The orientation of this portal world was different. Although Dart and Felix had jumped into the portal, they landed by walking right into a bright room on a horizontal plane.
The room was completely white, almost blindingly so. It all seemed to be made of nothing at all. An eerie, uninteresting blank. There was no indication of where the floor met the wall, or where there was an end to the void.
"What is this place?" Dart murmured in surprise. It was a whole lot of nothing.
Felix covered his eyes in mock frustration, complaining, "Ahhhh, my eyes!" He joked that it was so bright he should've brought his sunglasses along.
There was not much to see or do here. It was just white, empty space. A blank plane of existence.
All of a sudden, a levitating creature leisurely paddled into view. It was a small, otter-like creature with bright blue fur, lying on its back and making backstrokes as it floated towards the two stunned fighters. Its miniature size, no bigger than a small puppy, was impossibly adorable. Both Felix and Dart could not stop themselves from cooing and turning googly-eyed.
The creature held both of its arms up—reaching only its fat cheeks—and greeted Dart in an equally lovable, high-pitched voice. "Welcome, Dart! I am OLO. I am your guide on this path through God's Tournament."
"Wow, this thing talks?!" Felix looked OLO up and down. He reached out to try to touch OLO, but OLO teleported immediately out of reach. It reappeared by Dart's side.
"Hey! I've been wondering when I would meet you," Dart greeted OLO. "I've heard about you, but I thought you'd be more human… and not this… fluffy."
OLO continued, ignoring Felix. "Let me start activating your power. Show me your hand," it asked politely.
Felix was affronted at being ignored for the second time that day. First the hot Doctor, now this rude but adorable creature. He wanted answers. "I'm here too, you know? Or you can't see me?" He started waving frantically.
Dart stretched out his hands gingerly, palms facing up. "Yeah, the Doctor told me about pooh," he wondered out loud.
"That would be rōōh. And Felix, I am a celestial. I see everything and everyone." OLO acknowledged Felix without looking at him. "If you wish to speak to me, you must open your own door, Felix." OLO's cryptic words made perfect sense. The talismans were charms that opened a portal into a world to speak to OLO!
Felix grew quiet, then let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, I'll head out. Later alligator," he said as he tossed his own talisman onto the ground in front of him.
Another portal shone on the ground, expanding quickly. "My squirrel better not be this annoying," he waved goodbye to Dart as he jumped into the portal.
Whomp! Felix landed hard on his head.
"Welcome, Felix! We meet again." A familiar chirpy voice behind him said. "I am OLO!"
"Whaaat? You again?! Aren't you supposed to be with Dart?" Felix rubbed his head as he got to his feet.
OLO rolled its eyes and repeated, "I did say I'm an omnipresent celestial being!"
"Oh God, that is so annoying," Felix muttered under his breath.
OLO narrowed its eyes. Even for a celestial, its patience was wearing thin from Felix's belligerent attitude. It continued, "I will be the one to guide you…"
"Yeah yeah, I heard it the first time," Felix waved his hand dismissively. "Let's cut to the chase!"
Enough was enough! OLO's friendly demeanour broke. It sputtered, "Would you just shut up and listen!" Its voice grew even more high-pitched in annoyance.
"Oh did I hurt your feelings? Not going by the script now anymore are we," Felix goaded, laughing.
OLO was furious. "Give me your hand!" It now sounded like an irate child throwing a tantrum. Felix laughed even harder.
"Hey, what are you doiiii…. Aaaahhhhhh…."
Felix screamed, clutching his shoulder. His skin was searing with pain as if lashes were whipping onto him. Gradually, the faint outline of a tattoo with the shape of the tournament's emblem began to appear on his shoulder.
"Ahhhhhh… What did you do to me, you stupid squirrel?!" Felix screeched, tears streaming out of his eyes. He bowled over as if someone had punched him in the stomach. His knees were weak and colourful shapes danced in front of his eyes.
"I have activated your powers. Your body is just processing the changes." OLO said simply. It looked Felix up and down as his face contorted into various pained expressions.
OLO buried its face in its arms. Its shoulders were shaking from laughter.
"Ahhhhhhhh… You're... Are you enjoying this?!" Felix accused, grimacing in pain. He alternated between clutching his shoulder and bucking his back in pain.
OLO chuckled openly. "I am a celestial. I don't care about human emotions." Coming from a blue furred-otter, this somehow made sense.
"I can literally see you laughing!" Felix scowled through gritted teeth. The glowing tattoo transformed as the etched gashes grew deeper. Felix experienced what can only be described as taking an icy hot bath with concurrent sensations of tickles, goosebumps and whipping. This continued for what seemed like eternity to Felix.
"In a couple of days, you should be able to use your powers. Come back and speak to me then."
OLO dismissed Felix with a flick of its tail, sending Felix upwards into the ceiling of the room.
Felix landed on his face this time, back on board 'The Challenger.' Dart was still gone.
Felix paced the room, muttering that he was never going back to see OLO again. When he stepped into the bathroom to inspect the tattoo on his shoulder in the mirror, the shiny bathtub in the bathroom seemed to mock his suffering. At least there was the fully-stocked liquor cabinet.
The portal opened in the bedroom and Dart stepped out, laughing and bidding goodbye. He stopped short at Felix's disheveled appearance and the glass of whisky in his hand.
"Why do you look like shit?" Dart said, surprised.
"Aren't you in pain because of the tattoo?" Felix shot back, equally surprised.
Dart showed the tattoo on the back of his hand. "A little. OLO was really nice. It activated my powers slowly until I got used to the power of rōōh."
Felix lashed out in fury.
"I. Will. Fucking. Kill. That. Squirrel!"