jumped over Vortex #5 just like we had over #2 and #3.
    Tananda glanced at the map and